THIS IS WHY I PARENT AU NATURALE!

Current mood: exhausted


So today my brought my Lennon to the beach for the first time. He was in AWE of the atlantic... loved the sand, and i think he might be part doggy cause he was diggin like crazy!! He even seemed to enjoy his first taste of sand (which he managed to sneak in when i turned my head for a mere SECOND n a half)!! now.. some would say that I am a pretty natural minded person, and momma... my sister in law likes to tease me that everything has to be "100 % organic all natural yaks wool based" in order for me to use it... breastfeeding.. all natural bath products... cosleeping.. no vaccines.. etc... you name... i do it. BUT i do not do any of this stuff because i am trying to be a nonconformist conformist.. or because i am hellbent on only going the natural route.. i simply like to be informed.. i like to know all angles before i make parenting choices.. and 99 % of the time my information leads me to make the natural choice.... today i went against my better judgement when i brought Lennon to the beach, and SURE ENOUGH....
Now I am not a fan of all the chemicals that are laced through our body products... i will not use anything with sodium laurel sulfides.. aluminum... harsh alcohols.. etc... from toothpaste, to lotions.... i READ LABELS, and I KNOW WHAT I am looking for and what I refuse to use.... Since the day he left the hospital my son has not had a non natural product used on his skin... head to toe, wipes, shampoo, powder etc.... and NOW I remember why... Today I went against my better judgement and used sunscreen on my son and myself... I HATE sunscreen.. years of using bath and bodyworks, pantene, colgate, etc, has made my skin HIGHLY sensitive to many many environmental factors, and i am trying to prevent this from becoming the case with my son... today i used sunscreen... my gut told me NOT TO.. to use hats, clothing, umbrellas.. and take my chances with the sun rather than lather us up in every chemical in the free world... even the "natural" variety that i bought has all sorts of nonnatural sounding things in it (which comes from the complete and total lack of standards for what health and beauty products can be labeled as natural or organic)... but I caved into conventional thinking... I took that creamy white paste containing god knows what and smeared it all over my baby's milky white skin, top to bottom.. and then on my own arms and legs and nose....Istarted thinking maybe i was being too paranoid... or maybe i needed to lighten up with the all natural nutty crunchy thing.... but sure enough: within an hour of slathering sunscreen on Lennon and myself, he was covered, belly, knees and arms, elbows and legs with horrible red hives! poor baby looked like he wanted to jump out of his skin. I have spent the entire afternoon and evening up until a few hours ago, washing and rewashing him, myself, our blankets, sheets, clothes, etc to get every trace of that nasty nasty stuff off of us, and putting cool clothes on him to ease his discomfort. The poor boy is still covered with hives, as is the back of my arms and legs... I thank god that the allergic reaction wasn't worse and for the valuable lesson of the day: ALWAYS trust your gut. and, that most man made chemicals are as bad as i had previously thought (maybe worse)! on that note i am gonna go cuddle up with my 100% bamboo onesied Lennon in our nice clean organic (100% pure yakswool) sheeted bed and catch some Z's. BE well all!
Kalee
Currently reading:
Natural Baby and Childcare: Practical Medical Advice and Holistic Wisdom for Raising Healthy Children
By Lauren Feder
Release date: 17 March, 2006