A List of Toxins for the Aware Parent:

Aluminum – vaccines, antiperspirant, water, toothpaste, pans, aluminum foil, lined juice (i.e. Capri Sun) and lined broth-type box containers.

Arsenic in chicken - Arsenic is a recognized cancer-causing agent and many experts say that no level should be considered safe. Arsenic may also contribute to other life-threatening illnesses, including heart disease and diabetes, and to a decline in mental functioning. It is used to kill parasites and to promote growth. Until 2003, arsenic was used in pressure-treated wood for decks and playground equipment. Human exposure to it has been compounded because the consumption of chicken has exploded. In 1960, each American ate 28 pounds of chicken a year. For 2005, the figure is estimated at about 87 pounds per person. In spite of this threefold rise, the F.D.A. tolerance level for arsenic in chicken of 500 parts per billion, set decades ago, has not been revised. Those at greatest risk from arsenic are small children and people who consume chicken at a higher rate than what is considered average: two ounces per day for a 154-pound person. The good news for consumers is that arsenic-free chicken is more readily available than it has been in the past, as more processors eliminate its use. Tyson Foods, the nation's largest chicken producer, has stopped using arsenic in its chicken feed. In addition, Bell & Evans and Eberly chickens are arsenic-free. There is a growing market in organic chicken and birds labeled "antibiotic-free": neither contains arsenic. View the full report on specific brands and fast food ratings. Arsenic is in treated wood too.

Bisphenol A – Toxic plastic chemicals in canned foods.

BPA is in the lining of Food and drink cans are lined with a BPA-containing plastic. Beverages appear to contain less BPA residues, while canned pasta and soups contain the highest levels. All U.S. manufacturers of infant formula use BPA-based lining on the metal portions of the formula containers.

Try to avoid #7 plastics. Plastics with the recycling labels #1, #2 and #4 on the bottom do not contain BPA. Find baby bottles in glass versions, or those made from the safer plastics including polyamine, polypropylene and polyethylene. Soft or cloudy-colored plastic does not contain BPA.

Excitotoxins – Strong scientific evidence suggests these substances could cause brain damage in children, adolescents and adults; with strong emphasis on children and elderly individuals. They could affect the development of a child's nervous system; resulting in learning and emotional difficulties later in life. It has also been determined that the placental barrier is not an absolute barrier to the passage of excitotoxins; some such as cysteine can easily pass through from mother to child, and damage the developing brain of the baby. Excitotoxins include MSG, Aspartame and all other sugar substitutes, aspartate, Cysteine, cysteic acid. The following are other names for MSG -Monosodium Glutamate, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Hydrolyzed Protein; Hydrolyzed Plant Extract, Plant Protein Extract, Sodium Caseinate, Yeast Extract, Texturized Protein, Autolyzed Yeast, Hydrolyzed Oat Flour, Calcium Caseinate. Things that help excitotoxin damage: CoQ10, acetyl-L carnitine, niacinamide, riboflavin, methylcobalamin, and thiamine. Read “Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills” by Russell Blaylock.

Fluoride – Fluoride is a neurotoxin and should not be consumed by children. Is implicated in thyroid disease, bone disease and arthritis. In the scale of toxicity, fluorides fall between arsenic and lead. Visit www.nofluoride.com

Lead – computer monitors must be recycled at a designated safe place. A typical 15-inch computer monitor contains 1.5 pounds of lead. Some larger television sets may contain as much as 15 pounds of lead. Lead pipes or copper pipes with lead soldering, brass alloy faucets.

Mercury in fish – Do not eat Shark, Swordfish, King Mackerel, or Tilefish because they contain high levels of mercury. Eat up to 12 ounces (2 average meals) a week of a variety of fish and shellfish that are lower in mercury. Five of the most commonly eaten fish that are low in mercury are shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock, and catfish. Another commonly eaten fish, albacore ("white") tuna has more mercury than canned light tuna. So, when choosing your two meals of fish and shellfish, you may eat up to 6 ounces (one average meal) of albacore tuna per week. Check local advisories about the safety of fish caught by family and friends in your local lakes, rivers, and coastal areas. If no advice is available, eat up to 6 ounces (one average meal) per week of fish you catch from local waters, but don't consume any other fish during that week.

Mercury fillings – this is an easy one. Get fillings removed by a mercury-free dentist specially trained to limit the exposure to mercury during removal. Visit this by state listing of specialty dentists.

Mercury in clothing and other products – button-type batteries, dryer sheets, kid’s light-up shoes, energy-saving and florescent lightbulbs, old thermometers, some oil-based paints, pre-1990 latex paints, flame retardants.

