The Complete Organic Pregnancy

by Deirdre Dolan and Alexandra Zissu

Book Overview

While being pregnant is thrilling, the responsibility of a growing baby can provoke anxiety about what is and isn't safe. In The Complete Organic Pregnancy, Deirdre Dolan and Alexandra Zissu address how you can minimize your exposure to the invisible toxins that surround us—in everything from food, cleaning products, and cosmetics to furniture, rugs, air, and water. Step by step, they tell you where dangerous chemicals are lurking, why it's...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060887451
• ISBN13: 9780060887452
• Release Date: September 2006
• Publisher: William Morrow & Company
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 7.3" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Too bad this wasn't published earlier!

When my first child was born in early 2005, I spent months researching information about organic food, plastic toys and bottles, cloth diapers, etc. Now that I'm expecting my 2nd, I'm pleased to find that basically everything I painstakingly researched earlier is now available in one well-written book. In fact, I think the advice outlined in this book is not only valuable for expecting and new parents, but for anyone looking for a healthier lifestyle and home. This book is organized into three sections--transforming (pre-conception), growing (pregnancy), and living (babyhood). In each section, the authors cover food, home environment, work environment, fitness, play, etc. The text is easy to read and accurate, and broken up by essays written by various journalists. I find these essays to be a pleasure to read, not something to skip over. The perspectives are varied and many of them are quite amusing. There is also an abundance of website recommendations throughout the book--a nice perk in any recently published book. The best sections are the ones that cover food (which are most important to eat organically and why), your house (why not to remodel when pregnant, lead, mold, water filters, plants that can actually filter your air), beauty products (phthalates, what to toss out now), household cleaning products (what's really in them and why it's dangerous), labor (natural or epidural--a great non-judgmental summary of your options), and plastics (why they're dangerous for you and for baby). Some of the advice may be a bit over the top for the average person (can you really afford an organic mattress for you and for baby?), but their advice is sound and not alarmist at all. I'm surprised by the review "Go, Fear Culture, Go!" If it seems like there is danger lurking around every corner, it's because there probably is, not because the authors are trying to scare their readers. I have read far more alarming books about the environment and our health, and I found this one to be a great balance between telling their readers the truth about what's lurking in their aluminum cans and not making you feel helpless. There are a few sections that I found disappointingly lacking, but most notable was that on diapers. For a book that tauts organic, healthy, and environmentally friendly living, how can the section on cloth diapers be less than two pages? There are so many great cloth diaper options and the authors really gloss over this topic. It appears that in an attempt to cover as many topics as possible, some leave you wanting more (such as the repeated advice to avoid peanuts--if there are no food allergies in your family, why?) But I still think that this is one of the most important books you'll read while pregnant. It's the only book on the market that I have seen discuss important issues pertaining to mom and baby's health (seriously, even my own doctor had not heard of phthalates or the dangerous chemicals leaking out of my child's

If you are thinking about getting pregnant, you need this book

I am not a hippie, but I care about making sure my baby is the safest it can be. This book taught me how. The authors really thought of everything--from what you should eat to what you should wear. There was so much information that I would never have been able to find anywhere else. A great book.

Extremely Useful

The whole time I was reading this book I felt incredibly lucky that I had bought it. Every few pages I found a piece of advice or warning that made complete sense, but which I would never have thought of or known about on my own. I'm not a granola chomping vegetarian by any stretch, but the stuff in here made me feel like I was learning what I needed to get a head start on basic, common-sense, good parenting (e.g., not repeatedly reusing the Poland Spring bottle on my desk for water from the cooler when its own label says not to reuse it and studies show that kind of plastic breaks down over time, leaching into my water the very chemicals that are being -- you guessed it -- found in breast milk!). There are a ton of things like that I learned in the book that caused me to make little, easy adjustments that make me feel like I'm doing everything I can to care for my baby before she's even born. I also liked the many diaries written by women sharing the joys and tribulations of being pregnant and giving birth. I'm so happy that I found this book. And who knows? If something I learned helps protect my baby, it will certainly be the best $10 I ever spend.

saved our pregnancy fears

As a man, there isn't much I can relate to about carrying a baby in my body for 9 months. But I do know that I care as much about the child we are bringing into this world as my wife does. We were very careful from the beginnings of pregnancy, starting at our own lifestyle habits at conception, watching everything we ate and drank. But we knew there had to be more we could do to ensure our baby have the best entry into the world. Lliving in los Angeles we constantly worry about pollution. But until my wife handed me this book, I had no idea we should be worrying about pollutants right in our own home. i think this book has saved us and our baby and will make a tremendous difference in how our baby comes into our lives. we now have made our house easily organic thanks to this book. Not only have our cleaning supplies changed, but I've recently painted with only organic paints, I've gotten rid of cheap synthetic carpets in our mud room and I won't let the exterminators into our house anymore. These were such simple and inexpensive things(cleaning with vinegar and water is really much less expensive!) for us to change that I wouldn't even have thought of without having this great reference book. I know it might seem strange for a man to be so mesmerized by a pregnancy book, but this has made me be able to feel more a part of a healthy pregnancy for my wife than I could have ever imagined. Great great guide.

Excellent resource!

This was the one book I was missing in my library! It is an easy, fun read, loaded with excellent information about how to avoid the chemicals out to harm us and our offspring. It can be a bit overwhelming at times since, while reading, you realize that it is almost impossible to protect yourself from all of it. What I like about this book, and what put me at ease from the very first page, is that the authors are realistic and DO realize this, and basiclly tell you to do the best you can. But you will definately have the information you need after reading this book, the rest is up to you. Also, the book is a great resource for websites with all the information you need, from organic foods and clothing, to the pollution levels in your particular State, and everything in between! I recommend this book to anyone serious about making changes in your lifestyle, not just for the sake of your baby, but also yourself.