TheHolisticParent.ORG Avoidance of Toxins

Avoidance of Toxins

There are lots of things that are important to avoid during pregnancy. For a thorough
discussion on toxins, visit our toxin-free parenting section. The information contained
there is for anyone and is also especially important during pregnancy. Here are some
general guidelines.

Pure Water

You should really be drinking purified water even when you are not pregnant, but it is
very important when you are pregnant. The things put into our water are atrocious. Tap
water is not safe, make no mistake. Chlorine is extremely toxic to your body and that of
your growing baby. Flouride is a poison. It doesn’t matter what claims are made about it
strengthening your teeth. It is toxic to your body. Pharmaceutical companies dump their
leftover medications into our water supply. It’s disgusting. This is really just the
beginning. Make sure you have pure water and visit our toxin free parenting section.

Pesticides

Pesticides are toxic chemicals designed to harm or kill another creature. It is naïve to
think that a substance designed to be harmful to another living organism has no affect
on our bodies. Pesticides are not healthy nor safe, and pregnancy is not a time you
should be experimenting with eating them. This is why you need to choose organic
produce. Some types of produce are worse than others. Avocados for example are
much safer nonorganic than peaches are. Do your research and go organic whenever
possible.

Hair Dyes

Technically, hair dyes are dangerous chemicals that are horrible for you and shouldn’t
ever be used. Any toxins you put into your body is something you are causing your body
to have to deal with. Hair dyes have not be “proven” safe for use during pregnancy
despite their continued widespread use in pregnant women. The toxins get absorbed
through your scalp and into your bloodstream.

Cosmetics

Did you know the cosmetics industry is not regulated at all? Cosmetic manufacturers
can put just about anything they want in their products and do not have to test the
products for safety. It’s ridiculous. This is one area that needs to be some major
reform. Protect yourself and your baby. Don’t use all the useless crap personal care
products (including shampoos, lotions, and the like) and cosmetics out there! There
are some wonderful natural options. I love Aubrey Organics. I trust most everything that
they make. Be careful too because many things labeled organic or are sold in the
health food store still have awful stuff put in them. It’s pathetic really.

Fish

As much research as I’ve done on this issue over the years, I am still a bit up in the air. I
don’t eat any meat, so I have trouble applying this to myself. Some places say don’t eat
any fish during pregnancy. Others say it is fine, but give certain types to avoid. The issue
that you are worried about is mercury. I feel fairly certain you can indulge in fish
occasionally without obvious adverse affects. Just go for fresh caught fish, not farm
raised.

X Rays

Don’t get any x rays when you are pregnant. This is fairly common advice, but wasn’t so
common in the past. This can cause known and major birth defects. Did you know in
our not so distant past, every pregnant women was given an x ray? It wasn’t tested for
safety mind you and guess what, they eventually discovered the problems with it.

Paint

You don’t want to be breathing in a lot of paint fumes while you are pregnant. This is the
time however when the nursery usually gets painted. Don’t feel painting the nursery is
your responsibility other than picking out the color. Have your partner get in there or hire
some help. The type of paint you buy is also very important. Once your baby comes, you
don’t want your sweet baby breathing in the VOC’s that off gas from the paint. They have
zero VOC kinds of paint these days as well as paints made out of clay or milk. Very cool.
When we painted our nursery, we found a company online that would match any color
we wanted with their healthier paint. I found this awesome. The company I used is no
longer online. There are many other companies, however, easily found with a little
google search. The book Raising Baby Green is also a good source of
recommendations.

Bed

A conventional bed is one of the most toxic places in the house! To make matters
worse, many pregnant women find they have to go out and buy a new mattress
because they get so uncomfortable. I did this, sadly, with both pregnancies. My
mattress just wasn’t going to cut it. New mattresses are even more toxic because all
the chemicals are off gassing to a greater degree. You then lay down for hours a night
breathing that in when you sleep. If you do go out a get a new mattress, splurge for an
organic one. Your health and that of your baby is worth it. The mattress we personally
LOVE is by the manufacturer Essentia, available online. This company is amazing. The
service is great and quick. They do not get returns on their mattresses and I understand
why. They are by far the most amazing thing I have ever slept on. They are a memory
foam type, but are made without toxic chemicals so they don’t off gas harmful
substances. If you get hip pain during your pregnancies as I do, this mattress will take
care of it!

Another aspect of the bed is the sheets. Unless they are organic, they have pesticides
and chemicals on them. Go for organic- they’re really not that much more expensive.

Cleaning Chemicals

All the everyday products under the sink used to kill germs and make our houses clean
are masquerading as the latest innovative technology that we need when in truth, they
are incredibly harmful and have absolutely no place in the home. You don’t need those
atrocious things to keep your house clean. There are plenty of non-harmful cleaning
solutions you can make yourself. Go through your cabinets and get rid of all the
chemicals. You won’t miss them; that much I can guarantee.