Mercury in light bulbs – the new energy-saving light bulbs on the market contain mercury. Called “compact fluorescent light bulbs” or CFLs, you must dispose of them at a facility that accept toxic waste, as it is illegal to merely throw them out with your household trash. Home Depot has started a recycling program for unbroken CFLs.

Mercury in vaccines – Despite repeated statements by many agencies and news outlets, there is still mercury (thimerosal) in a number of pediatric vaccines including all shots that contain the tetanus virus and some flu shots. It is also still present in most all adult vaccines.

Mercury in High Fructose Corn Syrup – Research by the IATP in 2009 shows a significant level of mercury in products that contain HFCS. HFCS is found in sweetened beverages, sodas, breads, cereals, breakfast bars, lunch meats, yogurts, soups and condiments. In making HFCS, caustic soda is used, among other things, to separate corn starch from the corn kernel. For decades, HFCS has been made using mercury-grade caustic soda produced in industrial chlorine (chlor-alkali) plants. The use of mercury cells to produce caustic soda can contaminate caustic soda, and ultimately HFCS, with mercury. Currently, there is no way a consumer can tell where the HFCS (or any other ingredient) in their processed foods came from, or how it was produced so avoiding all products containing HFCS is the safest course of action.

Please be aware that some honey is now being diluted with HFCS because of the bee shortages. Your safest bet is to buy honey only from a local bee grower and remember, real honey will crystallize, honey with HFCS won’t. A label that says “Pure Honey”, “Organic” or “US Honey” doesn’t mean it’s safe.

Mold – Mold can cause debilitating side effects including asthma, allergies, and chronic illness. Have a professional come in and test all levels of your house.

PBDEs (polybrominated diphenyl ethers) - Fire retardant chemicals are in beds, pajamas, furniture, sofas, televisions and computers.

Sodium lauryl sulfate - a common inactive ingredient in toothpaste as well as shampoos, skin care and bubble baths. Studies report of allergies and outbreak of canker sores with this ingredient.

Sunscreen – watch out for these bad ingredients: Oxybenzone (Benzophenone-3), Micronized Titanium Dioxide, Nano Titanium Dioxide, Nano Zinc Oxide.

Teflon in carpets, clothes and Pots and pans – no nonstick or aluminum pans – glass, cast iron or stainless only. We're talking about Teflon, Stainmaster, Gore-tex, Silverstone. So if you buy clothing that's coated with Teflon or something else that protects it from dirt and stains, those chemicals can absorb directly through the skin. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, some of the highest C-8 levels were found in children.

Tylenol – use SPARINGLY, as studies have shown that it shuts down the liver which detoxifies metals and poisons.

Contaminated Water – call your local county cooperative extension office (in the blue pages in your phone book) for testing. You are looking for parasites, arsenic, pesticides, lead, nitrate, and coliform bacteria. Well water should be tested every 3 years. Also, check for the rocket fuel contaminant “perchlorate” and organophosphate insecticides.

LOSE that LUNCHBOX waste!

Lunch box waste is one of the greatest sources of trash in the average American household! (Not to mention all those plastics spreading toxins on our food...)

Check out this wonderful website to purchase lunch box containers that are reusable and GOOD for our planet!:

REUSABLEBAGS.COM

Problems Feeding Baby: Low Milk Supply

You bring baby home from the hospital, both excited and scared. Two days later you happily take baby to his or her first pediatrician's appointment, and are told that your baby is not gaining weight as fast as he or she needs to.

All of a sudden, if you are breastfeeding, you are forced to confront a very scary topic: LOW MILK SUPPLY.

But don't despair, and DON'T GIVE UP! Nursing your little one is one of the most important gifts you can give during the first six months of life!

Besides following your pediatrician's suggestions (and consulting a lactation consultant immediately), there is one more valuable resource that will provide valuable information, insight, and encouragement during this critical time:The Breastfeeding Mother's Guide to Making More Milk

At this website you will find a vital resource that has helped many mothers make it through this difficult period, as well as helped each discover her own INDIVIDUAL ANSWER to this dilemma.

Please do not give up on breastfeeding if there are some glitches at the start! Help is out there, and this website is the perfect place to start!

How to give your baby a soothing massage...

Baby Massage to Help Relax Your Baby into Sleep

There are very few things more relaxing than a massage. Giving babies massages has been proven to not only help them relax, but has shown to improve their sleep habits. By relaxing them before bedtime, they can fall into a deeper sleep sooner. It can also help with colicky babies.

