• Kansas City
  • Kansas City Parent Magazine
  • Kansas City Baby Magazine
  • Holistic Moms Network - Kansas City Chapter
  • M Magazine - The Magazine for Kansas City Moms
    
• Online
  
  • Natural Infant Hygeine / Elimination Communication (Diaper Free)
  • Mothering Magazine - Natural Family Living

Green in Kansas City

• Green Ability Magazine
• Kansas City Food Circle
• 100 Mile Diet in Kansas City
• Green Drinks - Monthly meetings on green topics
• Bridging The Gap - Works to make the Kansas City region sustainable by connecting environment, economy and community.
• Straw, Sticks & Bricks - Eco-friendly building supplies
• GreenFest - Annual festival featuring local green businesses
• The Q Hotel - Kansas City's first green hotel

Cloth Diapering

• Real Diaper Association: Why Choose Cloth Diapers? A list of facts on topics such as health, environment, cost comparison, dryness and rash (with references).
• Nappy (diaper) 'link to infertility' - Scientists believe disposable nappies could be linked to both male infertility and testicular cancer (BBC News Release).
• Disposable Diapers Linked to Asthma - Mothering Magazine Article
  • Acute respiratory effects of diaper emissions (PubMed Article) - "The results demonstrate that some types of disposable diapers emit mixtures of chemicals that are toxic to the respiratory tract. Disposable diapers should be considered as one of the factors that might cause or exacerbate asthmatic conditions."
    

Vaccinations

• National Vaccine Information Center - Lots of current info, press releases, reports, articles, and information about each individual vaccine
• Generation Rescue - Jenny McCarthy's website for autism reversal information and vaccine awareness
  • Alternative Vaccine Schedule
  • A User-Friendly Vaccine Schedule - An article by Dr. Donald Miller
• Is Aluminum the New Thimerosal? - An article by Dr. Sears
• Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS)
• Thimerosal Content in Some Vaccines - A chart

Babywearing

• Extensive information on babywearing by Dr. Sears

Cosleeping and Bedsharing

• Mother-Baby Behavioral Sleep Laboratory at University of Notre Dame - Dr. James McKenna, Co-Sleeping Expert - Topics include: Guidelines for Cosleeping, Proper Arrangements, Risks, Advantages to Cosleeping, Long Term Effects of Cosleeping, and Will the Baby Sleep Better?
• Safe Sleeping For Your Baby - Pamphlet with guidelines for safe cosleeping.
• Parent-Infant Sleep Lab - LOTS of research (past and present) on cosleeping and bedsharing done at Durham University in the UK.
• Mothering Magazine Sleep Articles - Great, research-based information about newborns and sleep.

Safe Skin Care Products

• Skin Deep: Cosmetic Safety Database - Search for products to determine safety based on ingredients.
• Campaign for Safe Cosmetics - Over 500 cosmetic companies have pledged not to use ingredients proven or suspected of causing cancer, mutations or birth defects. See if your skin care products measure up (and which ones don't!).
• 10 Synthetic and Cosmetic Ingredients to Avoid (and Why) - Ilumina Organics
• Babies Absorb Pthalates From Baby Products - A new study suggests that baby lotion, baby powder, and baby shampoo may be exposing babies to potentially harmful chemicals called phthalates.

Organic Food/Organic Gardening

• Kansas City
  
  • Organic Farmer's Markets
    • Badseed Organic Market
      • Friday Nights at 1909 McGee, KCMO
    • Farmer's Community Market
      • Saturday Mornings at 63rd & Wornall, KCMO
        
    • 39th Street Market
      • Wednesday Nights at 39th & Genesee, KCMO
        
  • Skyview Farm - Weekly deliveries of organic, affordable, humanely raised animal products to North Overland Park. Sign up for their weekly email for more information.
  • Kansas City Food Circle
  • 100 Mile Diet in Kansas City
  • Organic/Local Restaurants
  • Eden Alley - Country Club Plaza, KCMO - Vegetarian, Vegan, Raw, and Gluten-Free options. Variety of organic and local ingredients.
  • Cafe Seed - 29th & Cherry, KCMO - Organic vegan menu with local ingredients.
  • Blue Bird Bistro - 17th & Summit, KCMO - Upscale organic and local menu.
  • Pizza Fusion - 135th & Roe, Leawood, KS - Organic, vegetarian, vegan, eco-friendly decor, and a Prius for deliveries.
  • Local Burger - 7th & Vermont, Lawrence, KS - Organic and local "healthy fast food."
• Online
  • Sustainable Table: The Issues - 33 "Issues" with our factory farming and mass food production, ranging from genetic engineering to pesticide use. Learn why so many people are shopping "local."
  • Slow Food - An organization dedicated to good, clean and fair food. Slow down your life and enjoy a real meal!
  • Local Harvest - Find a CSA (community supported agriculture program), farm, market or co-op near you.
  • Weston A. Price Foundation - A LOT of great articles, recipes, science and research on eating REAL food!
• Reading Recommendations:
  
