Last weekend we had our two year old in the emergency room for ingestion of methyl alcohol which can be fatal or cause life long blindness. It was very scary! Thankfully, he was okay after they checked his blood for toxicity and watched him for several hours.

I had purchased a product for my daughters. They love to have their nails painted, but I wanted something that would not be harmful to them. The product I purchased is advertised as non-toxic and natural as mud. It also says that it is not harmful to children and hypoallergetic. I purchased both the nail polish and remover for them.

Apparently, the girls had the remover out of the closet and my little guy thought it was a bottle of water. It had no odor to it. I neglected to ever read the ingredients. I went by what the label told me - non-toxic and natural as mud. The poison control center as well as the doctor was stunned by such a label. It actually had a high concentration of fatal methyl alcohol in it!

As a parent, we must always read our labels. Never go by what is advertised! I am a mom that reads every food label and trusted the label of this product that it was safe for our little children. I came out with my organic moses baskets (100% certified organic) just for this reason. Many companies (and there is one in particular that sells a lot of them) advertise organic moses baskets and use polyester in their bedding. It’s ahsame that they do this to parents! In addition, this company recently took some of my original ideas for their own and are now selling them to other companies. It’s terrible that this happens. In addition to selling things that are cheaply made (and without organic materials), they are now also taking ideas of mine (but making cheapened products) and put a picture up of an organic moses basket that looks almost identical to mine.

Always know your ingredients and be on the lookout for cheaply made imitations as well. Unfortunately, many companies are out there to make money and not as interested in the safety of our children.

Are you suffering from infertility?  Look at the foods you are eating!  I recently became aware (since my son’s diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes and my thyroid disease) that gluten is a suspect!  Gluten (from wheat) can really do a lot of damage if you have any allergy or sensitivity to it and it is in soooo many foods we eat daily from dressings to tomato sauce, soups etc..! I was never aware that it was hidden in so many foods until recently! There is even a correlation to Celiac disease if you have autoimmune thyroid disease.  Simply removing gluten from your diet can make you better!  Having taken my son off of wheat gluten, he no longer has awful tummy aches. It’s really amazing!

It’s Spring and a time of planting. This summer we actually plan on having our own greenhouse. It will be simple, but an important aspect for our family. Already, our children are beginning to grow their own organic produce at an early age. They are already learning the importance of why it is important to eat organic vegetables/fruits. Even for moms that are pregnant, it is important that they eat organic foods as much as possible and provide organic produce for their baby.

I’ve always served our little ones organic foods. They basically eat what our family eats and if they learn early to enjoy vegetables and good things, they will continue that in their life. My children all love vegetables. They even love garlic, onions, humus and other nutritious foods. One of my babies loved avocado and my two year old just loves garlic and humus.

I’ve recently been doing research on various obstetrics and fertility drugs and found this information.  I thought it would be very helpful. It’s very concerning to me when I read about this.
http://www.aimsusa.org/obstetricdrugs.htm

I have been reading numerous reports on SIDS recently and as I posted in my last blog, there are contributing factors to SIDS.

One concern is the baby mattress.  There are so many chemicals that come from your babies mattress unless it is actually made of organic cotton (or green cotton).  In addition to these chemicals, as babies receive vaccinations, their breathing can be slowed down while they are sleeping.  With the chemicals the baby is breathing in and a reduction in air, I believe this can certainly contribute to SIDS. My suggestion is to purchase a mattress without the chemicals in it.

http://www.mommasbaby.com/cat–Crib-Mattress-Futons–250.html
Vaccinations are a family decision and I will never tell a parent not to vaccinate, but we chose not to vaccinate our children after doing research. I urge every parent to do the proper research and prayerfully consider the best decision.
In addition, I think it is important to have an Air Purifier in the babies room.  An air purifier will remove impurities in the air and also keep the air circulated.  This to me is very important.  A baby should also be breathing in the cleanest air possible.

We carry the Baby’s Breath Air Purifier and use this one here at home.  We also use the larger models in our home to clean the air of chemical pollutants.  If you are interested in purchasing other models, please let us know.

http://www.mommasbaby.com/item–Austin-Air-Baby-s-Breath-Air-Purifier–austinairpurifier.html

According to research, there are 10 foods that you do not need to purchase organically due to the lower pesticide amount in them.  These foods are grown conventionally, but grown with fewer pesticides. This will help your family to save money.  Before I read this, I was always purchasing organic peas, broccoli and bananas.  Now I can use the money towards other foods.

