I'm Turning into a Hippy

I've lived in Oregon my entire life (minus the year I lived in England, but you get the point).  And Oregon is kind of known for our hippy, tree-hugging ways.  We are, after all, the home of Portland.  I don't know if you've seen Portlandia or not, but let me just tell you... it's true.

It is funny because it is true.  And then it becomes not funny because it is so true.

Even though I own a pair of birkenstocks, several flannel shirts, recycle, and my own personal rock climbing gear (because I used to go rock climbing outside fairly frequently in college), I would not consider myself a hippy by any means.

I eat meat.  I don't compost.  I don't ride my bike to work.  I don't use Seventh Generation household cleaners.  I don't eat organic.  I'm not afraid of BPA (my husband is getting his PhD in toxicology and if you're interested, he can talk for HOURS about how the whole BPA thing isn't factual).  I don't use clothe grocery bags.

But now that I am pregnant, I am finding all of these hippy-ish tendencies coming to light.  It partially has to do with the almost toxicologist husband.  But I'm finding I all of a sudden have this large concern for the environment.  Don't get me wrong, I love the environment but I never thought I would make decisions about my baby based on the environment.

How are my hippy-ways surfacing?  Let me tell you...

-  We signed up for Bradley birthing classes because I want a natural childbirth.  If we get down the labor road and I decide I can't take the pain, I reserve the right to change my mind and beg for an epidural.  But if I had my choice, I'd rather not.

-  I want to clothe diaper.  It's partially because disposable diapers are so expensive and partially because I hate the idea of all those diapers doing to a landfill.  Especially since I know enough about diapers to know that they take forever to degrade and even if their are incinerated (like the garbage in our area is), burned garbage releases pollutants into the air.

-  I already make my own laundry soap.

-  I want to breastfeed as long as I possibly can (within reason).  I'd like to go the whole first year.  Part of it is because we are having a boy and study after study has indicated that breastfeeding significantly helps boys with socialization and reading skills (how on earth they confirm this, I have no idea but I did read it).  A big part of it is that my husband is still a student and formula, like disposable diapers, is expensive.

-  When it came time to pick out bottles for our registry, I only wanted glass ones.  Why?  Because Phil informs me that glass is the only product that won't have some kind of by-products (like BPA, only real).


I have no idea where any of this stuff came from.  I know my family thinks I'm a little crazy and idealistic.  But whatever.  I'm going to be a new mother and I'm allowed to have my own crazy ideas about how I want to do things, right?

I promise I will still bathe regularly and shave my underarms.  :)