* Gifts for Green Moms
BOOKS Becoming a Baby by William F. Supple, Jr.
For the soon-to-be mom who is into her pregnancy, Becoming a Baby by William F. Supple, Jr., Ph.D is an informative book that has somehow flown under the radar. Sized to easily fit in a purse, this book is a day to day account of how your baby is developing from conception to birth.
Each day includes:
- what the baby/fetus looks like described in words like 'about the size of a blueberry' for Day 36 or in inches, ounces and pounds;
- a black and white image of the embryo/fetus/baby;
- how the embryo/fetus/baby is developing--Day 110 reads, "As you can see [in the image] the baby's legs are developed and muscular enough to generate quite a kick. If you haven't felt kicks yet you will soon. Salivary glands are functional;"
- tips for mom--Day 92 reads, "Scientists have shown that maternal sensitivity and affection have their roots in pregnancy. In other words, many mothers already love their babies--intensely--before they ever see them. . .").
We found this book by chance early in my first pregnancy. I ended up either scanning pages or typing info from each day and sending daily emails to all the eager soon-to-be grandparents, friends and family. The second time around I was able to give my oldest daughter a visual presentation of the invisible, kicking being in mommy's 'baby belly.'
Love this little book!
The Happiest Baby on the Block, by Harvey Karp, M.D.
This book was lent to me on a whim and ended up getting us through the first 3 months with daughter #1. It gives excellent, time-tested ideas for calming newborns and helping them sleep. One thought that made perfect sense is that newborns need a '4th trimester.' After being attached to mom for 9 months, there can be a definite separation anxiety. Every one of their senses is being stimulated in a different way than what they've been used to. It's this stimulation that perhaps causes stress and colic. Transitioning our infants into the world is a compassionate act which can ease the 'new addition' transition for the rest of the family as well. You wouldn't think you'd need someone to tell you these mothering secrets, but this book can be a real lifesaver. You get immediate results which in turn gives a post-partum mother great confidence in her new role.
*The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, by Le Leche League International &
*The Nursing Mother’s Companion, by Kathleen Huggins, RN, MS
For the first-time, soon-to-be mom who’s planning to breastfeed or the seasoned nursing mother who is again adding to the family, these are must have reference books. I know that I opened them daily in those newborn months and then was relieved to have them months later as the breastfeeding relationship developed. Great for answering quick, ‘is this normal’ questions as well as giving strategies for more serious situations (i.e. breast infections, an infant with slow weight gain). Definite books to have on hand in the breastfeeding household!
Breastfeeding--can you get any more green?
*Mothering Magazine
For green moms, for older moms, for younger moms, for soon-to-be moms, for moms that think out of the box and for moms who just consider it, for moms that simultaneously love and hate motherhood—for moms that love their kids—this magazine is for you! Check out the website for articles, recipes, events and subscription information: www.mothering.com.
My Very First Years, A Baby Record Book, by Michal Sparks
Given to me by my mother, this book was not an exciting gift for me. It looked like work, which I had enough of at the time. I dutifully entered in family tree names, dates of first teeth, first words, and all the other traditional milestones. Eventually I really began enjoying adding to this book. I envisioned my daughter much older reading about her childhood (it records the first five years)—but honestly, my attention to detailed entries was motivated by the image of her as a mother looking to compare her infancy to her child’s. It wasn’t until my second daughter was born that I really began to appreciate this book. I tried to find one that I like better to no avail. I purchased My Very First Years for my second daughter and have enjoyed journaling her rites of passage. It’s well laid out and contains space for everything you can think of-–even for a lock of hair from the first hair cut!
BABY PRODUCTS
*g-Diapers
www.gdiapers.com
Discovered by my green friend, this hybrid diaper is what I like to call a ‘transitional solution’ to the diapering dilemma. Cloth or disposable? Cloth uses a lot of water, disposables take 500 years to decompose. But lets be frank, besides the environment, the issue is time and energy. Talk to the mother of a newborn and ask her if she’d like to soak, wash and double rinse cloth diapers everyday. She’ll probably laugh between nursing and nodding off. If she’s green she’ll probably say, ‘I hate it! But I do it.” G-diapers are better. Better than disposables. Better than cloth. They consist of a washable, cotton diaper cover (what they call ‘pants’), a snap in liner and a flushable—yes, flushable!—‘insert.’ What are they made of? This is copied from the g-diapers website:
The materials in ‘little g’ pants, liners and flushables are designed with comfort and dryness in mind. Flushables are made of a water resistant, breathable outer material that keep bottoms dry and wetness away. It is made of all natural fiber and is 100% biodegradable. The interior uses elemental chlorine-free tree farmed fluff pulp and Super Absorbing Poly-acrylate to absorb wetness. These super absorbing lock away cells hold up to 100 times their weight in liquid.
