First off, nice! We are super excited for you!
Now that the relationship is serious, have you started thinking a little bit more about what your life might be like together in the future? Maybe you are at the point where you are leaving a toothbrush at the other's place, or maybe it's a little more serious - like talking about moving in together. No matter how serious "serious" is for you, we've got a suggestion for making that step of the relationship a little healthier.
Sleeping Together
So maybe this happened before the "where are we going" talk - no judgement on this end. We just want to make sure you are covered when it comes to safe sex both in terms of sexual health and physical health. No matter your preferred form of birth control, barrier protection is suggested to prevent against the spread of STIs. But, that protection doesn't need to introduce chemicals into your body. Check out the brands we are loving right now that all use natural rubber and say no to chemicals like parabens.
Leaving a toothbrush at the other's place
If you are going to leave your toothbrush, you probably want to at least be able to borrow the toothpaste, right? So, make sure it's one that you both like and one that is safe. Triclosan, a chemicals often added to products as an antimicrobial, has been found in some Colgate toothpastes (that's the only brand in the US that uses triclosan). The FDA banned the use of triclosan in soap and body wash, but didn't talk about its use in toothpaste, which is why it can still be found in some. To avoid developing possible side effects like messing with your hormones or immune system, and to protect you and your BAE, we suggest getting a new toothpaste that is triclosan free to go with that new toothbrush you are leaving at the SO's place. Goodbye morning breath!
Working out together
This is a big one, you let them see you all sweaty and gross and you're cool with it. So, if it's getting that serious, you are definitely in it enough to say that they have to ditch the bottled water and invest in a reusable water bottle. You can even get matching ones, if that's your thing. Plastic water bottles aren't meant to be reused and can easily leak chemicals into the bottle if you refill them time after time. Learn more about why plastic bottles are bad and then stop and pick up one of these cool reusable water bottles from our roundup.
Moving in together
This ups the ante. You are now about to share your space, for good. So, make sure you are doing that in a space that isn't slowly leaking chemicals onto you all the time. Chances are one or both of you has a mattress, but chances are much higher that neither one of you actually owns the perfect couch for all those nights when you're binging your new fav Netflix show. So, make sure that couch isn't introducing a whole lot of chemicals into your new shared space. We have some tips for buying your first real couch, or if you are looking to buy one online, we have a list that you know for sure is flame retardant free.
Starting a family
Maybe you're only thinking about it, maybe you talked about it a few times, or hey, maybe you are even trying to conceive or just got pregnant, no matter how far along you are, we have a few tips that can make getting both yourself and your home ready for a kid a little easier and safer. If you are earlier in the process like just thinking or talking about having kids, our biggest tips are to limit your interaction with pesticides as much as possible, so don't use them in your home and buy organic when you can. Chemicals that we are exposed to in everyday life have a big impact on both men and women when it comes to fertility. If you are further along, check out these three easy swaps you can make that will protect both mom and baby from chemicals that you might be coming in contact with and not even realize it.
