illustration of a pregnant woman

A Chemical-free Pregnancy

Gigi Lee Chang


Making your daily routines as healthy as possible during pregnancy will not only make you feel better, it will go a long way toward protecting your growing baby from BPA, mercury, phthalates and more--all of which have been found in the bodies of pregnant women.


1. Avoid pesticides


2. Watch your intake of animal fats

Harmful substances like PCBs as well as pesticide residue accumulate in fat tissue. This means when you eat seafood, meat, and poultry you're also ingesting these chemicals.


3. Be smart about plastics


Thankfully it's fairly easy to avoid when pregnant--and beyond.

Minimizing exposure to plastics containing another hormone disrupter, bisphenol A (BPA), is also a good idea. BPA is found in some water bottles--keep an eye out for the number 7 in the recycling arrows on the bottoms of plastic containers. BPA can also be found in cash register receipts and canned foods.

4. Ditch the toxic cleaners

Newsflash: scouring your counters, tubs, and floors with toxic chemicals doesn't make them cleaner. It just covers them with nasty chemical residues.

Cleaning product formulas are currently government protected as trade secrets so it's hard to read labels to know what you're getting.

Generally speaking, it's common sense to avoid products with warnings labels like "hazardous" "poison" and "danger."

Instead, choose plant-based cleaners from companies that disclose their natural ingredients. It's also easy to make DIY tub scrubs and more. All you need is hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, plant-based dish soap, and some elbow grease.

5. Choose safer cosmetics

How many personal care products do you use on your body daily? Don't know? According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), it's likely to be 10 products containing as many as 126 unique chemicals!

Lotions, creams, shampoos, soaps, lip balms, and more can contain chemicals that interfere with baby's development. Pregnancy is the perfect time to start a new personal care regime with safer products. Read labels to avoid harmful chemicals like phthalates, parabens, and triclosan.

Look to EWG's Skin Deep cosmetics database or Healthy Child Healthy World's Trusted Partner list to shop healthy.


About the author

Gigi Lee Chang is CEO of Healthy Child Healthy World, a nonprofit that empowers parents to protect their children from harmful chemicals. She is a frequent speaker on topics including children's health, food and nutrition, and socially conscious/sustainable business practices. Visit to learn more.