Baby Steps To Clean Living: non toxic baby products

Today’s topic in the Baby Steps To Clean Living series is natural, non toxic baby products.

When I got pregnant, I made it a goal to do a healthy amount of research on the safest products for pregnancy and babies.

I say HEALTHY amount of research because friends, the internet can be a scary place. And as someone who has dealt with anxiety in the past, I know I need a filter when it comes to reading about all the things that can go wrong or cause harm.

If you go too far, you can drive yourself crazy.  Given that anxiety can show up postpartum (just like postpartum depression) I was very intentional about reading/learning just enough to make informed decisions and stopping before turning into a crazy person.

The good news is, when it comes to baby products, it’s often just a matter of choosing the right brand to avoid unnecessary chemicals and toxins.

Some of the links below are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, The Balanced Life receives commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Full disclosure.

CLOTH DIAPERS:

I chose to cloth diaper my daughter for the first 8 months of her life. Rather than taking up time and space here, I encourage you to read Living Lighter: a simple cloth diapering system and Cloth Diapering Q & A. In those posts you’ll find detailed information about why I chose cloth diapering and how you can easily get started.

I will say this, many of the ingredients in popular diaper brands have been outlawed and labeled as carcinogens Europe. Yet, here in the US, they keep selling them.

In addition, diapers are the 3rd largest consumer item found in landfills. It’s a huge problem. You can read more about the environmental impact of disposable diapers here.

DISPOSABLE DIAPERS:

After awhile, my daughter decided she didn’t want to wear cloth any more so we switched to The Honest Company.

The Honest Company was created by Jessica Alba and makes wonderful, natural products for baby, body and home. I am a big fan and regularly order honest diapers, healing balm, cleaning products and dryer sheets.

(CLICK HERE to receive a free trial)

Other brands that fall on the less toxic scale are:

• Nurtured By Nature ($0.27 per diaper)
• Nature Baby Care ($0.35)
• Earth’s Best Tender Care Chlorine Free Diapers ($0.30)
• Bambo Nature ($0.36 -$0.44)

And if you really can’t afford to spend that much, Target’s Up & Up Diapers are better than most.

WIPES…

Conventional diaper wipes contain a variety of harsh chemicals that aren’t suited for newborn skin (chlorine, paraben, phthalates, propylene glycol to name a few..).

Making wipes at home is easy and a major money saver. I made these simple cloth diaper wipes with coconut oil and tea tree oil until Blake was about 1 year old.  If that’s not an option for you consider swapping your regular old wipes for one of these more natural, less toxic options:

• Earth’s Best Tender Care Wipes ($3-5 per package)
• The Honest Company Wipes ($4.95, compostable)
• Kinder By Nature Baby Wipes ($5.00)

For more info check out Safe Mama’s safe baby wipe post.

BOTTLES AND SIPPY CUPS…

By now, I’m sure we’ve all heard about BPA and the risks associated with BPA found in plastic containers and drinkware. Thankfully, most baby bottles are now made BPA-free but with just a little bit of research you’ll find that all plastics are igniting cause for concern. Yes, even BPA-free.

Choosing glass or stainless steel is an easy way to avoid toxins leaching into your precious baby’s milk.

My favorite bottles and sippy cups are from Pura Stainless. They’re colorful, unbreakable and 100% plastic-free.

Swapping out your plastic bottles, sippy cups and plates is an easy way to reduce the toxin exposure in your child’s daily routine.

Here are a few other non-toxic baby brands to consider:

• Life Factory glass bottles and sippy cups (with silicone covers)
• Dr. Brown’s Glass Bottles
• Thinkbaby BPA Free Feeding Set

TOYS…

Plastic has taken over the toy world as well. While it may be impossible to avoid plastic all together (without driving yourself crazy) when given a choice, consider choosing wood baby toys and silicone teethers.

Here are a few fun, non-toxic baby toy brands to check out:

• Plan Toys: sustainable play
• Dandelion: earth-friendly goods
• Green Toys‘

Although I could go on and on, I think it’s best to wrap this up. Remember, the point of this series is not to overwhelm you. It’s to provide baby steps and easy swaps to reduce the toxic load on your life.

Make an effort to choose high-quality brands when possible. Will it cost more money? Most likely.

But often it’s worth it to buy less, but buy better.

Your health and body will thank you.

QUESTION: what’s one swap you will make to remove to go more natural in your baby care routine?

xo,

PS – in case you missed it: “Baby Steps To Clean Living: clean eating”

disclaimer: This post was not sponsored. All thoughts are my own. Affiliate links are used which costs the same to you but a small percentage goes to support The Balanced Life.