There have been many studies coming out lately that validate my entire approach to pregnancy and parenting. The latest, just announced by the Washington Toxics Coalition (WTC), shows babies are exposed to chemicals in everyday consumer products even before they're born.

WTC tested blood and urine from pregnant women in California, Washington, and Oregon during their second trimester of pregnancy and the results showed chemicals that are found in a wide variety of consumer products.

From the study:

• 100% of study participants had bisphenol A (BPA) in their bodies, which is found in polycarbonate water bottles and food and beverage cans and has been linked to cancer, early puberty, diabetes, obesity, and reproductive problems.

• 100% had mercury, a known neurotoxin.

• Most had several different types of phthalates, which may have an impact on masculinity in boys. These are plasticizers and fragrance carriers found in consumer products from shower curtains to shampoo. Phthalates are linked to reproductive problems and asthma.

• The study didn't make any associations between a woman's lifestyle and the levels of chemicals found in her body.

• Each woman had at least two and as many as four "Teflon chemicals," or perfluorinated compounds, in her blood. These are chemicals used to create stain-protection products and non-stick cookware and are linked to low birth weight, obesity, and cancer.

While I generally spend time coaching families on how to avoid these very chemicals; the best anyone can do is minimize exposure. But Erika Schreder, staff scientist for the Washington Toxics Coalition and author of the report (full disclosure: she wrote an essay for my book, The Complete Organic Pregnancy), says, "Pregnant women can't avoid every exposure to these chemicals because they are in so many products. They can't shop their way out of this problem. We need policies that keep toxic chemicals away from pregnant women and the most vulnerable-the developing fetus."

She's right. And the levels found in women who were already attempting to avoid these very chemicals backs her up.

To make those policies happen, WTC, along with Commonweal, the Toxic-Free Legacy Coalition, and members of the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families Campaign are urging Congress to reform the federal law (the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act) by doing the following:

• Immediately initiate action to eliminate chemicals that build up in our bodies or are passed on to the next generation.

• Reduce the use of chemicals that can cause serious health problems such as cancer and reproductive harm, or lead to learning disabilities.

• Require manufacturers to create consumer products using only chemicals they have tested fully for safety and to provide full information on their hazards to the public.

• Preserve the rights of the states to enact legislation that sets higher chemical safety standards than federal law....

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Every once in a while the questions in my inbox are partially organic and partially not. I tend to answer these privately, or refer people to experts better suited to answer their queries. But one arrived this week that I've had on numerous occasions so I thought best to tackle it publicly.

Dear Alexandra,

First, THANK YOU and Deirdre for your book - I bought it when my husband and I decided to have a baby and it really set the tone for how I've approached my entire pregnancy. I truly appreciate the work and thoughtfulness that went into the guidance in your book.

I'm now just about 37 weeks pregnant and have been mired in the search for the best crib mattress! Time is ticking away, so I thought I'd email you about my concern to see if you might have an opinion on the issue. I have been researching mattress options for our co-sleeper as well as crib and want to use an organic mattress, for all the reasons you have outlined. A question about each option:

1. Co-sleeper: The Arms Reach co-sleeper includes warnings against putting any additional mattress or padding on the mattress board that comes with the unit. However, the Dax co-sleeper mattress is indicated to go on top of the existing mattress board - apparently, the board is needed for support. I'm concerned now about putting the Dax mattress I've ordered on the co-sleeper mattress (along with the puddle pad). Any advice?

2. Crib: The latest data on SIDS prevention suggests using the firmest mattress possible. However, after talking with the folks at Dax Stores and doing some reading, it seems that a bit of firmness is sacrificed with an organic mattress because wool is used as the flame retardant, making the mattress slightly less firm. Also, using wool "puddle pads" is an extra layer of cushioning. So, I have thought that a happy medium may be Naturepedic's mattress (wouldn't need puddle pads), but I don't fully trust the polyethylene and would prefer an organic innerspring with wool puddle pads, were it not for the SIDS concern.

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I'm surrounded by newly pregnant people. Like too-early-to-tell-anyone early. But I'm the happy keeper of their wondrous secrets. Don't ask for hints on who I'm talking about. I won't tell.

It's funny how short that newly pregnant moment is, because when you're in it, it feels so long. And it's amusing how no one would ever guess because it's so not apparent bump-wise even if inside your own head it's the LOUDEST thing that has ever happened, and ever will again. Well, maybe until your own kid(s) tells you they're pregnant.

