Gimme the Good Stuff

Bobbie—The #1 US European Style Baby Formula

Maia James — Tue, 14 Dec 2021 16:13:30 +0000

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Bobbie. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Over the past decade of researching baby formula, I have seen the formula market change for the better. There are now many more organic brands available, and lots of them use less white sugar or corn syrup solids than they used to.

The single biggest positive change for formula-feeding parents was when Bobbie formula came to market last year. I had long recommended European brands as the very Best Stuff, and many of my clients went to heroic lengths and great expense to source HiPP, Holle, or Lebenswert. Others who simply were not comfortable getting formula from Europe or trying a goat milk formula were left choosing from among the lesser options available here.

Bobbie solved this problem because it features ingredients on par with the European brands, but is also FDA-approved and available in the United States.

Why Bobbie Is Best Stuff

I consider Bobbie to be the best American infant formula, hands down. Here is some of what is so special about Bobbie:

The milk used in Bobbie formula is organic and comes from pasture-raised cows.
Bobbie sweetens their formula with lactose, which is naturally occurring in milk, not corn syrup or maltodextrin, the latter of which is still often found in most organic formula, even those from Europe.
Bobbie meets the EU levels for iron and is the only American formula to meet EU DHA standards.
Extra whey protein is added to mimic the whey/casein protein ratio in breastmilk, making it more digestible and easier on sensitive tummies.
Bobbie’s formula does not contain palm oil or any GMO.

I also like that Bobbie is made in the United States (and Vermont to boot!) by a woman-run company. Breaking into the formula business is not easy, and Bobbie is the only new formula brand that’s been given the FDA green light in more than five years. They now have customers in all 50 states, and the reviews are glowing.

Your Concerns About Bobbie Formula

As I have said before, there’s no such thing as a perfect baby formula, but Bobbie is very close. Here are of the issues some of you have raised about Bobbie.

Bobbie formula does not contain added prebiotics or probiotics, which are in some other formulas. I probably wouldn’t rely on the probiotics/prebiotics in formulas anyways, mostly because of dosage and quality/viability of the organisms. Parents who want to supplement with probiotics should choose a high-quality product like Klaire Labs Ther-Biotic for Infants.
Bobbie contains soy ingredients (soybean oil and soy lecithin), but they are organic and non-GMO. The soybean oil isn’t the primary source of fat, and their soy lecithin is hexane-free. It’s very hard to avoid soy products in formula, so this is not a deal-breaker in my book.

A Pediatrician’s Stamp of Approval for Bobbie Formula

Because I am not a doctor, I like to confer with one when recommending something as important as baby formula. I trust the opinion of Dr. Dina DiMaggio, a well-respected pediatrician in Manhattan.

Dr. Dina likes Bobbie in part because she prefers her patients choose a formula that is FDA reviewed. “It ensures the formula actually contains what the label says it should contain, that the formula contains the proper nutrients for a baby’s growth and development, that the formula is free of bacterial contaminants, and that the formula manufacturers are following numerous good manufacturing practices and safety guidelines.”

Dr. Dina also recognizes the shortcomings of the FDA: “Although the Infant Formula Act ensures infant formula safety, it really hasn’t made any major updates since it was written in 1980, whereas the European Union has made updates more recently. Although many US formulas do contain DHA, it is not mandated and might not be added at the level of EU formulas. In addition, the EU union does have more restrictions around what sugars can be used in infant formula.”

(Fortunately, Bobbie hits the mark here with both the addition of DHA and the use of lactose as its sole sweetener.)

Bottom Line on Bobbie Formula

I think that Bobbie formula is a great option for formula-feeding parents who want an American alternative to the Good Stuff from Europe. Bobbie is good for full-term babies up to twelve months, babies who struggle with constipation, and babies with no known allergies or sensitivities to dairy or soy.

Dr. Dina agrees, adding, “I like recommending Bobbie to patients since it is made right here in the US (no supply issues like buying some other US formulas or European formulas!), and it is FDA reviewed, while also being a European style formula with the levels of iron and DHA that is recommended for babies. For those families seeking an organic formula, it is also organic with the main sugar in it being lactose, just like breastmilk.”

Please comment below with any questions about Bobbie, and see our Safe Formula Guide for my opinion on dozens of other brands.

Stay sane,

The post Bobbie—The #1 US European Style Baby Formula appeared first on Gimme the Good Stuff.

Safe Baby Formula Guide

Maia James — Mon, 01 Nov 2021 09:44:42 +0000

1. Loulouka (both cow and goat) / 2. Happy Baby / 3. Kabrita / 4. Bobbie / 5. Lebenswert / 6. Serenity / 7. Holle / 8. HiPP / 9. Baby’s Only / 10. Kendamil

UPDATED: November 2021

I wrote this guide on how to choose organic baby formula in 2012, and have updated it more than ten times since! The great news is that overall, things have moved in a positive direction on the formula front. Many new organic baby formula brands have come to market–while others have been discontinued.

This guide will review the current organic baby formula options, including European baby formulas, goat milk formulas, and which brands I consider the Best Stuff. (Speaking of goat milk formulas–this post goes into details about why you should consider it if you’re formula-freeding, but it needs to be updated from the 2018 version, mostly to include our new favorite goat milk brand, Loulouka.)

Bottom Line: Best Organic Baby Formula

If I were formula-feeding my infant, I would choose Loulouka. Loulouka Stage 1 is free of palm oil and maltodextrin. You can read more about why I think Loulouka is a superior formula below, under “The Good Stuff.”

As always, my goal with this updated guide is to make choosing the safest product easy. We’ve researched dozens of brands of organic baby formula, and I hope this guide will save you time and anxiety.

Here are two ways the industry has changed for the better over the last decade:

Many companies have ditched corn sugars in favor of lactose. Lactose occurs naturally in cow (and goat) milk and much more closely mimics human milk.
Many organic baby formula brands are using lower quantities of cheap, problematic oils (such as soy and canola). They’ve increased the amount of healthier oils (such as coconut and olive).

The bottom line: infants born today will almost certainly enjoy a healthier formula than did their siblings born even a few years ago.

What About the Baby Bottle?

Here is a cheat sheet to help you choose the safest bottle for your baby, whether you are breast- or formula-feeding! My top pick is this one.

Two important disclaimers before I jump in:

I am not a medical professional or a nutritionist. I’m just a label-reading mom like the rest of you, here to share what I’ve learned and which organic baby formula I would choose if I were shopping for my own baby.
If I recommend vendors from whom you can purchase European organic baby formulas, I am not guaranteeing that you’ll have a satisfactory experience shopping with them. I’m simply telling you the companies with whom I would feel comfortable were I looking to buy formula myself. I’m also an affiliate partner with some of them, so please read my disclosure page.

P.S. Breastmilk is Better Than Any Organic Baby Formula

Needless to say, I’m pro-breastfeeding. I have only two kids, but I breastfed for a total of 7 years, so you can do the math.

The reality is that many of my readers and clients— amazing moms with beautiful, healthy children– formula feed at least some of the time. And one thing that all formula-feeding moms want to know is, what is the safest, healthiest organic baby formula I can give my child? I hope this updated guide helps answer that question.

