7 Tips to Have a Green Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a great time to make your lifestyle more green and eco-friendly. There are many common pollutants out there which may be harmless to you but can have harmful effects on the baby growing inside you. By making simple changes to your lifestyle during pregnancy, you not only establish healthy habits for yourself but also for the baby.

Here are a few helpful green pregnancy tips that work:

#1: Eat Organic Foods

When aiming for a green pregnancy, you should try to eat organic foods because the fewer pesticides that go in your body, the better it is. Vegetables and fruits such as spinach, potatoes, celery, bell peppers, strawberries, apples and peaches are the most common foods that get contaminated by pesticides. However, fruits like oranges and bananas have a lower chance of getting contaminated since they have a tough peel. Organic foods on the other hand only use “organic pesticides”.

#2: Buy Eco-Friendly Maternity Wear

Being a mom-to-be, you not only should look for clothes that keep your belly covered and give you a “good feeling” but also for clothes that are eco-friendly. Keeping green pregnancy in mind, you should aim to buy “ethically made” earth-friendly maternity wear. For example, maternity leggings made out of eco-friendly materials offer comfort to your growing belly, and at the same time look good with your regular, everyday outfits.

#3: Avoid Using Plastic Containers

Stainless steel reusable water-bottles and glass food containers are way better than plastic containers (especially ones that contain BPA). Studies show BPA can have some kind of a feminizing effect on fetuses and babies since it mimics estrogen. But that’s not all – plastic production is also responsible for large amounts of pollution from emission and recycling.

#4: Alter Your Skincare Routine

A number of skincare products (even the ones labeled as organic) contain chemicals that are unsafe and have been linked to birth defects. Many of the anti-wrinkle creams contain Retinoids and acne medicines have Salicylic Acid in them – which is why you need to stay away from them. However, you can use sunscreens since they are safe.

#5: Keep Your House Air Clear

Having a green pregnancy means you need to take an eco-friendly approach to everything. So keep your air clear, healthy and free of volatile organic compounds that tend to evaporate into air. When using air fresheners, carpet cleaners, etc, make sure that these are directly derived from plants, or else avoid them.

#6: Go for Non-Toxic Cleaning Supplies

Even though this is obvious, it’s still worth mentioning that you should stay away from any toxic cleaning supplies. Anything that is labeled as “flammable” or “caution” is to be strictly avoided. There are many organic/natural cleaners out there that have greatly improved in efficiency over the years. You no longer have to depend on anything toxic for cleaning purposes.

#7: Say No to Canned Foods

BPA that you find in plastics is also found in canned foods, which gives you another reason to stick to organic foods. Fresh vegetables and fruits are not only healthy for you, but are also healthy for the environment since they need less processing/transport.

There you go! Use these simple, yet effective green pregnancy tips that you can put to use right away and contribute to the environment as you expect your baby.

Image:  Belly of a woman in her 34th week of pregnancy. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)