The Natural Nursery

Is it just me, or is everybody pregnant? I feel like everyone I know is pregnant or trying. It’s almost enough to give me baby fever.. (Almost). In fact,  as I type this, my bestie is headed to the hospital in labor! (I wish I could be there but I have a nasty bug and apparently my germs are not welcome). I get a lot of baby product questions from friends and readers and random friends of friends who know about my blog. While it is so important to choose nontoxic bath products for your new little bundle, you also need to take note of the other things you bring into the nursery that could be harboring everything from carcinogens to hormone disruptors. Not things you want up close and personal with a brand new baby. Let’s go over some nursery basics to keep the products, furniture and even the air as nontoxic as possible!

Clean Air

Setting up and decorating the baby’s room is one of the most exciting and daunting things when you’re expecting. Unfortunately, possibly the most toxic danger in the nursery has to do with all these many products we bring in that off-gas. Everything from paint to the crib mattress they sleep on release chemicals in the form of gas that the baby breathes into their brand new lungs. Perhaps you’ve heard of no or low VOC paint? Off-gassing paint is what made the industry offer some healthier options. I know that I may sound like an alarmist if you’ve never heard of off-gassing before, but new furniture (particularly ones with particle board) release fumes at high levels. Formaldehyde is a well known offender in new furniture, even by government agencies. If you’re thinking about remodeling, it’s best to hold off. Brand new carpeting, adhesives, putties, etc. all off-gas as well. 

Upholstered furniture has it’s own host of chemical fumes, especially since they almost always contain flame-retardants which pose a huge risk to infants and small children, like irritating lungs, disrupting hormones, and causing cancer. This study from Duke found that small children today have up to 5 times more cancer-causing flame retardants in their urine as their mothers’ do. If that’s not reason enough to choose an organic crib mattress than perhaps this alarming article about Phtalates (found in everything from air fresheners to Vinyl) should persuade you. Most crib mattresses have a waterproof barrier, but vinyl should not be an option, although many mattresses use it. If you’re going to make one splurge for the nursery please make it the mattress. This one from Amazon is completely safe. I realize it’s pricier than traditional mattresses, but please keep in mind that this is where your little one will spend 14 hours or more sleeping each day (and breathing in any fumes). Let’s spare them the added flame retardant chemicals and vinyl fumes. If you have to pick and choose what advice to follow here, I hope you decide to come home with an organic crib mattress. 

Another top offender is air fresheners. Trust me, I know the diaper genie stops granting wishes soon after the baby starts solids, but please unplug and throw away all the air fresheners near your nursery (or in your house for that matter). Not only are they full of Phtalates (see article above, especially for boys) but they are guilty of sooo many sins- hormone disruptors, carcinogens, and not to mention synthetic fragrance being a strong allergy trigger. These don’t belong anywhere near small children or babies.

Healthy Alternatives

• Restoration Hardware recently started offering Greenguard Gold certified nursery furniture that has been tested for over 10,000 chemicals and 360 VOC’s to be sure you keep the nursery air clean. If that’s not your style or in your budget, don’t sweat it. Opt for either solid wood or used furniture, which has already off-gassed in place of new furniture with particle board. Just be sure any used cribs meet current safety guidelines. 
• Make sure to use VOC-free paint on the walls and on furniture.
• If you skip everything else I say here, buy an organic crib mattress and mattress pad.
• In place of air fresheners, use oil diffusers, reed diffusers, and natural air sprays.

Some great books for further reading: ‘The Honest Life’ by Jessica Alba and ‘The Complete Organic Pregnancy’ by Deirdre Dolan and Alexandra Zissu. 

I plan on writing a post updating my favorite baby products soon, but for now here’s my favorite non-toxic disposable diapers and here are my favorite baby bath soaps. 

It can be hard not to panic and try to baby-proof the whole world for this precious bundle, believe me I know, But you can’t control everything in your little one’s life or eliminate all dangers. You can create a little safe haven at home where they can rest their sleepy heads peacefully and safely.