The Simple Guide to Creating a Healthy, Green Baby Nursery

Finding out you’re pregnant can be one of the most exciting times in your life. And many expectant parents experience the instinct to “nest” almost immediately. One of the first things you may think about when planning a baby nursery is how the room will look. And while it is certainly important that the room is beautiful and expresses your style, it is also important that it is healthy. Many common products found in our homes and used to decorate the nursery, including certain types of paint, finishes, carpeting, mattresses, curtains and particleboard, contain harmful chemicals. Through a process called “off gassing” these chemicals are in the air we breathe. In fact, studies from the EPA have shown that the air inside our homes can be 2-5 times more polluted than the air outside our homes regardless of whether we live in a rural area or in cities. Pound per pound babies breathe more air, eat more food, drink more water and are therefore exposed to more toxins. Babies’ immature organs are less able to cope with the toxins in their environment than those of adults. Children enjoy touching everything around them; eventually either their hands or random objects wind up in their mouths, exposing them to even more chemicals. If you want to make your home green and healthy, your baby’s room is probably the best place to start. We understand it can be overwhelming to weed through all the “stuff,” you are told one needs for a baby and when you add green and healthy to your list it can be even more stressful. We created this book to simplify the process. Included is a shopping checklist of items to consider for the nursery, as well as links to our favorite green products. We also offer simple steps you can take to make your home healthier as well as tips on everything from helping the baby sleep, to how to use color, to how to organize the nursery. We created this guide so expectant parents can easily create a healthy, organized and functional baby’s room, so they have time to focus on what’s really important — the arrival of their baby!