Avoiding non-ionizing radiation during pregnancy with Belly Armor

Ironically I didn't get a mobile phone until I was pregnant with my first son.  I held out until I was one of only about 3 people (one of whom was my husband) I knew who didn't have one at the time (2005).  Now all three of us have mobile phones (I have the lowest radiation-emitting phone I could find in Australia - a Nokia 6700c SAR value 0.410 W/Kg), but I still try to avoid using it as much as possible, and when I do use it I always use speakerphone and set the phone down as far from me as possible.  I never carry it on my body.  But I do spend a lot of time at a computer, including while pregnant and breast feeding, and I do worry about the effect of this on my baby.  


I try to minimize the radiation from the computer by using an ethernet connection to my broadband instead of wireless.  We have also gotten rid of our cordless phones at home and replaced them with traditional landlines.  But there's only so much you can do in a world full of radiation, and sometimes where you live or work has wireless internet that you can't turn off, or lots of cell phones (or even worse, power lines or a mobile phone boosting tower).  Thankfully there are some products that you can use to cut down the exposure of your baby in utero.  Sadly I wasn't aware of these products when I was pregnant, but I've discovered them now and hopefully you can benefit from them.  (And I can use them if I have another baby!)


When Belly Armor CEO Aileen Chen was pregnant with her first child, she was working as a banking executive.  She became concerned about the impact of her frequent travel and use of electronic devices and started researching what the experts were saying about everyday radiation, and became more and more concerned with what she found. So, after looking for something to shield this everyday radiation, and not finding anything, she decided to create it herself and Belly Armor was born.

Aileen partnered with a company that creates radiation shields for industrial purposes and worked with them to create something for consumer use.  The resulting textile is incredibly light, breathable, machine washable and shields against everyday radiation with 99% effectiveness.  Belly Armor's products include maternity tops, a belly band, and belly blankets.  Aileen was named #11 in the Babble 2011 list of the top 50 Mompreneurs ("They cook, they clean and, between naptimes, they run kickass companies."). 

There is some fantastic information on the Belly Armor website, including a great collection of recent news items about radiation from cell phones and wireless networks, and an interesting/scary list of possible health risks from radiation exposure, especially during pregnancy.

Belly Armor were kind enough to provide me with one of their belly blankets to test, and I can confirm that the cell phone test works. I would recommend these products to any pregnant women wanting to avoid radiation, along with other radiation-minimizing tips such as these.  


*** You can get 10% off all purchases from www.bellyarmor.com with the promo coupon code Annies until June 24th 2011.  ***


I asked Belly Armor some questions to find out more about the company and their products:

"Q: Where are your products made and what mechanisms do you have in place to ensure safe working conditions?

A: Our products are made in our own factory in Indonesia and our CEO makes frequent trips out there.  It adheres to GMP standards (good manufacturing practices) and we have programs in place to ensure our processes are socially and environmentally responsible. This includes balancing our carbon footprint by purchasing carbon offsets through a great program called TerraPass.

Q: Would you ever consider using organic cotton or other eco-friendly materials in your products?

A: Yes, we will be introducing an organic cotton product later this year.  We also use eco-friendly recycled packaging and processes.

Q: Are you planning on expanding your range in the near future?

A: Yes, in addition to the organic product we plan on launching, we'll be doing another product launch with a next generation technology this summer that we are very excited about.

Q: Do you recommend using the blankets on babies after they are born?

A: Right now our products are only for use during maternity.  Risk from radiation exposure is also a big concern for babies and young children, so we do hope to expand our line in the near future to help address this as well.

Q: Any other tips on avoiding radiation exposure?

A: Use headsets or speakerphone while on your cell phone, especially when pregnant. When you have the option, use a landline and limit the time on your cell phone.

Don't set your laptop on your pregnant (or non-pregnant) belly. Always work with it on the desk or at least with a lap desk or laptop cooler between you and the laptop.

Be aware of the time spent using electronics and, when possible, increase the distance between yourself and electronic devices - particularly appliances that use high rotation or air flow, such as hair dryers, vacuum cleaners, blenders, etc."

