PREGNANCY – Plum Joyful

Breastmilk benefits : The original superfood

PlumJoyful — Mon, 08 Aug 2016 07:05:03 +0000

Let me start this off by saying that breastfeeding is a very personal decision. Some women will, some women won’t. It’s ALL ok. Some women can’t because of physical reasons, some because of socioeconomic reasons, some for logistical reasons, some for emotional/psychological reasons, some for medical reasons. It doesn’t matter. What’s right for the mama is right for the baby. Period. We have to stop shaming and judging other mom’s for their choices and support each other! Formula has come a LONG way since the days when I was a baby and it was essentially just watered down skim milk with added lactose and a few vitamins. Over the years it has been refined and looks closer to breast milk than it did in the 70’s and 80’s. That being said, this past week was National Breastfeeding Week, and I felt that a shout out to nature’s original superfood was in order. While we now have many options to feed our babies in a healthy manner, breast milk will always be the best way. I don’t say this to make anyone feel badly about their choices (and I sincerely hope that it doesn’t), but it is the simple truth. Breastmilk, […]

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Natural deodorants that actually work!

PlumJoyful — Fri, 26 Feb 2016 08:00:37 +0000

There is so much compelling evidence to support switching to a natural deodorant that I think most people would, IF they knew which ones actually work. I tried switching to a natural deodorant as far back as junior high school when my sister brought home this cool looking giant crystal that purported to keep odor away as well as any of the antiperspirants and deodorants that you could find at the local drugstore. Admittedly at the time I was less interested in its health benefits and more interested in the fact that it looked badass when I whipped it out of my toiletries bag at sleepovers. Suffice it to say it did not work nearly as well as Secret did, but it did work for days when I didn’t do a lot of sweating. The novelty eventually wore off and I went back to the tried and true chemical filled antiperspirants. It wasn’t worth risking being crammed in the back of a VW Jetta next to my biggest crush and potentially smelling like Chipotle because the flop sweat was a flowin. I forgot all about natural deodorants until my crusade for better health began in my mid twenties. It […]

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Non toxic Nursery: Part Three

PlumJoyful — Mon, 22 Feb 2016 08:00:40 +0000

If you haven’t read PART ONE and PART TWO, on the non toxic nursery, you might want to start there. Now that we have a beautiful, clean and healthy nursery set up, let’s look at all of the accessories that go into this space. Creating a space like this is pointless if your going to be cleaning with traditional toxic products, or filling the space with plastic toys from China that contain BPA and phthalates. Here is a list of additional things to consider in order to keep your baby’s space fresh and clean, while also being kinder to this awesome planet. 1.The first thing I would recommend doing, especially if you have carpeting or are allergy prone, would be to invest in a really good air filter. The one I recommended in PART ONE is considered the very best, and will keep your baby’s room free of allergens as well as VOC’s like formaldehyde. However, the IQ Air is very expensive and rather large, so another more affordable option would be the AUSTIN AIR. I love this one because it’s effective and it’s a nice small compact size for smaller nurseries like ours. This would actually be my first […]

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Non toxic Nursery: Part Two

PlumJoyful — Mon, 15 Feb 2016 08:00:13 +0000

If you haven’t read PART ONE, you might want to start there. Now for the non toxic good stuff. Furniture. I love interior design. My mother is an interior designer, and it is in my very DNA to be affected by the aesthetics of a room. A nursery should be a place of peace, whimsy, joy, fun and love. I was so worried that I wouldn’t be able to create the room I wanted while keeping everything clean and green. I am happy to say that it is totally possible to have a nursery that is vibrant beautiful AND completely clean and safe. Let’s start with the crib and mattress. To me the crib and mattress are two of the most important purchases you will make because your baby will be spending around 12 hours a day with their little faces pressed up against it breathing anything and everything that the mattress and crib are made of. Here is the place where you want to make the necessary investment to get the safest and most non toxic materials possible. First up, the mattress. Most if not all conventional mattresses are treated with flame retardants. Flame Retardants are very dangerous chemicals […]

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Creating a non-toxic nursery Part One

PlumJoyful — Tue, 09 Feb 2016 00:00:31 +0000

When I got pregnant I set about learning all the ways I could create a non-toxic environment in order to best protect my little one from the allergies and autoimmune issues that I have struggled with most of my life. This led me down a veritable rabbit hole of toxins, pollutants and potential dangers lurking in the most innocent of places, our babies nursery! A study done by the Environmental Working Group found an average of 200 industrial chemicals and pollutants in the umbilical cord blood of newborn babies. These included pesticides, and brominated flame retardants. More specifically, according to the study, of the 287 chemicals found, 180 are known to cause cancer in humans or animals, 217 are toxic to the brain and nervous system, and 208 cause birth defects or abnormal development in animal tests. I felt like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz but instead of “Lions and Tigers and Bears Oh My!” I was chanting “Flame retardants, Phthalates, and BPA Oh shit!”. The good news is that in the end it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. I was worried it would be an impossible task and that I would have to […]

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