It's hard being a bpa-free, toxic-free parent

Today, I spent about 30 minutes doing some research and ultimately gave up because I was overwhelmed. I started because I was looking into Duplo, Legos for infants. I wanted to know if it was BPA free. That lead to reading up on lead in toys, aluminum, wood, and toys in general.

Did you know, that if you want to be a green parent, you need to worry about:

• lead paint (in toys)
• BPA (plastic)
• #1, #4, #6, #7 plastic
  
• vinyl
• mercury
• aluminum
• adhesives used to bind wood together
• flame retardant
• phenols and phosphates
  
• breastfeeding

Trying to research and figure out what to get Thumper due to these restrictions gave me a headache. There *is* a reason why we don't have too many toys for her. Because for every one of them, I have to research and I don't have time. I think the big bad things are lead, flame retardant, and plastic. Especially plastic, it shows up everywhere.

These things baby use, or might touch could have toxic stuff in them:

• pacifier (the MAM one we got from the hospitable isn't BPA free!)
• vinyl (used in bibs!). Something about lead and vinyl.
  
• alumninum (used in rice cookers or any number of kitchen products)
• sippy cups and baby bottles (could have bad plastic in them)
• rattlers and teethers (could have BPA)
  
• any number of toys (could have lead paint!)
• baby-wear (flame retardant)
• playpen (flame retardant)
• mattresses (flame retardant)
• detergent (phenols and phosphates)
  

Breastfeeding was on the list because not only do you want to minimize your baby's exposure to the stuff, if the mother touches these things, or drinks from containers made of these things, it can get into breastmilk and get passed on to the baby! I don't know if I should go run away to a forest somewhere and live like a hermit or be a hippie or something. Just thinking about all the stuff I touch daily that has flame retardant in them. yikes

Thumper has been licking and biting away at her pacifier the last few days because she's teething. Who knows what plastic products she's put in her mouth since she started. And she's licked her Graco playpen (Graco puts flame retardants on their products).

And no matter what, your kid has to live in this world. Which means that the minute that go to school or day care, they'll be exposed to things that you might have limited at home. And really, that's where they'll spend a big chunk of their time unless you're a SAHM.

le sigh.