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  1. Pat Maginnis says

    Please help with baby bottle information ! Which breast milk collection bags, storage bottles, and feeding bottles are safe? I have some glass ones but what about the medela,latch, avent , dr. Brown brands? They all say PBA free but are still plastic ? Help Please

    • Maia James says

      Hi Pat and I am really sorry for the delay! Unfortunately, there really is no good option in terms of breast milk collection bags. For bottles, anything glass, stainless steel, or silicone is better than anything plastic!

      • Robin says

        Would you consider the Kiinde breast milk storage pouches a “better” disposable type of collection bag? Their website says the pouch is made of low-density polyethylene (#4), and that they are BPA-free, pthalate-free, and PVC-free.

        Thanks!

  2. Maiah says

    Just an update for you! The Honest Company’s teether is actually made in China (“Designed in California. Responsibly made in China.”)
    I love the Camden Rose teethers for my twin girls as well as Italian-made NATURSUTTEN teether toys.

    • Maia James says

      Thanks for the update and so sorry for my delayed response. I only now saw these comments! You are right about Natursutten–it is Good Stuff and should be added to this list.

  3. Georgia says

    I wonder if the Comotomo silicone teether is ok. I gave it as a gift to two friends’ babies. It’s made in Korea I believe.

  4. Lyn says

    I founds some useful information on your website and thank you for it. However, a couple things I notice about it as a whole bother me. First, you all are not experts, according to your bios, thus your well worded, probably legally advised disclosure. That was smart. However, I followed up on some of the products that you categorize as “bad” or “sneaky stuff”, through the USDA and other websites about certain ingredients, and find you are not wholly accurate in many of your statements. Despite all your research, there is a lot that you seem to assume about some products, you feel are all-out bad and sneaky for using certain ingredients you think will likely lead to killing off the human race. I know a lot of people who are quite healthy, and old, who have used the bad stuff you advise against for a long, long time. Granted there is some bad stuff out there, just not as scary – or as much as you claim. So you should not run down things other people have had no problem buying and using for years, in such a way like you know better because, again, why? I think you took up this form of blogging just to make money, and that is by no means bad, it is great, go for it. But do it right, just like you don’t use “bad stuff” products, don’t have “bad ads” which I see you leaning on, like the cheap and easy blogs – simply for ways of generating easy “passive income”. It really discredits what you are trying to say. Linking to Amazon, is okay, but it is such a racket now, that I don’t want to be a part of it anymore, there are other ways to shop online I would rather use. But what bugs me about your website, is that you give out all this advice but don’t answer anyone’s questions. Some nice people ask you reasonable and simple questions, and briefly, like in October, yet you never reply to them. I know a woman with an excellent blog who sells a product she makes, and who refuses to put cheap links in her sidebar as you are now doing, and she replies to all questions, except and wisely, ones that are not appropriate. Now she is smart, and has no education, but her blog is much more professional. I’m learning from her so much and from blogs like your about “what not to do”. Lastly, organic products have such HIGH PRICES, especially the ones you promote, like Lotus futon mattresses. I have one so I know how much they cost: expensive. New parents, your blog is not really for, unless they work on Wall Street.

    • Maia James says

      Hi Lyn-
      You are right that we’ve been delayed in responding to our readers on some of these pages…the notifications of new comments have not been coming through and I just now am seeing all these comments! So getting back to everyone now.

    • Mandie says

      Most of this stuff really is not that pricey. My husband and I make maybe slightly over 100k together and have never had an issue affording any of the things suggested so you don’t need to work on Wall Street. That statement of yours is beyond ridiculous. I’d rather spend the money up front for a good product rather than spend very little money on a not so great product. You get what you pay for. This site merely makes suggestions and talks about their own experiences. No one says you have to do everything exactly like they did. Also, who doesn’t shop on Amazon? With Amazon prime, I’m sure most people but apparently not yourself would rather order online rather than search for 10 hours in a store for one item.

      • Erin says

        To be fair organic stuff in general does tend to be pricier but as you said “you get what you pay” for. ideally more upfront means better quality so you’ll save money in the long run on replacements, like with the organic mattresses for example. I don’t think Lyn considered this when she posted, and she’s also not considering Maia is not in charge of setting organic pricing, except in her own store of course. it really is a shame organic products cost more because everybody should have access to healthy things but there are a lot of factors at play there, that even I don’t understand because I don’t really know anything about economics.

        furthermore, it really gets on my nerves when people do the whole ” it doesn’t affect me or so and so so it must be safe” thing. if you don’t feel something’s affecting you that’s great but other people deserve to know if something could be harmful to their bodies so they can choose to limit their exposure if they want.

