It’s the 85,000 pound gorilla in the room.
I first discovered it in grad school. I’d worked for years on health and environmental issues, but a new stat stunned me. At Harvard Medical School, I learned there are 85,000 synthetic chemicals (new materials that never existed in nature) that surround us daily. They’re in everything from our toothpaste to the living room couch.
The kicker? The vast majority of these chemicals has never been adequately tested for safety or potential toxicity. Just because it’s sold in a store doesn’t mean it’s tested and safe. Every day companies introduce products containing harmful ingredients - unregulated.
Meanwhile, children’s environmental health research increasingly shows that exposure to such toxic chemicals, particularly during fragile periods of development including pregnancy, can cause preterm birth, birth defects, autism spectrum disorder, childhood asthma, obesity to a range of cancers, among other diseases.
Of course, nothing focuses you like pregnancy and a new child. When I became a mom, more than at any other time in my life, I wanted to do my best. I was ready to change habits, diet, purchases. Anything to have the healthiest pregnancy and baby possible.
But it wasn’t easy. I knew about the 800 pound gorilla and still, even seemingly simple questions - what’s safe and what’s not? – never had simple answers. Other moms were frustrated too. Turns out, only 1 in 15 doctors has been trained in toxic chemicals, and only 1 in 5 say they talk to you about it. It’s just not top of their list – yet. So it became top of mine.
I set out to learn - and the lessons weren't pretty. Something needed to change. That’s why I started SafetyNEST. At SafetyNEST we believe every pregnant woman deserves easy access to clear, credible, concise and actionable information to safeguard her pregnancy and baby.
We're here to help you make your NEST safe. All our tips and recommendations come from top tier sources and from our nonprofit arm, SafetyNEST Science and its partners who represent the most credible reproductive environmental health research centers in the United States.
We deliver top tier content that’s personalized and engaging – so you can easily make changes that have a profound, positive impact on your baby – and the health of your baby’s baby too.
Let us know what you think: info@mysafetynest.com. I look forward to hearing from you!
Alexandra Destler
Founder + CEO
