Growing Up Green. Baby and Child Care. Volume 2 in the Bestselling Green This! Series Green This!

Customer Reviews

Breastfeeding is Bad?

2008-10-01
I never purchased the book, a co-worker brought it in and asked my opinion.

Deirdre Imus pretty much loses credibility with me when she suggests there are better alternatives then breast milk. She's in total defiance of Mother Nature and prefers feeding your child with factory produced substitutes and that's extremely alarming.

I get all that about meat being bad for you but being a slave to Science it's my understanding it was animal fat that led to modern man's development including brain expansion which let to superior intelligence. Isn't it just possible there are benefits to be had from meat that we haven't been informed about?

I know many Asian families that migrated to America and one thing I've noticed is their children tower over their parents. I can't help wonder if the American hamburger / diet had anything to do with that. Most Asians I know that migrated are not big meat eaters, as they prefer fish, rice and vegetables. Their American children however love hamburgers and hot dogs.

It's very important to employ critical thinking skills when you read such one-sided arguments against meats, breast-feeding, etc. Some have political agendas, PETA, Environmentalists, money, etc. That's not to suggest some don't have legitimate arguments.

I will close by stating today's man lives far longer then ever before, so beware of the fear-mongers and their agendas.

Ricky

Not as good as I thought

2008-09-12
As being a "green" mom I was very disappointed with this book. She says that cloth diapers "overwhelmed" her by having to wash them with a newborn. Umm maybe you should buy more so you don't have to wash them everyday. I cloth diaper and it's so easy for me, I throw them in the wash every other day and volia! fresh clean diapers. Then she goes on to say she used disposables, the "green" ones (Tushies) I don't think using any disposable is going "green" . The kicker is when her son got "too big for regular diapers but not yet potty trained" She used PULL UPS! That's the beauty of most one size cloth diapers they can go up to 35 pounds! This lady has no idea how to be "green". I reccomend "Raising Baby Green" By Alan Greene, a much better book!

Scary book

2008-07-27
I started reading this book with a neutral/positive attitude and after reading a quarter of it I was totally alienated. The author makes sure to quote experts for straightforward ideas such as "fetal alcohol syndrom is difficult to detect at birth." Yet for more controversial ideas, no sources or basis other than her opinion is given, such as "I never eat fish." Well, good for her, but why? I am well aware of the dangers of mercury, but never have I heard any advice on going without fish given its benefits for mothers and unborn babies such as the omega 3s. Same thing for her advice about dairy. Every day I read about experts lamenting the lack of calcium in growing kid's bodies and yet Ms Imus claims that given that non-organic dairy has problems, we should go dairy free. I would think that the benefits of organic dairy would outweigh its costs, but for some reason her sense of propriety has been offended by all things dairy. She thinks that fruits and veggies are all you need, but she does not talk about how to replace the missing protein and calcium if you forego meat, fish, poultry, dairy, and also vitamin supplements... Someone who wants to follow her advice may cause serious developmental problems on their kids. I am all for raising vegetarian or vegan kids, but in addition to talking about how to exclude things from our diet, shouldn't we also consider how to replace what we exclude?

I agree with others who hated her book about her advice on breastfeeding. Her book should be banned or sold with a disclaimer such as "NOT approved by XYZ medical association" for her claim that organic formula may have benefits over breastfeeding. After reading this, I would not be surprised if she claimed that "babies should not be held because mothers are carriers of all sorts of chemicals. If you really have to hold your baby, be sure to use organic mittens."

Not the best choice

2008-07-23
This book does provide some useful links and ideas but it is mostly a testament of what worked for the author personally and for her one and only child. The book is preachy and light on facts, heavy on opinions. I was horrified by her remarks that state breastfeeding may not be the best choice due to toxins in breastmilk. She does her readers a real disservice by presenting this idea and giving links to organic formula. According to La Leche League International, a reputable authority on breastfeeding, human milk is still the best choice. Also there was not much information on cloth diapering -- the author glossed over the idea saying she could not keep up with the laundry rather than giving resources or facts about a great green idea. I am glad I got this at the library and saved my cash for better resources.

