Published on July 16th, 2008
I was happy to hear about the launch of a new magazine for mamas who care about the environment and healthful living, called Mindful Mama Magazine.
The magazine, which will be available through health care practitioners, at bookstores, boutiques and natural food stores in July, will actively promote (according to a recent press release):
o Simplicity
o Products that are non-toxic to mom and baby
o Products and services produced using sustainable practices
o Companies that make efforts to green their workspace
o Companies that actively work to reduce their carbon footprint
o Companies that donate a portion of profits to a good cause
o Mother-owned businesses or parent-friendly workplaces
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Published on July 14th, 2008
For eco-savvy parents in Los Angeles, Bel Bambini is hosting an event in store on Tuesday July 15th to equip
moms with tips on how to create a healthy, eco-friendly nursery using green building products from leading experts.
Experts and hosts include:
Not only can green parents come get information on greening their children’s rooms, but they can also shop for a cause. A portion of sales from the day will go to the Pregnancy Awareness Foundation, which educates women on incorporating easy changes to boost exercise, nutrition and wellness to benefit themselves and their children.
The event will also feature eco-friendly prizes from Sage Creek Organics (an ADORABLE eco-line), AFM Safecoat, Green to Grow and more…call 213.627.1230 for more information. If you aren’t able to attend, check back for tips from the eco-experts presenting.
Related Posts:
Painting the Baby’s Nursery
Nursery Water Not Good for Babies
Organic Crib Mattresses
Published on July 10th, 2008
Pett Corby, the author of e-book, ‘How to Avoid Unplanned Pregnancy Every Time You Have Sex - WITHOUT Using Contraceptive Drugs’ has recently launched a web based awareness campaign on the subject.
Contraceptives Are Likely to Endanger the Health of Early Users
Reproductive health is recognized as a human right. According to the United Nations, it is part of an individual’s right to health. However, according to Pett Corby, hardly anyone knows to avoid unplanned pregnancy by using natural methods. Young women who fall pregnant routinely undergo abortions and resort to the use of contraceptive drugs with dangerous side-effects. According to a study of early contraceptive use conducted Sweden in 1991, the risk of developing breast cancer was 820% higher in women who started using the pill before the age of 20, than for healthy non-users of the same age. Early use of the contraceptive pill is also associated with a increased risk for cervical cancer. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on July 7th, 2008
If mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy!
I heard that saying many times before I saw the truth in it.
When a woman is pregnant and her body is working overtime, she’ll love you for taking the time to nurture her. A lot of new dads don’t really understand the changes that are happening to their lover, and it can be hard to remember to take the time to nurture and embrace her. Sure, picking up after yourself helps, but I’m not talking about the house, I’m talking about her.
3 Nurturing Tips for New Dads
- Touch her. Give her a massage, even if it’s only for fifteen minutes. Start with the neck and upper back, spend some time working the hips and back of the pelvis, and end with a foot rub. You don’t need any massage experience for this, just strong hands, willingness, and love. For bonus points, heat a tub of water for a foot bath, add a couple of drops of lavender oil, maybe rose petals if you’ve got them, and let her soak her feet while you massage her neck.
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Published on July 2nd, 2008
More than four million acres of American farmland have already been dedicated to organic farming, helping our health and our future. That’s four million acres farmed without the use of toxic pesticides or other toxic chemicals; four million acres nurtured with both ancient and modern techniques that are in balance with nature, helping to reduce the production of greenhouse gasses and reduce the threat of global warming.
Growing our foods organically has proven to be one of the hottest, fastest-growing movements of the twenty-first century. When Congress passed the Organic Foods Production Act in 1990, there were fewer than one million acres of organic farmland. In just twelve years, by 2002, that figure had doubled. Then the pace of progress picked up. Within just three more years, the amount of organic farmland doubled again. In 2005, we saw, for the first time, certified organic farmland in all fifty states. There has been exceptional progress, but we need to do more.
If organic cropland continues to double—and it can!—we can expect to see a revitalization and renewal of our streams and our soil as we build a smart, sustainable future. I can remember drinking stream water in our national parks when I was a child. I can remember catching and eating fish from our local streams. Today, all of the streams surveyed by the U.S. Geological Survey and more than 90 percent of fish tested in farming regions are polluted with pesticides.