One pregnancy I'm spending a lot of time thinking about is a third. The first two times, the mom was severely nauseated. She threw up for months on end. And she's expecting to be so again. But until that nausea comes on, she's cramming herself full of all sorts of great and crucial food and sleeping when her kids will let her. These are weeks to take care of yourself as much as you possibly can. While we were on the phone strategizing about how best to get the nutrients in before she started hurling them up, I went back to my personal notes plus my lists published in The Complete Organic Pregnancy.

The smell of cooking food is particularly awful to the nauseated (mildly or very) pregnant person. Roasted meat scent in particular killed me when I was pregnant so I remember doing all sorts of things to get protein sans smell - protein rich grains like amaranth went down ok, so did beans (sometimes). Avocado worked. Eggs also smelled when scrambled or fried but boiled eggs worked (no smell cooking but sometimes unbearable when I cracked open the shell post boil). I remember having people cook me meat at their houses so I wouldn't have to smell the cooking. My friend has family that lives nearby. I suggested she have her husband cook their meat (they belong to a great pastured meat collective, like a CSA for humanely and ecologically raised animals) over at their houses, and to bring it back into their apartment after it cools off and the scent is less intense. Sounds crazy but when you only have a short period of time to get animal protein and nutrients in before months of barfing, you do what you have to do. If eating seafood, make sure to eat fish and shellfish with the lowest contaminants (PCBs, mercury) and the highest omega-3s and other crucial nutrients found in fish.

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Hi,

I'm due any day now (!) and am planning on and really looking forward to breastfeeding my son. But I can't help but wonder how I will do it on the go. I'm not sure this is really an "organic" question but thought you might be willing to answer me about how this is all going to work?

Thanks.

-Marie from Connecticut

Marie,

Thanks for your question. As far as I am concerned, any question regarding breastfeeding is an "organic" question! What's more organic than breastfeeding?

Congrats on your plans. Intentions and plans are important when it comes to starting a breastfeeding relationship (that's lactation consultant speak - funny, no?); you can set yourself up for success. That said, breastfeeding isn't always easy. And can be far from it. It takes getting used to for you and the babe.

Which is why I commend you for already considering what it will be like to nurse in public. Some mothers really seem to be able to whip their breasts out anywhere, even in those first few learning weeks, no problem. If you find yourself becoming one of those moms, more power to you. Others figure out ways to do it more discreetly, by using all sorts of covering drape-y things like shawls you'll find in most kiddie gear stores these days (more on these in a moment), or by ducking into a public bathroom or a dressing room in a store when they need to feed on the go. Still others find it so uncomfortable to breastfeed in public that they schedule their feedings so that they always know what time to seek out privacy (once babies are a little older than newborn, this can be done if you're interested but I never bothered).

I, like you, had some concern about what life would be with my boobs hanging out all over the place before my daughter was born. I decided to see how it went once she was born before making any scheduling decisions. Some places I was more comfortable than others. But as it turned out, I quickly got very comfortable nursing anywhere, anytime. And I was amazed to notice just how many moms were also wandering around nursing all over the streets of New York! I hadn't noticed them before I was a nursing mom myself, but once you know what it looks like and what to look for, it's hilarious how many of us are at it at any given moment on any crowded street. And it's lovely and comforting to see how many women of all ages smile and nod at you knowingly when they notice. Men, too - dads, grandfathers. I never once felt anyone ever watched me nurse, though other kids are very curious and sweet.

Don't get me wrong, what I'm describing didn't involve me literally flashing my entire neighborhood. Nursing doesn't actually involve being very naked at all, and is easy to cover up, especially during cold months when you have a lot of layers on. That first summer I was breastfeeding, I certainly felt a little strange when the weather turned warmer and I had less clothing to disguise what I was up to. But I quickly got used to that, too. And it's pretty rare, once you get going, that a nipple is actually out in the open for more than a split second. Usually the kid is blocking any real view.

That said, I have heard that bigger breasted women (I'm on the smaller end of things) have more difficulty being discreet when they want to be. And there are some babies who pop on and off the breast, especially when they start to really notice the world around them and are easily distracted from nursing, potentially leaving your nipples exposed to the entire playground. No one else will really care but you - really - but if you do, here are some ways of covering up while still feeding:

1. Throw a blanket over the event! If this is too bulky, invest in some nursing specific cover-ups or shawls. Nursingcovers.com has a wide selection in all prints, shapes, and sizes, and even an organic cotton and bamboo section. Their most amusing (to me, anyway) item is something called a MoBoleez modern bonnet, which looks like a giant wide brimmed hat for the baby. The brim covers your breasts. Nursing covers aren't a specialty item. They're so ubiquitous even Wal Mart sells organic cotton ones. I actually think doing it under a giant shawl or baby hat draws even more attention to what you're doing than just doing it out in the open. But that's me.

