Guest post on "Elimination Communication" and "Diaper Free Baby" book review

I'm so excited to share this guest blog post from my dear friend Ali about her amazing 3 month old baby girl Summit.  I had flirted with the thought of using Elimination Communication, which I really like the idea of, but I never got around to trying it... now I really wish I had, and I'm even inspired to start trying it with my 9 month old.  Here's Ali's story:


I think I’m being toilet trained by my three month old. Seriously, she hasn’t pooped in a diaper in over a week. Here’s how it happened. Fair warning, there will be talk of poop.

Ever since she came home from the hospital Summit has been a little fussy when she has to poop. This is especially true in the early morning, when it seems to take her a while. I’ve assumed it was gas or just general discomfort but at one point I told my friend Melissa about it and she asked if I’d read a book called The Diaper-Free Baby: The Natural Toilet Training Alternative by Christine Gross-Loh about Elimination Communication. Truthfully, I’d been avoiding it.

Elimination Communication (often called EC) is a process where parents learn to read their baby’s cues and offer them chances to use the toilet instead of a diaper. Some families start as early as birth which sounds crazy until you think about the fact that it is a relatively new (and Western) idea that babies should use diapers for the first 2-3 years of their lives. In fact, in more than half of the world babies are using the toilet by age 1. The basic idea is that it is not natural to soil oneself (seriously, what other mammal poops all over itself and sits in it?) and that if we nurture a sense of body awareness from an early age we allow our babies an alternative to soiling themselves. Also we don’t set them up to struggle with toilet training later. Sounds great, right? So why was I avoiding it even though my baby was giving me clear signs that she didn’t want to poop in a diaper?

The truth is that during the first few months of Summit’s life I was overwhelmed enough with the transition from caring for a relatively independent 6 year old to caring for him and his brand new, totally dependent sister. The thought of adding a new level of awareness to my day to day life sounded impossible. During those early days it seemed like she was always peeing or pooping and I couldn’t imagine how I would realistically implement something like EC. Also, she was this floppy, tiny little person and the idea of holding her over the toilet didn’t appeal to me. It may sound silly, but there it is.

There was another aspect to my reluctance as well. The people I know who practice EC do it in a community where there’s a lot of support for it; a community where it is not frowned upon to bring your half-naked baby to a party and even let them poop on the ground in the yard. Most of them do a pretty comprehensive form of EC, so I assumed that was the way it was always done. In my community there is not a lot of EC going on so there would be much less support and much less understanding about what is involved. All I could imagine was what it would be like to try to pick Mason up from school with a pants-less baby ,who might or might not cover me in pee (or worse, poop) in front of all the other moms. No, EC was not for me. I was sure of it.

But Summit’s apparent discomfort continued and it got me thinking. Melissa is smart and knows quite a bit about EC, and her instincts around parenting are fantastic. I decided I should at least read the book.  As I read section after section in which Summit’s exact behaviors were described I was hit hard with the realization that like-it-or-not I couldn’t unlearn what I was learning. I couldn’t ignore that there might be a way to better meet Summit’s needs. I was also relieved to learn that EC is not an all or nothing proposition. You can practice it sometimes but not all the time. You can keep your baby in a diaper and take it off to give her chances at the potty. This appealed to me greatly because it minimized the risk of standing at swimming lessons or on the school playground or anywhere else at all actually, with yellow poop running down my side. Even doing it once a week is supposed to help your baby maintain body awareness. Surely I could handle it once a week, right?

The more I read the more clear it became that Summit is the perfect candidate for some level of EC. I had to be honest with myself and admit that I’d been seeing signs from the beginning. I started to feel silly about the fact that I’d almost always known when Summit had to poop and, because I knew she struggled with it, I’d hold her little knees up to put her in kind of a squatting position so she could poop…into a diaper. You’d think removing the diaper and putting her over the toilet wouldn’t feel like such a huge, giant leap.

The author of Diaper Free Baby suggests that people who want to practice EC might consider using cloth diapers because they also increase body awareness. Disposables don’t allow the baby to feel the wetness when they go, disconnecting them from the process and outcome of elimination. We already use cloth diapers. The author suggested that baby wearing helps in practicing EC because the proximity helps the parent to pick up on cues and also because babies don’t like to pee or poop when they are in their carriers so the signs may be even clearer. I wear Summit almost all the time. I tried not to think about the times she’d protest in the carrier and then poop in her diaper when I pulled her out. The author mentioned that co-sleeping also makes EC easier. Summit doesn’t even have a crib. Though it is clear that EC is flexible and none of these other parenting approaches are a mandatory part of it, it is also clear that most of what we instinctively do compliments elimination communication. Perhaps more importantly it feels like ignoring signs my baby is communicating to me about her needs would be a departure from everything else I believe about parenting.

Last Saturday night I finished the book and at about 5:00am Sunday morning Summit started squirming around in bed, making complaining sounds and kicking her legs. Ordinarily I’d try to comfort her, nurse her and put her back to sleep. If she did eventually poop (after an hour or so of restless tossing around) I’d get up and change her diaper and then restart the comforting, nursing routine and hope against hope that more sleep might be had. It’s not a process I love to participate in before the sun has risen so what is the logic in clinging to it, right? “Here goes nothing” I thought to myself , and brought her to the bathroom. I felt a little silly.

The moment I held Summit over the toilet she pooped. Then she turned to me and gave me a huge, happy grin and started making excited, chatty sounds as if she was telling me a story all about her dense mommy who finally figured out that poop goes in the potty. Moments later we were back in bed where she nursed herself back to sleep and slept for another peaceful hour and a half. When she woke up I could hardly wait to let her try again. I held her over the potty and she peed immediately, the restarted the chatty, happy girl routine. I was pretty impressed with both of us.

