The 70% bamboo/30% cotton blend is not only machine washable, it also makes the nursing pads soft, smooth & non-bulky.

Bamboo kun, a naturally occurring element in bamboo, makes it naturally anti-bacterial. It’s also hypo allergenic, has a cashmere-like softness that is great for babies and its porous fibers naturallys wicks moisture away from skin.

Where comfort meets sophistication, the mom-to-be is happy in these great designs.

Kai Kids, a Toronto-based online boutique from parents, Nancy De Hart and Peter Chin, sells eco-friendly clothes, bedding and products aimed at babies, toddlers and pregnant and nursing mothers.

Constantly on the hunt for well-crafted, reasonably-priced organic and non-toxic clothing and accessories, Kai Kids is a great resource for parents who want to dress themselves and their kids in clothing that is healthier for them and the environment.

They are also a member of 1% for the Planet as well as Green Enterprise Toronto.

I’ve never been a fan of Dr. Phil.  I feel sorry for the people who are so desperate for help that they air their problems on TV, thinking a talk show host will give them the solutions. I admit, I succumbed once hoping Dr. Phil could help potty train my son and watched his show, but as each child is unique. I had to wait for my child’s readiness.  Now, Dr. Phil is seeking out guests to share home birth horror stories.

Did  you have a child at your home?

Did you want to have a soothing experience where you were in control and could bond with your child?

Did it not go the way you planned?

Do you regret having a home birth?

Do you regret using a midwife instead of going to a hospital?

Did you have your second child the traditional way in a hospital?

If you or someone you know regrets having a home birth please tell us your story below.

Read more of this story »

Studies involving rats show that when having access to junk food, pregnant rats ate roughly 40 percent more food and 56 percent more calories than rats who were fed just chow. Furthermore, once born, babies of the junk food rat mommas showed a preference for high fat and sugar foods and ate more than their chow fed peers.  Does this research translate to humans?

Read more of this story »

The Midwives Alliance of North America (MANA) annual conference will be held in Traverse City, Michigan later this October. MANA is a professional organization for midwives throughout North America. “MANA’s goal is to unify and strengthen the profession of midwifery, thereby improving the quality of health care for women, babies, and communities.”

You can help support the work of midwives.  MANA is working to push legislation in a number of states where the practice of midwifery and homebirth is not fully legal.  While some states have laws that support and encourage the practice of midwifery, many other states are less supportive.  MANA is also advocating for insurance companies to allow homebirth options as a safe, less-expensive and less resource consuming alternative to standard hospital births.

Read more of this story »

AJ: We’ve all heard doctors explain how breast milk protects newborns via antibodies, proteins and immune cells, but rather than deep dive into the science of secretory IgA molecules, I’m going to ask a simple ‘Earth mom’ question…Is breastfeeding enough of a ‘human vaccine?’

R: ‘Breast is best’ to boost immunity from infections, reduce respiratory illnesses…But breastfeeding ONLY offers limited protection from serious diseases like measles, pneumonia, and whooping cough.

Breastfeeding works synergistically with immunizations, boosting the levels of protection against disease to actually increase the protection your baby gets. ALL ingredients in vaccines serve a purpose, whether it’s triggering a child’s immune response, or keeping them germ free. Even though we’ve eradicated some diseases in this country before, our mobile society makes it easy to have them come right back over on a plane…‘Herd protection’ only goes so far.

Read more of this story »

The McDonald’s has since apologized to the mother, but sadly, this situation is too often repeated, not only in restaurants, malls, and other public places, but on the internet as well — most recently with a mom’s breastfeeding pictures being banned from Facebook.

As evidenced by numerous comments on a YouTube Breastfeeding montage created by the League of Maternal Justice (in protest of the Facebook Photo bannings), people still compare public breastfeeding to public urination and masturbation, and insist that it’s inappropriate for women to expose themselves in order to feed their children.

With a long list of arguments that most breastfeeding mothers and breastfeeding supporters could list, there are still many people in society who are aware and may appreciate the benefits of breastfeeding, when it comes to doing it in public, it’s still amazing how many people in this country specifically are uncomfortable.

It’s apparent that World Breastfeeding Week, along with organizations such as the La Leche League and Breastfeeding is Normal, are essential in the fight to bring the much needed awareness of breastfeeding, most specifically breastfeeding in public, to folks who may not understand that we can’t always just go somewhere and hide when we need to feed our children.

Of course, I can’t help but point out the irony of a woman being asked to leave McDonald’s, a restaurant that is attempting to promote family friendly eating with their new “healthy” menu. Apparently apples and caramel (mmm, healthy!) and juice boxes are cool.

But breastmilk? Not on their list.

When I became pregnant with my son, my daughter Ava was about 20 months old and still nursing regularly. While I had friends who’s children had self-weaned when they became pregnant, I had my doubts that my “na-na”-loving kid would consider weaning for a second, even if my milk dried up.

At that age, Ava was still a comfort nurser, and still woke at night to nurse. After finding out I was pregnant I worked towards gently night weaning her by letting her know she could nurse as much as she wanted during the day, but at night the na-na had to sleep and she had to wait until the sun woke up in the morning to have mama milk.

By 22 months, miraculously (or so it felt) she was sleeping through the night. (Can you hear the angels singing? I thought I could. It was wonderful. She was still happily in our bed, but no longer waking for na-na, and I was able to get the sleep I needed while growing a baby.

Read more of this story »

Yep, that’s right. For all the horror stories you hear about lost sleep and teething babies, it seemed a lot easier to me to just pop a boob out when he was hungry. No bottles to clean, nothing to warm, no formula to shake or measure, just one swift movement and - voila! Happy baby.

Read more of this story »

And I’m not just talking about weight loss — mainly because I never lost much weight while breastfeeding.

Tonight I’ll be chatting with Rachel Gross, RN and owner of Comfort Matters, Inc., a breastfeeding product company, about the benefits of breastfeeding for moms, as well as how to make breastfeeding more comfortable and convenient (thanks to the gaggles of cool new breastfeeding products and breastfeeding gear out there on the market today).

You can join us live from 9-9:30pm EST by visiting the Motherhood Uncensored Podcast, or download it via iTunes after it’s aired. Feel free to offer your points in the comments, or share them via live chat or by calling in during the show (646-915-8634) tonight.

Photo of author via Kristiemomof4

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…

Read more of this story »

According to Happy Green Baby, a new online boutique specializing in organic, eco-friendly and sustainable baby products and gear, choosing to raise a green baby doesn’t mean depriving your child of fun toys or condemning him to a life of beige-colored hemp onesies. Rather, it’s about making smart, informed decisions about the types of products your child comes is in contact with and reducing the impact you and your new baby have on the environment.

Read more of this story »

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.

Read more of this story »

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.

Read more of this story »

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

Read more of this story »

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 Healthy World experts

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

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 more of this story »

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

1. 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.

Read more of this story »

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.

Read more of this story »

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!

Read more of this story »