Watch Out for Chemicals!

As the pregnancy hormones ramp up, one of the special tools working to keep baby safe in the womb is mama's grossly exaggerated sense of smell.  Mom-to-be's nose will help her determine when there is danger nearby for baby.  This sense is so hyper-sensitive during pregnancy, it can make a woman nauseous and feel the immediate need to escape the smell.  These smells are a warning that mom is exposing both of them to a substance that is potentially dangers to baby.

Since I have been pregnant, here are some of my most egregious nasal offenders:

• The fumes when pumping gas into my car.
• The exhaust of walking near a busy street.
• The exhaust when driving with the windows down in a lot of traffic.
• The horrid smell of walking into a well-soiled restroom.
• The fumes of lit charcoal.
• The strong chemical-based perfume of a woman standing in line four people up at Starbucks.
• Walking near people who are smoking or who have just smoked.
• Milk that was just about to expire, but the nose said that it was already starting to turn.

This on top of the food smells that told me to stay away during this pregnancy, including onions, garlic, and most spices.  While that's related, because the body is still telling mom to stay away from things not good for the baby (for whatever reason), that food smell isn't exactly what I'm talking about today.

Yet, there are lots of chemicals that we come into contact on a daily basis that our nose doesn't tell us to avoid.  In my organic household, we try to limit our contact with chemicals.  When I got pregnant, I stepped this up immensely, finding natural alternatives for toothpaste, deodorant, makeup, and more.  If I don't need it, I don't even bother with finding an alternative.  For example, I stopped wearing nail polish, and I don't use fabric refreshers, wrinkle releasers, air fresheners, or insecticide.

I know that I'm only 30, but I've been regularly using wrinkle cream since I was 18.  At the time, a coworker maintained that her grandmother looked so young, because she used wrinkle creams since she was 18 years old.  I found that they were super moisturizing without being really greasy and that they helped heal my acne.  The moment I found out that I was pregnant, I threw away what was left in my last container.  When I couldn't control the hormonal acne, I opted for raw honey instead, and my skin has been softer, even less greasy, and just as healthy (if not healthier) as a result.  And even though raw honey is expensive, a $6, eight ounce bottle of raw honey is way cheaper than a $20, two-ounce container of wrinkle cream.

And, these choices roll over from my organic pregnancy into my organic lifestyle.  The non-pregnant nose doesn't tell us as much information about the environment to which we're exposing ourselves.  Even if you can't smell it, and even if you're not growing a baby, I believe that there is cause for a lot of concern.  Granted, something like pumping gas on a regular basis isn't going to do someone much harm.  But, I believe that combined with all of the other chemicals that we expose ourselves to everyday, even just in passing, we tend to bombard our systems with toxins.  And, mixed with genetics and environmental factors, I believe that constant exposure can make it easier for cancer and other diseases to develop.  It is all I think about when I see the recent reporting of the 9/11 story about toxic dust and cancer, that no matter how fast or slow we expose ourselves to toxins, that they have the potential to cause cancer.

Here are many places in my life where I have made recent choices to remove as many chemicals as possible, as sparked by my pregnancy:

• Gasoline: I found that it's least offensive to fill up on a rainy day, though this is just a bonus and not always possible.  Filling up a tank also makes for less trips to the gas station.
• Cleaning products: I use green alternatives that don't have harsh chemicals.  Bleach is out of the question.  Whole Foods has many store brand cleaners, such as the citrus all-purpose cleaner.  There are many natural alternatives, such as Seventh Generation.  My mom, who has magnificently moved to help me raise Lily would appreciate something that resembles a cleaner with which she is familiar.  However, vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, and baking soda are all good cleansers for various jobs.  Though it smells, vinegar is really a great all-purpose cleaner.
• Shampoo/conditioner: I use Giovanni Eco Chic shampoos and conditioners.  There are many natural options.
• Hair gel and gloss: I use more Giovanni Eco Chic products.
• Laundry detergent: I use Seventh Generation Free & Clear detergent.  Baking soda by itself can act as a laundry detergent.  Lemon juice can be used instead of bleach. There are many recipes online and in books for making your own natural detergent at home.
• Fabric softener: I use Sun & Earth dryer sheets, which are biodegradable.
• Perfumes: I don't wear much perfume anymore, but when I do, it's Pacifica's Tuscon Blood Orange.  At the beginning of pregnancy, I would splash on some lavender essential oil.  Look for something plant-based, as a lot of perfumes on the market are just a mix of chemicals.
• Lotions: I don't really use lotion anymore.  There are lots of natural alternatives.  I use a homemade almond butter spa treatment on my hands and feet from time to time.
• Face wash: I use Burt's Bees Peach & Willow Bark cleanser.  There are many natural alternatives.  Some folks use raw, local honey as a face wash, but I use it as a face mask.
• Face mask: I use raw, local honey to keep away acne.   There are also many natural face mask alternatives.
• Face Toner: I use hydrogen peroxide as needed.  Before that, I was using Burt's Bees Rosewater Toner.
• Hand soap: I use Dr. Bronner's liquid castle soap in dispensers.  I have a travel size that I sometimes remember to grab to use when I am at work.
• Toothpaste: I use baking soda, but there are many natural alternatives.  I stay away from fluoride, because it's really just chemical waste sold to us, and it's only effective for teeth when teeth are encased for several minutes.
• Mouthwash: I use hydrogen peroxide, but there are several natural alternatives. 
• Deodorant: I use a mixture of coconut oil and baking soda.  There are some natural alternatives, but stay away from aluminum.
• Nail polish: I do not wear nail polish anymore.  There are some less-toxic versions available.  Well, I did get a manicure at an organic spa that had a non-toxic line of polishes.  But, the lotion they put on my hands made my skin peel.
• Makeup: I use the Zuzu Luze brand.  The word on the street is that Dr. Hauschka is one of the best, but it's way too expensive for my pocket.  Zuzu Luxe is still more expensive than whatever I was buying at the drug store, and that cost was hard to eat, but easy to justify.  Some of my hippie friends don't wear makeup.
• Lipstick: I use Burt's Bees lip shimmer when I do wear it.

