Start protecting your baby before they're even born by making green choices during your pregnancy that are good for both of you.
Step 1: Eat right
Eat organic fruits and vegetables to limit your exposure to pesticides during pregnancy. Choose grass-fed, organically raised cattle and free-range, organic chicken and eggs to avoid hormones. Eat low-mercury fish like trout, tilapia, and sardines.
Tip
Non-organic apples, strawberries, potatoes, and spinach have high levels of pesticide residue, even after washing.
Step 2: Forgo home improvement
If you live in building built before 1978, don't undergo any home improvement projects where lead paint may be disturbed; it's highly toxic. Only use no-VOC paint, which stands for no volatile organic compounds. Don't use wood finishes, glues, or spot removers.
Tip
To find out how to your home’s paint for lead, visit "epa.gov/lead":http://epa.gov/lead/.
Step 3: Test the waters
Request your water provider's annual drinking-water report for your town, or find it on the Environmental Protection Agency's website at "epa.gov":http://epa.gov/. If the test reveals high levels of chemicals known as trihalomethanes, install a water purifier; high levels may be linked to an increased risk of miscarriage. Install a filter in your showerhead, too, to be really green.
Step 4: Don't use air fresheners
Don't use commercial air fresheners; one study found that high exposure to them is associated with infant diarrhea and an increase in headaches in mothers.
Step 5: Green your home
Improve the quality of your indoor air by adding lots of houseplants during pregnancy. Your home will be cheerier and healthier when your baby arrives.
Did You Know?
The organic baby clothes industry grew by 40 percent in 2005, with sales reaching $40 million.
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