Best American Organic Baby Formula

If you aren’t comfortable getting a European formula, you should consider Bobbie. You’ll read more below about why I love this brand below.

What to Avoid in Baby Formula

When it comes to choosing a safe infant formula, it’s as much about avoiding the bad stuff as it is about finding the good stuff. What follows are some of the controversial ingredients and additives that you will find in most baby formula.

Even a few brands that I have deemed Good Stuff contain some of these ingredients–it’s impossible to avoid them all! Some of them are worse than others, but I mention them all here because these are at least worth considering when you are choosing baby formula.

Non-organic ingredients

An organic label alone doesn’t make a formula healthy, but avoiding any non-organic formula is a good start. Conventional formula likely contains traces of pesticides, milk contaminated with antibiotics or growth hormones, and oils extracted with hexane. Organic baby formula is almost always superior to anything conventional.

Organic baby formula cannot contain GMOs or artificial colors/flavors. Organic baby formula from Europe is even better: it must be free of sugar, corn syrup solids, and chemically-extracted synthetic nutrients. In addition, 30% of the calories in organic European formulas must come from lactose.

Soy

Soy formula is usually only recommended if a baby suffers from dairy intolerance.

If you’re buying non-organic formula, the soy is likely genetically modified. Synthetic l-methionine is added to soy formula to meet nutrition requirements. Because it is produced with things like hydrogen cyanide and other air pollutants, it is prohibited in European organic foods. This means that there is no such thing as organic soy-based infant formula in Europe.

Soy-based formula contains soy protein isolates, which my mother the health coach describes this way: “highly processed soybeans that have been chemically altered to no longer resemble a whole food.”

Soy formulas tend to have higher levels of aluminum contamination since soy sucks up aluminum from the soil.

Soy formula also contains high levels of plant-derived estrogens (phytoestrogens). In fact, the concentrations of phytoestrogens detected in the blood of infants fed soy formula were shown to be 13,000 to 22,000 times greater than the concentrations of natural estrogens. The effects of this are simply unknown.

Unfortunately, even most dairy-based formulas contain soy oils or lecithin, but it makes sense to avoid soy-based formulas unless a baby has a true dairy allergy. If that IS the case for your child, you can ask your pediatrician about Baby’s Only’s newer Pea Protein formula. Earth’s Best soy fomula contains corn syrup (as the FIRST ingredient), so this is a hard one for me to recommend even for lactose-intolerant infants.

Palm oil and palm olein

These are commonly added to formula to help replicate the high palmitic acid content of breastmilk. But the structure of the fat molecules in palm oil (and other vegetable oils) is different from that found in breast milk, and the fats are digested differently.

Palm oil and palm olein have been shown to inhibit the absorption of calcium and fat. On the other hand, plant-derived fats that match the structure of the most common fat molecules in breast milk have been shown to promote more healthy bacteria in the gut, reduce colic, gas, and constipation, and allow for fat and calcium to be absorbed better.

From what we know, only one company—Kabrita, which makes a goat milk formula—uses these more beneficial fats (high SN-2 palmitate, a.k.a. “OPO fats,” a.k.a. “structured truglycerides”), which are produced by an enzymatic reaction on a mixture of vegetable oils.

If you want to avoid palm oil, Loulouka doesn’t contain it.

DHA/ARA

Most formulas now boast the addition of essential fatty acids DHA and ARA. DHA and ARA are long chain fatty acids found naturally in human breast milk, which make up the major long chain fats in baby’s brain and nerve tissue.

We know that naturally occurring oils from food, food-based oils, and mom’s diet (in breast milk) is highly beneficial, but some studies have shown no benefits when DHA and ARA are added to formula.

The most common types of DHA and ARA extracted by the solvent hexane, a known neurotoxin, although the hexane is removed from the formula after it’s been processed. There are other methods for extraction, but these are relatively new and the jury is out on whether they are harmful, beneficial, or of no consequence at all.

Note that any organic oils in European formula cannot be hexane-extracted.

If you want to avoid DHA/ARA, avoid formulas with these ingredients:

DHA oil
algal oil
cohni oil (DHA)
alpina oil (ARA)

If you choose a formula without DHA added, but want to supplement on your own, this is the brand we like.

Note that since February of 2020, all European formulas are required to contain DHA.

Carrageenan

You will find this additive in tons of stuff in your health food store, and infant formula is no exception.

Derived from seaweed, carrageenan helps stabilize liquid formula, but numerous animal studies suggest that it leads to intestinal inflammation and colon tumors. The European Union has outlawed the use of carrageenan in all infant formula, but in the United States it appears in both conventional and organic baby formula–typically the ready-made varieties since it functions as a stabilizer to ensure the nutrients are well-mixed.

Preservatives

Synthetic preservatives are sometimes added to prevent the oils in formula from spoiling. Two that have snuck into even organic baby formula: beta carotene and ascorbic palmitate.

Synthetic nutrients

There are several synthetic nutrients that you will find in many organic baby formulas.

Look out for the following:

Lutein is hexane-extracted from marigolds.
Lycopene is produced with toluene, a neurotoxic benzene derivative.
Nucleotides are produced from chemically-treated yeast.
Taurine is processed with carcinogenic sulfuric acid.
L-carnitine was banned by the National Organic Standards Board because of concerns over carcinogenic properties. As of February 2020, the European Union requires infant formula to contain this nutrient. (The reasoning: the nutrient is present in breast milk and infants with this deficiency can develop a variety of disorders.)

Certain sugars

Breast milk is naturally very sweet, so formulas invariably contain added sugars.

The sweetener that most closely mimics that found in human milk is lactose, but this cow’s milk-based sweetener is expensive. As a result, many manufacturers instead use plant-based sucrose, which was banned by The European Union in 2009 (except for babies with allergies), because of concerns of over-feeding and subsequent obesity. The FDA provides no such regulation on what kind of sugars can be used.

Other sweeteners include maltodextrin (made from rice, corn, or potatoes), and “glucose syrup solids,” which is just a clever name for corn syrup solids.

In 2012, concerns were raised about formulas sweetened with brown rice syrup when Dartmouth researchers found that organic baby formula made with organic brown rice syrup contained six times the EPA’s safe limit for arsenic. (More on arsenic in baby food here.)

Most organic baby formula these days, even the superior European brands, seem to choose maltodextrin as a sweetener, since it’s cheaper than lactose and helps powdered formula dissolve quickly.

My two cents on sugar: I’m not a big fan of maltodextrin, but I do feel that it’s better than white sugar or corn syrup. The best organic baby formula will contain only lactose as a sweetener.

Best Toddler Formula

If I were looking for a formula for a baby older than 12 months, I would consider Kabrita. There is strong evidence that goat milk more closely mimics human breast milk, and Kabrita is the only formula I know of that contains the beneficial type of palm oil (see more on this above).

Kabrita has generously offered 10% off for my readers with code GIMMEKABRITA.

Buy now from Kabrita

“Sensitive” and Hypoallergenic Organic Baby Formula

For those babies who need a hypoallergenic formula, many pediatricians recommend Pregestimil or Nutramigen (both by Enfamil) or Allimentum (by Similac).

