What Are You "WIPING" on Your Baby's Bottom?

Does your child have redness or diaper rash? It might be time to ditch those harmful wipes for something more safe, gentle and environmentally friendly. Even if there is no sign of irritation, you will be doing the best thing for your baby. Don't forget to change the diapers, too!

Back when I was pregnant, I took one of those baby classes at the hospital. I remember the instructor saying that baby wipes should have nothing in them but water. Have you ever read what IS in them?

Baby wipes often contain harsh chemicals like alcohol, chlorine, sodium lauryl sulfate, fragrance, parabens, tetrasodium EDTA and DMDM hydantoin. Studies show that each of these ingredients can be irritating to the skin or even toxic to our health. Even the "sensitive" wipes contain some of these chemicals. Your baby might not get an irritated bum, but the chemicals are absorbing into their skin, doing who knows what.

If you want to go more natural, research the web, or better yet, try making your own homemade wipes. When my daughter is at home and not on the potty, I use a stack of old washcloths and water to clean her pee. Currently, I clean her poopy bottom with Walgreen's Renew Naturals wipes. They still are not the best out there, but it is the best my budget can afford. (See my full review on the reviews page.)

Every little bit counts, right?

Now let's talk about disposable diapers.

Like wipes, most diapers have been bleached with chlorine. Some people worry that the crystals used to absorb urine may be harmful. These crystals, called sodium polyacrylate, were previously used in tampons until the mid - 80's. Reports linked it to toxic shock syndrome.

Diapers also release a toxin called dioxin into the air when manufactured. It takes enormous amounts of water and power to produce diapers. They fill up our landfills and take roughly 500 years to decompose - under the right conditions. That's A LOT of poop! In the meantime, all sorts of nastiness can leach out into our soil and waterways, threatening us all. Studies have linked asthma in children to the inhalation of the chemicals in diapers.

If you want an alternative to toxic disposable diapers, I suggest you do your homework. There are a few different kinds, used different ways. Organic, or not? Cloth, or ones with a changeable middle. If you use a diaper service, make sure they are green. No diaper is perfect, but it most certainly will be better! Shop around and your wallet will be happier, too!

See you here next week.

And don't forget...every little bit helps!