Who knew there was such a thing as skin lightening creams? A new study on the prevalence of mercury in the environment was just released. As usual, things are worse than anyone thought. _____ "Mercury contamination is more pervasive in New England than researchers previously believed, according to a study being released today that indicates the toxic substance appears to be polluting the environment in ways that scientists previously did not think possible. The four-year study in Northeastern United States and eastern Canada also indicates significant levels of mercury in forest songbirds and other animals that researchers did not suspect were ingesting mercury. The study, comprising 21 papers being published in the journal Ecotoxicology, also identifies nine hot spots in the region, including in the lower Merrimack River area in Massachusetts and New Hampshire where mercury levels in animals such as brook trout, loons, mink, and eagles are alarmingly high. In some locations, the levels appear to be interfering with some species' reproduction. "The impacts of mercury go well beyond what anyone would have envisioned yesterday," said Michael Bender, director of the Mercury Policy Project in Vermont and cochairman of the state mercury committee, who was not involved in the study. "It doesn't look like there are any limits on mercury's reach." The $300,000 study, financed by the US Department of Agriculture's Northeastern States Research Cooperative, enlisted 50 scientists to analyze existing data of mercury in animals, soil, rivers, lakes, and streams. It also looked for the first time at mercury levels in such species as salamanders and songbirds in the region.For years, scientists and public policy makers have focused on mercury that is emitted from power plants and incinerators and falls into lakes and ponds, where it is easily converted into its toxic form when it interacts with bacteria in freshwater sediment. Across the region, pregnant woman and children have been warned not to eat many freshwater fish because the creatures can pass on the mercury concentrated in their flesh. (clip) But today's report indicates that the same type of toxic conversion may be happening on mountaintops and forests, with mercury falling out of the sky onto tree leaves and then dropping onto the moist forest floor. Tiny insects then take up the mercury, and as insects are eaten by larger creatures the mercury accumulates in greater concentrations up the food chain, said David C. Evers, executive director of the BioDiversity Research Institute who helped conceive the research idea with Tom Clair, of Environment Canada, that country's environmental protection agency. "These terrestrial systems have been completely overlooked," said Evers, who wants far more monitoring of the environment. "It's a complicated story, and we don't have all the answers yet." _____ Here is a link that might be useful: Boston Globe

Chances you got pregnant are pretty much nil, so you should stop worrying. As far as IF you are, there are many people out there that are birth-control pill babies (I know that contradicts what I just said, but bear with me here). Those people are the ones that their mothers got pregnant while #1 being the .01% chance of getting pregnant failure rate while on the pill or #2 not taking the pill regularly, but still taking it. Since MOST of the time you've used double forms of control, again chances are very very very very (you get the idea) slim you're preg. As far as taking the preg test...read them, you may be able to still your fears and take them, I think EPT you can take them earlier than after a missed period. Vickey-MN

I misspelled valproate. Antidepressants have been on the market since the 1950s. I don't know how much of a role they've played in the rise of autism, but in my opinion they are certainly overprescribed. Time magazine says 1 in 10 Americans is on an antidepressant. Scary. It seems clear that a large percentage of cases of autism must be caused by something we're doing now that we didn't used to do, or something we used to do that we're failing to do now. Could some of the chemicals in today's processed foods be culprits? It's a thought. But my #1 suspect is ultrasound. Talk about overprescribed! Not only are obstetricians promoting regular prenatal ultrasounds ("Let's see how your baby's doing"....), but mall ultrasound boutiques are luring expectant couples with "4-D" (whatever that is) ultrasound videos. It has been documented that ultrasound has an effect on the baby's nervous system. It's well known that ultrasound produces an abnormal percentage of left-handed boys. Lefthandedness by itself isn't something to get alarmed about, but who knows what else those prenatal ultrasounds are doing?

Sorry it took so long to get back. There are several essential oil which pregnant women should avoid during pregnany, such as, peppermint, which is a stimulant and used to get labor going. Eucalyptus and Rosemary are also recommended to not use during pregancy. Lavender is used to relax and calm and is used during labor sometimes to calm. Lye, as we all know, is caustic and should not be inhaled even if you are not pregnant. It is a chemical so it should be used very carefully pregnant or not. I am opting to not use during pregnancy, my DH gets to make the CP soap right not :) Regarding FO, they are synthetic chemicals as well and there is not much out there on guidelines on use during pregnancy, I am trying to touch it as little as possible, wearing latex gloves etc. There is so much out there today that can already be harmful during pregnancy that I don't want to add anything else which may harm the developing fetus. Another EO pregnant women should avoid is Pennyroyal (for that matter most women should avoid it) it can actually change your menstrual cycle etc. I am going to read up some more on EO etc during pregancy if I find anything interesting I will post. Elle