Finally, I love this quote from a mom named Christine who was interviewed for another Belly Armor review: "It really is sad how unavoidable it is — unless of course you live in a bubble and even then, your bubble may be made of BPA plastic, therefore negating the whole bubble thing!"  Sad but true.  At least with Belly Armor there is something relatively easy you can do to reduce your exposure to radiation :-)

Confessions of an organic mom who is sometimes normal

The last month or so has been a bit rough for our family.  Beautiful Organic Boy #2 (BOB2) has been unwell, primarily with infected eczema, which means that none of us has been getting much sleep, and since he wasn't sleeping unless one of us was holding him, we weren't getting much else done either.  I have a few posts planned about the whole saga, and how to stay as natural & organic as possible while navigating the conventional medical paradigm, but for now I wanted to share some quick thoughts on my recent revelations.  I have so much more appreciation now for what life must be like for families with chronically unsettled/unwell babies, or people who are carers around the clock.  It's hard work and you have very little time to look after yourself, just getting a moment to brush your teeth or wash your hair is a challenge.  That's why I've taken to wearing outfits that can go from bed to school drop off and back to bed a few more times without having to be changed (just reapply a bit of organic deodorant).

It's also hard to take the time and have the mental clarity to research and purchase the safest products for your family while being a full time carer for someone who is unwell.  I have to confess that I've done the following things in the last few weeks that I never thought I would.  They probably seem pretty normal to some of you, but for me it was a real insight into what life is like for people who are really busy/stressed/over-worked etc.  I realize now how much my lovely organic lifestyle has been made possible because of having the luxury of time (by working part time from home) to research and procure the safest products (or find ways to consume less but that require more time/effort).

So here are my confessions:
1.  I bought a pack of Huggies diapers (actually my husband did) because it was too much trouble to find a shop with the eco-friendly ones in stock.
2.  We bought a clothes dryer, which is being delivered this week hopefully.
3.  I bought some beef that wasn't organic because I couldn't get to the organic butcher (and it was really yummy).
4.  I used some petroleum-based skin care products on my baby because he was reacting badly to all of the natural/organic ones :-(
5.  I drove places that I could have easily walked to because I was too tired/didn't have time/couldn't be bothered.

PS: I've also taken to peeing in the shower lately, as it saves time and it's hard to pee when you're always holding a sick baby.  But I don't have to add that to my list of confessions since I reckon it's pretty eco-friendly, saving water and all...

How to reduce harm from radiation exposure

I know many of you are worried about radiation exposure.  It will be important to avoid dairy products that come from areas that have been exposed to radiation, or dairy of unknown origin. Good time to be doing a detox anyway.  I've included this informative article from one of my favorite health practitioners (she helped to cure me of my food allergies and intolerances).

Stay safe!

xx Annie

Reproduced with permission from Dr Louisa Williams of Marin Naturopathic Medicine:

As you already know, dangerous levels of radiation were reported yesterday to be leaking from the damaged Fukushima Japanese nuclear power plant. This is not only dangerous for the Japanese people, but something we need to be proactive about on the West Coast. Reports estimate that nuclear fallout can travel through the jet streams to the Western United States and Canada within a week to 10 days. It is impossible to estimate at this point how strong this dose will be to us, but some experts are predicting that it could be a significant amount of radiation.
 
Protect the Thyroid:
Potassium iodide (KI) is the gold standard for protecting against radiation to the sensitive thyroid gland. A person who is contaminated with radioactive iodine may experience thyroid cancer or growths later in life. KI protects the thyroid from absorbing this radioactive iodine. The CDC recommends 130 mg KI for adults, 65 mg for children between 3 and 18 (unless they are adult size and then they should take the adult dose), 32 mg for infants and children between 1 month and 3 years old, and 16 mg for newborns to 1 month old, for acute radiation poisoning. These dosages may need to be lowered for us on the West Coast however, since the radiation will probably be reduced by the time it reaches us.
 
Unfortunately, when I called around to various Whole Foods as well as Apothecure (holistic pharmacy in Dallas) today they were all out of it, and said they couldn’t seem to get more from their suppliers.
 
Herbal Formula with Iodine:
I have ordered from Eclectic Institute a supply of an herbal tincture called Red Clover/Burdock. This combination remedy based on the original detoxifying Hoxsey formula contains almost 140 mg of iodine per teaspoon.
 
Here’s the good news about this tincture: It’s an excellent time-tested blood purifier and enhances metabolic functioning through elimination, and it tests energetically better than potassium iodide alone which can cause stomach irritation and other side effects. So even if the radiation turns out to not be significant, this formula is a nice spring detoxifier that can be taken for a week to 10 days.
 
