When you're expecting a baby, you want a nursery that's beautiful, welcoming and soothing. But you also want to create a place that's safe for your child to breathe and play. Many building supplies and home furnishings contain chemicals that can be harmful when ingested or inhaled.

"Children are like canaries in the coal mine," says Maggie Wood of Maggie Wood Design, a New York-based design and consulting firm focused exclusively on green residential and commercial design. "They're the ones who will be affected by much lower levels of toxins and chemicals. If you make one room in the house green, make it your children's room."

Pregnancy is one thing, but giving birth is quite another. While working through the physical and emotional changes that accompany pregnancy may seem like a big enough challenge, you still have to think about how to bring your baby into the world. The answer may seem obvious to women who have always wanted to have a natural birth or to those who are convinced that a cesarean section is the way to go, but many women have no idea how their babies will born until they are faced with the decision.

Location, Location, Location

It’s all about the location. Deciding how you want to give birth is directly connected to where you want to give birth. Sure, some women give birth in the car while stuck in traffic, but there are much better places to have your baby. Most births happen in one of three places: in the hospital, in a birthing center, or at home. Each location has distinct advantages and disadvantages and each woman must decide on the situation that will make her feel most comfortable physically and emotionally.

Hospital

Having a baby in a hospital gives a pregnant woman the security of conventional medicine. If complications were to arise during birth, the hospital’s medical staff would be able to treat the woman and her baby with the ultimate in high-tech equipment and medication. For some, this is non-optional protection. If a woman needs to undergo an emergency – or elective – cesarean section, a hospital is the only place it can be performed. A hospital is also the only choice for women who want to give birth with the assistance of an epidural. A serious form of anesthesia, an epidural is not a DIY procedure (i.e. a very large needle is used to administer the drug). It is possible to have a natural birth in a hospital and to bring along the midwife and/or doula that you’ve been working with throughout your pregnancy, though proponents of natural birth (free from drugs and/or medical intervention) believe that women often get pressured into an epidural and or/cesarean section once they are in the confines of a hospital.

Admittedly, a hospital is not the warmest place to go through one of the most emotionally exciting and physically draining experiences of your life. Most hospitals have mastered cold and clinical with pea green walls and steel gray floors. But some have picked up on the need for cozier birthing spaces and have responded with in-house birthing suites. These rooms allow women to give birth in an environment that simulates the home, with the security of a hospital’s medical staff.

Women who choose a hospital birth often have the option of choosing to deliver with an obstetrician or a certified nurse midwife.

Birth Centers

Birth centers offer women the opportunity to give birth in a supervised environment with no medical interference. The birthing process is led by a certified nurse midwife who helps laboring moms-to-be do what feels best to facilitate a safe and easy birth. Unlike hospitals, where the mother is encouraged (required if an epidural is involved) to remain on her back in bed, women are encouraged to walk around, squat, or move onto her hands and knees. Birth centers also allow the mother to bring in the support people of her choice – mother, sister, best friend, and husband can all share in the experience. Finally, birth centers differ from hospitals in that they follow no prescribed medical procedures. No enema, no IV, no continuous electronic fetal monitoring, and no routine episiotomies. That said, all birthing centers in the U.S. are in close contact with a local hospital--many are located within hospitals, on a separate floor or wing from the regular maternity ward--and are prepared to transfer mother and baby in case of emergencies.

Having a baby and raising your family changes your life and certainly your body. But does that mean forever? Most women gain around 30 pounds during pregnancy and shed about 20 pounds within the first month after delivery. The last infamous and dreaded 10 pounds can be difficult to get off. While exercise can help you return to your pre-pregnancy weight, as well as help you manage the stress and strain of having a new baby in your life, you may wonder how you are going get back into shape and fit exercise into your new life with a baby.

I didn’t need another bag. Then I really started thinking things through and realized that if I was ever going to take my infant daughter outside of the home I would need a dedicated bag filled with her stuff, and that instead of just any old bag lying around, I would benefit by one designed with a baby in mind. I didn’t think about ergonomics, environmentalism or green purchase power, I just bought the first one that wasn’t too ugly. But when looking for a diaper bag for my pregnant friend I began searching for one with some ecological merit. And boy, did I hit the jackpot!

Earthpak makes bags for all ages and needs in Muenster, Texas, from recycled soda bottles. The proprietary material is made in an environmentally conscious way: soda bottles are ground into pellets, then processed into a yarn that is then woven into a very durable fabric. Even better, earth friendly dyes are used.The bags are super strong, very comfortable, and really nice looking, to boot.