Studies have shown that massage has helped premature babies gain more weight quicker. According to one study, "preemies who were massaged three times daily for ten days gained almost 50 percent more weight, were more active and alert and were able to leave the hospital six days earlier than other premature infants" (Nelsson-Ryan). Physical contact is so important, especially in the first few weeks, before babies are able to see well.

There are places that offer training in infant massage, as well as videos. However, a few simple techniques are all you need to get started. You can use baby lotion, or natural oils such as almond or vegetable oil with natural fragrances added. You shouldn't use the oil on the head or face area.

First, be sure the baby is not too fussy and able to lay still, about an hour after a feeding. Some recommend removing everything, including the diaper. However, you may want to leave the diaper on to avoid any accidents until you massage the stomach.

Find a safe, soft place where the baby won't roll off onto the floor. Be sure that the room is at a comfortable temperature. Lay the baby on the back, and smile and talk gently while you do the massage.

Start with the head and face, using only as much pressure as you would use if you were to press on your eyelid without causing discomfort. Work from the forehead to the top of the head, moving in gentle strokes. Move from the center toward the outside and back.

Carefully work your way down the neck and shoulders area, again using very light pressure. Work on each arm by making a ring from your thumb and finger, sliding down the arm. Roll the arm gently between your hands. Massage the hands and fingers as well.

Then, massage gently down the stomach area, in circles. If you've had the diaper on, remove it to expose the stomach and then replace it before you begin the legs. Work down each leg, similar to the way you did the arms. Gently bend the legs toward the stomach. This can help gas bubbles that may be trapped to move out. This also helps with the colicky babies.

Once you finish with the legs and feet, turn the baby over and start from the back of the head and work your way down to the feet again. Do not actually massage the spine area. You can make gentle circles with your fingertips on the back. Complete the massage down to the toes again.

Some babies will only want a couple of minutes of massage to start with. Once the baby gets used to the massage, you can increase the time spent. It may soon become the favorite part of the day. This is something that both the mother and father can share in with the baby, creating a special bond.

How Much Sleep Does My Baby Need?

When you bring home that newborn from the hospital, you soon realize that sleeping like a baby doesn't mean what most people usually take it to mean. Babies need a lot of sleep; however, it takes time before they can sleep through the night. The amount of sleep children need changes as they get older. While every child is different, there are some basic guidelines that can help you know if your child is getting enough sleep during that all-important first year.

Newborn - When you first come home with that baby, you may feel like you are in a constant cycle of feeding and napping. This is completely normal. Newborns will sleep about sixteen hours a day, spread out in about two hour segments around the clock. When the stomach is still so small, babies need to eat frequently, especially if you are nursing. It is a good idea, especially when you first get home from the hospital, to nap during the day when the baby naps. You will be on their sleep schedule for a while.

Some nursing mothers use a co-sleeping method so that they lose less sleep until the baby begins to sleep through the night. By keeping the baby close, they feel secure and aren't waking up frightened during the night. If you are bottle-feeding, you might try taking turns with the feedings with your partner, so both of you get a little more sleep.

One Month - By the time the baby is about one month old, they are starting to be awake more, as they are learning about the world around them. They will usually sleep about fifteen hours a day, with around six hours of that time during the day. You will quickly pick up on the cues that the baby is ready for a nap; some will fall asleep shortly after a feed or even while they are feeding.

Three Months - Now is the time that every parent lives for: the baby normally begins to sleep through the night. By about three months, their stomach has grown and they can eat more, so they can sleep longer at a stretch during the night. They still sleep about fifteen hours, but their naptime decreases to about five hours. Not every child will start to sleep through the night right at three months. Some take a little longer. When you start to introduce some solid foods, that also usually helps the baby begin to sleep longer at night.

Six Months - At six months, babies drop to needing about fourteen hours of sleep each day, with only about four hours at naptime. However, sometimes at about six months, infants will still wake up during the night. If they are sleeping in their own room, they will wake and realize that mom is not right there. Sometimes they will go back to sleep, but sometimes they just need to know you are there.

Nine Months - Nine months is another milestone. By now, they should be sleeping through the night regularly. While they still need about fourteen hours of sleep, they begin to nap less. They may only nap about three hours during the day.

Twelve Months - By the time the baby is about a year old, they will normally be sleeping about thirteen hours a day. They will sleep about ten or eleven at night, with a two or three hour nap during the day. Some children may not want to even nap at all. They are too busy exploring their world, but it is still a good idea to try to encourage naptime.

As with most growth milestones, no two children are exactly alike. Be flexible, but still try to ensure that your baby is getting enough rest. It will make life easier for all of you.

WHY ARE ORGANIC CLOTH DIAPERS BEST?