If forced to choose between these, I would go for the Allimentum since it skips the carrageenan and corn syrup. But I can’t call any of these Good Stuff since all three contain ingredients of concern and none is organic. Nutramigen is probably the very worst of these, comprised of 48% corn syrup solids!

If it were my baby, I would choose HiPP HA organic baby formula, which contains no sugar, corn syrup, or maltodextrin, and is full of good prebiotics. You also might want to try HiPP Anti-Reflux formula if your baby has a sensitive stomach. It’s made with 100% whey and no casein to prevent reflux. This site carries these versions of HiPP.

Please check with your pediatrician first if you suspect an intolerance or allergy.

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Other Things to Consider When Choosing Baby Formula

When you’re shopping for an organic baby formula, you’ll also want to be cognizent of the whey/casein ratio, the addition of prebiotics and probiotics, A1 versus A2 milk, and potential aluminum or BPA contamination. Let’s look at these one by one.

Whey/Casein Ratio

In an attempt to mimic real breast milk as closely as possible, formula manufacturers engineer their products to have a specific whey/casein ratio. Not sure what whey and protein are? Here’s the deal:

Whey proteins stay in liquid form in the stomach (when exposed to stomach acid)—think the watery whey that separates in a container of natural yogurt–and exit the stomach more quickly. Whey proteins are therefore easier to digest and are rarely a source of allergies.
Casein proteins form solids in the stomach (like cheese curds) and empty at a slower rate. They are more likely to cause digestive issues and be a source of allergies.

There is controversy over the optimal whey/casein ratio for a baby formula because the ratios found in breast milk change over time: whey content is high in early lactation (with a ratio of about 90:10), and by late lactation, whey and casein protein amounts are roughly equal.

Goat milk and cow milk both have a whey to casein ratio of about 20:80. Whey protein is added to formulas to adjust this ratio.

So what is the optimal whey/casein ratio? This depends on factors such as how old your baby is (in other words, how developed his/her digestion is), whether your baby has any digestive issues (like reflux, which may be a reaction to too much casein), and whether your baby is sensitive or allergic to casein.

We also don’t really know how much of the whey and casein added to formula actually ends up being assimilated. It’s definitely worth having a conversation with your pediatrician about which formula has the right ratio for your baby, although in many instances the whey/casein ratio isn’t an issue you need to worry about. Most babies do fine on standard formulas.

Prebiotics & Probiotics

Probiotics are beneficial bacteria, and prebiotics are food for probiotics. You probably already know that good gut bacteria is key to healthy immune function.

Breast milk has natural prebiotic properties, such as its oligosaccharide content, and breastfeeding introduces lots of healthy bacteria to the breastfed infant’s microbiome. In an attempt to mimic human milk (and ride the wave of current health trend!), many formula manufacturers now add prebiotics and probiotics to their products.

There’s little research to suggest that this offers any real benefits, and the American Association of Pediatrics doesn’t officially recommend it, but they are probably also not harmful to healthy babies.

My two cents: I probably wouldn’t rely on what’s in formulas as an effective probiotic/prebiotic supplement (mostly because of dosage and quality/viability of the organisms). Parents who are really interested in supplementing with probiotics should choose a high-quality product like Klaire Labs Ther-Biotic.

Aluminum in Infant Formulas

Unfortunately, it seems like high aluminum content in formulas is pretty much ubiquitous (studies confirm this in UK and Canadian markets, and there is no research done yet on formulas in U.S. market).

It’s not clear exactly why this is, but there are a variety of modes of potential contamination: raw materials (powdered milk may have aluminum added to prevent clumpiness, for instance), additives (like phosphorous), and manufacturing processes.

It’s important to note that a lot of healthful foods we eat contain more aluminum than even that found in the most contaminated formula (which was HiPP in this study)–including fish, spinach, and many types of tea. I’m not convinced tha the amount in formula is something we need to be overly concerned about.

We also don’t know is how much of the aluminum that’s ingested ends up accumulating in the body of infants and toddlers. In adults, most aluminum is excreted, but what remains does accumulate and can cause problems in the long term.

There’s little that consumers can do about aluminum in formula, except for:

Choosing breast milk if possible.
Avoiding soy-based formulas, as these tend to be highest in aluminum.
Preparing powder formula with a silicon-rich mineral water—in the U.S., Volvic and Fiji water fit the bill. Experts believe that this could reduce the absorption of aluminum across the gut of the child and also potentially help the child to excrete aluminum in the body via the urine. However, these are areas which are also being researched.

A2 Milk

You will see that some of the Good Stuff formula listed below contains “A2 milk.” Cow milk has two primary types of proteins–A1 and A2 beta-casein. More studies are needed, but there is some evidence to suggeste that A2 milk is easier to digest and less likely to cause inflammation than is A1 milk. The strongest evidence is around lactose intolerance–studies suggests that milk with A1 protein is much less likely to cause gastrointestional distress.

BPA in Formula Cans

Good news: there is one thing you no longer have to worry about when buying formula, and it’s BPA. The FDA has finally gotten with the program and banned BPA from formula container linings. Of course, I worry about what’s being used in place of BPA, but still this is a small victory!

One Important Way to Make Formula-Feeding Safer: Filter Your Water!

Tap water may be contaminated with chlorine byproducts, weed killers, insecticides, solvents, lead, BPA, phthalates…the list goes on. Fluoride is present in infant formula, and when combined with fluoridated tap water, infant exposure levels can exceed safe amounts. I think everyone should Invest in a good carbon water filter, but especiaily if you have a foirmula-fed baby in your home.

The Good Stuff

Baby’s Only Dairy Toddler Formula

While it’s not perfect, Baby’s Only, in particular the Gentle variety, is one of the best formulas available in the United States. Here’s why:

Baby’s Only makes an organic baby formula with no added DHA. Their other formulas include DHA and ARA extracted from egg lecithin, which may or may not be problematic for babies who react to hexane-extracted DHA.
Baby’s Only organic baby formula is made in the USA by a family-owned business that is not publicly traded.
Baby’s Only does not contain palm oil.
As of 2021, Baby’s Only is using A2 milk, making it an even better choice.

Here are all of the ingredients in the Gentle formula: Organic lactose, organic whey powder, organic nonfat milk. organic canola oil, organic high oleic oil (organic high oleic sunflower and/or organic high oleic safflower oils), organic linoleic sunflower oil, organic whey protein concentrate, organic coconut oil, less than 2% of: organic sunflower lecithin, calcium ascorbate, calcium phosphate, inositol, magnesium oxide, ferrous sulfate, niacinamide, d-alpha-tocopheryl acetate, zinc sulfate, calcium pantothenate, thiamine hydrochloride, vitamin A, copper sulfate, riboflavin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, manganese sulfate, phylloquinone, biotin, vitamin D3, sodium selenate, vitamin B12.

