december 13, 2015 | by: mercedes | filed under: eco-pregnancy + baby, videos
When my good girlfriend Jo approached me with the idea of doing a YouTube video about eco-pregnancy and baby topics because she noted the apparent lack of such videos for eco-minded mothers-to-be, I got really excited because a) I thought it would make a great resource, b) I really haven’t seen any other content like this, and c) my own baby fever is REAL (and no, I’m not pregnant!).
In early December Jo and I got together at her lovely home in Rhode Island and filmed enough content to fill two videos – the first is all about pregnancy-related products/reviews/tips, and the second is focused on product reviews/recommendations and tips for newborn to three-month-old babies, including diaper comparisons, baby skincare, and breastfeeding talk. You can view Part Une here and Part Deux here, or within this post if you prefer:
Additionally I thought I’d include excerpts from a bunch of notes Jo sent me in an email as we prepped for filming. In case you prefer to have her product recs/reviews and tips in writing, here they are:
PREGNANCY
Pre-natals: Vitamin Code Raw Prenatal (extensive all natural ingredients including ginger and probiotics, other prenatals caused nausea, including the Whole Foods generic brand)
I still take this while breastfeeding, and aside from minor sniffles here or there haven’t been sick in about 1 year.
Stretch Mark prevention: I don’t know if it’s good genes, but I have no stretch marks whatsoever from my pregnancy. EVERY morning, after showering and while my skin was still damp I would massage body oil on, specifically Honest Company’s Organic Body oil on, even on hot summer days. It absorbed well and kept my skin soft and smooth. I still use this.
Face Products:
I personally have mixed feelings about SPF, especially if you are massaging it into your face. Unless I will be exposed to extensive sun, daily I would use Suki’s tinted moisturizer, followed by bare minerals READY touch up veil which has SPF 15. In general, my skin doesn’t burn easily, but I did keep to the shade more often during pregnancy.
Diet: I took the ‘everything in moderation’ approach, with a heavy focus on keeping healthy options within arms reach and snacking frequently. I was fortunate to not gain a lot of weight. Again, genetics probably play the primary role in how we carry our pregnancies, but here are the biggest highlights from mine. WATER – I drank so much, and it could be one of the other reasons my skin didn’t stretch, and my acne cleared up. I kept a few reusable bottles and traveling cups full of water everywhere. I was probably consuming at least 4 litres of water a day. As for snacks/frequently consumed foods – I thrived on greek yoghurt, Trader Joe’s “Just a Handful” (obsessed with the omega 3 mix while pregs), LOTS of fruit, and oatmeal.
BABY – NEWBORN TO 3 MONTHS
Diapers: Of all the ‘natural’ brands, I liked Babyganics (preferred over Honest). Better absorption. Of standard brands, Huggies are preferred to pampers, at least for her body. I try to circulate brands as each one fits a little differently and I think it allows her skin to breath differently under each diaper.
Diaper Rash/ Wipes: When baby is first born, the hospital advises against wipes and instead to use a soft damp cloth. We did that, and then once she was about a week old switched to wipes and she got a rash almost immediately. So we switched to an ‘old wives’ method – just hold baby over sink and wash with baby wash and water, no harsh chemicals and no abrasive cloths. We still primarily use this method, and when traveling or pressed for time use Water Wipes – my favorite wipe by far. 99.9% water, 0.1% grapefruit seed extract. Up until now, she hasn’t had ANY rash after that first experience! I’ve tried Honest Wipes, Huggies ‘Natural’ and a few others, the water ones work great and really are the purest stuff you can buy.
Baby Skin: I love the Zoe Organics products you gifted us (on sale now!!)- it really is the most amazing stuff. I bathe baby every 2-3 days, and after I do I will take 3-4 pumps of oil and massage her whole body. The consistency is perfect, it absorbs right away, smells divine, and moisturizes well. It is pricier than Honest’s oil, but it feels nicer. I also really like Burts Bees Baby Bee products, the lotion is actually great and I use it on my hands all the time, and on babies legs after changing diapers. I avoid “Fragrance Free” – any product that says that actually has a chemical added to eliminate any naturally occurring fragrances the ingredients may have. I have used the lotion, baby bath wash, and diaper creme+powder in one from this line, and all are great.
The Zoe Ganics bath wash you got us is also amazing. Truthfully, every sink has one bottle of different product on hand. I use it to wash her hands, her neck when she spits up, and her tush when things get messy. I do prefer the baby bee and zoe brand to others.
I have also used Suki’s Ultra Protect body balm for any chapped skin baby has – usually on her chin where ever drool will accumulate. It does the trick over night.
Nursing: I have been very lucky with this too – she latched right away, and I didn’t experience any real pain. I used Honest’s nipple balm, and the hospital gave me samples of Lansinoh nipple ointment too. First few weeks were toughest, with frequent feedings. The nipple balm was key then, as were pre-prepared night time snacks. Fruit and nuts were my go to! I kept them by my bedside to keep me from getting too hungry at night. And lot’s of water. I used disposable nursing pads at first, but now primarily use reusable Bamboobies. They are a little more prone to leaking through, but unless I am going out for a long time they do the trick. I drink plenty of water, keep up with the prenatals, and keep to 1 cup of coffee a day. I allow myself wine here an there, usually time it so that I have a glass right AFTER feeding her, to give my body a good 2-3 hours to process the alcohol before feeding her again. Pumping is a whole other story, can share my experience if need be!”
L'Amour et la Musique 