Jeannette was less impressed. From the moment the book entered the house she’d feared it. “Are you going to drag me down this road with you?” she wanted to know. It all sounded crazy and overwhelming to her and I could empathize, but I also couldn’t ignore what Summit and the book were both telling me. She didn’t want to poop in a diaper. There was another option. We should learn more. I tried to woo Jeannette with promises of fewer diapers to wash, more sleep to be had, a happier baby. She laughed at me… right up until the moment that I had her watch Summit do it. The smile got her too. Summit, at 3 months old, is clearly proud of herself. What parent can ignore that?

The author of Diaper Free Baby emphasizes that Elimination Communication does not have to be a full time practice. Summit disagrees. In the week and a half since that first poop in the potty she has not pooped in a single diaper. Instead she gives me cues that she needs to go. They aren’t always the same but they are pretty clear. I’d compare it to the way a baby communicates that they want to nurse. Whatever set of signs they give you might not be clear to everyone around you but you as the mom will know they want to nurse. Sometimes you may get it wrong. Mostly you get it right. It’s like that with EC. I have a harder time with the cues for peeing so she still has a fair number of wet diapers but she also pees in the potty at least a few times every day.

It’s exciting when we get it right and we’re getting better at it. The other day I tried to put Summit in the Mei Tai Baby Carrier and she got really fussy and wouldn’t settle. I took her out and brought her to the toilet where she pooped immediately and then went happily back into the carrier for a nice, long nap. One day she wouldn’t latch on to nurse herself to sleep at naptime so I took her to the bathroom. She peed, smiled, then snuggled in for a 3 hour nap. She woke up with a dry diaper and was thrilled to pee the moment I put her on the potty but not before. It’s pretty rewarding when it works like that.

It doesn’t always work like that. Some days it does feel a little overwhelming. Honestly, it’s faster and more convenient to just ignore a baby’s cues and change her at a time that works for you. The question is, is it fair? I’ve had moments where we’re trying to get out the door and a voice in my head is telling me I should let Summit try the potty before we go and another voice is telling me we just don’t have time. It’s hard to feel torn. There are times when I make the time and then it turns out she doesn’t need to go and I wonder if I’m reading the signs right at all. There have been times when I feel a little ridiculous holding a tiny three month old over a potty. It is easier at home but going out in public can feel like a challenge. Socially it can feel awkward to have to explain what we’re doing to friends and family. It can be hard to offer as many opportunities as a tiny baby needs . It is easier for me to sleep through Summit peeing into a diaper than it is for me to get up and hold her over a potty. The reality is though, that I can’t un-know what I’ve seen in the past week. I would never tell Mason that he couldn’t use the bathroom because we have somewhere to be. Why should Summit have to soil herself just because that’s what we assume babies do? This is an unusual practice in our culture and some people might judge me for doing it. That’s uncomfortable. However, when I measure the discomfort that comes with that judgment against the pride I take in meeting my baby’s needs there is just no comparison.

A few weeks ago I would have told you that I didn’t have the energy, the time, even the knowledge to do this. And yet here we are, doing it. Is it work? Sure. But it is work that I’d rather do now, with an eager infant, than in two or three years with a reluctant toddler or (God forbid) preschooler. This whole thing has rocked my world a little. My preconceptions about EC have been rattled by the clear evidence I see in front of me. I worried that a baby might feel pressured to use the potty before she was really ready. It turns out that Summit is distressed when she can’t use the potty and proud and relieved when she has a chance. There are no false rewards for using the potty and certainly there are no punishments when it doesn’t work out that way. I don’t praise her for using the potty. Instead I make statements like “Oh, you peed in the potty, you must feel better!” There are no “accidents” in this process. When she pees in her diaper I simply change her and we move on. It’s all pretty natural and fluid. If some days it is remarkably rewarding while others it is a little overwhelming, then it is just like most other aspects of parenting, right? Practically speaking I can’t ignore the fact that I’m washing and changing fewer diapers. More importantly, I’m making my baby girl really, really happy.


Thanks Ali for letting me share this wonderful post with the world.  You are an inspiration to us all :-)
Lots of Love, 
Annie
xxxooo

VOC-free paint - safer for pregnancy and babies - let the nesting begin!

While I've been busy with my baby (now 8 months, 4 teeth, and virtually eczema-free - more on that soon!) and 5 year old, I've asked some friends to write guest blog posts. Here is the first, from Melissa Wittig, an eco-friendly interior designer at Relish Designs and author of the very informative Healthy Home Insight Blog.  Enjoy :-) 

Ahhh... everyone loves the excitement and anticipation that comes from a freshly painted room, a change of colour and scenery can be as good as a holiday.  With the bombardment of reality renovation shows and spring just around the corner [in Australia at least] great painting weather is fast approaching.  While being inspired by the plethora of colours available take a moment to consider the contents of the emulsion that will be painted throughout your space.  Buying paint can be likened to food choices, some cause health problems and others contribute to a healthy future.

Paint formulas all vary,  brands are made differently and use different ingredients. These ingredients can vary in their performance, durability and ease of application along with a vital difference – potential for indoor air pollution.  Most paints on the market once applied have that new paint smell that we are all familiar with. This new paint smell is the paint off-gassing which is referred to as VOCs - Volatile Organic Compounds, essentially a health warning from your nose.

