Archive for the 'Pregnancy' Category

July 29, 2007 | Antibacterials, Health, Pregnancy

Triclosan (not to be confused with Tryptophan - an amino acid in turkey that makes you sleepy) is one of the active ingredients of most anti-bacterials - 75% in fact. But a March study said that the triclosan in those products breaks down rapidly in chlorinated water and produces toxic chemicals including chloroform! (more…)

July 20, 2007 | Food & drink, Pregnancy

This is one of the best giveaways I’ve seen in Bloggityville! Over at 5 Minutes for Mom they’re giving away $300 worth of Horizon organic milk! (Have you ever tasted Horizon organic milk? I warn you, you can’t just drink one glass.)

If you’re struggling with questions about whether or not to switch to organic milk, check out our post from February about organic milk. And if you’re pregnant, put down the skim milk! Miscarriage rates rise a bit in women who drink skim milk, so enjoy the creaminess of 2% until you have the little bundle in your arms!

June 26, 2007 | Essential oils, Cleaning products, Pregnancy, Shopping

Lavender actually gets its name from Latin lavare, meaning, to wash. It was actually used in WWII to disinfect hospital walls and floors - I’d say that’s pretty potent, with what was going on in those hospitals! As fas as the essential oils go, it’s pretty popular for its clean, pure aroma. It promotes nervous system health and balance, and has lots of other healthy uses.

It has been used for nerves, migraines, headaches, tension, emotional stress, sore muscles or tense muscles. Other uses include benefits for the skin, immune and circulatory systems. The medicinal uses make it popular as a general additive for aromatherapy, but you can just as well add some lavender essential oil to your regular cleaning products, or add some to a damp rag to rub into your hardwood floors. It’ll leave your home smelling fantastic, promote health for your family, and do hard work as a disinfectant.

You can purchase essential oils at your local natural foods store, or Google it and purchase online. You’ll want to aim for Lavandula angustifolia, also known as Lavender Fine, as that’s the better type of lavender on the market. Happy cleaning! 

Please note: Lavender is not recommended for early pregnancy. When pregnant, please use caution when handling any essential oils, as most have not been tested for their effect on baby development. 

May 23, 2007 | Food & drink, Health, Organics, Pregnancy, News

Joni Mitchell said it best, “…Hey, farmer, farmer, put away that DDT now. Give me spots on my apples, just leave me the birds and the bees, please!…” Now we can add to the birds and the bees line, babies and brains too!

News this week? Babies conceived in the summer months don’t do as well in school as those conceived at other times of the year. Neonatologist Paul Winchester analyzed the scores on standardized tests and found that children who were conceived in June, July, and August were significantly less proficient in language and math. He attributes the effect to high levels of environmental pesticides during the most crucial months of nervous system development. “The pesticides we use to control pests in fields and in our homes and the nitrate we use to fertilize crops and even our lawns are at their highest level in summer,” Winchester says. He suspects that pesticides are causing higher rates of hypothyroidism in pregnant women, a condition known to affect brain development in growing babies. Not only that, pesticides and fertilizers are also blamed for premature and preterm birth.

So, no more makin’ whoopie in the summer time! Well, scratch that. But if you’re pregnant or trying to get pregnant this summer, I’d say it’s high time to start buying organic produce, and limiting the chemicals you use in and around your home. Switch to natural cleaning products (or a natural maid service, like… need I say? Broom Huggers!), see if you can manage your lawn and indoor pest control without pesticides and fertilizers. And most definitely, buy yourself some organic 2% milk (miscarriage rates rise a bit in women who drink skim), and limit your beef intake.

April 9, 2007 | Food & drink, Health, Pregnancy

A recent study from the University of Rochester suggests that the hormones cows are fed is very much present in the beef we eat. In fact, the study shows that men whose mothers ate beef every day during pregnancy averaged a sperm count 24.3% lower than average. It also notes a suspected connection to polycystic ovarian syndrome, early puberty, and altered growth rates in daughters.

So, the moral of the story… pregnant women and moms of young boys too (the article doesn’t mention them, but surely they’re at risk too, right?), buy some stock in Chick-Fil-A. No, seriously though, a diet with smaller quantities of beef also lowers the implications of cholesterol, and nutritionists have long raved the benefits of white meat. Replacing all your beef with chicken may not be the best solution, but ground turkey and buffalo are available in most supermarkets, and supplementing your weekly meals with more white meats, seafood, and other departures from beef may have greater long-term health benefits than we previously knew.