Some concerns I have with Baby’s Only:

Baby’s Only regular dairy formula contains brown rice syrup–it’s actually the first ingredient. In response to concerns about high arsenic levels, they created a high-tech filter that removes inorganic arsenic from brown rice syrup, reducing it to undetectable levels, as confirmed by the Consumers Union. Still, I recommend Baby’s Only Gentle formula because this one is sweetened with just lactose.
Baby’s Only formulas are technically “toddler” formula, because in order to have FDA approval as an infant formula, a company must conduct clinical trials and undergo extensive testing. Many people choose Baby’s Only even for infants, but you should check with your pediatrician before doing so.
Baby’s Only contains canola oil (hard to avoid!).

Bellamy’s Organic Baby Formula

This Australian formula is very similar to to the European brands. It doesn’t have DHA/ARA or corn ingredients, but it does contain soy and palm oil. It contains 97% organic ingredients, but unlike Lebenswert, the dairy in this formula doesn’t come from biodynamic farms. Unfortunately, we haven’t found a way to get Bellamy in the United States.

Bimbosan Organic Baby Formula

This Swiss brand of organic baby formula looks similar to the other European brands. I love the lack of maltodextrin, palm oil, corn syrup, and sugar! Bimbosan doesn’t include DHA/ARA. Unfortunately, I can’t find any vendors selling this formula.

Bobbie Organic Baby Formula

Finally someone is producing a European-style formula that meets all FDA requirements and is now available in the U.S.

Here’s why Bobbie is Good Stuff:

The milk used in Bobbie’s formula comes from pasture-raised cows from Organic Valley Farms.
Bobbie sweetens their formula with lactose, not sugar or maltodextrin.
Bobbie meets the EU levels for iron and is the only US formula to meet EU DHA standards.
Bobbie’s formula does not contain palm oil.

Bobbie includes DHA and ARA, and while hexane is used to retrieve the ARA, it is removed and undetectable in the final product. Bobbie formula does not contain prebiotics or probiotics. Bobbie contains some healthier oils (like coconut), but does still contain soy.

Here are all the ingredients in Bobbie: ORGANIC LACTOSE, ORGANIC NONFAT MILK, ORGANIC HIGH OLEIC (SAFFLOWER OR SUNFLOWER) OIL, ORGANIC SOYBEAN OIL, ORGANIC WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, ORGANIC COCONUT OIL, LESS THAN 1%: ORGANIC SOY LECITHIN, SCHIZOCHYTRIUM SP. OIL, MORTIERELLA ALPINA OIL, CALCIUM PHOSPHATE, POTASSIUM CITRATE, SODIUM CHLORIDE, CALCIUM CARBONATE, POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE, POTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, MAGNESIUM CHLORIDE, POTASSIUM BICARBONATE, FERROUS SULFATE, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, ZINC SULFATE, CUPRIC SULFATE, MANGANESE SULFATE, POTASSIUM IODIDE, SODIUM SELENITE, CHOLINE BITARTRATE, ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C), ASCORBYL PALMITATE, INOSITOL, MIXED TOCOPHEROL CONCENTRATE, dl-ALPHA TOCOPHERYL ACETATE (VITAMIN E), NIACINAMIDE (VITAMIN B3), CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN B2), THIAMINE HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B1), PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B6), FOLIC ACID, PHYTONADIONE (VITAMIN K), BIOTIN, CHOLECALCIFEROL (VITAMIN D3), CYANOCOBALAMIN (VITAMIN B12)

Buy now from Bobbie

Happy Baby Organic Baby Formula

Happy Baby’s organic baby formula is a great option for parents who want to avoid corn syrup and maltodextrin, but don’t want to order European formulas. I put this brand as a close second to Bobbie when it comes to formulas you can buy in this country.

I love that lactose is the first ingredient in Happy Baby’s formula, and that it skips synthetic taurine.

I also like that this formula contains a nice prebiotic blend; in fact it contains nearly four times the prebiotics found in an other organic baby formula in the U.S. market.

The only negatives of this formula are that it contains soy oil and algae-derived DHA.

The complete ingredients of Happy Baby formula stage 1: Organic Lactose, Organic Nonfat Milk, Organic Palm Olein Or Palm Oil, Organic Soy Oil, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic High Oleic (Safflower Or Sunflower) Oil, Organic Galactooligosaccharides (GOS), Organic Whey Protein Concentrate, <1% of: Fructooligosaccharide (FOS), Choline Bitartrate, Potassium Chloride, Organic Soy Lecithin, Calcium Hydroxide, Mortierella Alpina Oil, Calcium Phosphate, Sodium Citrate, Ascorbic Acid, Magnesium Chloride, DHA Algal Oil (Schizochytrium), Potassium Bicarbonate, Inositol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Mixed Tocopherol Concentrate, Vitamin E (Dl-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate), Niacinamide, Calcium Pantothenate, Cupric Sulfate, Vitamin A Palmitate, Riboflavin, Thiamine Hydrochloride, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Manganese Sulfate, Beta-Carotene, Potassium Iodide, Folic Acid, Vitamin K (Phytonadione), Biotin, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin D (Cholecalciferol), Cyanocobalamin

Note: Happy Baby makes a stage 1 and a stage 2 formula, both of which are Good Stuff. Happy’s Sensitive Formula is Sneaky Stuff–you’ll see more on this below.

HiPP Organic Baby Formula

The major upside to HiPP is the lack of plant-based sweeteners (it uses lactose instead). HiPP also contains beneficial probiotics. Hexane is used to extract the DHA and ARA, but it is removed and undetectable in their formula.

There are actually three versions of HiPP–one from the UK, one from Holland, and one from Germany. They are so similar that I wouldn’t worry about which one you get. The only distinction worth noting is that the HiPP UK does not contain probiotics, only prebiotics. You can read more about my thoughts on pre/probiotics above.

If your baby needs a hypoallergenic formula, I recommend HiPP HA (more on that above, too!).

Complete ingredients in Stage 1 HiPP: Skim milk, Whey powder, Vegetable Oils (palm, rapeseed, sunflower), Lactose, Galactooligosaccharies from Lactose, Whey Protein, Fish Oil, Calcium Chloride, Potassium Citrate, Choline Oil, from M. Alpina, Sodium Citrate, L-Phenylalanine, Calciumorthophosphate, Magnesium Sulfate, L-Tryptophan, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Stabilizer Lactic Acid, Vitamin C, Natural Lactic Acid Culture (Lactobacillus Fermentum Hereditum3), Vitamin E, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin A, Vitamin B1, Potassium Iodate, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Sodium Selenate, Vitamin K, Maganese Sulfate, Vitamin D, Biotin, Vitamin B12

As with Holle, HiPP can be hard to purchase in the U.S. and expensive to have shipped from Europe. At the moment, these two retailers have HiPP in stock: Organic Baby Food 24 and My Organic Company (for 5% off everything at My Organic Company, use code GIMME5 at checkout).

Holle Organic Baby Formula (with Cow Milk)

This European brand of formula comes from grass-fed, organic, and biodynamic milk. It doesn’t contain a host of the synthetic ingredients that you’ll find in American formulas. It also doesn’t contain soy or corn ingredients.

I love that Holle formulas are made from milk from Demeter-certified farms. This means that the cows are pastured in organic farms, but goes beyond organic to ensrure biodiversity and sustainability.

