I grew up with the disposable diapers, bleach, and all those other horrible chemicals. I never thought anything about it until the day I got pregnant. That moment changed everything! Now I am all about safe and natural. So to get ready for a new baby that will be sleeping in our bedroom posed a bit of a challenge. I didn’t realize all the harmful things that were already in my room. I went through the entire room which meant more work for my husband, but in the end it will be worth it. The ten biggest things we did were:

1.     Get rid of everything that has lead paint. Our old dresser had been painted several times many years ago. I was fairly certain so of the paint underneath was lead based so hubby sanded down the entire dresser and repainted it with baby safe paint.
2.     Bolt all heavy and/or large objects to the wall. We have a dresser, bookshelf, and more in our room. While the baby won’t be crawling right away I figured it would be better to go ahead and make sure none of these items could be easily turned over. I figure later I will be too busy to even think about this.
3.     Make sure the crib meets all safety guidelines. We are using an older crib which means it had to be inspected and check a million times by me (it’s my OCD.) The other thing is we will NOT be using traditional bumper pads. They block the air flow and raise the chance of SIDS.
4.     No more small objects lying around. Everything that could possibly be picked up by the baby has been removed. There is nothing around the crib that the baby could possibly grab and put in her mouth.
5.     Car seat, stroller, and a million other gadgets. Who knew that one little baby would need so much stuff? The OCD kicked in again which double checking that everything met safety standards.
6.     No chemicals! We have switched to all organic cleaning supplies and other products. I don’t want anything harmful in my home at all.
7.     Talk to the other kids. Preparing our other children was very important, so we took the time to talk with them about the baby. We gave the chance to express their fears, their joys, etc. Also we make a point of spending quality time with each of them so they know they are just as important.
8.     Stock Up! You would not believe the amount of products you have to buy for everyday. So we began stocking up early.
9.     Organic or cloth diapers and wipes ONLY! As part of the no chemical rule we decided to use cloth diapers. That was until I learned about Free and Clear from Seventh Generation, but more about that in a little while.
10.     RELAX!!! The biggest thing was to stop stressing and just relax. Enjoy being pregnant and the moments of peace we have.

Now about those diapers, Seventh Generation has a line of Free and Clear diapers and wipes. What does that mean? It means there are no chemicals such as latex and petroleum-based lotions, no chlorine processing, or no fragrances.  The diapers now have a redesigned core that is more efficient at absorption and uses less processed chlorine free wood pulp. So their impact on the environment is lower. That is a HUGE help for me because as much as I had to admit I am one of those moms that gags at certain smells and sights. I can’t help it and if I am truly honest I wasn’t looking forward to cloth diapers.

Getting pregnant has been a both a stressful and joyful event in our home. I have found that I am more than a little crazy about things. My husband and children are the best in the world and manage to survive all of my “Let’s do this instead” moments.  Knowing that things are done and ready is a huge help and allows me to relax so much more.

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.

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