Organic Baby Blog – News & Tips on Organic Parenting

Choosing the Very Best Organic Crib Sheets

July 20th, 2011

Your baby spends two-thirds of his or her day sleeping, especially in the early months. That is why it is so important to make your child’s crib as safe as possible. Although many parents opt for cute bedding sets that include a matching blanket, crib sheet and bumper, it’s best to stick to the basics and use an organic crib mattress and organic fitted crib sheet. This is what keeps the crib the safest for a young child and ensures that your little one will have a restful sleep.

Organic crib sheets are essential to a baby’s crib, as they fit over the crib mattress and mattress protector, serving as a comfortable place for baby to sleep. It’s best to have several crib sheets on hand, as baby will go through many! Making the decision to choose organic crib sheets is an excellent way to cut down on the harmful chemicals and toxins that leech into the air while baby sleeps. With traditional baby bedding, cotton crops are grown using harmful pesticides, and the fibers are treated with flame retardants. In turn, these toxins are released into the air when baby sleeps, causing skin irritations, allergies and breathing difficulties.

Organic crib sheets are the best option for all children, especially those that are prone to allergies or asthma. There are several different options to choose from, with the most common being organic cotton. Exceptionally soft and the most affordable option, organic cotton sheets are made from cotton that is untreated and un-dyed. Because of this, the sheets are available in earthy colors such as beige and brown.

Another option is organic wool, which has moisture wicking properties that allow baby to regulate his or her temperature through all seasons. With the natural properties of wool that keep it free from mold, bacteria and mildew, there are no chemicals needed in the manufacturing process. And, wool does not have to be treated with flame retardant chemicals, plastics or formaldehyde. Find out as much as possible when selecting wool organic crib sheets such as where the wool comes from. Many manufacturers are happy to say their products come from free-range sheep that are fed a healthy, chemical free diet.

In addition to organic cotton and wool selections, you can also opt for the increasingly popular bamboo crib sheets. Made from bamboo, these sheets are Eco-friendly and come from a sustainable resource. Bamboo crib sheets are available in a variety of light, neutral colors and have a soft and cozy texture. Best of all, bamboo organic crib sheets are easy to care for, odor resistant and thermal regulating.

Posted in Organic Crib Sheets, Wool | No Comments »

Top 5 Baby Clothes Buying Tips

August 11th, 2009

For many parents buying baby clothes is one of the most complicated sets of decisions thrown at them. I wanted to take a few minutes to summarize some of the baby clothes buying guidelines that will not only make your life a little easier but also will most likely save you some money in the process.

1. Buy Baby Clothes Big

Now this one is a bit obvious, babies grow. And so it is always smart to err on the side of buying big as apposed to a perfect fit. In this same stream of thought plan ahead, a great way to save money on baby clothes is to look for good deals on clothes your child will need next season or even next year.

2. The Unisex Solution

Of course this one applies to if you do not yet know the sex of your child, but the value in this baby clothes rule doesn’t stop there. By buying unisex outfits of gender neutral colors such as cool yellows or lime greens you open the door to saving money on clothes for future children and make handing them down over time much easier.

3. Function before Fashion

This one is a huge pet peeve of mine. Function before fashion is one of the most important rules regarding baby clothes second only to safety. It can be easy to get charmed into super cute outfits that are completely impractical. Watch out for lots of bows, buttons, ribbons, etc. Extra fasteners and such only get in the way of diaper changing duty which parents know at times can be quite urgent. Function is especially important at bedtime, make sure your child’s pajamas are safe and easy access. The last time you want to be trying to figure out some crazy elaborate outfit is at 2:30am while your child is screaming.

4. Don’t Forget the Feet

Covering your baby’s feet can be very tricky. Socks don’t always stay on long and easily get lost in the day’s action. The best bet here is to go with onesies or pants with footsies attached.

5. Wash Before Wearing

This is something that most people do anyway, but it is worth mentioning. Many baby clothes are made or treated with harsh chemicals and even if you buy organic cotton baby clothes they still have gone through a lot of handling and moving about. Baby skin is much more sensitive then adults, washing new baby clothes not only makes the clothes safer but softer, your child will thank you.

So there you have it, 5 simple guidelines that can make the process of choosing baby clothes much more simple. Good luck, and if you have any questions please feel free to ask.

