Raising Baby Green: The Earth-Friendly Guide to Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Baby Care
is a new guidebook by pediatrician Dr. Alan Greene. The book is an excellent overview on getting your life "green" or environmentally (and human and animal) friendly. It's written from the slant of making life green for baby, but is really excellent for every aspect of day-to-day life.
The book is well-organized. You can quickly jump to any part of it you want to reference. I recommend reading the entire book at least once, then refer back to the specific information you need.
In the first chapter of the book "The Womb" Dr. Greene makes an excellent argument for switching to organic foods. As the owner of a website on natural pregnancy and baby care I hear and read a lot about organic foods. But I have never read an explanation quite so practical and down-to-earth as Dr. Greene's. His information is compelling and his suggestions easy to implement.
Be sure to carefully read his prenatal suggestions and take a close look at his feeding baby green section. It's baby food advice like you've never heard before. Feed baby fresh foods, variety, and season it for taste! This is not your mama's baby care advice! Solids will be much more fun for you and for baby if you've taken Raising Baby Green's recommendations to heart!
Dr. Green's information on being "green" in the labor and delivery room is well rounded. He respectfully addresses all choices available on where to deliver and on who to have as your birth attendant.
The rest of Raising Baby Green addresses various aspects of baby's environment - from the nursery through the rest of the house. There is a lot of information packed in here. It's a basic overview.
For some things, like choosing organic cotton clothing for baby, a good overview is all you need to go on your way. But Dr. Green covers a whole lot of information on your household - everything from paints to cosmetics. Find what you're interested in in Raising Baby Green, then use the extensive resource lists provided to delve deeper into the topic.
I loved the chapter on gardens. Dr. Greene introduces the concept of a "baby garden" - a portion of your garden that you plant with baby friendly (and butterfly friendly!) plants. I loved this idea. He has practical suggestions for making your outdoor or windowsill garden "baby friendly."
Raising Baby Green has intensive sections on the nursery, bathroom, kitchen, and garden. It also covers "whole house" topics like air quality and gives a brief look at green automobiles.
All in all I was impressed with the book. It was a great overview/introduction to green issues. When you're expecting a new baby or raising a young child you have the perfect motivation to make greener choices. Pick up Raising Baby Green: The Earth-Friendly Guide to Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Baby Care and give yourself a helping hand along the green family path.