Ditch & Switch - Three Green Changes to Make Before Baby Arrives

Now that the green movement has gained somethat when these devices are running many of
momentum, many families who are expecting athem are off-gassing polybrominated diphenyl
baby may be wondering how they can makeethers (PBDEs), which are used as
healthier household choices before their babyflame-retardants on most electronic equipment.
comes. Here are 3 easy changes you can makeLevels of these chemicals in human breast milk
to go green for your baby, and create a saferhave been increasing over the past 25 years and
environment for her and the rest of your family!researchers are now linking them to endocrine
Ditch: Hazardous Household Chemicalsproblems, like thyroid dysfunction and PBDEs are
Switch: A select number of versatile productsa suspected neurotoxin: a substance that can
that are non-toxic, and eco-friendlyharm the central nervous system.
Lots of popular cleaning and household productsDitch: Turn off the TV, computers and video
are not only hazardous to your health, but theygame devices when they are not in use.
are hazardous to our environment. CommonSwitch: Get the family outdoors, where the air
cleaning products contain phthalates,quality is better and where you're more likely to
petrochemicals, fragrances and other harshinteract than zone out in front of the TV. Adding
chemicals. These chemicals can easily be inhaledhouseplants to your decor can dramatically reduce
and ingested while they are being used, and canthe level of indoor pollutants. Frequent dusting and
be fatal if ingested by small infants. Additionally,vacuuming can also help reduce the levels
the internet is ripe with stories of households thatingested by children.
switched to more natural products, and noticed aDitch: Nasty Plastics
reduction in asthma, eczema and allergySwitch: Safer Plastics, Glass
symptoms immediately. In the age of clutter,Plastics have been in the news a lot lately due to
many people have closets full of half-used toxicnew studies that further implicate the chemical,
cleaning products for every cleaning task underbisphenol a (BPA), a common ingredient in baby
the sun. You can simplify your home and green itbottles, in a number of health problems including
before your baby comes by getting rid of thehormone disruption, cancer and reproductive
toxic products and replacing them with just a fewdisorders. While plastic serves a number of
safe & green products.important functions in our society, science if
Products to Ditch:Chlorine Bleach, Conventionalfinding that some might not be safe for ingestion.
Cleaners (Toilet Boil Cleaners, Window Cleaners,One study found that the amount of BPA that
Oven Cleaners, Tile & Mildew Cleaners,leached into the contents of the container was
Laundry Detergent, Fabric Softener, etc.)drastically increased when the container was
Ammonia, Solvents, Bug & Pest Chemicals,heated and scrubbed.
Weed Killers, Antibacterial SoapDitch: #3 Vinyl/PVC (lunch boxes & bags),
Switch to: Oxygen Bleach, Eco-Friendly Cleaners,#6 Polystyrene (fast food), #7 Polycarbonate
Vinegar, Baking Soda, Lemon Juice, Borax(baby bottles, reusable water bottles)
Ditch: 24 Hour ElectronicsSwitch:#1 PET (bottled water), #2 HDPE (milk
Switch: Peace & Quiet, House Plantsjugs), #4 LDPE (plastic wrap), #5 PP (ziploc food
It's surprising the number of electronics we havecontainers)
in our houses compared to when I was growingAvoid using single use plastic products when
up. Yes, I remember when we got our first colorpossible, tote your water or beverage in a
television (Yay! Sesame Street in color), when Ireusable and safe bottle. Avoid microwaving
was 6 or 7. Today in my house we have 2 TVs,plastic, instead use glass or microwave-safe
2 Desktop Computers, 1 Laptop and numerousceramic. Use glass baby bottles or safer plastic
other radios, video game machines and mediaones.
players. What many people are not aware of is