Paint within the home environment has been a silent contributor to unhealthy homes for far too long, a fact that has conveniently escaped many colourful marketing campaigns. It is only in recent times that VOCs are being understood by the wider public as detrimental to human health.  Paint fumes have the potential to cause and worsen respiratory conditions among other illnesses and once paint is on the wall it has the potential to off-gas for years after application, long after the new smell has gone.

There are “healthier choice” paint options available in the market place although some detective work is required to cut through green washing.  There are low VOC paint products on the market, but make sure that the product is still low VOC after the tint (colour) has been added. The ultimate “healthier choice” is to buy paint that is ZERO VOC. There is a ZERO VOC product on the market that is comparative in price with other paints, is Australian made and uses a recycled ingredient: Ecolour. The company is a smaller corporate identity than some in the paint world but a company with a commitment to healthy people and a healthy environment. 

The biggest decision when you are about to paint is not the colour, it is what the paint is made from and how it may impact on your indoor air quality for years to come.  Energy efficient homes are important, but healthy homes should be sharing the spotlight.  Ecolour have stockists around Australia, but they have just opened a Melbourne store and are offering a 10% discount valid until the end of October 2011. Contact the Melbourne store at 3 Evans St, Braybrook, 1300 937 686  and let them know that Melissa from Relish Designs sent you.

Avoiding non-ionizing radiation during pregnancy with Belly Armor

Ironically I didn't get a mobile phone until I was pregnant with my first son.  I held out until I was one of only about 3 people (one of whom was my husband) I knew who didn't have one at the time (2005).  Now all three of us have mobile phones (I have the lowest radiation-emitting phone I could find in Australia - a Nokia 6700c SAR value 0.410 W/Kg), but I still try to avoid using it as much as possible, and when I do use it I always use speakerphone and set the phone down as far from me as possible.  I never carry it on my body.  But I do spend a lot of time at a computer, including while pregnant and breast feeding, and I do worry about the effect of this on my baby.  


I try to minimize the radiation from the computer by using an ethernet connection to my broadband instead of wireless.  We have also gotten rid of our cordless phones at home and replaced them with traditional landlines.  But there's only so much you can do in a world full of radiation, and sometimes where you live or work has wireless internet that you can't turn off, or lots of cell phones (or even worse, power lines or a mobile phone boosting tower).  Thankfully there are some products that you can use to cut down the exposure of your baby in utero.  Sadly I wasn't aware of these products when I was pregnant, but I've discovered them now and hopefully you can benefit from them.  (And I can use them if I have another baby!)


When Belly Armor CEO Aileen Chen was pregnant with her first child, she was working as a banking executive.  She became concerned about the impact of her frequent travel and use of electronic devices and started researching what the experts were saying about everyday radiation, and became more and more concerned with what she found. So, after looking for something to shield this everyday radiation, and not finding anything, she decided to create it herself and Belly Armor was born.

Aileen partnered with a company that creates radiation shields for industrial purposes and worked with them to create something for consumer use.  The resulting textile is incredibly light, breathable, machine washable and shields against everyday radiation with 99% effectiveness.  Belly Armor's products include maternity tops, a belly band, and belly blankets.  Aileen was named #11 in the Babble 2011 list of the top 50 Mompreneurs ("They cook, they clean and, between naptimes, they run kickass companies."). 

There is some fantastic information on the Belly Armor website, including a great collection of recent news items about radiation from cell phones and wireless networks, and an interesting/scary list of possible health risks from radiation exposure, especially during pregnancy.

Belly Armor were kind enough to provide me with one of their belly blankets to test, and I can confirm that the cell phone test works. I would recommend these products to any pregnant women wanting to avoid radiation, along with other radiation-minimizing tips such as these.  


*** You can get 10% off all purchases from www.bellyarmor.com with the promo coupon code Annies until June 24th 2011.  ***


I asked Belly Armor some questions to find out more about the company and their products:

"Q: Where are your products made and what mechanisms do you have in place to ensure safe working conditions?

A: Our products are made in our own factory in Indonesia and our CEO makes frequent trips out there.  It adheres to GMP standards (good manufacturing practices) and we have programs in place to ensure our processes are socially and environmentally responsible. This includes balancing our carbon footprint by purchasing carbon offsets through a great program called TerraPass.

Q: Would you ever consider using organic cotton or other eco-friendly materials in your products?

A: Yes, we will be introducing an organic cotton product later this year.  We also use eco-friendly recycled packaging and processes.

Q: Are you planning on expanding your range in the near future?

A: Yes, in addition to the organic product we plan on launching, we'll be doing another product launch with a next generation technology this summer that we are very excited about.

Q: Do you recommend using the blankets on babies after they are born?

A: Right now our products are only for use during maternity.  Risk from radiation exposure is also a big concern for babies and young children, so we do hope to expand our line in the near future to help address this as well.

Q: Any other tips on avoiding radiation exposure?

A: Use headsets or speakerphone while on your cell phone, especially when pregnant. When you have the option, use a landline and limit the time on your cell phone.

Don't set your laptop on your pregnant (or non-pregnant) belly. Always work with it on the desk or at least with a lap desk or laptop cooler between you and the laptop.

Be aware of the time spent using electronics and, when possible, increase the distance between yourself and electronic devices - particularly appliances that use high rotation or air flow, such as hair dryers, vacuum cleaners, blenders, etc."

