Our Non-toxic Baby Registry

As mentioned in an earlier post, we are trying to incorporate as many non-toxic products as possible into our lives and into Matilda’s life. I believe this is important for a number of reasons. First, it is proven that a lot of the ingredients/materials found in many baby and adult products can cause asthma and allergies. Second, why not go as natural as possible? Who really knows the long term effects of all of these toxins.

I have to say that it was not the easiest thing to put together a baby registry where the products fit the criteria that I was looking for: safety, toxin levels and quality or “will Steve, myself and our baby like this product”. Apparently this is a very high standard to reach and not many companies are on board to do all three. It seems that most companies focus on one and seem to forget about the other two.

Because of the difficulty I had finding a lot of these products, I decided to register at Babies R Us and Amazon. I would have loved to of registered at one of the smaller online companies that sell a lot of the products I was looking for, but having three separate registries seemed like a little much.

So, here it goes…I obviously have not tried a lot of these products. I thought I would show you the products in our registry and talk a little about why I chose each of them.

1. Stokke Tripp Trapp Highchair–This is one of the only non-toxic highchairs I could find. Don’t let the price point scare you because it can be used all the way into adulthood. I like the fact that it encourages your baby to sit at the table with you while she eats.

2. Kushies Baby Shangrila Multi-Sensory Activity Play Mat–Could not find information on the toxin levels in this product, but love that they use a lot of black and white in the material. Babies eyes are attracted and stimulated by black and white patterns.

3. Graco Pack ‘n Play Portable Playard – Nouvelle–Bromine levels are < 8ppm which is a negligible level according to Friends of the Earth. It has high customer ratings on Babies R Us and it is not obnoxious looking.

4. Sunshine Kids 18460 Radian 80SL Convertible Car Seat–Very low toxin levels according to Healthystuff.org. Very high NCAP crash test rating. I feel confident that we found the best car seat on the market.

5. The Nesting Pillow-Organic Nursing Pillow with Washable Slip Cover–It is 100% organic inside and out. All 5 star customer reviews.

6. Ergo Dark Chocolate Organic Baby Carrier–This carrier is supposed to give better support to your baby’s spine and hips. Very high customer reviews.

7. Nuby BPA Free 7 Piece Medical Organizer Kit–This is the only BPA free medical kit I could find.

8. Moby Wrap Organic Cotton Baby Carrier–Great ratings and organic.

9. I had a really hard time finding a stroller that was not a thousand dollars with low toxin levels and high customer ratings. I ended up registering for the Schwinn Hope Single Swivel Wheel Stroller. I could not find anything on the toxin levels on this one, but would love to know. I wanted a light three wheeler that I could jog with and at least some of the proceeds go towards breast cancer research. If you are looking for a decently priced four wheel stroller with high ratings and low toxins, I think the Joovy Caboose Ultralight Stand On Tandem Stroller checks out pretty good.

10. None of the bouncers with low toxin levels had very high customer ratings, so we decided to go with the Fisher-Price Newborn Rock and Play Sleeper. If anyone comes across the toxin levels for this product, I would love to know them.

11. Don’t know the toxin levels of the Fisher-Price Papasan Cradle Swing -My Little Lamb either, but I heard they are crack for babies. I’ll keep you posted on that one.

We registered for a few other small things, clothing and what not. I will maybe do another post on my favorite clothes once we have her here and can talk intelligently about what we like and why.

We are also going to try to brave the cloth diaper world. We are taking a class at Cotton Babies on Wednesday to try to learn the ins and outs of cloth diapering. Not that it is rocket science, but there are just so many options out there now. I am leaning toward the all in one organic Bumgenius. We shall see.

I hope you happened upon this list sooner than later and that it saved you bucket loads of time. I kept thinking while I was doing all of this research that I wish I had a list like this.

I would love to hear about the products you have come across that are low in toxins and high in quality. Always looking to support companies who do it right :)

Good luck with everything!

February 6, 2010 2 Comments

My 10 favorite articles and resources on non toxic living for you and your baby.

I can’t say that I have always been conscious of what I am touching or putting on my body. I have however, been very conscious of the foods I consume for quite a while. And I have had an unreasonable fear of plastic for about 12 years. I threw all of the plastic away in my husband, then boyfriend’s house about three years ago. More recently I started to think about how the products I use may effect my health. That was a tough one. I gave up my favorite face products even. Still searching for the perfect non toxic facial products if you know of any. I don’t necessarily follow the non toxic lifestyle to a tee or even close, but I am definitely more aware, especially since I got knocked up. I like to have choices. I don’t want ingredients in food or products to be hidden from me. And I want to be able to read and understand the ingredients. Not that I am going to make the most non toxic choice every time, but it is only fair that we as buyers are given the option to know what we are purchasing. Over the years I have done a lot of research on non toxic living, a good portion of this has been done since I found out Matilda was on her way. What I put on or in my body, what I touch, directly affects Matilda since she is inside of me, sucking the life out of me. Just kidding Matilda, you’re just sucking part of the life out of me. Can’t wait ’til you’re here honey!

I thought I would share my findings with you.

1. www.treehuggingfamily.com

Cleaning supplies can be some of the most toxic chemicals in your home. Here you will find a list of everyday household items and how you can use them as cleaners. They really work!

2. www.panna.org

We just laid sod in our back yard. I was totally paranoid the entire time. I had everyone else lay it and if I had to touch it, I made sure I had long pants and gloves on. There are virtually no pesticide free sod farms, so that was not really an option. We want our baby and animals to be able to play in the backyard without having to worry about chemicals, so we will be doing an organic lawn, which leads to #3 on our list: How to care for your newly laid sod.

3. safelawns.org

This is the most comprehensive and helpful website I found on safe lawn care. And they have videos which are always helpful for me.

4. www.modecokids.com

I know it is going to be a struggle, but I would really like to keep the store bought toys to a minimum. That’s why I like modecokids. She does the work for you and finds those fabulous non toxic handmade products that most of us don’t have time to dig for.

5. www.ewg.org

This is by far the most comprehensive website on environmental toxins. I especially like their Cosmetic Safety Database. The entire website can be a little overwhelming, but stick with it and you will learn a TON.

6. www.bioethiqueorganic.com

When I said I was looking for a good skin care line, what I meant to say is that I have ordered this line to test it out. I am not sure if it will work on my sensitive skin, but they have the best toxicity rating. All ingredients are completely natural with no preservatives. I hope I love it! I will update and let you know.

7. www.healthystuff.org

This site is fabulous! It is the only site I could find on toxicity levels in car seats and things that most people don’t think about having toxins. I will be putting together my registry by this website.

8. www.mommasbaby.com

This is a great products website. They even have a registry!

9. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/formaldehyde

Formaldehyde is bad and is in a lot of furniture.

10. www.daxstores.com

They have a great selection of organic mattresses and formaldehyde free furniture.

Hope this list is helpful for you. If you have anything to add, leave it in the comment box for all of us to learn.

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November 19, 2009 5 Comments