Holle’s Bio Pre formula contains no maltodextrin, and is only sweetened with lactose. I like that the Bio Pre line has more milk fat than other formulas. This means it contains fewer vegetable oils. Stage 1, 2, and 3 contains skimmed milk and maltodextrin. (Holle Bio Pre has basically the same ingredients as Lebenswert–more on that brand in a moment!).

The ingredients in Holle Bio Pre: Whole milk**, whey powder* (partly demineralised), vegetable oils* (palm oil*, rapeseed oil*, sunflower oil*), lactose*, skimmed milk powder**, calcium carbonate, vitamin C, potassium chloride, sodium chloride, vitamin E, ferrous lactate, zinc sulphate, niacin, calcium-Dpantothenate, copper sulphate, vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B6, manganese sulphate, potassium iodate, folic acid, vitamin K, sodium selenate, vitamin D

Unfortunately, Holle has not been approved by the FDA, so it’s difficult and expensive to obtain in the U.S. Here are three companies with whom I have affiliate relationships:

BabyKind Market
Organic Baby Food 24 (based in Germany)
My Organic Company (for 5% off everything at My Organic Company, use code GIMME5 at checkout).

Holle Organic Infant Goat Milk Formula

This formula forgoes the most concerning preservatives and the most problematic synthetic nutrients. (Formula 1 does have L-methionine).

I don’t like that maltodextrin is the primary added carbohydrate here, but I appreciate that it is organic. I gave Holle a few points for including lactose. I’m also not a fan of the palm, sunflower, and grapeseed oils, but they are organic in this case.

If you’re debating between Kabrita and Holle goat milk formulas, keep in mind that Holle goat milk does not contain whey. Because of this, Holle goat might be constipating for some infants.

Holle Goat Organic Baby Formula ingredients: Organic Goat Milk Powder, Organic Maltodextrin, Organic Lactose, Organic Vegetable Oils [Organic Rapeseed Oil, Organic Sunflower Oil], L-Choline, Calcium Hydroxide, Algae Oil (DHA), L-cystine, Calcium Carbonate, Magnesium Chloride, Vitamin C, L-tryptophan, L-Tyrosine, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Chloride, Iron Lactate, Inositol, Vitamin E, Zinc Sulfate, L-Carnitine, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Copper Sulfate, Vitamin A, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin B2, Manganese Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Vitamin K, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin D3, Biotin, Vitamin B12

Holle isn’t imported to the U.S. so can be hard to purchase. Here are three places with whom I have affiliate relationships:

BabyKind Market
Organic Baby Food 24
My Organic Company (for 5% off everything at My Organic Company, use code GIMME5 at checkout).

Kabrita Goat Milk Formula

For now, Kabrita is approved for 12+ months (although people do use it for infants). The whey/casein ratio is 50:50, making this an ideal option for babies 12 months and older. (Kabrita hopes to debut an infant formula in the U.S. market later this year.)

I like that Kabrita uses non-GMO goat milk (from Missouri and the Netherlands) and has lactose as the primary added carbohydrate.

What really makes Kabrita stand out, however, is the fat blend that they use. From what we know, Kabrita is the only brand that uses plant-derived fats that match the structure of the most common fat molecules in breast milk. These fats (high SN-2 palmitate, a.k.a. “OPO fats”), which are produced by an enzymatic reaction on a mixture of vegetable oils, have been shown to promote more healthy bacteria in the gut, reduce colic and gas, reduce constipation, and allow for fat and calcium to be absorbed better.

For parents with children with coconut allergies, Kabrita doesn’t contain coconut oil (of course, this could change at any time, so always read the label!).

Ingredients in Kabrita formula: Lactose (Milk), Nonfat Dry Goat Milk, Goat Whey Protein Concentrate Powder (Milk), High sn2-Palmitic Acid Oil, Soybean Oil*, Galacto-oligosaccharides (Milk), Palm Kernel Oil, Sunflower Oil, and less than 1%: Tri Calcium Citrate, Mortierella Alpina Oil, Tri Sodium Citrate, Crypthecodinium Cohnii Oil, Calcium Carbonate, Potassium Hydroxide, Choline Bitartrate, Sodium L-ascorbate, Choline Chloride, Ferrous Sulphate, L-ascorbic Acid, Zinc Sulphate, Vitamin E Acetate, Inositol, Niacinamide, Calcium Pantothenate, Cupric Sulphate, Retinyl Acetate, Thiamin Hydrochloride, Vitamin B6 Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Manganese Sulphate, Folic Acid, Potassium Iodide, Vitamin K1, D-biotin, Sodium Selenate, Vitamin D3, Cyanocobalamin.

Kabrita has generously offered 10% off for my readers with code GIMMEKABRITA.

Buy now from Kabrita

Kendamil Organic Baby Formula

Kendamil is another great European formula, and has been made organically in the UK since 2018. Kendamil uses whole milk from grass-fed cows and doesn’t contain soy or palm oil.

Kendamil formula comes from the milk of English Jersey cows, whose milk is richer in good fats, protein, and calcium. Furthermore, Jersey cows produce mainly A2 milk.

This formula does not contain probiotics, but it does have prebiotics and its DHA and ARA are not extracted with hexane. Kendamil contains taurine, l-carnitine, and nucleotides.

The complete ingredients in the stage 1 Kendamil are: Organic whole milk, Organic demineralized milk whey protein powder, Organic skimmed milk, Organic vegetable oils (sunflower, coconut, rapeseed), Organic galacto-oligosaccharides (from milk), Calcium citrate, Sodium citrate, Potassium chloride, Calcium lactate, Magnesium chloride, Docosahexaenoic acid, Arachidonic acid, Vitamin C, Potassium hydroxide, Choline bitartrate, Inositol, Taurine, Nucleotides (cytidine-5’-monophosphate, disodium uridine-5’-monophosphate, adenosine-5’-monophosphate, disodium inosine-5’monophosphate, disodium guanosine-5’ monophosphate), Iron pyrophosphate, Zinc sulphate, Vitamin E, Niacin, Pantothenic acid, Copper sulphate, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, Manganese sulphate, Folic acid, Potassium iodide, Sodium selenite, Vitamin K, Vitamin D3, Biotin, Vitamin B12

One thing that makes Kendamil special is that even their Stage 2 and Stage 3 formulas do not contain maltodextrin—almost every other formula adds this carb beyond Stage 1.

Kendamil also makes a goat milk formula that is Good Stuff.

You can buy all Kendamil varieties at My Organic Company.

Loulouka Organic Baby Formula (Cow)

As I mentioned above, this newer Swiss formula is the very Best Stuff. Loulouka Stage 1 is free of palm oil, soy, corn syrup, sucrose, carrageenan, and maltodextrin, contains lactose, and is certified organic with milk from grass-fed cows.

Loulouka contains DHA and prebiotics, but does not contain ARA or probiotics.

Please note that the stage 2 and 3 Loulouka do contain maltodextrin. Some parents choose to keep their older babies on the stage 1–this is a decision you should make with the help of your pediatrician, but we do still consider Stage 2 and Stage 3 Loulouka to be Good Stuff.

