Healthy Home Tips for Parents

I am "stealing" part of today's post from the "Environmental Working Group's (EWG's) Healthy Home Tips for Parents."  I found this list online and found the tips useful.  You can read the entire file through the link above.  However, for this post, I am using the basic tips and embellishing them with things I've found on my own.

1. Choose better body care products.
• A good resource is the EWG's Skin Deep Database.  Through this database, you can find out more information about what is in common household cosmetics.  It also lists products with "safer" ingredients. 
• What you may not know about sunscreen
• Homemade Pet Shampoo
2. Go organic and eat fresh foods.
• Another great list to help you figure out what you should or should not eat organic is the "Dirty Dozen" list published by EWG.  They also publish a list called the "Clean 15."  Items on the "Clean 15" are the lowest in pesticides and it is OK to not buy organic for these foods.
• When should your child eat organic?
• Choosing organic will also help you to avoid eating foods that are Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO's).  
3. Avoid fire retardants.
• A label on a product indicating that it meets California's "Technical Bulletin 117" usually means that the product has been treated with a fire retardant.  I've written two other blog posts about this which you can read for more detailed explanations.     
4. Pick plastics carefully.
• I have also written three blog posts about plastics and what to look out for when purchasing items made of plastic.   I would generally avoid plastic items labeled with the SPI Resin Identification Codes of Vinyl, PS and Other.  These are indicated with the numbers #3, #6, and #7.
• I have found an interesting post on ways to "Banish plastic from your kitchen."
5. Filter your tap water.
• Tips and reasons to filter your tap water.
• Is there lead in your water?
6. Wash those hands.
• The CDC has excellent recommendations and tips for proper hand washing.  Most people do not wash their hands often or long enough.  You should rub your hands while washing for at least 20 seconds.  That is enough time to sing the "Happy Birthday" song twice from beginning to end. 
7. Skip non-stick.
• Teflon, is the name of a synthetic polymer which coats non-stick cooking ware.  Teflon when heated at high temperatures can emit toxic fumes.  These fumes have killed pet birds and have caused flu-like symptoms in humans.
• Cooking with a well seasoned cast iron skillet can give you the same results as a Teflon coated skillet.  It can also be used from the stovetop to the oven.
8.   Use a HEPA-filter vacuum.
• A HEPA filter is a type of air filter that "must remove 99.97% of all particles greater than 0.3 micrometer from the air that passes through."  A "HEPA filter traps the fine particles (such as pollen and dust mite feces) which trigger allergy and asthma symptoms."
9. Get your iodine.
• "Use iodized salt, especially while pregnant and nursing, and take iodine-containing prenatal vitamins. Iodine buffers against chemicals like perchlorate, which can disrupt your thyroid system and affect brain development during pregnancy and infancy."
10. Use greener cleaners and avoid pesticides.
• You can find many tips on-line for "natural" cleaning solutions and non-toxic pesticide.  The following are links to some of the things I've found over the last few months.
• How to kill mildew naturally
• 9 ways to use rice around the house
• Natural Remedies for a Teething Baby
• Natural Air Freshners
• Do Natural Cleaners Really Work?
• Homemade Laundry Detergent
• How to make good use of bad wine
• Uses for vinegar:  Tips and ideas
• How to clean an iron
• 13 natural remedies for the ant invasion
• 24 smart uses for sugar
• The (never-ending) uses of baking soda
• 24 things you can clean with a lemon
• Make your own disinfectant spray
• 30 ways to detox your home and body
• How can I go green for my newborn?
11. Eat good fats.
• Eat those omega-3 fatty acids.  

Would You Eat Your Own Placenta?

I know it sounds disturbing but there seems to be more and more women who are opting to "eat" their own placenta.  There are actually many cultures around the world and many animals that eat their placentas after they give birth.  However, in my "western mind," I find the thought repulsive.

There is an actual term for eating your own placenta.  It is called human placentophagy.  People who engage in this practice believe that eating the placenta will help them recover faster from childbirth and help to increase their milk supply.

The first time I had ever heard of this in our "modern" society was from a Time Magazine Article that I read before my first child was born.  I was so taken aback by the premise of the article that I still remember it to this day.  The article, "Afterbirth:  It's What's For Dinner," detailed the author's wife's experience with placental encapsulation.  Her placenta was cooked, dehydrated, ground up and put into capsules for her to consume.  He even posted a video of the experience.  The practice of making placenta capsules is gaining in popularity among natural medicine practitioners and home birth advocates.

If eating your placenta is something you would do, you can find recipes online as well as step-by-step instructions (complete with pictures) for making your own placenta capsules.  If you don't want to eat your placenta, you can always make pieces of art with them.  There are people that will make prints with the placenta, dye clothing with the placental blood, make teddy bears with the placenta or pictures with the dried umbilical cord!!

If you've done any of the above, I'd really like to hear about your experience.  I personally couldn't do it and thought it was more than enough to have my husband photograph my placenta (not going to post the picture to spare you).

What I'm Going to Miss About Being Pregnant...

As I'm nearing the end of my second (and probably last) pregnancy, there are a few things that I will actually miss about the whole experience.  There have been more than a few bumps in the road on this journey like nausea and vomiting in the first trimester, bad reflux, "growing pains," gestational diabetes (having to be on a "diet" since 16 weeks SUCKS), and slowly rising blood pressure with daily monitoring in these last few weeks.  Despite these "bumps," pregnancy is such a fascinating experience that there will be more things that I will miss about it than not.

• Getting creative with my baby bump.

Yes, I am a Rockies fan (much to the chagrin of my husband).

