Starting a Family? Read This

As a midwife and women's health practitioner for over 30 years, my mission was to help mothers deliver healthy babies. I'm not delivering anymore, but today, bringing healthy babies into this world is still my purpose and my passion.

A lot has changed over the past 30 years. Years ago, parents would simply breathe a sigh of relief when they saw 10 fingers and 10 toes. No more.

Today's parents are concerned with whether their child will be the one in every 88 diagnosed with autism; or if their daughter will be among the alarming number of children with premature puberty.  The age of menarche is now 10 years old; a century ago it was 16!

What has changed? In the span of just two generations, an onslaught of an estimated 80,000 chemicals has been released into our environment.

Testing conducted by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) sheds light on some of what ails us. A 2009 bio-monitoring report by the CDC found the average American has 212 different damaging toxins (tested from blood and urine). Where do those toxins go and what do they do?

Those not eliminated by your body's defenses-your liver, kidneys, bowel and skin-get stored in the body, most often in the fatty tissues. These toxins can wreak havoc on your health, including your reproductive health.

Are environmental toxins having an effect on fertility?

The reality is that infertility is becoming increasingly widespread. Plastics, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and heavy metals are known endocrine (hormone) disrupters. Many of them mimic estrogen in the body, creating imbalance in a delicate system that requires precise hormones for a woman to ovulate and get pregnant.

These endocrine disrupters affect guys too. Bisphenol-A (BPA) can disrupt a man's ability to produce healthy sperm. BPA is found in water bottles, store receipts, and the lining of many canned goods. A recent study by the Harvard School of Public Health found those eating canned soup saw a 1,200% increase in BPA!  It is everywhere!

There can be no doubt the accumulated exposure to hormone-disrupting chemicals are having an effect, as detailed in this recent European Environment Agency report.

And what are the risks when women do get pregnant?

While the medical community used to believe the placenta protected a baby, a landmark 2005 study showed over 200 toxins found in the cord blood that a baby depends on for nourishment.

These chemicals pose a risk to the developing baby, who does not yet have fully formed defense mechanisms such as a detoxifying liver or mature blood-brain barrier. According to the CDC, one in 10 women of childbearing age has mercury levels high enough to cause harm to the neurological development of baby. And a recent study showed exposure to pesticides during pregnancy is associated with lower birth weights and an increase in birth defects.

In an increasingly toxic world, what can you do?

More and more research shows the way to keep baby healthy is by keeping mom healthy. In our toxic world, living a healthy lifestyle is important, but not enough. Our body cannot rid itself of all these toxins on its own-we must detoxify-and thanks to a natural mineral zeolite known as clinoptilolite, now we can.

This natural mineral features a cage-like structure, and is negatively-charged, making it a perfect match for positively-charged toxins. It is inert in the body-so it is never metabolized or stored-simply passing through in four to six hours, taking toxins with it.

Studies show positive outcomes in the offspring of pregnant animals supplemented with clinoptilolite. My own daughters have used clinoptilolite to detoxify through five pregnancies, and my grandchildren amaze me with their verbal skills and aptitudes.

You only get one chance to grow a healthy baby. One day, everyone will know that detoxification is essential to creating the best possible environment for baby to grow. Today, with the clinoptilolite product Pure Body, you don't have to wait.

For anyone looking to decrease their toxic exposure, I recommend Pure Body for its unprecedented third-party testing for purity, safety and efficacy. And it is affordable for every family, and perhaps the most valuable gift you can give to your future child.

Vicki Latham, PA-C

As a licensed midwife, Vicki Latham delivered more than 500 babies. A board certified OB/GYN Physician Assistant, Vicki has dispensed health advice to thousands of women throughout her career. A passionate supporter of the importance of detoxification and whole foods in creating healthier outcomes for mom and baby, Vicki uses and recommends the products of Touchstone Essentials for their purity, value, and efficacy.

The information in this article is intended for educational purposes only. The views expressed are those of Vicki Latham, and she has not been compensated in any way for this article. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration, and any products referenced are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. It's just the good inside.