Finally, I love this quote from a mom named Christine who was interviewed for another Belly Armor review: "It really is sad how unavoidable it is — unless of course you live in a bubble and even then, your bubble may be made of BPA plastic, therefore negating the whole bubble thing!"  Sad but true.  At least with Belly Armor there is something relatively easy you can do to reduce your exposure to radiation :-)

Confessions of an organic mom who is sometimes normal

The last month or so has been a bit rough for our family.  Beautiful Organic Boy #2 (BOB2) has been unwell, primarily with infected eczema, which means that none of us has been getting much sleep, and since he wasn't sleeping unless one of us was holding him, we weren't getting much else done either.  I have a few posts planned about the whole saga, and how to stay as natural & organic as possible while navigating the conventional medical paradigm, but for now I wanted to share some quick thoughts on my recent revelations.  I have so much more appreciation now for what life must be like for families with chronically unsettled/unwell babies, or people who are carers around the clock.  It's hard work and you have very little time to look after yourself, just getting a moment to brush your teeth or wash your hair is a challenge.  That's why I've taken to wearing outfits that can go from bed to school drop off and back to bed a few more times without having to be changed (just reapply a bit of organic deodorant).

It's also hard to take the time and have the mental clarity to research and purchase the safest products for your family while being a full time carer for someone who is unwell.  I have to confess that I've done the following things in the last few weeks that I never thought I would.  They probably seem pretty normal to some of you, but for me it was a real insight into what life is like for people who are really busy/stressed/over-worked etc.  I realize now how much my lovely organic lifestyle has been made possible because of having the luxury of time (by working part time from home) to research and procure the safest products (or find ways to consume less but that require more time/effort).

So here are my confessions:
1.  I bought a pack of Huggies diapers (actually my husband did) because it was too much trouble to find a shop with the eco-friendly ones in stock.
2.  We bought a clothes dryer, which is being delivered this week hopefully.
3.  I bought some beef that wasn't organic because I couldn't get to the organic butcher (and it was really yummy).
4.  I used some petroleum-based skin care products on my baby because he was reacting badly to all of the natural/organic ones :-(
5.  I drove places that I could have easily walked to because I was too tired/didn't have time/couldn't be bothered.

PS: I've also taken to peeing in the shower lately, as it saves time and it's hard to pee when you're always holding a sick baby.  But I don't have to add that to my list of confessions since I reckon it's pretty eco-friendly, saving water and all...

How to reduce harm from radiation exposure

I know many of you are worried about radiation exposure.  It will be important to avoid dairy products that come from areas that have been exposed to radiation, or dairy of unknown origin. Good time to be doing a detox anyway.  I've included this informative article from one of my favorite health practitioners (she helped to cure me of my food allergies and intolerances).

Stay safe!

xx Annie

Reproduced with permission from Dr Louisa Williams of Marin Naturopathic Medicine:

As you already know, dangerous levels of radiation were reported yesterday to be leaking from the damaged Fukushima Japanese nuclear power plant. This is not only dangerous for the Japanese people, but something we need to be proactive about on the West Coast. Reports estimate that nuclear fallout can travel through the jet streams to the Western United States and Canada within a week to 10 days. It is impossible to estimate at this point how strong this dose will be to us, but some experts are predicting that it could be a significant amount of radiation.
 
Protect the Thyroid:
Potassium iodide (KI) is the gold standard for protecting against radiation to the sensitive thyroid gland. A person who is contaminated with radioactive iodine may experience thyroid cancer or growths later in life. KI protects the thyroid from absorbing this radioactive iodine. The CDC recommends 130 mg KI for adults, 65 mg for children between 3 and 18 (unless they are adult size and then they should take the adult dose), 32 mg for infants and children between 1 month and 3 years old, and 16 mg for newborns to 1 month old, for acute radiation poisoning. These dosages may need to be lowered for us on the West Coast however, since the radiation will probably be reduced by the time it reaches us.
 
Unfortunately, when I called around to various Whole Foods as well as Apothecure (holistic pharmacy in Dallas) today they were all out of it, and said they couldn’t seem to get more from their suppliers.
 
Herbal Formula with Iodine:
I have ordered from Eclectic Institute a supply of an herbal tincture called Red Clover/Burdock. This combination remedy based on the original detoxifying Hoxsey formula contains almost 140 mg of iodine per teaspoon.
 
Here’s the good news about this tincture: It’s an excellent time-tested blood purifier and enhances metabolic functioning through elimination, and it tests energetically better than potassium iodide alone which can cause stomach irritation and other side effects. So even if the radiation turns out to not be significant, this formula is a nice spring detoxifier that can be taken for a week to 10 days.
 
Caution with Pregnancy and Thyroid Disorders: 
Pregnant women cannot take this formula since it also contains Cascara sagrada, and herbal laxatives are contraindicated during pregnancy. (As well as for anyone with a strong diarrhea tendency.) Additionally, iodine aggravates Hashimoto’s disease. And since 90% of people with hypothyroidism actually suffer from this autoimmune thyroid dysfunction, these individuals should also avoid potassium iodide. Further, those with hyperthyroidism, or Grave’s disease, should also avoid KI because iodine aggravates both hyper-, as well as hypo-, disorders of the thyroid. Also, those with shellfish allergies may be allergic to the iodine itself, and shouldn’t take KI or this formula. Finally, since this is classically an anti-cancer and detoxifying herbal tincture used by adults, herbalists disagree on whether this tincture is appropriate for children.
 
Sulfur Crystals/MSM Provides Glutathione:
There are other measures one can take to protect against radiation. Glutathione, the most powerful antioxidant in the body, is used by the thyroid to protect itself against free radicals. One of the best ways to receive utilizable and absorbable glutathione in the body is through the Crystal Sulfur/MSM supplement, which many of you are familiar with and have in stock at home. Vitamin C is also an important antioxidant to protect against radiation damage.
 
