By Amy Jussel •
August 5, 2008
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Mother’s milk is one of those ‘does size count’ topics that can make new dads wonder how their wives suddenly look like an ad for Hooters, and new moms quake in nervousness bookmarking resources from La Leche League for fear the baby won’t ‘latch on.’
There’s guilt-laden inadequacy of spousal pillow talk mumblings like, “Fergawdsakes, quit touching them, they feel like they’re gonna pop!” and surges of insecurity that surface in the wee hours of baby fussiness that can mess with our brains, convincing us the tyke must be starving. But the baby bonding, nourishment, and even eco-benefits of breastfeeding? Worth every precious ounce of initial angst and challenge…
As you think about various initiatives for green parenting, you might wonder where to start. What defines an eco-conscious parent and what resources can be utilized to help you become one? Happy Green Baby is a new online boutique specializing in organic, eco-friendly and sustainable baby products and gear, making it easy for parents to “go green” right from the time they become parents.
I woke up in the early morning and knew that our baby was ready to come into the world. My husband and I had created a vision for how we wanted Leona’s birth to unfold, as a peaceful decent. My breath and a positive perspective were my greatest tools in manifesting this and we found an alternative birth center within a suburban Chicago hospital. Natural birth has proven itself billions and billions of times across the globe and was how I wanted to deliver our child.
I spent the next few hours sitting on an exercise ball in a “birthing zone.” A hypnobirthing class taught me a few breathing techniques and visualizations that allowed me to open gracefully to the experience and the journey that lay ahead.
By Kristen Chase •
July 29, 2008
As I enter the middle of my third trimester in my third pregnancy (don’t come after me, environmentalists), I’m trying to do my best to not only take care of my baby but also myself. For me, that means seeking out organic products and remedies that actually work and make life a little easier and comfortable.
Like many people these days, my budget doesn’t afford me the option to purchase completely organic items for myself and my baby and I’m not the crafty type by any means, but there are several organic pregnancy essentials that I’ve found I just can’t live without.
By Katy Farber •
July 16, 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
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:
- Hostess, Anna Getty, founder of Pregnancy Awareness
- Jay Watts from AFM Safecoat
- Josie Maran, founder of Josie Maran Cosmetics
- Kristina Lin, owner of Bel Bambini
- As well as information from Healthy Child
[...]
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 [...]
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.
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.
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!
By Susie Kim •
June 29, 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?
