Nurturing Life Motherlove Giveaway

Happy Earth Day!

 

For the last 20 years, Motherlove has created herbal care products to help women discover the bond between motherhood and mother earth.  With a specific focus on pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, and babies, Motherlove strives to use ingredients that come straight from the earth.  Their support of organic farming, sustainable practices, and their use of all-recycled materials for their office and product packaging, are a testament to their dedication to caring for our earth, for the benefit of mothers everywhere.  And if that weren’t enough, they also manage a 120 acre farm, called the Legacy Organic Farm, in Colorado, where they are growing many of the herbs they use in their products.

Welcome to Our Legacy Farm

To help celebrate Earth Day 2014, Motherlove is sponsoring a giveaway here on TLB, but first, here are some pics of some of the cuteness that’s happening at their farm, where Motherlove staff is hanging out today:

baby pigs nursing

nursing piglet

To read more about their day on the farm, check out today’s entry on the Motherlove blog!

 ______________________________

Motherlove is giving away a Nurturing Life Giftbox, celebrating new motherhood, to 1 lucky winner.

Each Nurturing Life Giftbox has a Retail value $59.95 and includes:

– pregnant belly salve

– nipple cream

– birth & baby oil

– sitz bath spray

– diaper rash & thrush

– environmentally responsible Motherlove tote bag

Currently Leakies can find these and other great pregnancy and nursing products on the Motherlove website and in some local retail stores and boutiques.

______________________________

Good luck to everyone!  Please use the widget below to be entered, and check out motherlove.com for more products related to fertility, pregnancy, and nursing .  The giveaway is open from April 22, 2014 through April 29, 2014.  A big thanks to Motherlove for their ongoing support of TLB and all breastfeeding women, please be sure to visit their Facebook page  or follow them on twitter (@motherloveherb on Twitter) and thank them for their support of TLB and this giveaway opportunity.

This giveaway is open to US entries only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

How breastfeeding “greenified” my family

The Leaky Boob is joining Wean Green and several others in a birthday party Earth Day scavenger hunt.  Search our site for the next clue and follow it for the chance to win some great prizes from companies that prioritize not only healthy choices for families but for our planet as well.  Have fun and good luck!

WG-earthdayinvitation

 

My mom tells how discovering she was pregnant with her first, my older brother, changed how she took care of herself and the earth.  Immediately, she stopped smoking and refused to let anyone smoke around her.  Addicted to Pepsi, she stopped buying it all together.  She became aware of the amount of waste from buying prepared foods and started cooking from scratch.  When my brother was born she breastfed exclusively and encouraged by the local La Leche League chapter she joined, she explored other healthy choices not only for her baby but for her entire family.  My brother’s intolerance to dairy and soy led to her completely revamping how they ate.  By the time I came along 3 years later, my mother was well on her way to being a “health nut” and growing in her care for the earth through gardening and making increasingly sustainable choices.  In many ways it wasn’t about becoming more healthy, it was about returning to a healthy normal.  From breastfeeding to not smoking to making her own food, my mom was getting back to her biological roots and cleaner air.

Like my mom, parenting has changed my views about health, food, and being aware of how we are treating the earth.  There is plenty of room for our family to grow in these areas, progressively making choices as we learn more.  Always inspired by our children.  A significant portion of what we have learned and chosen to do has come directly from information we’ve received related to pregnancy and breastfeeding.  And we’ve grown from there.  Eventually moving from feeding our babies commercial “baby food” and allowing them to feed themselves, we have found more ways that are healthier choices for our family and more gentle on the earth.  Our hope is to give our children the chance to return to a more normal healthy way of life but also with a planet that has been given that same opportunity.

Building on my mom’s lessons and change, my family is growing and changing, inspired in many ways by breastfeeding and a commitment to give our children not the “best” but the healthy normal we all deserve to have.

green breastfeeding

 

5 ways breastmilk is greenest choice in infant nutrition:

  • Manufacturing requires minimal resources- feed mom.
  • The containers are reusable and biodegradable.
  • If able to feed “straight from the tap there is no plastic or glass necessary.
  • Pumping and bottlefeeding moms still use less plastic than formula storage containers, meaning less waste.
  • Reduced gasoline usage related to manufacturing, shipping, and shopping.

