Have a Green Pregnancy
Today, many people are looking for ways
to become “greener.” They want to do what they can to help protect the
environment for themselves, their children and the rest of the world.
One way to begin is to have a green pregnancy.
Having a green pregnancy can range from
being selective about the products you use to how you treat your body.
We’ve gathered together some ideas about ways to have a green pregnancy
and list them below.
• Check cosmetics and other
personal products you use to see if any contain harmful chemicals.
Choose ones that are good for the environment.
• Eat organic foods some of the time to cut down on your exposure to pesticides and other harmful substances.
• Ask friends to give you a green shower. Register for eco-friendly products.
• Buy secondhand baby clothes.
• Make recycling a part of your life every day.
• Donate or sell items you don’t need anymore to make room for baby and all the stuff you’ll need for him or her.
• Try to avoid outdoor pollutants, such as car exhaust and smog.
• Walk when you can instead of driving.
• Grow your own vegetables when possible. A garden can be a wonderful addition to your lifestyle.
• Use energy-efficient light bulbs in your lamps and fixtures.
• Use green cleaning products,
laundry detergents and other household products. Check to be sure
they’re safe to use during pregnancy–not all green products are.
• Buy a water bottle for your personal use, and use it every day.
Take 1200mg of calcium every day while
you breastfeed to help reduce the amount of lead in your milk. If you
don’t have enough calcium in your bones, your body will pull lead out
of them.
If you have an older home, run cold water
for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before you drink it or use it for cooking.
Running cold water helps flush out any lead in the pipes—hot water
tends to leach lead from pipes. A good water filter can also help.
When fixing up baby’s room, choose no- or low-VOC paint, which has fewer pollutants. (VOC
means volatile organic compounds.) If you’re going to install carpet,
select natural fibers when possible, such as wool, jute or sisal. Or
look for carpets with the Green Label Plus logo—they contain
lower amounts of VOC chemicals. You might also ask the salesperson to
air out carpet for 24 hours before installation to help reduce harmful
chemicals. After carpet is installed, close the door to the room, and
open windows and leave them open for 72 hours.
You might also want to keep baby’s bed
and bedding natural. Many products are available that are free of
dioxins, synthetic petrochemicals and formaldehyde, including crib
mattresses and crib bedding.
Tip for Week 16
Some of the foods you normally love may
make you sick to your stomach during pregnancy. You may need to
substitute other nutritious foods you tolerate better.
Watch your energy consumption, and try to live light. The lower your CO2 footprint, the better it is for the environment. For example, drinking tap water releases almost no CO2 into the atmosphere. However, if you drink bottled water, every bottle of water accounts for the release of 1 pound of CO2! If you take a hot shower for 5 minutes, 3.5 pounds of CO2 are released into the atmosphere. If your shower lasts 10 minutes, 7 pounds of CO2 are released. If you take the bus, 0.2 pounds of CO2 are released per mile, compared with 0.9 pounds if you drive a car that gets 23 miles per gallon.
Remember—if it’s not good for you, it’s not good for baby!