Organic cloth diapers are free of the harmful chemicals found in disposable diapers!

Most disposable diapers contain dangerous chemicals:

•Dioxin is an extremely toxic by-product of the paper-bleaching process, listed by the EPA as the most toxic of all cancer-linked chemicals, and banned in most countries, but not the U.S.

•Tributyl-tin (TBT) is a toxic pollutant known to cause hormonal problems in humans and animals.

•Sodium Polyacrylate is a super-absorbent polymer (SAP) of which the gel-like beads are made of that form the absorbency of disposable diapers. A similar SAP was used tampons until the early 1980s, and later discontinued when it was discovered that it increased the risk of toxic shock syndrome.

Some additional reasons that organic cloth diapers are better for your baby:

•In 2000 research showed that disposable diapers might be the cause of the rise of male infertility. The study suggested that heat trapped in disposable diapers could affect boys' reproductive organs from developing normally.

•Babies who are often plagued by constant diaper rash in disposables are relieved of the rash once being switched to cloth.

Organic cloth diapers are better for the environment:

•The average disposable diaper can take more than 250-500 years to decompose.

•Over 92% of all single-use diapers end up in a landfill; it is estimated that each baby will go through approximately 6000 diaper changes within their first 2 years of life.

•Disposable diapers are allowing toxic waste to be deposited into our ground water at an alarming rate.

•The manufacture and use of disposable diapers amounts to 2.3 times more water wasted than cloth. (VERY IMPORTANT fact, especially for Californians!)

•Organic cloth diapers are reusable and recyclable. If cared for properly, they will last through multiple children.

Why choose ORGANIC cotton diapers instead of regular cotton diapers:

•Conventional cotton farming represents less than 3% of the world's farmland yet accounts for over 25% of insecticide and pesticide use, making it one of the most heavily sprayed crops on the planet.

•Organic cotton is grown without toxic chemicals so it: eliminates contamination in the soil, air and water supply; supports a system of sustainable agriculture; reduces incidence of chemical sensitivity, cancer, allergies, asthma, rashes and other health issues for both farmers and consumers; organic cotton is softer, more durable, more luxurious and healthier not only for humans but also for our fragile environment.

6 Ways to Avoid SIDS!

Six Things to Help Avoid Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

SIDS is a frightening word to parents of newborns. There is so little concrete knowledge about SIDS, as every case is different. However, there are a number of things you can do to help reduce the chances of your infant dying of SIDS. Here are five ways you can reduce the risk of SIDS.

1. Good prenatal care is one of the first things you can do to help prevent SIDS. A low birth weight can often contribute to SIDS. So mothers who are careful about their prenatal care and nutrition can have a healthier baby. Avoiding smoking, drugs and alcohol while pregnant also reduces the risk of SIDS. It has also been shown that having two babies in one year can raise the risk of SIDS for the second infant. Teen mothers have a higher risk of their infant dying of SIDS.

2. Having the right bedding for the crib is crucial to reducing the risk of SIDS. Putting the baby to sleep on the back, and using a firm mattress with a tight fitting sheet, is the first step. Despite everyone loving those cute comforter and bumper pad sets, they are best left out of the crib. The bumper pad reduces the amount of fresh air circulating around the baby. Both sleeping on the stomach and the comforter being too close to the face can cause the baby to rebreathe too much carbon dioxide, which is a significant factor in SIDS.

3. Use sleepers or baby sacks to help keep the baby warm on cold nights instead of a blanket. However, if the infant is too warm, that can also contribute to SIDS. It is important to find the proper balance. Even better, consider co-sleeping! Dr. Sears reports that co-sleeping with your infant dramatically reduces the incidence of SIDS. Studies have shown that when mothers co-sleep with their babies, the babies instinctively pattern their breathing after their mother's breathing!

4. Some studies have shown that pacifiers help reduce the occurrence of SIDS. The pacifier helps keep the air passage open. It also helps keep things away from the infant's mouth and nose. This can help prevent suffocation.

5. Avoiding second-hand smoke also reduces the risk of SIDS. Studies by the Surgeon General have shown that, "Infants who die from SIDS tend to have higher concentration of nicotine in their lungs and higher levels of cotinine (a biological marker for second-hand smoke exposure) than infants who die from other causes."

6. Breastfeeding has also been shown to help reduce the risk of SIDS, as there are fewer breastfed babies than formula babies who have died of SIDS. Breastfed babies tend to have a lower rate of respiratory and gastrointestinal infections, both of which can contribute to SIDS.

Why choose organic?

A great resource to research the Organic Industry...
Organic Consumers Association