Steps To A Toxin-Free Pregnancy

To all you mamas to be out there – congratulations! Your pregnancy is just the beginning of one of the most transformational experiences life has to offer, and it also marks a point where keeping yourself and your child healthy becomes a lifetime priority. There are many things you may already be doing to ensure the wellbeing of your unborn child, from pregnancy yoga or exercise to a diet filled with fruit and veg, but making the switch to organic cleaning products, cosmetics, food and more is one of the best things you can do.

Why choose natural products during pregnancy?

Whatever you’re breathing in, ingesting or putting onto you body is going into your body and when you’re pregnant, that also means into your baby. A large number of chemicals used in so many products that are not only widely available, but also widely promoted for use on pregnant women and super-sensitive new babies and children can be incredibly harmful in so many ways. There is now swathes of evidence to suggest that many of the synthetic ingredients used in an average beauty routine, for example, contribute to ailments both immediately and later in life. From uncomfortable conditions such as eczema to the more serious side effects such as disrupting the endocrine system. 

Ken Cook, President of the Environmental Working Group (EWG) says "We've measured hundreds and hundreds of toxic chemicals in the blood of babies that are still in the womb. From flame retardants to the chemicals in consumer products like personal care products, makeup, shampoos. It's a very long list." 

From these EWG studies, they discovered an average of 232 chemicals in the cord blood of 10 babies born in 2009 and those numbers are only expected to have risen since then. These chemicals are those found in many household products from surface cleaners, shampoos, conditioners and cosmetics to plastics in your home, mattresses and even electronics. 

A further study conducted at the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health followed groups of pregnant women in New York City for 12 years, using specially designed backpacks with tubes that suck in their surrounding air, to measure the toxins that enter the womb purely through a pregnant mother’s breathing. Much to their dismay, a full 100% of air samples showed alarming levels of at least one pesticide and many other carcinogenic pollutants. These same chemicals were then also detected in the baby’s cords, once they were born.

Toxins are now undeniably present in our every day lives and it’s near-impossible to avoid them entirely. But steps can and should be taken to limit yours and your baby’s exposure. 

Steps to a Toxin-Free Pregnancy

Organic Personal Care

On average, woman are thought to use around 12 personal care products a day. This includes makeup, haircare, skincare, tooth-care and hygiene products. Without switching to natural, these contain roughly 168 different chemicals which then enter your bloodstream and impact your baby.

Changing cosmetics used while pregnant is one of the easiest ways to cut out a huge number of harmful toxins from your daily life. Doing this will not only mean improved health and wellbeing for you and your bubba, but lots of natural products are a total joy to use!

Check out the new series ‘Toxic Beauty’ on Amazon and Apple TV to hear founder RMS Beauty founder Rose-Marie Swift talk about the side effects of chemical-based makeup and lots more. 

Eat Organic Food

Aside from being doused in chemical pesticides (approx. 320 of which are used in standard non-organic farming), numerous studies over the years have shown that organic food is actually considerably better for you than conventionally grown non-organic produce.

• Organic crops are up to 68% higher in anti-oxidants (Newcastle University)
• Organic milk and meat contains around 50% more beneficial omega-3 fatty acids (British Journal of Nutrition)
• Organic fruit and veg contain lower concentrations of pesticides and the toxic heavy metal cadmium (British Journal of Nutrition)
• Non-organic fruit has the highest pesticide frequency (75%), compared to non-organic vegetables (32%) and non-organic crop based processed foods (45%)

So, eat up!

Drink Distilled Water

A study just released has shown that chemicals in tap water are so harmful that they may cause up to 5% of all bladder cancers in Europe. The UK has the highest levels of contamination. And that’s just one down side from the carcinogens created as a by product from chemicals used to disinfect water. Water in plastic bottles is also known to be contaminated with plastics particles, the effects of which are still yet to be seen.

Distilled water is the best option for staying hydrated at home (and on the go in a reusable flask!).

Go Green at Home

Air-fresheners and household cleaners contain some of the highest levels of harmful chemicals in the home. But of course, you still want to keep your house fresh and hygienic now and after your baby is born. The TINCTURE range will help you do just that, with our 100% natural and incredibly effective formulations inspired by ancient monastic knowledge.