  • Harvest for Hope: A Guide to Mindful Eating by Jane Goodall
  • Omnivore's Dilemma:The Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC's)

• Respiratory Toxicity of (Crib) Mattress Emissions in Mice (PubMed Article)
• Respiratory Toxicity of Fabric Softener Sheets (Pubmed Article) - "Laundry that had been dried with one the fabric softener pads emitted sufficient chemicals to elicit sensory irritation (SI) in 49% of breaths at the peak effect Placing one fabric softener pad in a small room overnight resulted in an atmosphere that caused marked SI (61% of breaths). These results demonstrate that some commercial fabric softeners emit mixtures of chemicals that can cause SI, Pulmonary Irritation, and reduce midexpiratory airflow velocity in normal mice."
• Respiratory Toxicity in Mice Exposed to Mattress Covers (PubMed Article) - "The results of our study demonstrated that some mattress covers emit mixtures of chemicals that can cause a variety of acute toxic effects in mice, including asthma-like reactions."

Safety of Plastics (BPA, PVC, pthalates)

• BPA (Bisphenol A) - A hormone disruptor found in many baby products, plastic water bottles and canned food linings.
  • The Bisphenol-A Debate - A Suspect Chemical in Plastic Bottles and Cans
  • Human Placenta Cells Die After BPA Exposure - Environmental Health Sciences Feb. 2010
    
  • Contaminated Without Consent - A 16-minute video available free for you to use to help inform your community about the hidden risks from chemical contaminants found in our homes, workplaces, the products we buy, and even our bodies.
• PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) - PVC contains softeners called phthalates  that interfere with hormonal development, and its manufacture and incineration release dioxin, a potent carcinogen and hormone disruptor.
  
  • PVC Guide - An amazing 52 page document including research on the dangers of PVC, lists of items that commonly contain PVC, and resources for finding PVC-free products.
  • PVC: The Poison Plastic The Campaign for Safe, Healthy Consumer Products
  • My House Is Your House - Blue Vinyl, a film that explores and exposes the toxic lifecycle of PVC plastic.
    

• Phthalates - A group of "plasticizers" that are commonly added to make plastics flexible or to stabilize fragrances in skin care products. They have been shown to cause endocrine disruption, cancer, and other major health problems.
  
  • Phthalates - Environmental Working Group article with links to current research and news.
  • Babies Absorb Pthalates From Baby Products - A new study suggests that baby lotion, baby powder, and baby shampoo may be exposing babies to potentially harmful chemicals called phthalates.

Consumerism

• Story of Stuff - From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world. It'll teach you something, it'll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the stuff in your life forever.

Herbs for Pregnancy/Nursing/Babies

• Recommended Reading:
  • Rosemary Gladstar's Family Herbal by Rosemary Gladstar - One of my favorite herbals. Very simple  and safe recipes with common herbs for everyone from babies to adults. 
  • The Nursing Mother's Herbal by Sheila Humphrey - The most extensive list of herbs and their safety for breastfeeding.
    

Homemade Baby Food

• Wholesome Baby Food - Lots of information on making your own baby food, introducing foods, solids and weaning. Wonderful free recipes.

Recommended DVD's

• The Business of Being Born - A documentary by Ricki Lake on the birthing business in the U.S.
• Food, Inc. - 2009 - A very well done film covering all the major issues regarding our mass food production in the U.S. A must see!
  
• The Future of Food - An in-depth look at the controversy over genetically modified food.
• Shoot 'Em Up - A documentary on vaccinations.
• Blue Vinyl - A film that explores and exposes the toxic lifecycle of PVC plastic.
• Sweet Misery: A Poisoned World - This documentary attempts to look at what is definitively known about aspartame and aspartame toxicity.

 

 Topics Coming...

Fire Retardant Chemicals (PBDEs)

"Body Burden: The Pollution in Newborns" - A benchmark investigation of industrial chemicals, pollutants and pesticides in umbilical cord blood.

Recommended Books