Babies In Utero: Not so Natural

I don't want to get real wordy with this post, and simply want to share this study. It totally blew me away. This justifies high quality nutritional supplementation (not "prenatals") during pregnancy in order to protect our unborn babies from toxins which DO get to them.

"Though scientists once thought that the womb protected developing babies from pollution, a new study of umbilical cord blood from newborns found an extensive array of industrial chemicals, pesticides and other pollutants. Ten newborns averaged 200 contaminants, and 209 pollutants had never before been detected in cord blood."

http://www.ewg.org/bodyburden/results.php?study=bb2

When Baby Can't Breathe

Pediatric asthma: Is it really that dangerous?

What might our children pay 20 years from now after the full side effects of asthma drugs are known?

Curing pediatric asthma with time bombs.
When you discover that your child is suffering from asthma your doctor will undoubtedly reach for the prescription book. If he is a particularly good doctor he might hand you a couple of leaflets on how best to cope during your child's asthma attack. What he probably won't do is mention the possible side effects of all the drugs your child is going to start taking. And taking. And taking. Do you really want your kids to have go through this day after day? Isn't there a better way? There is. Pediatric asthma does not have to begin and end with drugs. Drugs which could cause more harm in the longer term than good.

Let's start with what young junior is going to have to take. He'll probably have two inhalers. One called a 'reliever' and another called a 'preventer'. In the reliever you'll find usually one or several types of Bronchodilator. These types of drug work to increase the diameter of the airways. Don't you just love natural remedies? Ok, ready for the bad news? Here are some of the possible side effects: nausea, actual vomiting, feeling restless and nervous, and finding it impossible to sleep. Depending on the Bronchodilator that your child takes, they could also suffer from headaches, irregular heat beats, diarrhea, depression and leg cramps. The preventers don't have those problems. They are normally made up of Corticosteroids. Which are worse. Corticosteroids are anti-inflammatory drugs and people have died while switching from oral medication to inhaled medication. Other things to watch out for are mood swings (just what you need in a teenager), coughing, weight gain, muscle weakness, cataracts and osteoporosis. The options available in pediatric asthma are few and far between but they do exist. Would you like to take care of your kid's asthma without drugs?

I did. For years I had to blindly submit to the whims (and down-right boredom) of several doctors. Then I came across a new form of not just living with asthma but beating it too. Many people are now taking advantage of this drug-free method, especially children, who don't have the bodies developed enough to cater for all these drugs. Pediatric asthma need not be one drug after the next and hoping for the best. Doctors may say that the drugs are safe, but have they done twenty years of tests on them? Do they know what effects these drugs will have on our children's children? Do you want to take the risk, however small?

About the Author - Karon Beattie is a former asthma sufferer. She is the author of several books including "Naturally Free From Asthma" which describes how she eliminated her own asthma. This book has helped many other sufferers WorldWide do the same.

Organic Cotton Baby Products

When it comes to natural baby care, some people find they have to draw a line somewhere. Often, that line is found at the clothes baby wears or the items used for baby's cleaning, toweling, diapering,etc. usually for financial reasons. If you have shopped organic clothing, you probably recognized that they are a bit more costly than typical clothes. So is it worth the extra money, and what are you getting for it?

In my experience, organic baby goods like hooded towels and infant gowns tend to be softer than traditionally grown cotton products. They are also less processed and hold up longer than treated (bleached) traditional cotton. Organic cotton goods are also not treated with chemicals like formaldehyde that can cause health problems for babies and adults. Organic cotton also promises a better future for our children. From GreenChoices.com: "Cotton is the most pesticide intensive crop in the world: these pesticides injure and kill many people every year. It also takes up a large proportion of agricultural land, much of which is needed by local people to grow their own food. Herbicides, and also the chemical defoliants which are sometimes used to aid mechanical cotton harvesting, add to the toll on both the environment and human health. These chemicals typically remain in the fabric after finishing, and are released during the lifetime of the garments."

So while organic cotton can make an immediate as well as a future difference, is it personally worth it? While organic cotton products seem expensive, the truth is, the more we buy, the cheaper they will become. Since the market is so small right now, (but it is growing), the demand is not high enough to cause a dip in prices. It is a step that those who can afford it need to make, so that it is more affordable for everyone. While it may mean buying fewer toys or baby goods (that you find out down the road you didn't really need anyway), it does make a world of difference to your baby's health, and the world your baby will live in one day.

If you truly cannot afford organic cotton clothing, shop for used organic clothing which you may find affordable. Another option is to buy gently used baby clothes. Re-using clothes not only prevents more cotton from being grown, it also provides clothes for your baby that have been somewhat stripped of chemicals. The more used something is, the fewer chemicals are left on the garment.

Shop around for organic cotton baby goods to find the prices you are willing to pay, and make a committment to buying better, and buying fewer, rather than buying a bunch of cute outfits that are doing more harm than good

BabyLegs- A Must-Have for New Parents

Oh my gosh, I can't believe these weren't around when I had babies! Luckily I do have a 3 year old who can wear BabyLegs, but it would have been MUCH easier back in the diaper changing days! BabyLegs are basically tubes, sort of like long socks without the feet in them. They can be used on the legs or the arms. A great use for them for younger babies is to cover the part of their legs that get uncovered when they are worn in a carrier or backpack. The BabyLegs company has lovingly coined this "gapiosis" and when it's COLD outside "gapiosis" is no joke! I don't like having skin exposed myself, I can't imagine what babies think!

Since they don't cover the bottom, BabyLegs make diaper changes easier, and potty training even easier! My daughter is a dress girl and she has SO many pairs of tights. But she went through a spell of frequent urinary tract infections and we constantly had to change her tights. I also can't wait to use them under her nightgowns when it is cold. Oh...she is also starting dance class next week...how cute is THAT going to be? LOL

Anyway, thought I'd jump on and mention them real quick. BabyLegs are da BOMB!