Loulouka Stage 1 ingredients: Organic Skimmed Milk, Organic Demineralized Whey Powder, Organic Vegetable Oils [Organic Sunflower Oil, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Rapeseed Oil], Organic Lactose, Galactooligosaccharides (GOS from lactose), Minerals (Calcium Chloride, Sodium Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Magnesium Chloride, Calcium Phosphate, Calcium Citrate, Zinc Sulphate, Sodium Selenate, Manganese Sulphate, Potassium Iodate, Potassium Hydroxide, Copper Sulphate, Iron Sulphate), Emulsifier (organic sunflower lecithin), Refined Fish Oil, Choline Bitartrate, Vitamins (C, E, A, D, B3, B5, B7, B12, K, Folic Acid, B1, B6, B2), L-tyrosine, L-tryptophan, Inositol, Antioxidants (tocopherol-rich extract), L-cysteine, L-carnitine

$45.00 — or subscribe and save up to 8%Buy Now

Loulouka Goat Milk Formula

Goat’s milk formula is worth considering if you have a baby with sensitivities to cow’s milk (or maybe even if you don’t). If you’d like to consider a goat milk formula for your baby, our top choice is Loulouka. I like that the primary ingredients in Loulouka’s goat milk formula—goat milk, carbohydrates, and oils—meet a very high, European organic standard. Goat milk formula is not usually organic, so that makes this one special.

It is superior to Holle’s goat milk formula because it does not contain maltodextrin.

The ingredients in this formula are: whole goat milk*, lactose*, vegetable oils* (sunflower, rapeseed), calcium carbonate, trisodium citrate, microalgae oil (MILK), magnesium chloride, L-cysteine, calcium hydroxide, vitamin C, L-tryptophan, L-tyrosin, sodium chloride, iron lactate, vitamin E, zinc sulfate, niacinamide, calcium D-pantothenate, retinyl acetate, copper sulfate, thiamine hydrochloride, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, riboflavin, mangenese sulfate, potassium iodide, vitamin K1, sodium selenite, cholecalciferol, biotin, cyanocobalamin

Lebenswert Organic Baby Formula (Stage 1)

Lebenswert formula is produced by Holle, and is even better.

One of the the biggest problems with Holle’s original formula is that it contains maltodextrin. Lebenswert’s stage 1 formula is free of maltodextrin, relying instead upon lactose to lend sweetness to the formula.

Moreover, Lebenswert adheres to Bioland organic guidelines for farmers and manufacturers. These guidelines are even more stringent than the European Union’s Eco-Regulation; you can read more about them here.

Lebenswert also skips soy and a bunch of the synthetic nutrients found in most of the organic formulas in America, but does still contain palm oil and canola oil (called “rapeseed oil”).

Here’s a complete ingredients list of the stage 1 formula: Organic skimmed milk, organic whey powder (partly demineralised), organic vegetable oils (palm, rapeseed, sunflower oil), lactose, potassium chloride, calcium, vitamin C, sodium chloride, ferrous gluconate, vitamin E, zinc sulfate, niacin, calcium pantothenate, copper sulphate , Vitamin B1, Vitamin B6 , Vitamin A, manganese sulfate, folic acid, potassium iodate, vitamin K1, sodium selenate, vitamin D.

Because it’s from Germany, Lebenswert is not FDA approved, so it can be challenging to obtain here in the U.S.

I’ve vetted the several places to purchase this formula, and am happy to have established affiliate relationships with the following sellers (this list continues to be updated as the market changes):

Organic Baby Food 24
BabyKind Market
My Organic Company (for 5% off everything at My Organic Company, use code GIMME5 at checkout).

PLEASE NOTE: Lebenswert organic baby formula in stages above 1 do contain maltodextrin. While these are still “Good Stuff” and on par with original Holle, Lebenswert stage 1 is superior.

Serenity Kids Toddler Formula

Serenity’s new toddler formula uses milk that is not only grassfed and organic but also A2. It contains a lot of the Good Stuff we look for–lactose to sweeten, prebiotics, olive and coconut oils, and non-hexane extracted omega acids. It’s free of corn, rice, and soy.

You should ask your pediatrician about giving this formula to an infant.

These are all the ingredients in this Serenity Formula: Organic Lactose, Organic A2 Whole Milk Powder, Organic Galactooligosaccharides, Organic Whey Protein Concentrate, Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Palm Oil, Organic Cocoa Butter, Less than 2% of: Human Milk Oligosaccharides (2′-fucosyllactose, Lacto-N-neotetraose), Organic Inulin, Algal Oil, Organic Sunflower Lecithin, Organic Egg Lecithin, Calcium Carbonate, Potassium Citrate, Sodium Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Nucleotides (Adenosine-5-Monophosphate, Cytidine-5-Monophosphate, Disodium Guanosine-5-Monophosphate, Disodium Inosine-5-Monophosphate, Disodium Uridine-5-Monophosphate), Choline Bitartrate, Dicalcium Phosphate, Magnesium Phosphate, Inositol, Natural Mixed Tocopherols, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Methylcobalamin, d-Alpha-Tocopheryl Acetate, Zinc Sulfate, Calcium Pantothenate, Niacinamide, Ferrous Sulfate, Vitamin A Palmitate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Copper Sulfate, Ascorbic Acid, L-Methylfolate, Kelp Powder, Manganese Glycinate, Phylloquinone, Sodium Selenite, Biotin, Vitamin D3, Vitamin D2.

Use code GIMME15 for 15% off anything at Serenity.

The Okay Stuff

Earth’s Best Organic Baby Formula

I am so happy to see that Earth’s Best has gotten rid of the corn syrup in their formula! The only sweetener is now organic lactose, making this formula almost Good Stuff. I’m still only calling it Okay Stuff because of the sheer number of synthetic nutrients. It also contains several soy ingredients. Earth Best’s sensitive organic baby formula as well as their dairy-free version both have corn syrup solids as the very first ingredients, so those two are Sneaky Stuff.

The complete list of ingredients in the basic dairy infant formula is: Organic Lactose, Organic Nonfat Milk, Organic Oils (Organic Palm or Palm Olein, Organic Soy, Organic Coconut, Organic High Oleic Safflower or Sunflower Oil), Organic Whey Protein Concentrate, Less Than 1: Mortierella Alpina Oil*, Crypthecodinium Cohnii Oil**, Fructooligosaccharide, Lutein, L-Carnitine, Vitamin A Palmitate, Beta-Carotene, Vitamin D (Cholecalciferol), Vitamin E (DL-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate), Mixed Tocopherol Concentrate, Vitamin K (Phytonadione), Ascorbyl Palmitate, Thiamine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Cyanocobalamin, Niacinamide, Folic Acid, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Ascorbic Acid, Choline Bitartrate, Inositol, Calcium Carbonate, Calcium Chloride, Calcium Hydroxide, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Cupric Sulfate, Magnesium Phosphate, Potassium Bicarbonate, Potassium Chloride, Potassium Iodide, Potassium Hydroxide, Potassium Phosphate, Sodium Selenite, Sodium Citrate, Taurine, Organic Soy Lecithin, Nucleotides (Cytidine-5-Monophosphate, Adenosine-5-Monophosphate, Disodium Uridine-5-Monophosphate, Disodium Guanosine-5-Monophosphate, Disodium Inosine-5-Monophosphate)

Topfer Lacatana Bio

A lot of you have inquired about Topfer, and I like that it’s the very oldest of the German formulas! Still, when I drilled down on the ingredients, I don’t think it’s as good as the other European options. This is really just because it isn’t biodynamic, contains canola and palm oils, and uses maltodextrin as a sweetener.

