The beginning!

First let me say that I titled this Green Mommy for two reasons.  One I try to do as well as I can with the information I can find to make my daughter's environment as safe and free of garbage as possible, and two because I am new at this and finding my way.

I am very lucky to be a stay at home Mom.  I recognize that all of my friends have children in Daycare and most wish they could do it also.  I was able to do an insane amount of research during my pregnancy and still do because I had/have the time.  What I have found that works for me might not work for you, but I am sharing because I have had a lot of people ask me things.  So here goes nothing..


It feels very odd to be writing about my experiences and so called "knowledge" I have gained but here goes.  When I found out I was pregnant it was OMG I am pregnant (happy) to OMG I am pregnant (and responsible for growing a human being).

I called and talked to my friend who is a doctor and he told me some very things that had a huge impact on my pregnancy.

First he said you are NOT eating for 2.  He meant as far as the old ways of eating a plate of brownies everyday and saying "oh it's ok it's for the baby".   He told me that it was actually unhealthy to gain too much weight and to eat garbage.  You are shaping the baby's eating habits from what you are eating.  He also said you only need an extra 300 calories a day and that's after the first trimester.

I was blown away.

I was already shaping the eating habits of my child.  Really?  Lightbulb went off, I have to make sure that I am shaping this baby's eating habits right.

I have always eaten healthy and worked out so I planned on continuing this, but when I thought about what 300 calories is.  That's an apple and a slice of bread.  Or cheese.  Whatever.  It wasn't the pig-out feast I had always heard of.

He also said eat organic!  Which was the turning point of my way of eating.

I had 3 pregnancy cravings:  apples, raisin bran, and Jelly Belly's.  Weird I know.  My OB said it's the reason I was so regular during my pregnancy.  But when I was told eat organic I started to check online about it and discovered to my horror that apples are on the top of the Dirty Dozen list for pesticides.  Immediately I switched hoping that I did not screw up my embryo thus far.

I signed up for all those weekly update websites (Babycenter, Fit pregnancy) which was really informative.  I also read books about different stages and what the baby was developing at that time.  A light bulb went on.  I was eating very healthy but I would add extra of certain things while the baby was in different stages.  If it was a heavy bone development I would eat extra dairy and salmon with bones etc.  And I ALWAYS ate walnuts.  My doctor friend had said they are the healthiest thing you can eat.  They are amazing for brain development.  So everyday I would eat a handful in the morning and evening.

The pregnancy became my mission if you will.  I had a little checklist. Calcium, different veggies for different vitamins, fruits, proteins, carbs, all making sure that I got the baby what she needed.  It really wasn't about me it was about her and what I needed to eat to "grow" her the best way I could.

I know this sounds insane, but it really made me understand the relationship between good food and what it is supposed to do.

The funny thing is that I used to think that organic was a hippie thing, I now know it is a healthy thing.

If you watch the movie Food Inc. you will go organic immediately.

My friend also said keep working out.  It brings oxygen into your blood that feeds into the baby.

So no sitting on the sofa relaxing while I was knocked up?

I was really having these holy crap moments.  Basically everything I do and eat can shape and benefit my child if I do it right.

I had never thought about it that way till then.  And then is when my prego bootcamp started.  haha  my husband would crack up at me but I think setting my mind to that changed everything.

The last thing my doctor friend told me was do not let them give your child a hep B shot when it's born.  Unless the child is going to be an IV drug user in the hospital or have un-protected sex there it is not needed.

huh?  I had a lot to think about.

Then started the magazine reading.........