Caution with Pregnancy and Thyroid Disorders: 
Pregnant women cannot take this formula since it also contains Cascara sagrada, and herbal laxatives are contraindicated during pregnancy. (As well as for anyone with a strong diarrhea tendency.) Additionally, iodine aggravates Hashimoto’s disease. And since 90% of people with hypothyroidism actually suffer from this autoimmune thyroid dysfunction, these individuals should also avoid potassium iodide. Further, those with hyperthyroidism, or Grave’s disease, should also avoid KI because iodine aggravates both hyper-, as well as hypo-, disorders of the thyroid. Also, those with shellfish allergies may be allergic to the iodine itself, and shouldn’t take KI or this formula. Finally, since this is classically an anti-cancer and detoxifying herbal tincture used by adults, herbalists disagree on whether this tincture is appropriate for children.
 
Sulfur Crystals/MSM Provides Glutathione:
There are other measures one can take to protect against radiation. Glutathione, the most powerful antioxidant in the body, is used by the thyroid to protect itself against free radicals. One of the best ways to receive utilizable and absorbable glutathione in the body is through the Crystal Sulfur/MSM supplement, which many of you are familiar with and have in stock at home. Vitamin C is also an important antioxidant to protect against radiation damage.
 
Medical Baths for Radiation Exposure:
Additionally, the late great Hazel Parcells always recommended for any radiation exposure (e.g., after spinal or dental x-rays, mammograms, Cat scans, etc.), a therapeutic bath of non-iodized (Kosher) salt and one pound of baking soda in a tub of water – as hot as you can stand it – and to stay in this water until it cools. Then wait at least 4 hours before showering. (Again, not recommended for pregnant women or anyone so weak that this could potentially enervate them.) An alternative bath is magnesium salts (Epsom salts, Dead Sea salts, or magnesium chloride bath flakes) and baking soda, in the same amounts (e.g., 1 to 5 pounds each). Baking soda, sodium bicarbonate, binds with uranium and helps protect the kidneys from uranium and cesium radiation exposure. Oral administration of baking soda in water can also be employed to protect against uranium damage and help alkalinize acidic inflamed tissues.
 
Diet:
Miso soup has been a time-tested radiation detoxifier. Additionally, kelp and other seaweeds provide small amounts of iodine as well as other nutrients that protect from nuclear radiation. Unfortunately, according to an adviser at Eclectic Institute, Fucus vesiculosus, (kelp or bladderwrack), has been significantly contaminated (along with much of our seafood, sadly) with arsenic and other heavy metals, so these are not recommended in supplement form at this time. Spirulina and chlorella vary in quality, so these should be tested out on a case-by-case situation, since many brands also contain heavy metals.
 
Plan: 
Iodine only stays in your body for 24 to 72 hours. So don’t begin taking KI or Red Clover/Burdock tincture now. Wait until we receive news that the radiation is imminent. Meterologists estimate that it will take about 10 days to reach the West Coast after significant radiation is released from Japan. So that gives us some time now to boost our immune systems.
 
(Very) General Suggestions Now:
Continue taking your supplements diligently daily. Perhaps increase the dosage slightly. (EG, From 2 to 3 capsules a day of Pure Radiance C, or from ½ to 1 tsp. of Crystal Sulfur/MSM, 2 times a day, etc.)
 
Radiation Imminent:
Begin Potassium iodide tablets or Red Clover/Burdock tincture (if not contraindicated for you).
Red Clover/Burdock tincture – Take a dosage of 1 tsp a day or less (EG, ½ tsp if the radiation levels are considered relatively low. I wish I could be more specific; please watch the news and keep up with the internet news. I will send out another newsletter if I have more information at some point.) This dosage should be taken for a week to 10 days, or less if the radiation exposure is of a briefer duration.
 
Increase the dosages of your supplements (EG, Take 6 capsules a day of Pure Radiance C, and move from 1 tsp. to 1 TBSP. of Crystal Sulfur/MSM, 2 times a day, etc.)
 
Baking Soda – ½ to 1 tsp. in ½ glass (4 oz) of water, or more, daily. (Don’t take larger dosages – e.g., 3 tsps or more daily for over a 2-week period.)
 
Medical Baths for Radiation Exposure – 1 x a day
 
Optimal organic diet with the addition of daily miso soup, as well as seaweed.
 
Increase the dosages of your supplements (EG, Take 6 capsules a day of Pure Radiance C, and move from 1 tsp. to 1 TBSP. of Crystal Sulfur/MSM, 2 times a day, Quinton mineral vials to 2 vials a day, etc.)
 