        • Erin says

          I wanted to add that I do think that this blog offers a lot of great options in a variety of price ranges. I actually found my new shampoo here-Hugo Naturals. it’s just a little over $10 (ebay)and after experimenting with it a bit ( I dilute it with water to avoid residue) I think we have a keeper. 🙂

  5. Simon Xiong says

    Nuby’s supplier wants to be your reliable supplier

    Dear SIr,

    I am sorry to bother you, could you please do me a favor to forward this email to your manager?
    We are mainly doing baby products such as silicone teethers, pacifiers, baby bottles…
    We located in Shenzhen city, China, mainly doing baby products, now we are working with big buyer in the world such as Nuby, Chewbeads, Sili…

    We can make your customized designs, the mould cost can be very cheap or free on the customized design. If you have the design in hand, you can share with us.

    Could you give us a chance to wotk with you?

    Thanks
    Simon Xiong
    Shenzhen Cabasa Baby Co., Ltd / Shenzhen Wo Silicone Technology Co., Ltd
    Email: simon@cabasababy.com;simon@wosilicone.com
    WeChat: 453213717

  6. Robin says

    What about Nuby Chewbies Silicone Teether and

    Nuby Step 1 Silicone Teether

    and

    Bumkins Silicone Teether ?

    Thanks!

    • Maia says

      All silicone teethers are basically okay, but I feel better about the wood, cotton, etc. options listed above. Thanks!

  7. mila says

    You listed infantino as bad stuff.
    Does it include th infantino rubber teethers?

    Just wondering if they got to your list because of the paint they use or they just didn’t have rubber teethers back than when you wrote it and only their other than rubber ones are of a concern?
    Thank you

    • Maia James says

      The short answer is yes, but you’d be best to look for American-made (rather than rubber from China).

  8. tamara says

    the article about the nalgene is from 2008. do you have any recent findings?
    REI sells nalgenes I doubt they still would if there were current issues.
    thanks!

  9. Karoun says

    Hi Maia,
    what do you think of Chicco Pacifier orthodontic soft 100% silicone, made in Italy, BPA and Latex free.

  10. Irene says

    Hi Maia!
    Do you think the beeswax is safe? I’ve seen a lot of different wooden teethers online and on etsy treated with beeswax. Is that safe considering that the pediatrician says to stay clear of honey for the first year of baby’s life? Isn’t beeswax and honey in close proximity? Just wondering if this safe before I purchase a wooden teether.
    Thank you so much!

  11. jol says

    Hi there, First off I want to thank you for all you do to help make things safer for our growing little ones. I have question regarding Sophia the giraffe I purchased her today but, I know she is on the good stuff list. However, I have found some concern about her regarding Nitrosatables and Nitrosamines. Now I am hesitant to give her to my LO. Is she safe?

  12. Mike says

    Very useful discussion here! For pacifiers and teethers my strong preference is medical grade silicone, second choice would be food grade silicone. As much as I like European panda bear teether (made in Malaysia if I am not mistaken). With silicone being naturally anti-microbial there is no downside unless you heat it and do so regularly, which you should not do anyway – no need to sterilize pacifiers or teethers (unless you are a first time parent and don’t know any better)…
    Rubber may not be the absolute best option – I would try to avoid it especially that it loses to silicone. Here is just one article that includes rubber discussion:

    http://qparent.com/2013/08/08/choosing-a-safe-and-all-natural-teether-for-your-baby/

  13. Kendal says

    Have you looked into silicone bead necklaces, such as the colorful verity sold at popular baby stores. They are very cute and claim to be bpa free. But what arnt they free of? And how do I find out the truth?

    • Maia James says

      I’m not really into these, even though studies do suggest silicone to be inert. I’m just not 100% convinced we won’t eventually find out that it’s not entirely nontoxic, so I’d rather have my kid chewing on something else if we are talking about a daily habit. If it’s on occasion, I’d be fine with these.

  14. Laura says

    Do rubber teethers need to say 100% natural rubber? How do you feel about the Infantino “squeeze & teeth” natural rubber teether? It doesn’t say 100% natural rubber and is made in china. I also received “Go GaGa Squeeze & Teethe Elephant – Kiki” as a gift and am curious about it as well. Thanks!

    • Maia James says

      Thanks! Unfortunately, I have not yet reviewed these brands. I would say you want to see that it’s natural rubber, and anything made in China is a bit of a red flag, although there are exceptions to that…

  15. Danielle says

    I thought that this Sophie giraffe teether with the four legs was recalled due to the legs possibly breaking off posing as a choking hazard . I heard this about a year ago. Have they fixed this issue?

  16. Melinda says

    I just wanted to say how much I appreciate the information that you post. It’s provides a great deal of direction in my research of non-toxic items for my baby, whom incidentally we also call Wolfie….short for Wolfgang. 🙂

  17. Stu says

    Great tips! It’s surprisingly difficult to find a teether that is not only BPA/PVC/Phthalate free but ALSO made in the USA. Plus made out of natural, untreated wood? Bonus.