• It's the only time in my life I can wear a bikini and not be embarrassed by my not-so-flat tummy.

I need a tan!

• Having a portable "table" with me at all times.

• Strangers offering me their seats on public transportation.
• Random conversations with people (especially the elderly) about my pregnancy.
• "Stork" or "Expectant Mother's" Parking

• My two-year old pointing at my belly saying "mommy's baby" and then pointing to his belly and his "baby."
• Sympathetic glances from other pregnant women.
• Watching with fascination the changes occurring in my body.
• The enhanced cleavage is a definite bonus.
• My complexion has never been this good.

My Bump Weeks 7-37

• Having a clean belly button
• Feeling the baby move and kick inside of me.
• Trying to figure out what body part is protruding from my belly.
• Having the baby safely with me at all times.
• Knowing that I am creating a whole new human being is a very powerful thing.

Is there anything that I've missed?  What are some of the things that you miss about being pregnant?

Happy Friday the 13th!

I have to admit that I approached today with a little bit of trepidation.  I am 37 weeks and 3 days pregnant.  While the day is not "officially" over yet, I was a little nervous about having my baby today. I am not exactly sure I want my baby born on Friday the 13th.  I know that it is probably an irrational thing to think about but all of those horror movies really have left an impression on me regarding the date.  Why does this date on the calendar cause such a negative feeling?  I found some interesting bits of trivia regarding Friday the 13th.  I've linked the articles below:

13 Freaky Facts About Friday the 13th
(I got the coolest bit of trivia from this link:  "This year is a special one for Friday the 13ths: There are three of them: Jan. 13, April 13 and July 13. The freaky thing? The dates fall exactly 13 weeks apart. That hasn't happened since 1984.")

Statistically Speaking, is Friday the 13th Really Unlucky?

10 Reasons Why the Number 13 is Unlucky

13 Strange Things that Happened on Friday the 13th

Friday the 13th:  13 Superstitions Explained

13 Incredibly Lucky Earth Facts

11 Big Fat Pregnancy Myths

I am actually "stealing" today's post.  I found this online and thought it was rather appropriate.  The post talks about 11 Big Fat Pregnancy Myths.

11. Pregnancy Lasts Nine Months

• Most doctors consider pregnancy to be 40 weeks long.  However, the beginning of the pregnancy is measured on the first day of a woman's last menstrual cycle.  The first two weeks of a woman's pregnancy actually takes place BEFORE conception.

10. When you have sex determines the gender of the baby.

• Wrong...  Anyone have any luck with the Chinese Gender Predictor Calendar?

9. You can predict the gender of your baby without technology.

• Has following an old wives tale (i.e. baking soda gender test, purple cabbage gender test, wedding ring gender prediction test, etc) actually foretold the gender of your baby?

8. Twins skip a generation

• Fraternal twins do run in families.  However, the genes responsible for that are passed down like any other gene and do not "skip" generations.  
• Identical twins happen randomly.

7. Breastfeeding makes your breasts sag.

• Multiple pregnancies, smoking and being older contribute to sagging breasts.

6. The mom-to-be is the only one going through hormonal changes.

• An expectant father's testosterone level may go down and his prolactin level may go up.

5. Your body shape will never be the same again.

• How do you explain someone like Olympian Dara Torres or Supermodel Heidi Klum (who had four children)?

4. Pregnancy makes your feet grow.
3. Drinking any alcohol during pregnancy will hurt the baby.

• Five Danish studies found that "low and moderate weekly alcohol consumption in early pregnancy is not associated with adverse neuropsychological effects in children."

2. "Morning" sickness only happens in the morning.
1. "Pregnancy brain" makes it impossible to concentrate.

Expiration Dates Part II

This is a follow-up post to one I wrote two months ago about expiration dates.  Since my initial post, my cousin recommended I check out a cool website called, "http://www.stilltasty.com/"  This website offers great tips on food items and if it you can "keep it or toss it" based upon the length of time a product has been opened and kept under refrigeration or at room temperature.  You can search everything from mayonnaise to mustard to determine if that jar hiding at the back of the refrigerator is still safe to consume.

I also found two other articles which supported my notion that expiration dates are not hard and fast for most products.  In many cases, "some of those dates are more like suggestions than mandates" and that most times, while food labeling is confusing, most of the dates have "nothing to do with food safety."

The only time that I would religiously follow a products' expiration date would be for infant formula and medications.  For the most part, other than those instances, I would be more likely to use a product past a date listed.

Breastfeeding Beyond Infancy the Reality Show?!?!

There appears to be a reality series in development which will focus on mothers who breastfeed "older children."  This was inspired by the controversial Time Magazine article about attachment parenting featuring a mother breastfeeding her three year old child on the cover.  Would you watch such a show? If so, what do you consider to be an "older child?"

Many organizations like the World Health Organization recommend breastfeeding "up to 6 months of age, with continued breastfeeding along with appropriate complementary foods up to two years of age or beyond."  It appears that only in America do we have such a hangup about breastfeeding.  This topic can become very heated when placed in the context of breastfeeding in public or breastfeeding an "older child."  In my experience, most people would equate an "older child" as a child over the age of one.

As I have stated before, I think these kinds of shows do an injustice to breastfeeding.  I think it only serves to sensationalize what should be a natural thing between mother and child.  On one hand, out of sheer curiosity, I can see myself watching a show like this just to see what it's like.  On the other hand, I want to boycott a show such as this if the reviews indicate that it is sensationalistic.  If a show like this is done tastefully and is supportive of breastfeeding then I am all for it.  If it is only there to further stir up anger and resentment against breastfeeding mothers than I think there should not be a show like that on television.