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Published on June 30th, 2008
Thank you to all of our writers, guest writers, and readers that shared their birth stories as part of our Labor of Love series. It’s been a difficult week for me with wildfires surrounding my home, and the birth stories provided me with moments of respite and love. From VBACS to home births, our experiences have varied but we’ve all been blessed with our children!
Three winners have been randomly selected for our Labor of Love Week Giveaway from our Eco Child’s Play forum.
- Candu won a pair of IsaBooties! Candu lives in Hanoi and suffered wounds from his wife’s grip:
All day the contractions got more painful and intense. She had to wait for 40 second long contractions and we had been waiting all day for it. I should have got her to cut her nails earlier, for now I have open wounds on my back and hands. Girls got some grip! She would lean right into me and hold on tight when she got another wave. She shook in pain and her eyes squeezed tight. Wave after wave after wave… Now I know why they call it labour!
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Published on June 29th, 2008
I am a closet Chick-lit lover. Although I love reading the classics such as Doesteovsky, Maugham, and Hesse (my favorite writer); sometimes I need an easy and light reading that doesn’t need a dictionary as a companion. So it’s no surprise that I would totally take to the From the Hips: A Comprehensive, Open-Minded, Uncensored, Totally Honest Guide to Pregnancy, Birth, and Becoming a Parent by Rebecca Odes and Ceridwen Morrisis. Although pregnancy is a serious subject matter; I didn’t want to read the pregnancy bible, What to Expect When You are Expecting. I really had hard time making it past the first chapter. It seemed a bit too authoritative; I pictured a nagging mother instead of your best friend. But From the Hips is definitely your best girl friend talking you through the trials of pregnancy with wit and a bit of sass. Who doesn’t need a bit of humor when you are carrying around a baby 24/7?
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Published on June 27th, 2008
When I first got pregnant, I remember my mother sending me tons of books, as well as perusing the pregnancy aisle at the library and bookstore. There is a plethora of labor books out there, but not all of them support natural birth, especially home birth. Thankfully, my midwives had a lending library, and one book Special Delivery was required reading. In this list of essential books for natural birth, I’ve also included two books by Ina May that were highly recommended as well by my midwives.
What makes a pregnancy book essential reading for natural birth? I think a natural birth book should support all women’s choices, both home and hospital births, as well as carefully explain all of the interventions that could happen if medically needed. The book should support women, as well as realistically discuss how each labor is unique.
Essential Books for a Natural Birth
- Special Delivery by Rahima Baldwin: This book can be hard to find, but it is well worth the hunt. This book prepares you for all aspects of a home or hospital birth, and we read many times to be prepared in case we didn’t make it town in time during my labors. My first child was a breech baby, but she turned thanks to this book! Rahima explains an exercise where mother’s lay with on their backs, knees bent, and pelvis highly elevated. When followed precisely, this method turns babies 85% of the time. It worked for my daughter, and I have this book to thank!
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Published on June 26th, 2008
Comic Relief is a Natural Pain Killer
I don’t remember exactly what time my first son was born or how much he weighed. In fact, I didn’t even see his face till 12 hours later.
My pregnancy was pleasant for the duration. Besides a bit of morning sickness, everything was going fine and I wasn’t looking much different weight-wise, save for the belly. As 2 weeks past my due date approached, despite trying everything in the book, there wasn’t even the slightest hint of impending labor. I went into the hospital at 5 a.m. on a Monday morning, and began a Pitocin drip at 6. The contractions started around noon. I kept a zen-like focus on being kind to those around me, taking walks, and sitting on a yoga ball to bounce out the pain. My water broke early that evening. I played a lot of Mario Bros. on my Gameboy between moments of writhing in agony. My husband was sleeping on a cot at the foot of my bed with a pillow over his head. I have to admit, my shrieking chant of “ow.ow.ow.ow.ow!” was a tad annoying. Once in awhile, a doc would come in to check my progress. By sunrise I had achieved one whole centimeter! Read the rest of this entry »
Published on June 26th, 2008
Birthing A Child Is A Mother’s Work
Having deposited me at the hospital after I went into labor with my firstborn, my husband snuck around the corner with my father to grab some Indian food. Everyone had missed dinner given the excitement of my water breaking.
When Papa suggested that they order a bottle of red, my husband looked at him like he was from another planet. It was going to be a long night at the hospital; wine was certainly out of the question. Caught in a severe generation gap, my father thought that his son-in-law gone stark-raving mad. How did a night at the hospital, long or short, concern him? Birthing a child was a mother’s work and seeing her through the process was her mother’s work.
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