Medical Baths for Radiation Exposure:
Additionally, the late great Hazel Parcells always recommended for any radiation exposure (e.g., after spinal or dental x-rays, mammograms, Cat scans, etc.), a therapeutic bath of non-iodized (Kosher) salt and one pound of baking soda in a tub of water – as hot as you can stand it – and to stay in this water until it cools. Then wait at least 4 hours before showering. (Again, not recommended for pregnant women or anyone so weak that this could potentially enervate them.) An alternative bath is magnesium salts (Epsom salts, Dead Sea salts, or magnesium chloride bath flakes) and baking soda, in the same amounts (e.g., 1 to 5 pounds each). Baking soda, sodium bicarbonate, binds with uranium and helps protect the kidneys from uranium and cesium radiation exposure. Oral administration of baking soda in water can also be employed to protect against uranium damage and help alkalinize acidic inflamed tissues.
 
Diet:
Miso soup has been a time-tested radiation detoxifier. Additionally, kelp and other seaweeds provide small amounts of iodine as well as other nutrients that protect from nuclear radiation. Unfortunately, according to an adviser at Eclectic Institute, Fucus vesiculosus, (kelp or bladderwrack), has been significantly contaminated (along with much of our seafood, sadly) with arsenic and other heavy metals, so these are not recommended in supplement form at this time. Spirulina and chlorella vary in quality, so these should be tested out on a case-by-case situation, since many brands also contain heavy metals.
 
Plan: 
Iodine only stays in your body for 24 to 72 hours. So don’t begin taking KI or Red Clover/Burdock tincture now. Wait until we receive news that the radiation is imminent. Meterologists estimate that it will take about 10 days to reach the West Coast after significant radiation is released from Japan. So that gives us some time now to boost our immune systems.
 
(Very) General Suggestions Now:
Continue taking your supplements diligently daily. Perhaps increase the dosage slightly. (EG, From 2 to 3 capsules a day of Pure Radiance C, or from ½ to 1 tsp. of Crystal Sulfur/MSM, 2 times a day, etc.)
 
Radiation Imminent:
Begin Potassium iodide tablets or Red Clover/Burdock tincture (if not contraindicated for you).
Red Clover/Burdock tincture – Take a dosage of 1 tsp a day or less (EG, ½ tsp if the radiation levels are considered relatively low. I wish I could be more specific; please watch the news and keep up with the internet news. I will send out another newsletter if I have more information at some point.) This dosage should be taken for a week to 10 days, or less if the radiation exposure is of a briefer duration.
 
Increase the dosages of your supplements (EG, Take 6 capsules a day of Pure Radiance C, and move from 1 tsp. to 1 TBSP. of Crystal Sulfur/MSM, 2 times a day, etc.)
 
Baking Soda – ½ to 1 tsp. in ½ glass (4 oz) of water, or more, daily. (Don’t take larger dosages – e.g., 3 tsps or more daily for over a 2-week period.)
 
Medical Baths for Radiation Exposure – 1 x a day
 
Optimal organic diet with the addition of daily miso soup, as well as seaweed.
 
Increase the dosages of your supplements (EG, Take 6 capsules a day of Pure Radiance C, and move from 1 tsp. to 1 TBSP. of Crystal Sulfur/MSM, 2 times a day, Quinton mineral vials to 2 vials a day, etc.)
 
Conclusion and Caution:
Of course, no one really knows what’s going to happen at this point. But it’s better to be safe and proactive in case the radiation does reach us over here in significant amounts.
 
If you have any adverse reactions to the Red Clover/Burdock tincture or increasing the dosage of your nutritional supplements, please stop. The best way to protect yourself against radiation is through a healthy, strong body. So certainly don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about this general protocol or your own individual supplement protocol.
 
You can order the Red Clover/Burdock herbal tincture from Eclectic Institute or at this office: (415) 460-1968 or info@marinnaturopathicmedicine.com

These are a few of my favorite (baby) things...

We have been very blessed by our generous friends and family who have given us lots of wonderful and thoughtful gifts for our new baby.  While it has been three months already and I'm no where near organized enough to send out thank you cards yet, I wanted to do a quick post on what makes a great baby gift in my mind, such as:

-practical

-homemade

-eco-friendly

-hand-me downs

Of course just because something is practical, ethical and safe for baby and planet doesn't mean they can't be beautiful :-)  I am loving the Enchanted Woodland Mobile from cocoon couture that our friends Melinda and Gavin gave us.  It is hand-crafted from eco-friendly plantation timber and printed with non-toxic ink.  I've got it hanging above the change-table (which is in my home office!).  We also got a beautiful wooden vehicle-mobile from our friends Samantha and Paul, which is above the crib (which is in the living room, since we are still using an organic co-sleeper in our bedroom).

Another favorite is this organic cotton quilt, which was hand-made by my amazing step-mother Jan:

We also had lovely hand-made presents from my mother-in-law Eileen (a knitted [or maybe crocheted? I'm so ignorant about these crafty things] blanket), our dear friend Colleen (who took time out of her busy life as an orthopedic surgeon to knit an adorable woolen sweater and hat (aka jumper and beanie), and our lovely friend Carolyn who knitted (I'm pretty sure it's knitted!) a soft little bunny comforter thingy :-)  We're hoping the little bubba starts hanging onto Carolyn's bunny at night instead of pulling his own hair, which he does without realizing that it's attached to him and then he starts screaming because it hurts... one day he'll figure out that he has the power to stop the pain himself by letting go :-)

In addition to giving us a very sweet little organic cotton onesie from the Syracuse Cultural Workers, my mom is sewing an organic cotton duvet (aka doona) cover for us for our new organic cotton queen bed.