Because sometimes we need a little support in our breastfeeding journey, here are some companies that can help moms “greenify” breastfeeding even more: Motherlove Herbal Company (nipple salve, More Milk supplement), Hygeia (breastpumps, breastmilk storage bags), Bamboobies (breastpads, nipple ointment, therapy pads, nursing bras), PumpEase (Organic hands-free pumping support bra), Little Spruce (organic breastfeeding wear),

 

5 ways to “greenify” your life and nutrition beyond the breast:

  • Try baby-led solids, skip buying manufactured baby food and let your baby feed themselves the same food you eat.
  • Replace plastic storage options (i.e. ziplock baggies) with products like Wean Green glass and reusable snack bags.
  • When introducing a cup, select products like Lifefactory’s sippy bottleKid Basix Safe Sippy, or a small open glass or enamel cup.
  • Listen and encourage your child to listen to their bodies, not force eating everything put before them, we tend to eat less that way.
  • Explore what you can make yourself, using less prepared foods, pick a few options to try and ask if you need each to be individually wrapped or not.

 

Plus one:

Did you know you can be “green” with waste?  Yep!  What you do with the other end of food is important not only for taking care of the planet but there are many reasons to consider the health concerns.  For some that may mean buying unbleached disposable diapers, for others going into cloth diapers, and still others may use elimination communication.  Check out Lovely Pocket DiapersKanga Care, Thirsties, Itty Bitty, and Kelly’s Closet for cloth diapers and information.  We’ve also found great products for taking care of baby bottoms such as diaper salves and baby wash from companies that want to help families care for the health of their babies and the planet such as Earth Mama Angel Baby.

Just like breastfeeding, making green choices doesn’t have to be all or nothing and it’s likely a journey.  One step at a time, spurred on by something or someone important.  Like our children.

________________________

How has pregnancy and breastfeeding influenced you in making healthier or more sustainable choices for your family?

In what ways would you like to improve in how “green” your family lives?

________________________

Apple Park Clue

Earth Day Giveaway

Happy Earth Day, TLB followers!  It seems fitting that Earth Mama Angel Baby would have a giveaway with us today, considering “Earth” is an integral part of their name.  As you can gage from the following interview, Earth Mama Angel Baby is looking out for the Earth as they create products that are good for mamas and babies.  Find our more about this TLB sponsor, and enter the giveaway below. 

MelindaOlson

TLB:  What makes breastfeeding eco-friendly?

Melinda:  It’s to-go meals without any waste! No bottles, no formula, no transport costs. Of course you can buy things that make breastfeeding easier, or more comfortable, or more efficient for you, but at its simplest, breastfeeding is completely self-sustaining.

TLB:  How does Earth Mama’s mission support eco-friendly breastfeeding?

Melinda:  Everything Earth Mama does is about providing safe, comforting products for the benefit of mamas and babies. That includes Mother Earth. We use organic and sustainably grown herbs and continually refine products as organic ingredients or more efficient herbs are available. We make the extra effort to certify our products, and use certified organic herbs because “certified organic” is the only way you can know for sure an herb was planted, grown, harvested and handled in a safe and sustainable way. Of course there are no petrochemicals, artificial ingredients or toxins in any Earth Mama product, ever. We choose green and toxin-free business practices because we have a company-wide commitment to honor the earth and her valuable resources. It isn’t just breastfeeding, we approach every aspect of pregnancy and childbirth in a eco-minded way.

TLB:  Which products specifically support breastfeeding?

Melinda:  USDA Certified 100% Organic Milkmaid Tea helps support healthy breast milk production naturally, with time- and science-tested herbs known to help increase milk supply. Natural Nipple Butter is certified organic by Oregon Tilth and helps soothe sore, cracked nipples without petrochemicals or lanolin (which many mamas avoid due to concerns about allergies and pesticide residue). Booby Tubes® are 100% natural, gel-free breast packs that can be used warm or cold, depending on what breasts need!

TLB:  Would you call yourselves eco-minded, tree-hugging, peace mamas? 

Melinda:  We love to sign our correspondence, “Peace, love and Natural Nipple Butter for All!” so yeah, I guess you could say that!

___________________

 Earth Mama Angel Baby is giving away 3 Breastfeeding Essentials Bundles to 3 lucky Leakies
(one per winner).  

Retail Value: $44.09 each

The Breastfeeding Essentials Bundle offers soothing comfort to nourish a new mama’s breasts, so she can nourish her angel baby, naturally.

breastfeed_bundle_2

Currently Leakies can find the Breastfeeding Essentials Bundle and other organic pregnancy, breastfeeding and baby care items on the Earth Mama Angel Baby website.

_________________________

Good luck to everyone!  Please use the widget below to be entered.  The giveaway is open from April 22, 2013 through April 30, 2013.  A big thanks to Earth Mama Angel Baby for their ongoing support of TLB and all breastfeeding women; please be sure to visit their Facebook page  or follow them on twitter  (@EarthMamaHQ on Twitter) and thank them for their support of TLB and this giveaway opportunity.

This giveaway is restricted to U.S. residents only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway