To some women the thought of a "green" pregnancy conjures up images of nausea, vomiting and general discomfort. That's thankfully not what we're talking about here. As the green movement to save our environment continues to sweep the nation, check out these tips to see how you can make that bun, and your experience carrying it, as healthy and helpful to the environment your child will some day inherit.
In an article very humorously titled "What to inspect when you're expecting," writer Amy Linn Grist relays such ideas as using organic or all-natural shampoos and "prettying" products, and going organic whenever possible. True, organic can be more expensive, but I have to say from experience it's generally also a whole lot tastier. And when you're pregnant, taste counts for a lot! She also suggests shopping at second-hand and consignment stores for furnishings (and clothing). I've gotten a ton of cute, great baby clothes from such places for a fraction of the original cost. Kids outgrow clothes so quickly they hardly have time to mess them up!
The article also offers "five cent solutions" to the suggestions. Sure, it's easy to tell someone to only eat organic or to avoid Teflon, but how are regular folks supposed to be able to handle that--especially in this economy? Well, second-hand makes its appearance more than once. Reusing things, and taking care of what you have (so you can hopefully use it with the next baby, if there is one) is the easiest thing to do. Borrowing and swapping, as I do with a few pals, never hurts either. We're super-inclined to take care of the borrowed/swapped items since they belong to someone we know and love.
Maybe some of these tips are seemingly out of reach for your budget. Well, how about trying just one? Also consider the tip everyone can follow: Following the same rules we've all grown accustomed to hearing. Avoid cigarettes, alcohol, drugs and mega-caffeine (which, by the way, could save you enough money to get those organic products you've been eyeing!).
