When I found out I was pregnant with my little girl, I began my search for the most natural products to use on and around her. I immediately stopped using chemicals to clean my home and decided to use vinegar. We even changed our diets and decided to go for more natural, organic foods. Around my 8th month of pregnancy, I began putting the nursery together and chose to use mainly natural products to stock her area with. From body wash and shampoo to laundry detergent, I tried to ensure that she wasn’t coming in contact with too many carcinogenic chemicals as possible.
We looked into cloth diapering, but at the time it was not for us. At that point, we found two types of all natural, chlorine free diapers, and Seventh Generation was the only ones that did not leak. I loved that there were no dyes on the diaper that rubbed off on her skin and her clothing. When it came to diaper rash cream, I use Bourdreax’s All Natural Butt Paste.
The nursery is not the only place where you need to keep products safe. In the laundry room, we switched our old detergent and softener to Seventh Generation, mainly for my newborn’s clothes. We even switched our old dishwashing liquid to the Free and Clear Seventh Generation detergent, and actually found that we liked it so much more! It cleaned well and did not leave any fragrance behind – what more can you ask for!
Any baby gear that you will be using for baby, although may not be made of “natural” materials, should adhere to all safety regulations. Immediately after I put together her crib, I realized that the side did not drop down and thought this would have been an inconvenience. Ironically, two weeks after that ALL drop down cribs were recalled – I guess I was ahead of the game without realizing it!
When my infant started crawling around, it was time to baby proof! We decided that it was time to close off the living room with gates so that she would have a safe place to play in, and would not be in harms way in the other rooms. I cannot say that my entire home was baby proofed at the time, but as she grew and began to walk, we had to slowly make changes for her safety throughout the home. All outlets are now covered, any chemicals that are remaining in the home are now out of reach, including medications.
How did you prepare for baby?
Disclosure: I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Seventh Generation blogging program, for a gift card worth $50. For more information on how you can participate, click here.