2. Retrofit some shirts or invest in nursing specific tops that allow enough entry for you to snake a hand in to open your nursing bra or tank and then offer a breast to a babe.

3. Have a friend who has nursed show you how to do it in a sling or baby carrier - built in coverage, and very convenient on the go.

4. Map out where in your neighborhood has clean, large public bathrooms with changing tables and enough room to nurse comfortably. If you're headed out for the day and think of it beforehand, check out where you might be able to nurse and change where you're headed. Department stores and baby gear stores are always a safe bet.

5. Post a message on your local parenting message board asking where other moms go to breastfeed. Knowing other parents are comfortable nursing in specific stores or restaurants will make you feel more comfortable doing it yourself.

6. Do it with friends! There is safety in numbers. Meet up with other breastfeeding moms for tea or lunch and you can all do it at the same time.

Meanwhile, as you're setting up your diaper bag, don't forget to tuck organic nipple cream, organic cotton (or wool) reusable nursing pads, and a large reusable water bottle into your diaper bag (breastfeeding is thirst-making work!). In the early months, these are as crucial as extra diapers and wipes.

Enjoy! It's a lovely, lovely experience.

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Another great and timely reader question in my inbox this week:

I'd love to know what you think of Microban. It seems this label is appearing on more consumer products all of the time, but I'm kind of afraid of it since it sounds like an "antibacterial coating", and I wonder if it's really necessary. I will be having a baby in January, and I see a lot of baby and children's products that say they use Microban - so I'm wondering if I should be avoiding those products. I now question everything that states "antibacterial" - even those that say "naturally antimicrobial". Would you be able to clear this up for me?

Thank you,

Kim

Hi Kim,

I have seen this label on a lot of plastic items lately. I first saw it in potty seats a while back and most recently encountered it when I went to a store to buy "big girl scissors" for my three year old. Should you avoid it? Well I personally ran from the place - scissor-less - when I noticed every single pair was "protected by" Microban. I ran straight to my computer so I could figure out what that meant. Even though I never found the exact answer (the company doesn't really come clean on its ingredients or properties on their website -- "Microban® antimicrobial protection is built-in to products during manufacturing to provide continuous antimicrobial product protection. Microban protection can be found in hundreds of consumer, industrial and medical products around the world. For an added level of product protection against microbes, look for the Microban® brand on the products you buy."), I know enough about unknown antimicrobials from my work and research to avoid them across the board when and if there are any other choices. There usually are.

I emailed Kim back to see where, specifically, she had seen the stuff, to make sure she would have other choices. Her response?

I have seen in stores the Microban label on several diaper bags and those baby changing stations in bathrooms. I did a search online and saw they are also putting it in certain keyboards, mouse pads, pet dishes, Teva sandals, yoga mats, sinks/washtubs, cutting boards, and other kitchen and baby items, it seems. I sure hope they don't start putting it in everything!

It does seem to be getting uncomfortably prevalent but yes, there are Microban-free choices for all of the above. Meanwhile, some of my most trusted resources are also suggesting people avoid Microban. The NRDC's Dr. Gina Solomon says:

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This week a great question arrived via Facebook email, from someone I went to school with. Here's her plea for advice:

I have a REALLY bad case of dandruff (and I apologize here for the TMI). I can't use dandruff shampoos because as a curly-haired girl they dry my hair. My dermatologist gave me something which works great BUT (and here's the problem) I'm trying to get pregnant and you're not supposed to use it if you are pregnant, and I don't want to risk it.

So ... as the organic pregnancy guru and a fellow curly-haired girl, any suggestions? I tried apple cider vinegar but it doesn't work.

I feel her pain. As someone who wages war with eczema and had tried every possible remedy - organic and otherwise - I know these itchy, flaky skin issues can be excruciating because they're impossible to figure out how to cure, uncomfortable, and ugly. I'm no expert on dandruff but from my research, it sounds like it can be as difficult to "fix" as eczema.

Here's my checklist to go through to try to figure out what's causing the dandruff, and how to find an effective treatment for it. Again, I am not an expert. Anyone who has battled dandruff with natural cures and is winning the battle, please post your secrets to success in comments.

13 Questions to Ask Before Starting a Dandruff Treatment

* What kind of dandruff is it (I gather some is waxy, some dry, some fungal)?

