Parent to Parent: Green Nursery

WSVN -- Little Camilla Ruano loves to snuggle in her crib for an afternoon nap.

But today, her mom got some shocking news about her comfy crib mattress.

Stephanie Sher: "They have to, by law, spray this entire mattress with a flame retardant PBDE's, which are banned in Europe. They just got banned in California, and they just got banned in Washington."

Stephanie Sher is a mom on a mission to get dangerous products out of the nursery. She started Mama's Organic Baby, designed to help parents go organic.

Stephanie Sher: "I like to inform parents, educate them, let them know about the products that they currently have in their home and hopefully, by the time the baby's born or for the next child, they can start off with the correct products that are chemical free."

Going green is great, but it's not cheap. Items are usually two to three times the price of non-organic products.

Stephanie Sher: "So what do you do if you have a mattress that is not organic?"

Stephanie says, instead of buying an expensive organic mattress, you can layer your present mattress with organic wool.

Stephanie Sher: "You want to create as many layers as possible."

As for toys, look for organic wood, rubber or cotton toys with plant-based dyes, and be careful of all plastics. Stephanie found bottles in the pantry that contain a harmful chemical called BPA.

Stephanie Sher: "When this chemical gets heated up through dish-washing, sterilization, microwave, it leaches into the liquid."

Ana Paula Ruano: "I'm going to get rid of them little by little, and if I'm looking for something new, now I understand what I'm looking for."

Lorena Lumbreras has a son who's a year old and another on the way. She says she'll also go green a little at a time.

Lorena Lumbreras: "Step-by-step I'll try to change what I have in order to give him the best."

Hard lessons learned, but these moms are glad they did.

Gloria Perez: "From now on I will try to read and then to find out what's harmful, and what's a good thing for the baby."

Because going green is all about knowing exactly what you're buying.

Stephanie Sher: "I'd love moms to become more empowered to ask questions and not be afraid to question those labels and to call up the manufacturers and ask, what is this made from?"

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Dr. Valerie Goode
www.drvaleriegoode.com

Mama's Organic Baby
www.mamasorganicbaby.com