Wellness | Eco-Mothering

PRODUCT REVIEW: TriCalm Steroid-Free, Anti-itch Gel

By Donna DeForbes | January 1, 2013 - 8:00 am | Giveaways, Product Reviews, Wellness

As a member of Kiwi Moms Meet, I sometimes receive green products to review. The latest is TriCalm, an anti-itch gel whose biggest claim is that it’s 100% steroid-free — an important element to a natural mom like me. My main use of the gel was for an old tick bite on Sofie’s scalp. The small red bump often itches, especially in the dry cold air. Her doctor said it will eventually heal, but in the meantime we should apply anti-itch creams. She mentioned steroid creams, which I’ve used before, but I didn’t want to use a skin-thinning, UV-ray sensitive chemical on my daughter. This TriCalm gel seems to help keep itching at bay. We have to apply it frequently, but at least it’s safe, clear and odorless (unlike some stinky pink anti-itch creams I’ve rubbed into her hair previously). When I tried TriCalm on the dry skin on Sofie’s … Continue reading →

The Rise of Type 1 Juvenile Diabetes: 6 Possible Causes

By Donna DeForbes | November 13, 2012 - 8:19 am | Beyond Childbirth, Wellness

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A year ago, diabetes was something I had no connection with. Like many other diseases and afflictions, it was something that happened to “other people.” Then last December my two-year-old niece was hospitalized with what seemed like a bad virus. She was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Since November is National Diabetes Awareness Month, I wanted to post about this fast-growing disease and its mysterious origins. Type 1 (formerly called juvenile diabetes) usually strikes in childhood, and, unlike type 2 (often related to genetics and/or unhealthy behavior), it has no discernible cause. Not only that, the incidence of type 1 diabetes is rising dramatically worldwide, particularly among children under the age of 5. The fast rise (about 3-5% per year in the last 35 years) suggests that the causes are environmental since genetics do not change that quickly. Diabetes occurs when the body has a sudden inability to deploy … Continue reading →

Post-Partum Depression: Can Eating Your Placenta Help?

By Donna DeForbes | September 18, 2012 - 2:15 pm | Pregnancy and Birth, Wellness

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Now that we’ve decided to have a second child, I’m already jumping ahead to explore things I might do differently. Believe it or not, one of those things is eating my own placenta. I’d heard the controversy last spring over actress January Jones eating her placenta. While I wasn’t against the practice, I didn’t think I was crunchy enough to ever try it. Then I read an article in Kiwi magazine about a mom who used it with her third child largely to ward off post-partum depression. That got me listening. With Sofie, the cloud of depression descended upon me almost immediately after her birth, but I was too stubborn and anxious to take any medication for it until, finally, after six months I relented to trying a small dose of Zoloft. The drug eased my mood considerably, although I worried about side effects as I continued to breastfeed. This … Continue reading →

Save Energy: Go To Bed With a Hottie

By Donna DeForbes | August 22, 2012 - 7:22 am | Product Reviews, Wellness

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I was recently introduced to the Hottie by a mother-daughter business team who follows this blog. (I love that the daughter in the company, Louisa, is the twelve-year-old entrepreneur behind the design.) Popular in Great Britain and Germany, the Hottie is a fabric-covered hot water bottle and an eco-friendly alternative to using electric blankets or cranking up the thermostat at night. The company, who call themselves Love at First Night, sent me a sample. This is not your grandmother’s hot water bottle. I recall the funky-smelling red rubber bottles of my childhood. My grandmother always seemed to have one around for soothing body aches or indigestion. The Hottie contains a modern Fashy water bottle made in Germany. It’s transparent and manufactured from thermoplastic, which is odorless, recyclable and keeps water warm hours longer. I can’t wait for winter to come just so we can try it. (And I’ll report back … Continue reading →

Bug Off! Eliminating Toxins in Kids’ Health Products

By Donna DeForbes | July 20, 2012 - 8:37 am | Product Reviews, Wellness

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I feel like I’m forever applying stuff to my daughter’s body. Soap for her bath, lotion afterwards, sunscreen for daytime, bug spray for evening… When you read the mile-long lists of ingredients in these products, you get a headache. When you find out that most of the chemical ingredients have never been tested for safety and many are linked to cancer, you’ll likely scare yourself from ever using anything except water and vinegar to clean yourself. Ingredients with names like Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and quaternium-15 can seep into your child’s skin and wreak havoc on their bodies. I never thought about this before I became a mother. Growing up, we lathered ourselves in all sorts of chemicals not knowing there were alternatives. But along with pregnancy comes expansive awareness. I decided to aim for nontoxic products from day one. My baby wish list included Burt’s Bees diaper ointment and Weleda calendula … Continue reading →

A Case of the Grumpies: How to Diagnose, Treat and Prevent Bad Mommy Moods

By Donna DeForbes | July 3, 2012 - 9:29 am | Wellness

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This past weekend I came down with a bad case of the Grumpies. I can blame the heat, the full moon, my seasonal allergies, the manuscript rejection that arrived in the mail. (And I did.) But the reasons are irrelevant. What matters is how my daughter suffered from it. I acted in ways that should put me in the Mommy Hall of Shame. While I did intersperse some hugs and “I love you”s, I felt my cantankerous and explosive moods dominate. While such parenting moods are inevitable, it’s helpful to be armed with knowledge before being afflicted. ABOUT THE GRUMPIES The Grumpies is an invisible condition that breeds on negative energy. Common among kids and adults alike, it is especially prevalent among stressed-out mothers who tend to put their needs last. Signs include headaches, fatigue, frustration and pessimism. Unfortunately, the Grumpies often goes unnoticed until it is too late. Note: … Continue reading →

Sick Child, Helpless Mom: In Search of Strega Donna

By Donna DeForbes | March 16, 2012 - 12:44 pm | Wellness

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My daughter is sick. The kind of knockdown, look-what-the-cat-dragged-in sick that results in a sleepless household and the certainty that you will never step outdoors again. My husband and I are entering our 40th hour of dashing for the toilet bowl with Sofie, wading through fields of crumpled tissues, and speaking in hushed tones, as if normal voice levels might antagonize the virus. When you are the child, being sick is rather fun. I spent worry-free hours reading and drawing in bed, an eager recipient to Mom’s cure-all concoctions—thick spoonfuls of honey and lemon for coughs, ginger ale or cola syrup over cracked ice for nausea. Sugary heaven with a side of extra TV! When you are the parent, fun goes out the window. Or maybe it’s just me. I don’t handle sickness well (mine or others), as it tends to reveal my helplessness. I am no Florence Nightingale. Oh, … Continue reading →