I spoke a lot about exposing ourselves to chemicals, but when we make eco-friendly choices, we also take steps to expose Mother Earth to less chemicals.  When we expel these chemicals down the drain as we use them,  we're sending them out to the Earth.  Many earth-friendly alternatives break down more easily and cause less harm to the Earth. Regardless of whether or not we personally hold the Earth as sacred, that also causes less harm to us.

My Family and the Organic Preggo

Last weekend, my mom moved to Virginia.  My brother, nephew, and Dad were in tow to help out.  Here we are sitting around a makeshift table that my mom put together.  She took the milk crates she used for storage and placed the wrapped Ikea side table on top, so that we had a place to eat dinner as a family.  This after my dad made a dash to Home Depot to pick up some patio chairs.  We haven't yet bought a dining set.

This makeshift table illustrates one of the dozens of reasons why my mom is so amazing and why it will make such a huge difference to have her with me and Lily.   My mom is one of the most crafty and resourceful people that I know.  She can take junk and turn it into works of art.  She'll take trash and turn it into functional furniture.  And, she won't be deterred by my green, hippie work-arounds for me and Baby Lily.  That is, as long as she still gets to use the microwave.

After we ate, Dad had a list of projects that he wanted to get done.  He wanted to get cleaning supplies to wipe down the walls, fix the front door, fix the back door, and put together as much furniture as he could.   The maids only did a standard cleaning, not a move out cleaning, which is fine with me, because we could use eco cleaners on everything.

My dad would just wipe the walls down with bleach.  However, organic preggo here wouldn't have it.  We had to drive to Whole Foods to buy the eco-friendly, non-toxic, plant-based cleaners. I didn't realize how skeptical my family was about the eco cleaners.  That is, until they talked about how well they cleaned, and how surprised they were at how they smelled like they would actually clean stuff. 

My dad brought up painting a couple of times.  I started by nodding and saying "okay, we'll think about it."  But, the third time it came up, I tried to politely explain that we couldn't paint while I was pregnant or when the baby was young.  That I'd rather just leave the walls as-is.  BabyCenter.com talks about types of paints to avoid while pregnant, and some companies do make a more eco-friendly, no-VOC (volatile organic compound) paint.  But, since I tend to avoid as many chemicals as possible, I'd just rather not paint right now.  I mean, I'm the kinda gal who takes her own liquid soap into the bathroom at work.

I needed to completely adjust my communication style.  My mom asked about hanging up some air fresheners in our closets.  I knew that it wasn't obvious to her just how many chemicals those air fresheners leached into the air.  I thought about it for a moment, and I realized that we were going to have these conversations over and over.  It wasn't a bad thing, but most folks aren't going to realize where green hippies would see danger, and I was nervous about coming off as bitchy.  My response would normally be unintentionally snooty, "I won't use that."  Or, "Not in my room."  It's important to be as least offensive to my mom as possible while politely declining what I see as a toxic option.  It's also important for me to clue her in when I'd prefer a green alternative, or that a green alternative actually exists for whatever option, as she's going to be doing a lot of the shopping for the house.  So, when it comes up, I decided to say, "I prefer a green option.  If there isn't one, then I prefer nothing at all (or the conventional option)."

Dad wanted to get everything done before he left.  He has been so helpful, and he doesn't want to leave us with a mess.  I had to keep reassuring him that we have a huge support group, and lots of people are coming to help out with the move.  Yay family!