Update: New Hope For Handmade Industry in Lead Law Exceptions
In an update to concerns over the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, the CPSC is considering exemptions that will hopefully rescue the US handmade industry from certain doom.
Best Lists of Food Additives and Preservatives
It’s always a challenge to ensure that what goes in our bodies is chemical and preservative free! The following list of great links to food additive lists is becoming one of my new favorite resources. Often, you can just choose another brand and leave out the chemicals altogether, but sometimes there’s no chemical-free ingredient choice! Leading me to wonder, which food preservatives are the real baddies?
Risks of VBAC and Repeat C-Section
How does one make a choice between VBAC and repeat caesarean? Those considering VBAC are advised to consider the risk of uterine rupture. On the other hand, statistics exist pointing to successful vaginal birth after cesarean. I provide this article simply as a starting point for those who hope to make the safest choice on VBAC for both maternal and infant safety.
Got flame retardant in your blood? EPA says, “Just say yes.”
The EPA recently fired a scientific member of a peer review panel on PBDE toxicity at the urging of a chemical industry lobbying group. PBDE, a flame retardant, is found in many household products and may be an endocrine disruptor and developmental neurotoxicant. PBDEs have been found in mother’s milk, umbilical cord blood, and in household dust. Though PBDEs are banned in Europe, the EPA sided with corporate lobbyists in firing Deborah C. Rice.
How to Reduce PBDE Exposure in Your Household
PBDEs, or polybrominated diphenyl ethers, are found in most American households, causing concerns over environment and health. Here’s what you can do to protect the health of your family, laid out in specific steps, with links to product lists and other information.
Elective Cesarean: 3 Reasons Why (or Why Not)
Yale University scientists have unveiled a study indicating elective Cesareans weaken the mother-baby bond. Is science pointing elective cesareans to their place as a practice of last resort? Among the pros and cons of elective cesarean, scientists say the cons are growing.
My Books Are Coming!
It’s been a long time since I’ve bought books. I constantly have at least a dozen books checked out from the library, and I never truly have enough time to read them, but I glean pearls of wisdom that I can, betwixt nursings, calls for “the next homeschool assignment,” bumps and bruises, kisses and lately [...]
Free Sunscreen Swim Shirts for One and All: June Only!
This is just lil’ ol’ me letting you know about a good deal in the making. I just ordered my very own free UV protective swimshirt from mom-owned UVSkinz and I thought I’d let y’all know about it.
Beauty and Personal Care Ingredients To Avoid
Well-researched ingredient lists are now available in the realm of personal and skin care products. If you’re looking for a clean cut list that matches the ingredient list on labels, I’ve included here a list of the best links on ingredients to avoid, as well as some relevant product lists.
Water vs. Oil in Preserving Homemade Skin Care Products
Here’s some useful information that clarifies the distinction between preserving water-based vs. oil-based skin care products, including some tips on how to use this difference to avoid worrisome preservatives.
Grapefruit Seed Extract Preservative — Safe for Homemade and Natural Products?
Grapefruit Seed Extract, used commonly as a natural preservative, has encountered controversy. One might imagine that G.S.E. is simply “extracted.” This is not the case. Studies have revealed information about the safety of G.S.E.’s ingredients that beg the question: why use a natural preservative that’s not actually natural?
A Review of the Halo Sleep Sack: On the Thin Side
It’s spring now and the organic Halo Sleep Sack we’re using now fits the bill. The biggest thing the Halo brand has going for it is that it’s an affordable option for those who want to go organic, a noble choice given the wide use of pesticides in producing cotton. Here’s the problem with the Halo Sleep Sack: it’s not much of a blanket.