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During your pregnancy you probably have had many conversations with your care provider. One of them was probably about nutrition. You talk about what it should look like so you and baby prosper. You probably discussed no alcohol or smoking due to the ill effects it can have on baby. Has a provider ever discussed your laundry detergent, body wash, lotion and make up with you and the harm they may be causing your baby?
In a 2019 published study1 exposure in utero and immediately after birth linked three chemicals (phthalates, parabens and the fluorinated compounds known as PFAS) that are found in household cleaning products, cosmetics and skin care products to diminished lung function of children at six and 12 years of age. If you walked around your house and started looking at the ingredient lists you will probably find more or more of them in the majority of your products.
Additionally a 2018 study2 shows that girls who are exposed to these same chemicals before birth may hit puberty earlier than their peers who aren’t exposed to these chemicals in the womb. Early puberty has a lot of immediate and long term effects of girls to include mental health issues and infertility.
According to the EWG3, Parabens are widely used in cosmetics and have been linked in an increase risk of breast cancer. PFAS chemicals have been linked to serious health effects, including cancer, thyroid disease and liver problems. Phthalates are used in fragrance mixtures and in body care products. They’re potent hormone disruptors that can alter the reproductive development of male infants and are associated with sperm damage in adult men.
Exposure to hormone disrupters in utero has been found to decrease sperm quality later in life and may lead to increase risk of testicular cancer.4
How do these harmful ingredients get from these products to your baby? When you apply the products directly to the skin or the come in contact with the skin the skin absorbs them and they enter the blood stream. From there they make it to the placenta then to the baby via the cord.
Is this overwhelming? It doesn’t have to be and you don’t have to go throw every thing out today and start over? However you can if you want to and can afford to.
It only takes little changes today to help you achieve a more toxin free pregnancy
- Toss the plastic food storage container and switch to glass food storage. Pyrex make some great glass storage containers
- Say no to receipts. Receipts are coated in BPA. BPA has been banned from baby bottles and most people are aware to avoid it in cans and bottles. However the quantities found on receipts are greater then those in plastic bottles.
- Switch to a safe laundry detergent. Read the ingredients. Free and clear detergents normally don’t make the cut. I love Molly’s Suds. They are a great brand with an amazing story. They only use safe ingredients and the detergent works!
- Switch to safe and natural household cleaners. Vinegar, hydrogen peroxide and Branch Basics are great options! I love how Branch Basics is a concentrate that you can dilute for different types of cleaners.
- Switch out your personal care and makeup products. I personally love Beautycounter. They are committed to never using over 1500 know harmful or questionable ingredients. Plus their products are high performing. They are also very transparent about their ingredients and manufacturing process.
- Remove shoes before you enter the house. Your shoes track in pesticides and herbicides into your home.
- Switch your cookware to stainless steel, cast iron or ceramic coated. Non Stick Cookware such as Teflon (polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)) will emit toxic gases when heated to high heat.
If in doubt do your own research. EWG’s Skin Deep database is a great resource. You can search by product or individual ingredient. The database will give you a rating on the safety of the ingredients along with publicly published research on why its safe or not.
These tips are not just for pregnancy they are for life. If ingredients are harmful during pregnancy then why should we use them when not pregnant? Research has shown that these ingredients also effect our health not just your unborn babies.
Non toxin living doesn’t stop with baby being born. We all want the best for kids and we can keep the non toxic living going. Additional things to think about with baby is their car seat, mattress, diapers, wipes, baby wash and lotions, play surfaces and toys.
References:
1: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(19)30010-5/fulltext
3: https://www.ewg.org/research/dirty-dozen-list-endocrine-disruptors