Conclusion and Caution:
Of course, no one really knows what’s going to happen at this point. But it’s better to be safe and proactive in case the radiation does reach us over here in significant amounts.
 
If you have any adverse reactions to the Red Clover/Burdock tincture or increasing the dosage of your nutritional supplements, please stop. The best way to protect yourself against radiation is through a healthy, strong body. So certainly don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about this general protocol or your own individual supplement protocol.
 
You can order the Red Clover/Burdock herbal tincture from Eclectic Institute or at this office: (415) 460-1968 or info@marinnaturopathicmedicine.com

These are a few of my favorite (baby) things...

We have been very blessed by our generous friends and family who have given us lots of wonderful and thoughtful gifts for our new baby.  While it has been three months already and I'm no where near organized enough to send out thank you cards yet, I wanted to do a quick post on what makes a great baby gift in my mind, such as:

-practical

-homemade

-eco-friendly

-hand-me downs

Of course just because something is practical, ethical and safe for baby and planet doesn't mean they can't be beautiful :-)  I am loving the Enchanted Woodland Mobile from cocoon couture that our friends Melinda and Gavin gave us.  It is hand-crafted from eco-friendly plantation timber and printed with non-toxic ink.  I've got it hanging above the change-table (which is in my home office!).  We also got a beautiful wooden vehicle-mobile from our friends Samantha and Paul, which is above the crib (which is in the living room, since we are still using an organic co-sleeper in our bedroom).

Another favorite is this organic cotton quilt, which was hand-made by my amazing step-mother Jan:

We also had lovely hand-made presents from my mother-in-law Eileen (a knitted [or maybe crocheted? I'm so ignorant about these crafty things] blanket), our dear friend Colleen (who took time out of her busy life as an orthopedic surgeon to knit an adorable woolen sweater and hat (aka jumper and beanie), and our lovely friend Carolyn who knitted (I'm pretty sure it's knitted!) a soft little bunny comforter thingy :-)  We're hoping the little bubba starts hanging onto Carolyn's bunny at night instead of pulling his own hair, which he does without realizing that it's attached to him and then he starts screaming because it hurts... one day he'll figure out that he has the power to stop the pain himself by letting go :-)

In addition to giving us a very sweet little organic cotton onesie from the Syracuse Cultural Workers, my mom is sewing an organic cotton duvet (aka doona) cover for us for our new organic cotton queen bed.

I'm also very grateful to my friend Simcha who gave us the organic cotton long-sleeved onesie that bubsie is wearing in the picture above, since it introduced me to Nature Baby from New Zealand, which I hadn't come across before, and is now my favorite one-stop shop for all things organic and baby-related (more on them soon).

People know me well by now and lots of friends gave us beautiful organic cotton clothing from purebaby and Pumpkin Patch (I hadn't even realized that they are doing organic now).

One of the best things people can do for you when you have babies is to not give you things you don't need.  One of my best friends knows me so well that she didn't get anything for the new baby, since really we already have everything we need and she got a small present for his big brother instead :-)

Finally, I love hand-me-downs and loans, such as this gorgeous Moses basket style bassinet that we borrowed from my friend Katie, who also has a fantastic kids book blog and online bookshop called We Heart Books, which is my favorite source for kids birthday presents :-)

We received lots of other lovely gifts and cards as well and if you're reading this, I promise the thank you cards will be coming... eventually!

The First Three Months...

I know it's a cliché but I can't believe how fast the last three months have gone.  I had three New Year's resolutions this year.  The first was that I would be more disciplined about doing the practice sessions and write-ups for the biodynamic craniosacral therapy course I'm studying.  I've been very good about this.  The second resolution was that I would floss my teeth every night.  I've been ok about this, especially since I finally found some truly organic dental floss.  My third resolution was that I would update my blog more regularly.  I don't think once every three months counts as regular, so I'm failing miserably at that one.  But I'm not going to beat myself up about it... I've had much more important things to do... like flossing my teeth, and hanging out with this guy:

But I do have some exciting things planned for the blog over the next few weeks.  I've got a review and giveaway of an organic cotton outfit from one of my favorite organic baby stores, Nature Baby, a review of a radiation shielding blanket and discount code from Belly Armor, and a review and comparison of organic cotton baby carriers from Mini Monkey and others.  If you don't want to miss out on these make sure to follow my blog through google and/or sign up to be emailed when I update.  I usually post on my facebook profile when I update the blog as well :-)

So much for writing a birth plan...