Cat Litter

I think everyone knows this one by now, but it’s worth saying. I can be harmful for a
pregnant woman to change the cat’s litter box. Just skip it and let someone else.

Cigarette Smoke

I am going to assume if you are reading this website, you don’t smoke. If you do, then
get with the program. Smoking is an atrocity. If you are pregnant, you need to quit. If you
smoke during your pregnancy, shame on you. It is not okay and inexcusable. The
substances that you will expose your baby to can create lifelong complications for your
child as well as serious complications during your pregnancy. Smoking takes away
nutrients from your baby, impairs the baby’s ability to get oxygen, impairs your baby’s
brain function resulting in a lower IQ, behavioral problems, and poor academic
performance. Babies of moms who smoke have a greatly increased likelihood of
respiratory problems and likelihood of dying from SIDS. There is also more of a chance
of having a low birth weight baby which carries problems of its own. Second hand
smoke can be just as bad for you and your baby. Stay as far away as possible and don’t
be afraid to be vocal and assertive about people smoking around you. They are
inconsiderate and rude to be doing such a thing!

Alcohol

If you drink an occasional glass of wine when you are pregnant, most likely, your baby
will not suffer any long-term effects. This does not mean that it is healthy however. No
one really knows how much is too much, which is the problem. If you do drink
excessively, you really mess your baby up. Your baby is then at risk for Fetal Alcohol
Syndrome, which can create a whole host of problems for your baby. Abstaining from
alcohol is more important early in pregnancy than later because the baby’s organs are
forming in the beginning.

Drugs

Obviously, street drugs are harmful. We’re not really talking about those. Prescription
drugs are just as harmful. I do not take medications. Many people cannot understand
why. Medications make your body do unnatural things and are also very toxic to your
body. There are many medications that are considered safe by authorities. However, I
feel you should do your own research. Never blindly trust any authority when there are
huge financial incentives.

Vaccines

If you’ve read our vaccine section, you know that I feel vaccines are no less than a crime
against humanity. They serve no purpose and have no place inside of anyone’s body
mush less that of a pregnant woman. You don’t need any type of booster shots. You
don’t need a flu shot. And heaven help, if you do decide to get a shot when you’re
pregnant, make sure it contains no mercury. Visit our vaccination section for more in
depth discussion.

Caffeine

It is wise to limit your caffeine intake while you are pregnant because it can cross the
placenta and affect your baby. Research has not found caffeine to necessarily be
harmful yet, which is typically how it goes in our society. Something is considered safe
until we find out that, oops, it was harmful. It really should be the other way around.
Caffeine is now implicated in such things as miscarriage, low birth weight, less oxygen
and nutrients for baby, decreased blood supply to the uterus, malabsorption of iron and
calcium, and underhydration. Caffeine also affects the baby more greatly than it does
the mother.

Food Additives

Food additives are not good for your body when you’re not pregnant, so why on earth
would they be when you are pregnant? There’s not. They are harmful, and many are
potentially very dangerous. It is wise to avoid them at all times or at least cut out as
much as you can.

Fast Food

Fast food is an assault on your body. It really shouldn’t even be termed “food” because
it isn’t. Yes, it will fill up your belly and make the hunger feeling go away, but it really
shouldn’t ever be put inside your belly. It has dangerous chemicals that make your body
addicted to the food. There is nothing in the fast food that your body needs. You’d be
better off eating dirt.

Lead

Lead can damage the nervous system of a developing baby and is a dangerous
substance. Thankfully, lead was banned in paint some time ago although it took the U.
S. quite a few decades to actually ban it once there was no doubt it was harmful. The
history of lead is actually a very interesting to learn about. It will make you feel
somewhat furious with our government. Lead can still be around in certain products
such as gasoline, ceramics, old paint, vinyl blinds, piping, batteries, computer
monitors, and other metal products. You probably won’t come in contact with lead
during your pregnancy, but it is something to watch out for.

Nail Polish

Every pregnant woman seems to like to have her toenails painted. This makes sense
to me. Conventional nail polish contains lots of harmful chemicals such as
formaldehyde and toluene. Not the best things to have gracing your toes. There are
some less toxic brands of nail polish that don’t contain these ingredients if you feel very
compelled to have painted toes.

This list could go on. We certainly live in a toxic world. I tried to pick the most important
things. The good news is the womb is made to keep a developing baby safe. While it is
not always able to do a perfect job, this is its design and purpose. If you are
unavoidably exposed to some of these hazards, it is not grounds for immediate panic.
Ultimately, try to make changes as you can and trust in nature’s divine design of
growing a baby.

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