I can be a bit of a germ-phobe. Rumor has it that the last time my husband was sick, I sprayed him with antibacterial sanitizer. And, there are times when I want to give Peanut a good antibacterial hosing down such as after a trip to the park or a gym class. But, I don’t want to expose him to alcohol just yet.
LOVE this line of cleaning products. Safe for baby, safe for the environment and safe for my tile and hardwood floors. And, makes my floors sparkle. I, honestly, don’t mind cleaning now. Well, most of the time.
I discovered this website during my new pastime-searching for peanut-free products for Peanut. It is wonderful, chock full of green tips and healthy living information.www.lime.com
I know there is no evidence linking vaccines to developmental problems in babies (or adults, for that matter). I know that thimerosol has not been shown to cause autism. But, I have not seen any clear evidence that the vaccines do not cause problems, either. Plus, I am not a big fan of preservatives. So, vaccines do not sit well with me.I have debated this vaccine issue- what to get, when to get it, which ones we could avoid- for months. The flu shot made me crazy. I did not want to expose Peanut to unnecessary chemicals and viruses-even the dead ones- but what if?? What if he were the one with the flu in the hospital? What if he were the one to get seriously ill or worse from a preventable illness?I quickly read The Vaccine Book by Dr. Robert Sears before Peanut’s 1 year appointment. I found it very informative. He breaks down each vaccine and explains exactly what is in each shot according to the brand and points out the controversial ingredients. He also discusses the underlying illnesses including how prevalent they are and whether they are treatable.Dr. Sears recommends a vaccine schedule if you want to space out the vaccines over time. Some people feel that too many vaccines at once overload a baby’s tiny body. I did feel more knowledgeable about vaccines after reading this book. But, as I neared the end of the book, I still did not know what to do. As I said to myself, “ok, but what do we do- do we get the flu shot or not?”, I turned to the last chapter titled, ” What Should You Do Now”. I am the type of person who wants to know, “well, what would you do?” Knowledge is key, but how was I supposed to know what to do with it? So, I found this last chapter the most helpful. I must say though that I was still was not 100% sure what to do with Peanut when I finished the book.
At the doctor’s office, I compromised. Peanut got the MMR vaccine, but we waited on the chicken pox and the Hep A vaccine until next time. I saw no compelling reason to give them to him right now. I told my husband (who is not afraid of vaccines like I am) and the doctor that I was 90% certain we would not do the flu shot, but gave them the remaining 10% to sway my decision. They did. And, Peanut did get the shot. I don’t know if I did the right thing.
As parents, do we ever?
I made sure everything Peaut ate was organic. I worried about lead in his toys. Then, one day it occured to me that all of Peanut’s silverware was made in China and most were made of plastic. Each time I fed him, I was exposing Peanut to chemicals I did not want him to have without realizing it.
On his birthday, Peanut received a fork and spoon set from his Grandma. The spoon and fork are shaped like a construction set and have large easy to grip handles ideal for Peanut to learn to feed himself. They are phtalate-free, PVC-free and made in Michigan. I had searched all over for silverware not made in China without potentially harmful chemicals.
The search is over. Let the construction begin.
When Peanut was 9 months old, we learned that we may have been poisoning him. The Avent bottles we grew to love contain Bisphenol-A (BPA) , an estrogen-like toxic compound that has been shown to cause harm to animals in laboratory tests.
We compromised and replaced some of the bottles with the Born Free bottles.