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In my neighborhood, Halloween has become a month-long holiday. If you've got young children, this can be sort of fun (who doesn't want to dress up in costumes and romp around at parties and street fairs for weeks on end?) but a big issue (too! much! candy!). I am a strong believer in the link between diet and behavior. It should come as no shocker that we eat basically no candy in my household. So I was interested last week when news of a British study linking daily candy intake in childhood to a life of crime wandered into my email inbox (over and over again - thanks for forwarding, everyone).

When you have a baby, the Hallow-hell candy fest is easy to avoid. They do notice the good stuff - costumes, parades - without focusing on the sugar overload part. Last year, when my daughter was two and a half, hiding the sugar started to become more difficult. This year I am screwed....

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This organic mom has too much to read – newspaper and magazine articles, blogs, books, studies, listservs, emails etc. etc. etc. – and far too little time on her hands to read it all. But now that the organic preschooler is ensconced in school during the mornings, and my next manuscript is (basically) done, I'm taking a moment to do some reading to go with my writing.

The first book on my pile is Deeply Rooted: Unconventional Farmers in the Age of Agribusiness by Lisa M. Hamilton. It’s not technically a parenting book but I think being mindful and smart about food is one of the most crucial things any parent can do. Hamilton’s book, as the title suggests, falls squarely into the sustainable realm. (Full disclosure: Lisa wrote an essay for my book, The Complete Organic Pregnancy. Though I have yet to meet her in person, she’s a friend of my co-author, Deirdre Dolan.) It is not a light book about how growing tomatoes in your back yard is a good idea, but rather a real book -- sometimes gritty -- about real American farms and farmers who are doing things a little bit differently at a moment when most farmers are not. ...

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Sometimes this organic mom wants to gift her own not-entirely-organic mother a present. I try to make the gifts meaningful, but I'd be lying if I said I don't also aim for something with an underlying green theme. Nothing over the top or in her face, just something she'll enjoy but also notice is eco-friendly, even though that isn't the main point of the present.

For her recent birthday, I had a jackpot win-win idea: a seltzer maker. I can't believe I didn't think of it before. My mom loves, loves, loves seltzer. She lives for it, drinks it constantly. Not only would having her own seltzer maker save her money, but it would also keep her from being involved with the transportation of bottles of water and help her save untold numbers of unreusable plastic bottles. Yes, she recycles. But recycling plastic #1 bottles doesn't mean everything in those bottles actually gets reused, and breaking them down is an intensive, complicated process. I personally avoid plastic whenever I can. Unfortunately, store bought seltzer in glass bottles is a lot more expensive than what comes in plastic. The home seltzer makers with glass carafes are also more expensive than plastic, but if you do the math for how much it saves over buying bottles for a year, it seems doable....

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I always love a great new resource. Which is why I'm excited that the excellent people at the Michigan-based Ecology Center - the minds behind HealthyCars.org and HealthyToys.org -- have just launched HealthyStuff.org. Here consumers will be able to check the safety of all sorts of "stuff," from pet products to jewelry to women's handbags, as well as get the continuously updated information on toys, cars and car seats their other sites are known for. The goal here is not only to let consumers know which products contain hazardous chemicals and in what levels - all tested with XRF technology - but to motivate them to put pressure on manufacturers and legislators to ban the worst chemicals from everyday products. To help consumers do this, there are action links to click on the site. Click on them!

I sifted through some of the recently tested items on HealthyStuff.org and was pleased to see that there are a number of handbags -- especially inexpensive (and cute!) numbers from H&M -- that I assumed would have high levels of lead, bromine (brominated flame retardants), and chlorine (PVC), actually do not. But other items from widely available brands like Aldo, 9&Co. and Tory Burch did, including some with lead levels way over the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) limit for lead in kid's products. My daughter likes to play dress up with my bags, and is around them all day long, so I'd prefer something without, thanks. HealthyStuff.org also tests for other chemicals "based on their toxicity or suspected toxicity, persistence, and/or tendency to build up in people and the environment," including cadmium, arsenic and mercury. These plus lead, bromine, and chlorine have "been linked in animal and some human studies to long-term health impacts such as birth defects, impaired learning, liver toxicity, and cancer...."

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Dear Organic Mom,
Baby number one is on the way and we're going to have lots of guests once she arrives. We don't have enough room to set up a real bed with a real mattress in a guest room and - thanks to you! - we don't want to buy an inflatable bed made from PVC plastic. Do you know of any stowaway guestroom options that aren't PVC?
Thanks.
-Maryanne in D.C.

