Support, understanding, encouragement...

Tip #2
Rid Your Home of Unsafe Baby Products
Again, this is a huge task if you have only been using "regular" baby products. It is very important, however, because few of us ever consider that what we put on our babies is just as important as what we put in them! I believe that good health should begin early in life. The typical nursery contains more toxic waste products then you'd ever want to put on a baby. Unfortunately, the media is good at promoting all of these so called "essential" items to pregnant women. I strongly believe that everyone should follow natural child rearing practices to decrease their babies toxic exposure from day one. So here goes....

A word about formula; It is promoted as the next best thing to nursing your baby. Mothers are even encouraged to "supplement" so that Dad can share the work. The irony is, no matter how formula is improved, it will never be as good as breast milk. The live enzymes and anti bodies can never be duplicated, because God intended babies to drink their mother's milk, not manufactured milk in a can. Infants are not built to digest the proteins in cow's milk and allergies often occur. Soy is often given to counteract the allergy, but that is not healthy for babies either. Little girls can get too much estrogen from the naturally occurring phytoestrogens in soy and this can lead to early puberty and even endometriosis. Boys can be affected in other ways by the estrogen overdose, oftentimes becoming too feminine, etc.. Even worse, babies on formula are often not thriving, just surviving. A leading cause of infant mortality in third world countries is dehydration due to improper formula mixing techniques. Yet still the US continues to promote formula so that the companies prosper and Mothers here will not "feel bad" if they choose not to breastfeed.

True medical reasons for failure to breastfeed are rare. I have gone through thrush, mastitis, clogged milk ducts, low supply, nursing strikes, and more with my babies. Yet somehow, and with great determination, I have continued to nurse them for their benefit. If you have already weaned your little one, then use this advice for your next baby. We all make less than perfect choices at times, and God's grace covers us. However, I know you'll want to give your next blessing the best possible start in life! Please see the the following websites www.lalecheleague.org and www.compleatmother.com for more information.

A word about disposable diapers; They are promoted as the best and ONLY way to diaper your baby! Why bother dipping dirty diapers when you can throw away the mess and move on? I'll tell you why. Disposable diapers are so dangerous that just a few breaths of the toxic powder locked inside can kill even the most hardy of lab rats. The absorbent "gel" found in the diaper's core is actually this toxic white powder. It goes through a chemical change when it comes into contact with your babies urine, turning into a gel that "locks" away wetness. Sometimes the gel even leaks out and sits on your baby's skin until you clean him up! This is a sign that it has been far too long between diaper changes, and it is also a gross thought that chemical laden goo is on your baby's bottom. The diaper is made up of paper materials that are then bleached with chlorine to turn it white. The result of this bleaching is an overload of dioxins, which sit daily on your baby's private parts, and can act as hormone disruptors. This means that diapers can be linked to the current high rate of infertility problems in some cases, and are responsible for cancer in many others. Sound too hard to believe? I urge you to do the research and discover the many lawsuits of employees at diaper plants becoming extremely ill due to the diaper materials.

I was personally a hard sell on the benefits of cloth because I feared the extra work associated with their use. I initially used natural disposables, but found that they leaked more than my cloth system, so I switched permanently to cloth. It's easy now, and only requires an extra load of laundry every two days or so. The problem now that the boys are older, is that I cannot find any natural pull-ups or large enough cloth for overnight use, so I am forced to put them in regular pull-ups at night. Please visit www.wildflowerdiapers.com and www.kellyscloset.com to check out their cloth diaper selections. Our favorites are Fuzzi Bunz and Happy Heiny's. They are a little pricey, but once you have a good supply they will last through several children. The soft fleece inside wicks away moisture and keeps your baby dry and comfy!

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