2 Green Musts if You're TTC (Or Plan to Ever)
Posted
Friday, May 02, 2008 7:36 AM
I just went to a lunch event kicking off the first Pregnancy Awareness Month, founded by Anna Getty (an LA yoga instructor and sort of healthy/holistic living guru, and sister of actor Balthazar) with the goal of getting women to take better care of themselves both when they’re pregnant, trying to conceive, and even just considering becoming mamas. There were a lot of cool eco organizations and experts at the event, and it got me thinking about how important it is to green up your body and your home before you bring a baby into it. Here are two crucial things you should start doing now if you’re thinking of reproducing any time soon—or no matter what, actually, but having a baby is great motivation:
1 Stick to eco beauty products. There’s evidence that chemicals in the regular ones (parabens and phthalates are two common, sinister ingredients) can mess with the hormonal development of a baby in utero, so stick to cosmetics and other beauty loot that swear them off. There are a confusing variety of seals and certifications on natural cosmetics these days, and I still haven’t deciphered them, but the Cosmetics Safety Database is always a good place to find nontoxic products. (And with some cool new eco lines out there, like this gorgeous makeup by Josie Maran and the new organic line from Physician’s Formula, this isn’t even much of a sacrifice).
2 Avoid forbidden fish. Sadly for me, because I used to love it, it sounds like the safest thing to do if you’re TTC, pregnant, or breastfeeding is to go really light on the seafood. The varieties that don’t contain neurotoxic mercury are often packed with PCBs and other dangerous chemicals. These pollutants can stick around in your body for months or even years after you ingest them, and they’re thought to be especially harmful to developing baby brains, so it’s never too soon to start cutting back pre-baby. Check this Environmental Defense Fund guide to how often you can safely eat different types of seafood.
Of course there are lots of other prenatal green living moves you should do for the health of your baby (eating organic, of course, using green cleaning products, etc.) but these two seem especially crucial because the toxins involved—although not great for any of us—are so especially risky for a fetus that’s bombarded with them right as all its sweet little parts are coming together. And as I mentioned before, they can linger in your body for a while, so it’s never to early to start nixing them.