The ingredients in Topfer are as follows: Skimmed milk, whey powder partly demineralized, vegetable oils (Organic Palmoil, Rapeseedoil, Sunfloweroil), maltodextrine, skimmed milk powderˡ, starch, oil of Mortierella alpina, fish oil, calcium carbonate, sodium citrate, potassium chloride, vitamin C, calcium phosphate, iron lactate, vitamin E, bifidobacteria cultures (B.breve, B.bifidum, B.infantis, B.longum), zinc sulphate, niacin, calcium-Dpantothenate, copper sulfate, vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B6, manganese sulphate, potassium iodate, folic acid, vitamin K, sodium selenate, vitamin D.

(Note: Topfer’s Stage Pre does not contain any sweeteners at all, making it Good Stuff!).

The Bad Stuff

Avoid any infant formulas that are not organic, for all of the reasons listed above.

Aptamil Nutura is a British brand about which many of you have inquired. Because it isn’t organic and contains corn syrup, I can’t recommend it.

Gerber’s BabyNes is admittedly super convenient, but there are lots of problems with these pods. For one, they are plastic-heavy, with lots of surface area exposure (as opposed to bigger traditional containers.) They also involve warm water running through plastic tubing and other parts in the machine. You probably know that warmth and plastic equals increased chemical leaching. Plus the pods are super wasteful from an environmental standpoint. And what’s in the pods isn’t Good Stuff anyway, with corn sweeteners and no organic ingredients.

Nan formula is perhaps the best of the Bad Stuff, since it does contain lactose as a sweetener. But this formula, made by Nestle, isn’t organic. And if you read all the way down the ingredients list, you will eventually find the corn syrup!

Two other definite Bad Stuff brands who don’t even make an organic variety of their formula:

Gerber Good Start. This should come as no surprise. Their jarred baby food is also Bad Stuff.
Enfamil. For some horrible reason this is the brand I chose for Felix when I needed a nursing break due to bleeding nipples and ran out of pumped milk. Wah! Enamel’s Pregestimil and Nutramigen lines (for sensitive or allergic babies) are made up almost entirely of corn syrup and vegetable oils.

The Sneaky Stuff

Bright Beginnings Organic Baby Formula, owned by pharma giant PMB, contains corn syrup, rather than dairy-based lactose, as well as lots of vegetable oils.

Enfamil Enspire doesn’t have a terrible list of ingredients (it’s sweetened with just lactose rather than corn syrup or white sugar), but nothing is organic and it has a ton of synthetic nutrients and some questionable preservatives.

Happy Baby Sensitive contains corn syrup and maltodextrin. Note that Happy’s regular formula is Good Stuff (see above).

Parent’s ChoiceOrganic Baby Formula contains maltodextrin, as well as all the other bad stuff.

Similac Organic Baby Formula is the only organic formula to contain actual cane sugar, and lots of it. Their ready-to-use formula also contains carrageenan. The only upside? Similac is free of palm oil.

Similac Advance Non-GMO Baby Formula. This marketing ploy really annoys me. GMOs are the least of the problem with conventional infant formula.

Still, I was surprised to see that there isn’t sugar or corn syrup in this formula. If you’re going for a conventional formula, this is the one to get.

This version of Similac contain galactooligosaccharides, which are prebiotics. It isn’t unlike the Baby’s Only Whey in fact, except it isn’t organic (and btw, organic by definition means non-GMO).

This version is actually better than Similac Organic, but it still contains a significant number of synthetic ingredients.

Similac Pure Bliss is yet another version from this pharma giant. This one uses dairy from grass-fed, antibiotic-free cows, but it’s not organic, and is still loaded with synthetic nutrients.

Vermont Organics Baby Formula, also owned by PMB Nutritionals, contains palm oil, hexane-extracted DHA/ARA, and organic glucose syrup solids (corn), and maltodextrin.

Whole Foods 365 Organic Baby Formula, also produced by PMB, contains palm oil and corn-based sugars.

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The post Safe Baby Formula Guide appeared first on Gimme the Good Stuff.

Complete Non-Toxic Baby Registry Checklist

Maia James — Mon, 17 Aug 2020 14:02:01 +0000

1. Safest stroller / 2. Pocket bib / 3. Rash protection / 4. Non-toxic car seat / 5. Better cloth diapers / 6. Plastic-free breast milk storage / 7. Silicone spoons / 8. Nursery air filter

Pulling together this list of all the non-toxic baby registry items a conscious parent could possible want was fun! Mostly, I’m struck by how much has changed since my last pregnancy–then again, it WAS 8 years ago! It almost makes me want to have another baby–almost.

To make sure I wasn’t missing any great new inventions (turns out, I totally was), I called upon my friend Stefanie Koenig, who is a conscious mom to Marlowe, 5, and Greta, 2.

Stef and I agreed on the following list of essential earth-friendly and toxin-free Good Stuff. We hope this helps you build a baby shower registry or just make sure you have everything you need for the final stage of pregnancy and early days of parenthood.

Stefanie with Marlowe and Greta

Some of the items below are available in our store (and I’m working on getting more there!), and otherwise I will include a link to where you can find them. In a few cases, if you purchase an item from our link we may earn a commission from Amazon or elsewhere.

By the way, if you’re creating a registry, we love MyRegistry.com, which makes it super easy to register from multiple stores rather than just one place.

So, without further ado, here’s what we think you need! I look forward to your comments and suggestions of other amazing Good Stuff for a new baby.

FEEDING

Bottles

The big rule here is avoiding plastic, which can leach chemicals. Glass and stainless steel are our top choices, but silicone is also okay. We like the following three brands the best.

Hevea Baby Glass Bottles

Pura Kiki Stainless Steel Infant Bottle (We recommend the insulated ones so you can take them on the go and know that the milk will stay fresh!)

Como Tomo Silicone Baby Bottle Bundle

How many bottles do you need?

I barely used bottles because I exclusively breastfed and worked from home, so I asked Stef to weigh in to answer this. My key takeaways from our conversation are as follows:

Newborns only drink 1-2 oz of breast milk/formula at a time so you want smaller bottles and the slowest flow nipple so they don’t choke while they eat.

If you are exclusively formula-feeding, 5 or 6 small bottles would work, as long as you’re okay with washing some bottles throughout the day.

If you are only supplementing with formula, 3 or 4 small bottles would be fine. (Having backsups is always nice.)

When the baby starts drinking larger quantities, you need the bigger bottles that hold up to 8 oz and also need to switch your nipple to a higher level one, so they can get more liquid and won’t get frustrated. Again, you need 5 or 6 bottles for an exclusively bottle-fed baby, and 3 or 4 for a baby that’s also on the breast.