I'm also very grateful to my friend Simcha who gave us the organic cotton long-sleeved onesie that bubsie is wearing in the picture above, since it introduced me to Nature Baby from New Zealand, which I hadn't come across before, and is now my favorite one-stop shop for all things organic and baby-related (more on them soon).

People know me well by now and lots of friends gave us beautiful organic cotton clothing from purebaby and Pumpkin Patch (I hadn't even realized that they are doing organic now).

One of the best things people can do for you when you have babies is to not give you things you don't need.  One of my best friends knows me so well that she didn't get anything for the new baby, since really we already have everything we need and she got a small present for his big brother instead :-)

Finally, I love hand-me-downs and loans, such as this gorgeous Moses basket style bassinet that we borrowed from my friend Katie, who also has a fantastic kids book blog and online bookshop called We Heart Books, which is my favorite source for kids birthday presents :-)

We received lots of other lovely gifts and cards as well and if you're reading this, I promise the thank you cards will be coming... eventually!

The First Three Months...

I know it's a cliché but I can't believe how fast the last three months have gone.  I had three New Year's resolutions this year.  The first was that I would be more disciplined about doing the practice sessions and write-ups for the biodynamic craniosacral therapy course I'm studying.  I've been very good about this.  The second resolution was that I would floss my teeth every night.  I've been ok about this, especially since I finally found some truly organic dental floss.  My third resolution was that I would update my blog more regularly.  I don't think once every three months counts as regular, so I'm failing miserably at that one.  But I'm not going to beat myself up about it... I've had much more important things to do... like flossing my teeth, and hanging out with this guy:

But I do have some exciting things planned for the blog over the next few weeks.  I've got a review and giveaway of an organic cotton outfit from one of my favorite organic baby stores, Nature Baby, a review of a radiation shielding blanket and discount code from Belly Armor, and a review and comparison of organic cotton baby carriers from Mini Monkey and others.  If you don't want to miss out on these make sure to follow my blog through google and/or sign up to be emailed when I update.  I usually post on my facebook profile when I update the blog as well :-)

So much for writing a birth plan...

Well I never did get around to writing that birth plan, because our beautiful baby boy was born 10 days early!  Turns out I didn't need a birth plan, as everything went wonderfully :-)

When I showed up at my yoga class 38.4 weeks pregnant the teacher looked at me and said: "Is your baby going to make it through the class?"  She was joking of course, but as it turns out she wasn't that far off!  Halfway through the class I felt a little pop and then a trickle... I discretely slipped into the bathroom and confirmed that I hadn't just peed in my pants... my waters had broken!  That was about 7pm.  I calmly drove home... I hadn't had any contractions so I was sure that I had plenty of time.  My wonderful husband had just cooked a lovely dinner, so I sat down and ate with him and our 4 year old.  Little did I know that our baby would be born less than 3 hours later!

By about 8pm the contractions had started, and I tried to time them but they never really stopped, just went straight from one to another, so my husband started packing things into the car and I laid down on the bed and listed to my hypnobirthing cd, with the calm, soothing voice of our dear friend Sue who is a midwife and runs calmbirth classes in Melbourne. We had arranged for Sue to come with us for the birth to help look after our son who really wanted to be present.  Who better to explain to him what was going on in a way that respects his intelligence and desire to see his baby sibling being born?  We called our amazing midwife Robyn and asked her to let the hospital know that we were on the way and could they please fill up the tub?  We met her at the hospital just after 9pm... after a quick check of my vitals (no internal exam thank god) and a brief listen to the baby's heartbeat I hopped in the tub.  The warm water brought instant relief from the non-stop contractions.

I quickly transitioned into stage 2 (pushing) and some serious screaming, or "vocalization" as I like to call it.  Our son was just across the hall in the birthing room with Sue, and he peeked in periodically to see if I was ok but he handled the screaming very well and calmly went back to watching his Wolverine DVD.  If I hadn't know he was in earshot I would have let some pretty severe obscenities loose at top volume, (apparently I did actually, but I was trying not to).  I paused occasionally to assure my husband that I was actually fine... I just had an uncontrollable need to scream at the top of my lungs... it helps the baby come out, it really does.

Conscious of how quickly it was all happening, I wanted to make sure that I had time to stretch adequately before the baby's head popped out... so I tried to slow things down a little bit and it helped.  The midwife was keeping an eye on things via a mirror on the bottom of the tub and a flashlight.    I didn't see much since I had my eyes tightly closed most of the time, but I could feel with my hand where the baby's head was, and I was able to wait and not push too much until the head circumference matched the exit circumference...apparently I didn't tear until the shoulders came out, but by that point I didn't even notice and it was just a little tear, so no stitches :-)

I pulled our beautiful baby out of the water and held him to my chest.  The midwifes covered us in hot towels and we relaxed in the water while with my husband while our son came in to say hello to his new Baby Brother :-)

We are all doing wonderfully at home, I'll write more soon, but for now... time to cuddle up with this adorable little fellow!

'tis the season for giveaways and reviews...

I'm 37 weeks pregnant today, which means I'm all wrapped up in trying to get ready for a baby and get ready for xmas, and trying to do both in the most ecological and economical way possible... which is doing my head in!  In between researching advances in eco-diaper technology in the 5 years since I last looked at the issue, and trying to find non-toxic presents for my son, nieces and nephews, I'm trying to write a birth plan (which I will post once I've finished) and figure out who is going to look after our 4 year old when I go into labor!