Well I never did get around to writing that birth plan, because our beautiful baby boy was born 10 days early!  Turns out I didn't need a birth plan, as everything went wonderfully :-)

When I showed up at my yoga class 38.4 weeks pregnant the teacher looked at me and said: "Is your baby going to make it through the class?"  She was joking of course, but as it turns out she wasn't that far off!  Halfway through the class I felt a little pop and then a trickle... I discretely slipped into the bathroom and confirmed that I hadn't just peed in my pants... my waters had broken!  That was about 7pm.  I calmly drove home... I hadn't had any contractions so I was sure that I had plenty of time.  My wonderful husband had just cooked a lovely dinner, so I sat down and ate with him and our 4 year old.  Little did I know that our baby would be born less than 3 hours later!

By about 8pm the contractions had started, and I tried to time them but they never really stopped, just went straight from one to another, so my husband started packing things into the car and I laid down on the bed and listed to my hypnobirthing cd, with the calm, soothing voice of our dear friend Sue who is a midwife and runs calmbirth classes in Melbourne. We had arranged for Sue to come with us for the birth to help look after our son who really wanted to be present.  Who better to explain to him what was going on in a way that respects his intelligence and desire to see his baby sibling being born?  We called our amazing midwife Robyn and asked her to let the hospital know that we were on the way and could they please fill up the tub?  We met her at the hospital just after 9pm... after a quick check of my vitals (no internal exam thank god) and a brief listen to the baby's heartbeat I hopped in the tub.  The warm water brought instant relief from the non-stop contractions.

I quickly transitioned into stage 2 (pushing) and some serious screaming, or "vocalization" as I like to call it.  Our son was just across the hall in the birthing room with Sue, and he peeked in periodically to see if I was ok but he handled the screaming very well and calmly went back to watching his Wolverine DVD.  If I hadn't know he was in earshot I would have let some pretty severe obscenities loose at top volume, (apparently I did actually, but I was trying not to).  I paused occasionally to assure my husband that I was actually fine... I just had an uncontrollable need to scream at the top of my lungs... it helps the baby come out, it really does.

Conscious of how quickly it was all happening, I wanted to make sure that I had time to stretch adequately before the baby's head popped out... so I tried to slow things down a little bit and it helped.  The midwife was keeping an eye on things via a mirror on the bottom of the tub and a flashlight.    I didn't see much since I had my eyes tightly closed most of the time, but I could feel with my hand where the baby's head was, and I was able to wait and not push too much until the head circumference matched the exit circumference...apparently I didn't tear until the shoulders came out, but by that point I didn't even notice and it was just a little tear, so no stitches :-)

I pulled our beautiful baby out of the water and held him to my chest.  The midwifes covered us in hot towels and we relaxed in the water while with my husband while our son came in to say hello to his new Baby Brother :-)

We are all doing wonderfully at home, I'll write more soon, but for now... time to cuddle up with this adorable little fellow!

'tis the season for giveaways and reviews...

I'm 37 weeks pregnant today, which means I'm all wrapped up in trying to get ready for a baby and get ready for xmas, and trying to do both in the most ecological and economical way possible... which is doing my head in!  In between researching advances in eco-diaper technology in the 5 years since I last looked at the issue, and trying to find non-toxic presents for my son, nieces and nephews, I'm trying to write a birth plan (which I will post once I've finished) and figure out who is going to look after our 4 year old when I go into labor!

I'm excited to tell you though, that I have some giveaways planned through 29 Diapers (I'm one of the 29 Days of Christmas giveaways that have already started...)  On day 19 (14 Dec)  I'm going to be giving away two of my favorite Miessence Certified Organic baby skin care products - a baby bottom cleansing gel and baby bottom mist, so check back here or at 29 Diapers for the details.  There are lots of other cool giveaways happening at 29 Diapers every day until Christmas.


I'm also planning product reviews of organic baby slings, organic diaper bags, organic eco-diapers, and much more, as I actually start using them, and I'll review some of my favorite baby books, such as Wonder Weeks, and  Ecofrugal Baby. [Can someone please tell me why I keep getting these white boxes when I link to books on Amazon?]


Better go work on that birth plan and starting packing a bag for the hospital... (or maybe I'll just watch an episode of Mad Men and feel good about myself because I'm not drinking and smoking my way through the pregnancy....)