  18. Sally says

    What about the Nuby Teething Bibs and the Fruity Chews. We got a package at either BJs or Sams, but it doesn’t give any ingredients at all (except for “all cotton” on the bib. It’s made in China. The bib has a teething corner. The package says BPA Free. I hesitate to believe the BPA Free now since there has been a recent announcement of research that teethers still leach out toxins.

      • AnnettePK says

        It’s my understanding that cotton is the most sprayed (pesticides) crop in the world, so is not a good thing to chew on, unless it’s undyed organic cotton that has been washed in only water or non toxic soap.

  19. Amy says

    Is washing silicone teething toys in the dishwasher bad? You mentioned that they’re safe as long as they aren’t heated. All of mine are supposedly dishwasher safe.

  20. Tara says

    I started using an Appeteethers one for my little guy.. hoping its okay! (also use a wood one but he prefers the softer silicone appeteether one)

  21. Lesa says

    What pacifier would you recommend other than the natural rubber ones (Natusutten and Hevea)? My son needs something to sooth himself while going to sleep but HATES the taste of rubber. Would you recommend silicone ones? Any particular brands? Your help would be so appreciated!!! I just found your website and am really thankful for all the research you do!

    • Maia James says

      My kids never took pacifiers, so I can’t offer much in terms of what your son might like best. From a safety perspective, anything silicone is fine:). I like that these ones are 100% silicone: http://amzn.to/2hLjbhs

  22. Robin J. says

    Nuk makes a 100% silicone pacifier, similar to Avent but orthodontic/nipple shaped as opposed to round like Avent. My son would not take the Avent one but loved the Nuk ones.

  23. laura says

    Thank you for all of your research and advice Maia! As a new mom, your work has been invaluable to our little family:) We have some of the teethers you recommend but I was also wondering about the below (I started thinking about glue with wooden items, stainless steel and silicone teethers that at first glance seem fine but are made in china). Hoping you have time to respond!

    -Clear finish standard bell rattle: A single sleigh bell is caged by 5 dowels – has all hardwood construction and a plant based natural finish. Made in VT by Maple Landmark.
    -Kleynimals – stainless steel baby keys that are an eco-friendly, non-toxic, American made toy
    -Grimm’s brand in general
    -silicone teethers (looking for something that has a gum massager but am a little iffy on any I’ve found, i.e. Mayapple Baby Teethers, ZoLi gum massagers)

    thank you in advance!!

  24. Sarah Murphy says

    I found your website very helpful! Thank you very much. These are important topics and keep our little ones safe. Thank you!!!

    -Sarah

  25. Chris says

    Your site is spreading false information:

    1) “FDA Approved” verbiage is strictly forbidden by the FDA, and your repeated use of this terminology is misleading and completely false.

    2) Any plastic that is flexible has phthalates in it. Your water bottle has phthalates in it. Your broad use of the term “phthalates” is also misleading. By saying ‘phthalate free’ it is only in reference to phthalates that have been deemed harmful according to regulations. There are materials referred to as ‘non-phthalate PVC’ which have similar physical properties, but without ‘harmful’ phthalates.

    Just because something is made in China does not mean that it is ‘unsafe’ or harmful. By saying they ‘probably contain phthalates’ you are spreading misinformation. Any reputable brand would never import a product that violates federal standards for lead, phthalates, or other federally-regulated chemicals. Ya, I wouldn’t let my child teeth on a $1 plastic item from the dollar store, but if bought from a reputable brand, there isn’t such risk.

    3) CE is NOT the international version of FDA, although some qualifications in the EU are required for medical devices under the assessment to attain CE marking/certification.

    4)

    • John Goss says

      Hi Chris,
      Yes, this is a good time to clear up the whole FDA issue.
      If you look at the following link to the FDA website you’ll see their version of the “FDA Approved” discussion. https://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm047470.htm
      My reading of it tells me that the FDA does approve and disprove of a wide variety of products. For instance, the FDA does not approve of any cigarettes, but the “FDA approves color additives in any FDA-regulated products.”
      Generally speaking, the FDA reviews products once they are for sale. From their website…”FDA does not approve infant formulas before they can be marketed. But manufacturers of infant formula are subject to FDA’s regulatory oversight.”
      Like any large organization, the FDA and it’s workings are complex and subject to outside influences and errors.

      As for products “Made in China”… You say that “reputable brands” would never import bad stuff. I guess it depends on what you call a “reputable brand.” I could argue that there are lots of reputable brands that indeed sell harmful products. Harmful products are not limited to disreputable brands.

      We do our best to present useful information. We are not always right and we correct things as needed.

  26. Brooke says

    Hi! You listed the Sweetooth baby teether as good stuff. I purchased one for my baby and am concerned about the fragrance. On their website, they say they use a “scent extract,” but I’m concerned about the scent, as I’m careful of fragrances in general, and it doesn’t seem to be a natural or essential oil scent. Can you speak to this?

  27. Christina says

    Hello! With the sweet tooth ice cream Cone teether I see its lightly scented” any idea how? Is that of concern? Thank You!

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