Baby Blog – News & Tips on Organic Parenting

Choosing Green and Choosing a Better Future

April 12th, 2010

America, being the most unhealthy country in the world, is now learning that the ways we have always done things are killing not only our planet, but our irresponsibility is killing us.

In the past humans have practiced some extremely horrible customs such as, taking arsenic in small doses in the 16-19 centuries to make our skin pale, bleeding or leaching the sick to get rid of the infected blood, and burying meat in salt to preserve it for later consumption. All of these are easily identifiable as unhealthy and impractical ways of treating our bodies now, but at the time seemed not only sound but innovative.

Future generations, I’m sure, will look back and things like steroids in livestock, harsh chemical dyes used on fabrics, hormones in milk and even the harmful fillings used in adult and baby crib mattresses, and wonder how we could ever have thought such things were OK for us. They will read stories of wide spread obesity, growing numbers in types of cancer and cancer patients as well as other disease related deaths and think “Why didn’t they see that what they were doing was killing them?”.

If you take only one of these items listed, let’s say steroids in milk, and amplify it to list the possible health links you would find:

• Little girls bodies maturing to menstruate as early as age 7 and 8
• Early Sexual Maturity
• Early breast growth

These are but a few of the phenomenon that could very likely be linked to the hormones in milk and milk products. Are we robbing our little girls of being little girls?

So how to we proceed? Now that we are clued in as to the consequences our everyday choices have on our bodies, we can begin to change and see a decline in the what has been a rapid incline of unhealthy living. One way to go about that is to live organically.

Organic living is more than simply buying organic foods at the supermarket. Growing and eating only foods without chemical fertilizer’s and pesticides is the beginning of healthy living, but we need to realize the many areas where we can choose organic. Ways likes purchasing:

1. Organic kids clothing
2. Dye free toys
3. Non lead based paints
4. and even local organic fruits and vegetables.

Making those choices even when they are more expensive shows a great shift in our thinking. This thinking is moving us toward being a healthier country. Of course there are several more changes that need to be made (two words fast food) but if we start in the grocery store, move on to clothing and bedding and then shift into the other details of our lives, we can see a brighter future for generations to come.

Tags: crib, mattresses, organic
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Organic Mattresses and Crib Sheets Protect Your Baby

September 22nd, 2009

Babies can be very susceptible to dust and other small particles, plus chemicals are always a danger to newborns.  This leads many parents to wondering what they can do to protect their babies from the various chemicals, dyes, and other things used in the creation of baby mattresses, blankets, and sheets.  The answer is to purchase organic baby bedding.  These various organic crib sheets, blankets, and other items are all made with completely natural, organic materials that are guaranteed to contain nothing that will harm your child.  Even organic products that are dyed specific colors use only dyes that are all natural and will not cause any type of allergic reaction.

One of the worst chemicals that babies are often around is a type of flame retardant that is known as polybrominated diphenyl ether.  This PBDE is often used in baby mattresses and other baby bedding products in the United States and other countries.  However, it has been completely outlawed in Europe because studies have shown that it can be linked to SIDS and certain types of cancer.  It’s unknown why U.S. manufacturers still use the chemicals in their products, but why risk your baby’s health?

Purchasing an organic mattress, organic crib sheets, and other organic products will not only protect your baby from horrible chemicals but they will also help your child sleep better.  Organic products are naturally hypoallergenic so they won’t hold in so much dust, plus they’re incredibly soft.  These organic fibers also tend to be stronger than artificial ones, so organic materials often last much longer than others.

Tags: baby, bedding, crib, mattresses
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Buying Baby Bedding

August 20th, 2009

There are so many options for expecting parents as to what type of baby bedding to buy.  You can easily spend a little of a lot, go for simple or go for luxury.  A lot of new or expecting mommies and daddies could certainly use a few pointers to help with picking out the baby’s cozy new bedding.  In that light here you go:

1. Buy Extra Sheets

During their first year newborn babies can create many messes and it is always prudent to be prepared to deal with them as they happen.  One of the best ways to be prepared is to have anywhere from 1 to 4 extra sheets ready to go when messes occur, and they well.

2. Make Sure Everything Fits

Although most baby bedding is made to a standardized crib size it is still a good idea to go ahead and make sure that everything fits before the baby is born, this will give you time to make any changes if necessary.  You really want to aim for a snug fit from the crib bedding to the mattress for the most safety conscience setting.  Once you have a good snug fit then go ahead and wash all the bedding both for hygiene and also that washing will help make the materials soft for your child’s comfort.  Remember that baby’s skin is much more sensitive then ours.

3. Planning for the Future

Here are some thoughts on budgeting.  There are many purchases that you can really skimp on when baby planning and others that it is wise to invest a little more.  Baby bedding falls into the later category.  Most standard sized baby bedding will seamlessly transfer from cribs to toddler beds, this means you really can get much more use out of it then just the infant stage.

Tags: baby, bedding, crib, cribs, mattresses, organic, safety
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Sleep and Safety, Why to Use Organic Baby Mattresses

September 9th, 2008

Sleep, what is that? New parents all over are deprived of sleep during the first year of their children’s lives, but it shouldn’t be due to worry over the bedding and materials their angels are sleeping on. An easy way help increase sleep and decrease worry for parents when their little one’s will actually sleep, buy organic.

The media is increasingly making us aware of the harmful effects man-made materials have on the environment and on individuals, toxins seep into the ground and into our very bodies emitted from the manufacturing and use of daily products.  So why buy items full of poison when there are alternatives.

The baby’s bed, the place where they will spend 12- 16 hours of everyday is a perfect place to start.

Mattresses made of man-made materials have chemicals in their make up that can create allergen problems and issues with immunity development and reproductive systems.  These mattresses are also covered in secondary chemicals to decrease their flammability. These chemicals have been linked to the increase in hyperactivity and neurobehavioral alterations in children. Babies spend hours with lying on there, breathing in these poisons and increasing the chances of permanent problems.

Organic baby mattresses are a slight bit more expensive but the initial increase in cost is buying peace of mind that your child is sleeping on materials that will not hurt them further on down the road. The use of organic cotton and wool work to decrease dust mites, contain a resistance to bacteria and are more flame retardant.

The drawback to organic: they are not as pretty. Due to the lack of dyes and added chemicals there are less options in visual appeal when buying organic baby bedding. This can be easily fixed by keeping the bedding simple and adding colorful wall hangings and decorations.

Keep the items your baby will touch natural, there will be plenty of time for the rest.

Tags: baby, bedding, mattresses, organic
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What’s The Deal With Organic Mattresses Anyway?

March 30th, 2008

I find most people react to that with skepticism when we suggest that you should only buy organic baby bedding. I did at one point too. But you might not sleep so well at night if you knew what was really inside there. That comfy spot where you spend 1/3rd of your life is actually full of non organic materials, some of which are possibly toxic.

Most mattresses are made with polyurethane, a type of material that gives off a nasty mix of organic compounds believed to cause breathing and skin problems. Also studies show formaldehyde, used to hold the mattress together, is linked with lung and throat cancers, as well as asthma. Dr. Jim Sprott of the New Zealand Institute of Chemistry stated that the huge increase in SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrom) over the past 40 years is mostly likely caused from the toxic gases emitted from our bedding. You can read his article here.

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Tags: bedding, mattresses, organic
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