Good question. First off, congrats! Oddly I got your email the same day this topic was being discussed on my local parenting Yahoo! Group board. Something in the air? Some thoughts:

• Aerobed makes tons of PVC versions as well as a PVC-free version, the PerformaLite Inflatable. Many people I know have these in the twin size for kid sleepovers. After poking around to try to find out what else they use to replace PVC, I came up short. But most things are better than PVC and this isn't something that people will be sleeping on night in and night out. That said, it will be in your home night in and night out so will offgas its contents wherever you keep it. If you have a basement or a garage where you don't spend much time, store it there. One note of warning: kids seem to find the PVC Aerobed doable but I've heard from more than a few adults that it's too thin for their liking and comfort.

• Roll up camping mats are another possibility, but might also be too thin for adults. I have found it is the rare new grandparent who wants to sleep on a camping mat. If your parents or in-laws are up for it, Aerobed makes a PVC-free camping mat, and if you do an internet search for "eco" camping gear you will find a whole host of eco-foam items that are PVC-free, as well as some organic cotton numbers. Just make sure to find out what the foam is in the camping mat, even if it's covered in organic cotton. Natural latex or even soy foam are vastly preferable to petroleum-derived foam. The latter is where the worst flame retardants tend to lurk.

• Another option is to is to buy a natural or organic futon and keep it under your own bed (just don't forget to pull it out and HEPA vacuum under and around it) or rolled up in a closet big enough to stash it.

• Pullout couches that don't contain the worst flame retardants and materials are few and far between. But do you have room for a daybed? A metal one means no particleboard concerns. Put a good mattress or futon or even natural latex or soy foam with no bad flame retardants upholstered in good fabric on it. Use it as furniture when no guests are there and as a bed when guests arrive. A futon with a hardwood frame can serve the same function.

Meanwhile, a word of unsolicited and not necessarily organic advice re all of those guests who will descend after the baby is born - unless they're going to be helpful and you really truly want them there, sometimes the best guest bed you can offer when you have a newborn, especially in a small space, is one not inside your home or apartment! Can they stay at a hotel? Or rent a short term apartment or a room nearby? Do you have a generous neighbor with extra room who might be willing to house them? I say this because those first weeks after baby is born are a special you-can't-get-it-back-once-its-gone time for new parents to get to know their baby, and to settle into what my birth class teacher refers to as "the new normal." While it is lovely that family and friends want to visit and meet your wee addition, do not feel obligated to host them overnight. Especially if these are people who make you anything but totally comfortable. Don't worry about sounding rude for wanting, needing, or requesting they give you your space as you learn to breastfeed, care for a newborn, and cope on very little sleep. You will have a perfect little excuse.

Enjoy the duration of your pregnancy.

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Alexandra,
You've written about SIGG as being a good brand bottle to use in the past. What are you going to do now that they've admitted to using BPA in their bottles? I'm not sure what to do with the ones I have.
Best,
Sally (mom of three)

Dear Sally,

Thanks for the question. Crazy, right? But not entirely unexpected. It's been known for a while now that SIGG goes after any consumer group (EWG, OCA etc.) that infers their "proprietary" liner content contains BPA. They have also released reports proving that there are undetectable levels of BPA in their bottles. Why would they test for it and release reports about it if it weren't in there? Consumers who prefer total transparency and want to avoid plastic have long preferred stainless steel bottles to SIGG's lined-with-a-secret aluminum. ...

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A perfect August question arrived via email earlier this week:

Dear Organic Mom,

How can I tell if the water I swim in at the beach or the random swimming hole we found this past weekend when hiking is safe to swim in? Especially with kids.

Thanks.
- Jackie

Good question. We're also swimming so much these hot days, it's something I think about often. ...

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I do not want to be writing this column! It's only mid-August! I'm holding on tight to the summer I have left. But for (organized) moms and dads everywhere, these are the days to get the back to school gear in order. I'm not big on stuff, but since a little shopping is inevitable, make sure to vote with your dollars for the greenest gear possible. Thankfully, eco-versions of everything from knee-highs to lunchboxes to art supplies exist and even abound. Some of the items on my radar:

SHOES

I'm a monumental fan of hand-me-downs, but second hand shoes can be a little tricky when it comes to kids. Nothing could be greener or cuter than Simple Shoes. Their newest toddler shoes are very flexible, beyond comfortable, and will feature frequently in my 3.5-year-old's fall footwear rotation. I like the gray, she prefers pink. That they're washable suede from an eco-certified tannery, lined with certified organic cotton fleece, and have recycled soda bottle laces and soles made of natural rubber? Icing. Why stop at getting them for the offspring, they're just what mom or dad need to be wearing to drop off, pick up, and class outings. ...

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