Snap-in liners are made of breathable polyurethane coated nylon, not pvc like many diaper covers. They are easy to change and rinse out. Our liners are also breathable which helps prevent diaper rash.
Our ‘little g’ pants are made of a soft, breathable outer cotton/elastene fabric giving them a slight stretch.
You’re hands get a little dirty fiddling around with the insert (but much less involved than with cloth diapers)—it isn’t as easy as just flushing it down. You have to open it (to do so is easy—and on the least messy parts of the insert) and break it up in the toilet (they come with a ‘swish stick’), then flush. The beauty of these inserts is that they compost! That cuts out a lot of time standing in front of the toilet ‘swishing.’ Swish the poopy, compost the pee pee. And the covers can be laundered normally—no special technique needed.
Like I said, a ‘transitional solution.’ Perfect for the motivated green soul—willing to put in some extra effort—even when downright exhausted. Until solutions become easy or mandatory, changes will be made only by those who feel convicted.
The G-diaper shop offers a 'g Baby Shower Gift' for $89.99. It includes 3 diapers (called 'pants' on the site), liners, a case (plus 10) of inserts, a swish stick and a users guide. Everything you'd need to get started!
*Bubble-B-Gone, by Nature's Answer
It’s inevitable, no matter how sharply you watch your diet, your newborn will get uncomfortably, perhaps painfully, gassy. A more natural alternative is this glycerite tincture of chamomile, fennel, catnip and lemon balm--all herbs traditionally used on infants to ease gas pains and colic. Bubble-B-Gone works wonders, but not as well as avoiding onions, broccoli, cabbage and cabbage family vegetables.
*Hyland’s Teething Tabs
Another beautiful, soothing product. Hyland’s Teething Tabs were my first introduction to homeopathy. I’ve seen results, repeatedly! So much so that product is always added to my baby shower gifts. Truly, within 10 minutes the baby is comfortable. And they’re all natural (get the tabs, the gel contains parabens).
*Little Sprouts, boar bristle hair brush
A really nice, non-plastic, gift for an infant to use throughout childhood. Can be passed down or saved for future generations. Made of all natural materials, boar bristles are known to keep scalp and hair naturally moisturized. Find at http://www.beautyneeds.com/beauty/boarbrush.html .
My daughter is almost 3 with hair past the middle of her back (and a super sensitive scalp!). I find this brush eases out the knots. I use it first and then comb gently. For my infant, it's just a perfect brush--soft but still stimulating to the skin.
*Ecobaby Kimono Onesies
My first baby was fussy! Completely and utterly. I had three of these onesies. I always knew where they were, too, making sure I had one on hand for the days/times I needed to buffer stressful situations (like over-the-head dressing). Lay the baby down, arms in, tie on the sides, snap the bottom, everyone is happy! And they’re wonderfully soft, organic cotton. I bought more for baby #2.
http://www.ecobaby.com/catalog/product.asp?pf_id=pc802wp
*Organic Moses Basket
If cost is not an option, the Organic Moses Basket is both practical and luxurious. Find one made in the USA to be sure it hasn’t been sprayed. Beautifully and naturally made, newborn baby will fit snuggly in this basket which can then be set near mom. Minimally cumbersome to move from room to room, this basket creates a worry-free space for a sleeping baby. Our little ones used it for the first 3 months (. . . it was a gift. I still don't know if the cost justifies the functionality--I'd be fine with setting my infants in a blanketed drawer for the few times a day they were set down!). With conscientious keeping, it may see our grandchildren.
This super safe sunscreen is called Green Screen by Kabana. It’s rated a 1 (out of 10—10 being the most hazardous) on the Skin Deep web site (which tests and rates the safety of personal care products--check it out!). We used it last year and it’s very effective, having about 8 ingredients—all of which are food grade. It includes non-nanoparticle zinc oxide to block UVA and UVB rays. And all the oils in it leave the skin feeling great! The only down side that I can see is that it probably has to be applied more often than it's chemical laden counterparts. Not a big deal considering the alternative. I would use Green Screen, if needed, on my less than 6 month old baby (most sunscreens say not to use on infants under 6 months--why? Why is 7 months then okay?). The current Green Guide issue discusses 'coral-reef friendly' sunscreen. Who knew it was an issue? Apparently it's a big one--all the tourists slathered in chemicals leave behind tons (literally 4 - 6 tons!) of sunscreen in the water. It affects the coral, leaving them bleached and susceptible to virus. Funny thing is that the chemicals that harm the coral are also harmful to us--parabens being one. Green Screen is the way to go--or possibly make your own sunscreen. There are tons of sites that sell zinc oxide. . .