I'm excited to tell you though, that I have some giveaways planned through 29 Diapers (I'm one of the 29 Days of Christmas giveaways that have already started...)  On day 19 (14 Dec)  I'm going to be giving away two of my favorite Miessence Certified Organic baby skin care products - a baby bottom cleansing gel and baby bottom mist, so check back here or at 29 Diapers for the details.  There are lots of other cool giveaways happening at 29 Diapers every day until Christmas.


I'm also planning product reviews of organic baby slings, organic diaper bags, organic eco-diapers, and much more, as I actually start using them, and I'll review some of my favorite baby books, such as Wonder Weeks, and  Ecofrugal Baby. [Can someone please tell me why I keep getting these white boxes when I link to books on Amazon?]


Better go work on that birth plan and starting packing a bag for the hospital... (or maybe I'll just watch an episode of Mad Men and feel good about myself because I'm not drinking and smoking my way through the pregnancy....)

When is stressing about toxins more toxic than the toxins you're trying to avoid?

There is a new book out called Origins: How the Nine Months Before Birth Shape the Rest of Our Lives by Annie Murphy Paul. Now I haven't actually gotten my hands on the book itself yet, but just reading this review, titled "Panic Womb" by Judith Woods was enough to get me thinking...

According to Woods' review, the book is all about "how babies are susceptible to stress and household chemicals, pollution that their mother breathes and the range of emotions she feels".  Now this is of course not news to me, since the whole point of me starting this blog was to share information about how eliminating toxins during the pre-conception period can help you get pregnant easier, faster and have a healthier pregnancy and child. But the interesting point that this raises for me is... if the toxins are bad, and the stress is bad, then what happens when we are stressing about toxins?

Having been mindful of my emotional environment as well as my ecological environment while pregnant, I've been trying to minimize stress through yoga and meditation, and generally just not giving a sh*t about stuff wherever possible. But sometimes I do find myself losing sleep over thoughts such as: "should I be wearing gloves while doing my taxes because there's BPA in most of my receipts?" or "how long should I let the new car seat off-gas before it's going to be safe enough?" and "I know oily fish like sardines and salmon are good for the baby's brain, but the cans are probably lined with BPA, so should I eat them or not?!".

At what point does all this stressing (especially when it's unproductive stressing) cause more harm to the fetus that the BPA, VOCs etc that I'm trying to avoid?

I'm also curious to find out more about the idea that "moderate stress accelerates the development of the baby's nervous system; women who report modest anxiety and daily stress have children with better motor and mental development scores at the age of two" (from Woods' review).

I guess I better buy the book, or maybe I shouldn't, if it's just going to give me more things to stress about... what do you think?

Why I love Miessence Organic Products - as recommended by the Good Guide

I am so excited about this Newsweek article on how to choose the greenest products listing Miessence as the best Shampoo and Toothpaste in the whole world (or at least of those brands available in the US).

The Newsweek article was actually about the Good Guide website that helps you choose products based on three criteria: health, environment and society. Not surprisingly, Miessence rated very well in every category that it has products, and was rated the #1 brand for shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant, makeup, lip balm, diaper cream, air freshener, baby powder, skin care, hand dish-washing liquid, and many others too I'm sure.

Another reason to love them is that after being one of the first companies in Australia to go carbon neutral, Miessence is now carbon negative :-)

Interestingly, the Newsweek article mentioned the top brands for shampoo and toothpaste, but chose to focus on the top brands for Men's deodorant, as opposed to deodorant overall, thus cutting out all the top ranked products (which happened to be from natural/organic brands like Miessence, Burt's Bees, Aubrey Organics, Tom's, Weleda etc) in favor of the conventional brands such as Fa, AXE, Degree, Mitchum and Ban.

I can't help but wonder if any of those brands (or their parent companies, such as Henkel KGaA, Unilever, Revlon, and Kao) are regular advertisers with Newsweek... I can't get the US version of Newsweek in Australia, so perhaps some of my readers could have a look and let me know?

Help me win a year's supply of eco-friendly diapers and you can win a $100 Miessence Certified Organics Voucher

I've never done a giveaway before, but I've finally found something to inspire me...

My favorite brand of eco-disposable diapers/nappies Nature Babycare has an Ambassador's program where you can receive discounts, win prizes etc. It's a product I'm happy to stand by (I used them for four years with my son) and by referring others to sign up I can win a year's supply of diapers :-)

So, if you would like to help me along and also go in the running to win a $100 Miessence Certified Organic Skincare voucher, then it's easy, just send me a quick message via this link, letting me know that you want to enter the contest. I will then have a link sent to you which will come from "Naty Ambassadors" and say that I have: "invited you to join Naty Ambassador Program to have the chance to earn points and rewards while you help us bring to market healthier products for your baby and the environment. Please click on the link below to validate your email so that your friend can earn 2 points." All you have to do is click the link and then you will go into the draw for the $100 Miessence voucher.

Once I have at least 50 people enter the contest I will randomly pick one person to receive the voucher, which is good for online purchases of Miessence which can be delivered almost anywhere in the world with free shipping on orders over $100.

If you'd like to speed things along then please feel free to forward this post to friends who might be interested via the email icon below :-)

Thanks for your support!
xx
Annie

I'm feeling overwhelmed...

I had a bit of a breakdown the other night. You know when something little starts you off crying and you can't figure it out because it's not really such a big deal, so you know there must be something deeper going on? Well that happened and when I scratched the surface (while blubbering away to my DH) I realized that I was feeling overwhelmed by all of the decisions that I need to make about purchases for our family and how to make the safest possible choices...

