Each pregnancy gives the parents the opportunity to review their lifestyle and try to improve it in order to help the new family member in the best possible way. - Understanding the Human Being.  

This quote that I referenced last week really resonated with me. Late last year I experienced a miscarriage and it really knocked my confidence. It made me reassess everything. One of the many things I reassessed was my exposure to cleaning products and toxins in our home. I am now pregnant again and hope the changes we have made become permanent, not just for this pregnancy but for our children in the long term. We were fairly health conscious before so I wanted to share the changes we made and the extra steps we have taken. 

Clean Differently. My aim was to reduce environmental toxin and chemical exposure. This is easy to say but harder to do. I use less cleaning products in our home than before. After my miscarriage, we hired cleaners that do not use any chemicals. They clean with vinegar, water and cleaning cloths and brushes (and hard work). They clean our home weekly so there is no build up of dust or grime. It was such a relief not to clean bathrooms or toilets for which I was still using harsh chemicals (bleach anyone?). Our cleaners showed me this was totally unnecessary. I've switched our kitchen spray to part vinegar part water with a few drops of essential oils. Some cleaning products contain hormone disrupters so now I avoid these completely. In our laundry, we wash mostly (my husband isn't 100% on board) with soap nuts (berries) and with our dishwasher powders and soaps I make sure I understand all of the ingredients. The toxins in cleaning products don't only affect the person using them, they affect everyone in the home. We've also been able to reduce our usage of paper towel by using absorbent cotton cleaning cloths.

Use Safe Essential Oils. This was a concern for me as we use many essential oils in the home and most have warnings not to use in pregnancy. The good news is that there are many essential oils that are safe to use in pregnancy. Perfect Potion has a list of safe essential oils here and the Pregnancy Oil blend I've recently picked up is here. 

Choose Fragrance-Free. As I order new products such as cleaning or personal care products I am looking for fragrance-free options. Most of our products are fragranced by essential oils and we have tried to eliminate all artificial fragrances. Often fragrances are not needed and I feel we need to detach ourselves from fragrances that make us (or our clothes or home) feel clean.

Use Glassware over Plastic. Earlier this year I ordered some Glasslock storage containers. We use them in the refrigerator, freezer, microwave and dishwasher and we haven't looked back. We don't store any foods in plastic and we don't have to worry about any chemical leaching.

When Buying New Look for Organic. From clothing and sheets to fruit and vegetables we always look for local and organic options. This feels more important when preparing for a baby and buying so many new clothes and toys (and blankets and nappies). 

This post is supported by Sprout Market. Sprout Market stocks our favourite health food, natural personal care and cleaning products at the best prices. Dishwashing Liquid, Jack n Jill Toothpaste and Toothbrushes, EcoKid Bubble Bath are c/o Sprout Market. Sprout Market is offering How we Montessori readers 20% off their first order and free shipping Australia wide!