Tags: baby, clothing, Cotton
Posted in Cotton, General, Organic Baby Clothes | No Comments »

The Benefits of Organic Cotton

June 21st, 2009

Organic cotton is cotton that is grown and processed without chemical pesticides or fertilizers from plants that are not genetically modified.  The organic cotton industry is one that has been growing by leaps and bounds the last several years.  But what are some of the reasons to choose organic cotton over traditional produced cotton products?  I mean you don’t eat it right so what is the big deal.  As it turns out there are many reasons to go with organic cotton starting with the effects the industry has long before it ever reaches the consumer.

Cotton farming is among the most intensive with the use of toxic chemical fertilizers and pesticides, some of which were originally designed as chemical weapons.  We are talking about 2.6 billion pounds of pesticides a year released into the environment.  These chemicals make up around 16% of the worlds pesticides. For pair of jeans and t-shirt produced there is an associated one pound of toxic chemicals added to our environment, yikes.  The cotton industry is also heavily reliant on forced child labor, which is bad in and of itself, but when you add these toxic chemicals into the work environment it is just awful.   So, after the cotton is harvested it obviously must undergo rigorous processing to become the cotton products we use.  Traditional cotton is also treated with many other toxic chemicals at this stage, residuals from these chemicals can irritate the skin and are potentially bad for your health.  The risks from the toxins used on cotton are especially bad for babies whose skin is thinner and more porous then adults.

There are many companies now that manufacture and sell quality organic cotton products.  After doing the research the choice is clear, choosing organic cotton is choosing better health for your family as well as the workers on the farm, it is choosing a cleaner environment for all of us, and due to the general higher quality and resilience of the cotton it is choosing to save money.

Tags: Cotton, organic
Posted in Cotton, General, Organic Baby Bedding, Organic Baby Clothes | 2 Comments »

“Organic” Is More Than Just Edibles

March 24th, 2009

When we tell people about Organic Baby Wearhouse, all too often the response is “How are clothes even organic” or “How is organic any better than regular baby clothing”. More and more people are beginning to accept and embrace organic foods, but when it comes to clothing there is often a disconnect. Many just don’t understand the problems with traditionally produced clothing and the benefits (health and environmental) of organic baby clothing.

Whole Foods Market has put together a great video of an interview with Lynda Fassa, founder of Green Babies. Lynda points out a number of facts about organic cotton and clothing that should be considered when shopping for your baby.

• Conventional cotton farming uses pesticides that may be harmful to your baby and the environment.
• Cottonseed oil and cotton hulls from conventional cotton (pesticides and all) is included in many snack foods.
• Pesticides from conventional farming find their way into the surrounding streams and rivers.
• The cost of organic clothing is falling and becoming more competitive with traditionally produced clothes.

Tags: baby, clothing, Cotton, food, organic
Posted in Cotton, General, Organic Baby Clothes, Organic Baby Food | 2 Comments »

Is Organic Bamboo Baby Clothing Safe?

April 8th, 2008

The votes are in, the hottest new clothing fiber is bamboo. You can find it almost anywhere now. Its the new sustainable and environmentally friendly fiber. When combined with cotton its very soft, and even more durable then pure cotton close. The problem is there is no USDA certification for bamboo yet.

And why not? Bamboo doesn’t even need pesticides to grow. It grows like a weed! Furthermore, fabrics made of bamboo already have properties that are antibacterial, even anti-fungal — aka you don’t have to wash them all the time without having to wear petrulli oil.

But the bureaucracy with the USDA is, as usual, as slow as a turtle on valium. I hear they plan to review the possibility of certifying bamboo by the year 2022 (kidding). But in all seriousness, be careful where you order . The manufacturing process of bamboo clothing is where good can go bad. Most clothing made from bamboo goes through an intensive chemical process, to make the cotton feel softer. This is done by “cooking” the leaves and shoots in extremely strong chemicals like sodium hydroxide or (NaOH) and another bleaching process that uses hydrosis alkalization. Both of those chemicals are linked to health problems for the workers creating the stuff (and certainly not good for the people who wear the clothes before washing it).

True eco friendly bamboo manufacturers (such as the companies we use for our (organic baby products) get the ISO 14001 certification, showing the factory is using certain environmental guidelines of green practices. Many also get the Oeko Tek certification, which states that there are no harmful chemicals in the finished fiber.

Tags: Bamboo
Posted in Bamboo, General, Organic Baby Clothes | No Comments »