What's it going to gestate in?

Choosing to become parents has been a long process for us. In our tenth year of marriage, we have decided individually and as a couple that we are now eager to embark on what could be, quite possibly, the riskiest, most harrowing journey of our lives – and potentially the most indescribably fulfilling. Coming to the sudden realization that I was what it would gestate in, my health, which had only been of moderate and selfish concern up to now, had become a moral imperative.

My first responsibility as a parent is to protect the very fragile beginnings of our future child. Everyday we are learning more and more about the massive impact a mother’s health and environment have on the health of her child. For me, this means much more than what most accept as sufficient (quitting smoking, alcohol and taking folic acid.) It goes far beyond what information is available through mainstream sources.

Sifting through corporate media, glossy magazines and government sponsored web sites, the information seems trite. What am I looking for? The real deal. I want the details of how to grow a healthy baby despite the chemicals and pollution that surround me everyday. I want to know how to balance my family's needs with my own and my environmental ideals. I want to be solid in my knowledge, habits and routine so that our child grows up within healthy, eco-awareness.

I don’t pretend to have the answers. For some of my questions, there may not be answers. But the questions are important. It is crucial to me that thinking women start the conversation so that our future generations are protected from our poorest choices and enriched by our highest. Getting practical information on the internet can be time consuming and cumbersome. I hope to centralize that information so it is easier to integrate eco-friendly practices into a busy lifestyle. More than anything, I hope to learn from women who are on parallel journeys or are already eco-moms themselves.

I want to give every possible advantage to my family, which requires some lifestyle changes way before conception. Born Green will be my place to explore all the possibilities and challenges of a creating my healthy family.