• Broccoli
• Eggplant
• Cabbage
• Banana
• Kiwi
• Asparagus
• Sweet peas (frozen)
• Mango
• Pineapple
• Sweet corn (frozen)
• Avocado
• Onion

For a full artice, please see the following:

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART02984/12-Foods-You-Dont-Have-to-Buy-Organic.html

In addition, I always make certain to wash my fruits and vegetables well prior to making them.  We even use a squirt bottle filled with a natural wash on all produce.  Vinegar, salt, grapefruit seed extract and coconut are all wonderful and you can mix all together to make a great spray! Vinegar is actually my favorite item to clean with and taking the organic vinegar internally each day is also very good for your immune system.

Throughout each pregnancy, I’ve always made certain to walk almost every day and I also do a great deal of swimming in the summer months.  I also went mountain biking until I could no longer do it safely with the baby.  Of course, I was always very careful and stayed off of rugged terrain while pregnant.

I’ve always believed exercise to be very important for both a mother and baby. Now, they have found that excersie during pregnany is very important for a baby’s heart. It’s wonderful news and I encourage every momma to be as active as possible during pregnancy.  Always do safe sports, but keeping active is important for you and your unborn baby.

For the full article, see the following:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23997584/

As a mother of four children, there are a few things I believe are very important as far as heatlh.  One of those is eating right.  We eat organic foods whenever possible.  Of course, with four children, it is not always possible to have everything organic, but I try to purchase as much organic food as possible for our home.  I also start our babies out on organic foods and avoid anything processed or anything that contains chemicals of any kind.

I also believe that wearing organic clothing is important for babies.  I always make certain to have them in organic sleepwear every night.  It is not always possible to purchase all organic clothing as they grow older, but as an infant, I do believe having them wear organic footies, organic kimonos, buntings etc is important. Since they are not as mobile at this point and spend a great deal of time sleeping, purchasing the healthiest, organic clothing for your infant is best.

We are adding more and more organic clothing for our customers.  Currently, we carry Under the Nile organic clothing as well as Bossy Baby organic clothing, organic veggie wear and organic baby bodies with adorable little sayings on them.  We are also adding organic clothing from Peru that is absolutely beautiful!  In the near future, we also plan on adding a Purely Natural Baby wear line.

http://www.mommasbaby.com/cat–Purely-Natural-and-Organic-Clothing–134.html

Organic bedding is also very important.  Purchasing organic futons, organic crib mattresses and organic fitted sheets and blankets is all important for your baby.  Since babies spend a great deal of their time sleeping, it is important to have the healthiest bedding available for them.  In general, it is important for everyone of all ages to have organic bedding.

http://www.mommasbaby.com/cat–Natural-Nursery–103.html

http://www.mommasbaby.com/cat–Crib-Mattress-Futons–250.html

I recently read an article that explained the danger or using a cell phone during pregnancy and also while holding your baby.  Even while holding your baby, the EMF exposure can go to your little one.  This was very upsetting to me as I read this. The same goes for cordless phones.  You must be very careful.

We personally do not use a cell phone unless it is an emergency.  I know so many people do today and I am one of the few that does not.

EMF’s are transmitted and there is a potential for risks to your health and to your babies health.  In general, many items in your house do have EMF’s (even an alram clock in the bedroom if it is digital).  The best thing to do is reduce your exposure to them as much s possible and definitely avoid them during pregnancy and with your baby. 

A study just came out and as I thought, organic food is really more nutritious!

Organic frut and vegetables contain up to 40% more nutrients.

Organic foods contain more beneficial minerals like iron and zinc.

Milk from organic herds contain up to 90% more antioxidents.

I always suggest that moms start feeding their baby organic foods when they start introducing solids.  I always like to start with organic banana.  It is easily digested and organic is always best for them.  I also try to have our children eat as much organic foods as possible at home. 

This study also showed that even if you are not receiving the suggested amount of servings per day of fruits and vegetables, you are getting the best in nutrient uptake by eating organic foods.

For the full report, please see the following link:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/health/article2753446.ece