Just to give you an example, since we have a 4 year old boy and a baby due in three months we need:

-new shoes and socks for the 4 year old who's feet just keep growing and growing - the problem is, I can't seem to find organic cotton socks in the 4-6 sizes... they all seem to be for babies and toddlers or bigger kids and adults... any suggestions??? Also, my osteopath just told me that you have to be careful with kids shoes because the leather often has excess chromium in it that gets released when kids sweat and then gets absorbed through their feet... Ack!

- A booster seat for the four year old and a baby capsule - I want to make sure they are safe crash-wise but also chemical-wise, ie not filled with flame retardants, formaldehyde, off-gassing foams, heavy metals etc... we would like to get a newer (ie safer, more efficient) car too, but that's a whole 'nother topic!

- I'd like to use more cloth nappies (Australian for diaper) this time around, but there are so many to choose from!

- I'm thinking about replacing all of our mattresses with organic cotton ones.

- you get the idea... each of these decisions requires careful research, to make sure that they are safe and affordable. In the US there are lots of great websites that do a lot of the background work for you, but sadly most of the recommended brands aren't available in Australia ... which leaves me with basically a full time job evaluating the safest options.

Soooo... please fill out the poll I've added in the top right corner of the blog and let me know what you want to hear about most, and please leave any suggestions for brands/websites/ideas that you love/trust.

Thanks :-)
Annie

I'm curious...

I recently came across this article from Reuters which states that the average UK woman wears 515 chemicals a day. Whilst this is scary, it does not surprise me at all. What did surprise me however, was the bit where it says that:

"More than 70 percent of the women polled said they were not concerned about the number of chemicals they put on their skin and only one in 10 opted for chemical-free toiletries when shopping."

I'm curious... if you're one of the 70% who is not concerned about the chemicals you put on your skin, and you happen to be reading my blog, can you please leave a comment and let me know why you're not concerned? Is it because you've never really thought about it? Because you've always assumed that the government wouldn't let the products be sold if they weren't safe? Because you're not eating the products the chemicals won't be absorbed into your body? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

And if you are in the sub-category of people who are concerned about the chemicals you are putting on your skin, but you are still not opting for natural or organic toiletries then I'd also love to hear from you... is it too hard? Too expensive? Don't know where to find safe products? Don't know which products are safe?

I spend so much time preaching to the converted, I'd love to engage with people who aren't necessarily looking for the certified organic logo on everything they buy. What do you care about? What's important to you? What would you like to know more about?

More stuff to watch...

I've just figured out how easy it is to embed videos in my blog... can you tell?

Anyway, this one really touched me. I knew that workers in the beauty industry, especially nail salons and hairdressers had higher rates of cancer, but I hadn't really put names and faces and stories to the statistics. When they talk about a woman who lost her baby while she was pregnant and working in a nail salon I totally lost it. This video made me cry, but also made me extraordinarily angry.

Please watch, and then if you are American please sign the petition to Congress asking them to support nail salon worker health by passing safe cosmetics legislation!

Watch This!

And then tell me what you think... what products will you stop buying so that THEY will stop making them?

Top 10 signs you are pregnant with your second child...

This pregnancy has been so different from my first - I've been much sicker, more tired and I feel like my belly popped out straight away and I couldn't wear any of my regular pants after only a few weeks. I'm not sure how much of this is because I'm also looking after a 4 year old, or because I'm almost 5 years older, or because I've actually just blocked out most of the unpleasantness from my memory, but it certainly feels different. I've also wondered whether I might be feeling different because it's a girl this time (don't know, won't find out) or because it's twins (also don't know, but haven't had a scan yet - more on that later). Anyway, I'm having such a classic "blame it on the pregnancy" day I thought I'd share some of my foibles with you.

Top 10 signs you are pregnant (and also trying to keep amused (and fed and safe) an under-5 year old):

1. You pull out your maternity clothes from 5 years ago and gag over the pink velour maternity track suit that somehow seemed like a good idea at the time, but you still wear it, and although you consider changing out of it before leaving the house you decide that it's actually pretty comfy and you don't really care who you run into at the supermarket. [Please note, this is not a picture of me, but it is a close approximation of what I am wearing right now.]

2. You go to the supermarket to buy (rice) milk and end up with a jar of dill pickles, a jar of mayonnaise and some granola bars.

3. You're craving all the comfort foods from your childhood (most of which your mother rarely let you eat) such as: tuna salad (which you shouldn't eat because of the mercury), kraft macaroni & cheese (which you shouldn't eat for so many reasons it would take a Phd thesis to cover them all), cinnamon toast crunch (which they don't sell in Australia, but you find something close enough made by Uncle Toby's until you discover it is owned by Nestle - another Phd topic) and Nature Valley Granola Bars which thankfully are pretty healthy (although not organic) and available in Australia, and they still taste exactly the same as they did 25 years ago!!

4. You forget the pin number on not one, but two of your credit cards.

5. You forget to pay not one, but three of your credit cards on time and get embarrassing phone calls while you are on the train.

6. You actually buy the crappy celebrity gossip magazine that you would not normally buy (but will always happily read at a friend's house).

7. You have a craving for Phở (vietnamese noodle soup) and decide you want it not only for lunch, but for breakfast and dinner as well.

8. You don't bother reading any pregnancy books or even looking stuff up online, you just ask a friend who is pregnant for the first time whether those shooting pains in your groin are normal.

9. You think that maybe it would be a good time to start doing those pelvic floor exercises, but then think, what's the point, I'm just going to have to do them all over again after giving birth.

10. You are so behind in your laundry that you decide that wearing mismatched socks, or even socks with big holes in the soles is ok. And certainly easier than actually doing laundry or buying new organic socks.