Very disappointed

2008-07-09
When I ordered this book, I was so excited to get it. I am always looking for resources that support my decisions for a healthier life style and give me more ideas to implement those choices.

As the mother of three, I have always tried to give my children the best start in life - from good prenatal care, unmedicated births and exclusive breastfeeding to making my own baby food, not vaccinating, buying healthy foods and limiting their exposure to media.

I was appalled to read Imus' very limited and very uninformed information on breastfeeding - which I had assumed would be a very large part of "Growing Up Green." After all, what is "greener" than that? True, there are some toxins present in breastmilk, but what about the toxins and artificial ingredients in formula? What about all the toxins and wasted resources that go into making the formula? What about all the waste that goes into landfills from the packaging of formula and the bottles that must be used to feed the formula? I can't think of anything LESS "green" than that, not to mention the fact that infant formulas have been recalled many times due to contamination. To even imply that artificial feeding (organic or not) is in some way better for our children than breastfeeding is ludicrous.

Imus also writes about how unhealthy our diets are, which is totally true for most Americans. However, she fails to discuss that a mother who has a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and other healthy foods is exposing her child to various tastes through her breastmilk and is therefore more likely to have a child who will develop a taste for these foods.

She mentions several times about the childhood obesity epidemic and the rise in various childhood illnesses such as asthma, allergies and diabetes, yet fails to mention that breastfeeding has been proven to prevent obesity and these other childhood diseases that she speaks so often about. Not only is breastfeeding healthier for children, but also for mothers. Research shows that breastfeeding significantly reduces a woman's chances of pre menopausal breast cancer.

Perhaps one of the most important things Ms. Imus neglects to mention is the fact that breastmilk provides antibodies and immunities to protect our children from various illnesses. That is something that infant formula has never been able to replicate - and probably never will. Breastmilk is a live food, a perfect food. For someone who speaks so often of the importance of making whole foods a part of our diets, she is doing a real disservice to the women and children of this country by suggesting that artificial feeding is in any way equal to or better than breastfeeding simply because there may be toxins present in a mother's milk.

Excellent Resource Material for New Parents....

2008-06-24
The essential, parent-friendly guide to raising a healthy child in our increasingly toxic environment.

The second volume in the New York Times bestselling Green This! series, Growing Up Green: Baby and Child Care is a complete guide to raising healthy kids. Environmental activist and children's advocate Deirdre Imus addresses specific issues faced by children in every age group -- from infants to adolescents and beyond. With a focus on preventing rather than treating childhood illnesses, Deirdre concentrates on educating and empowering parents with information such as:

• How to make sure your child is vaccinated safely
• Which plastic bottles and toys are least toxic
• How to lobby for safer school environments and support children's environmental health studies
• Advice from leading "green" pediatricians and nationally recognized doctors such as Mehmet C. Oz, M.D.

Chock-full of research and advice, Growing Up Green makes it easy for you to introduce your child to the "living green" way of life.

What an excellent resource! 2008-06-23
Deirdre does an excellent job outlining positive ways to remove toxins in your child's enviornment. All the resources for what you need is in one place!

This book now is part of every baby shower gift and should be a way of life. Its practical and can help you take the necessary steps to improving your childs enviornment and health.

I'm a "tree-hugger" but I hated this book. 2008-06-11
This book is horrible. It's so unrealistic and condescending. Don't bother with this one!

This book lost it's credibility when the author questioned breastfeeding's benefits. 2008-06-05
I really wanted to like this book. I try my best to raise my chilren "green". To me breastfeeding and being green go hand in hand. Breastmilk is by far superior to infant formulas. To even think that the toxins that are found in breastmilk outweigh the benefits of breastfeeding for both mother and child are laughable. Breastfeeding rates here in the U.S. are already low, I am sad to think that new mothers who read this book might be influenced by it's information and advertisements of organic infant formulas.

Must-read for new mothers 2008-05-27
This is an easy-to-read reference for new mothers and mothers-to-be.
(Even grandmothers) I have bought 5 already as an addition to baby gifts with good responses from the recipients. Mrs. Imus provides the most recent research studies to support her advice as well as many examples of products, not just her own, to use that do not contain toxins. The book contains many suggestions on how to instill healthy habits in your children in their earliest years.