Formula

If you won’t be exclusively breastfeeding, you can use our guide to figure out which is the best formula for your situation. My top pick is Loulouka for almost everyone. Because you can’t know for sure which formula will best agree with your newborn’s stomach, I recommend starting with no more than 7 or 8 boxes.

Loulouka Organic Stage 1

Burp Cloths

Depending on how much your baby spits up (I had one prolific spitter and one who almost never did), you’ll probably go through between one and five burp cloths a day. If you want to do laundry twice a week, I’d have ten on hand to be safe. (You’ll find that you use them for many other messes, too.)

Blaynk Organic Burp Cloths

Monica & Andy Organic Burp Cloth

Bibs

We recommend having 5-10 cloth bibs (sometimes I would put my babies in bibs just because of all the drool!), and two silicone bibs for when they start to eat solid foods.

Blaynk Organic Bibs

Milkbarn Organic Cotton Kerchief Bib

Baby Bar & Co Silicone Baby Bibs

Breastmilk Storage

Back when I was breastfeeding and pumping, the only option for storing pumped breast milk was in plastic bags. Now, you can avoid plastic entirely with these silicone solutions. (Depending on how much milk you want to store in your freezer, you’ll probably want between 6 and 10 bags of either.)

ZipTop Silicone Breast Milk Storage Bags

Stasher Reusable Silicone Bags

Snack-size is the best bet for breastmilk storage.

Pacifiers

My babies never took to the pacifier, but I am not against them. Just make sure to choose paci is made of natural rubber like the one below.

Hevea Colored Pacifier

Loulou Lollipop Pacifier Clip

Plates, Bowls, and Spoons

When choosing dishes, plastic should again be avoided, but you clearly won’t be handing a toddler a glass bowl, either. For that reason, stainless steel and non-leaching silicone are two of my favorite materials for plates, bowls, and cutlery.

GoSili Silicone Bowl with Lid

Thinksport Stainless Steel Bowl

ECOlunchbox Tray

Baby Bar & Co Silitensils for Infants

GoSili Silicone Toddler Spoons

Sippy Cups

You won’t believe how quickly your baby switches from bottles to sippy cups (sometimes by 6 months!), and you’ll want to avoid sippies where liquid sits in–or baby sucks from–plastic. One plus to choosing a Pura baby bottle is that when it comes time to transition, you simply swap out the nipple top for the sippy or straw top, rather than buying an entirely new cup and tossing the old bottles. We also like the following sippy cups.

ThinkBaby Thinkster of Steel Sippy Cup

GoSili OH! 360 Silicone Sippy Cup

High Chairs

The safest high chairs are made of solid wood, and any plastic components should be free of BPA, phthalates, and polyurethane.

Stokke TrippTrapp Solid Wood High Chair

Stokke Steps Chair Cushion

GEAR

You’ll want to make sure that strollers and car seats contain no flame retardants or other problematic chemicals. (Our Car Seat Guide provides a review of many popular brands, and the following model from Clek is our favorite.)

Car Seat

Clek Liing Infant Car Seat, Mammoth

Milk Snob GOTS Certified Carseat Cover

Stroller

Joolz Hub Non-Toxic Stroller with optional Bassinet

Newborn Wrap Carrier

Moby Evolution Wrap

Baby Carrier

Beco Organic Gemini baby carrier

Infant Lounger

Snuggle Me Baby Lounger

Snuggle Me Baby Lounger Cover

Bouncer

BabyBjorn Bouncer Bliss

NURSERY & DECOR

Crib

Choose a crib and nursery furniture made of solid wood if possible, ideally with a no-VOC, nontoxic finish. Any of the dressers or changing tables from the following brands are also toxin-free, with the exception of the Ikea one.

Kalon Studios Caravan Crib

Romina Furniture New York Crib

Green Cradle Gratitude Slat Baby Crib

Ikea Sniglar Crib

Crib Mattress

Choosing a toxin-free mattress, whether for a crib or a King-sized bed, can be a confusing process, and our Safe Mattress Guide endeavors to make it simpler. Naturepedic is our top-pick for a comfortable, safe crib mattress.

Naturepedic Organic Cotton Lightweight Crib Mattress Mattress

Blaynk Baby Organic Crib Sheet

Travel Crib

Lotus Travel Crib

Changing Table Pad

Once again, Naturepedic is our top choice for a flame-retardant free changing pad.

Naturepedic Changing Pad

Naturepedic Contoured Changing Pad Covers

Monica & Andy Changing Pad Cover

Playmat

Most mats for babies contain polyurethane foam. We chose CorkiMat as our top pick because it contains no polyurethane or flame retardants and comes encased in organic cotton.

CorkiMat Comfy Non-Toxic Playmat

Nursery Rug

Rugs are another place where you’ll often find flame retardant chemicals. Lorena Canals offers a large selection of machine-washable cotton rugs free of toxins. Below are a few of our favorite. (Make sure that the pad you put under the rug is made of 100% natural rubber rather than vinyl, which contains phthalates.)

Hippy Stars

Happy Llama

Azteca

Earth Weave Rubber Rug Gripper

Air Filter

Austin Air Healthmate Plus Junior Filter

CLOTHING & ACCESORIES

Ideally, your baby will be clothed in only organic cotton. If you can’t find certified organic, then look for an Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certifictaion, which prohibits the use of dangerous dyes and other toxins. Castleware is a brand we trust across the board.

Complete Organic Layette

Monica & Andy Newborn Layette Cuddle Box

Onesies & Sleepers

Burt’s Bee’s Organic Bodysuits

Primary Short-Sleeve Babysuit

Pact Long-Sleeve Bodysuit

Primary Organic Zip Footie

Pants

Primary Baby Pants

Under the Nile Footed Pant

Mittens

Oeuf Newborn Mittens

Swaddles & Blankets

You’ll want to have at least three swaddles on hand, because your baby will inevitably pee through at least one each day. And you’ll find that you can never have enough cute organic blankets.

Blaynk Baby Organic Swaddle

Monica & Andy Organic Coming Home Blanket

Sleep Sack

You’ll probably want a to stock a few sleep sacks, since babies will pee (or worse) through these, too!

Castlewear Sleeper Bag

Socks

Touched by Nature Organic Baby Socks

Monica & Andy Baby Tube Socks

Hats

Pehr Knot Hat

Spearmint Love Organic Cotton Beanie

Under the Nile Cold Weather Hat

Laundry Detergent

Any of the laundry soaps in our Detergent Guide are toxin-free and safe for baby clothes. The following two brands are customer favorites.

Eco-Me Laundry Detergent

Pure Natural Baby Laundry Detergent

DIAPERING

I was certainly not a full-time cloth-diapering momma, but things have come a long way—if I had to do it again, I would absolutely give it a try!

Cloth Diapers

If you’ll be a full-time, cloth-diapering mom, we recommend 24 inners and 6 outters. If you’ll be a part-time cloth diaperer, go with 12 inners and 4 outters. (Your baby will need to move up to Size 2 when she hits 18 pounds)

Esembly Inner Diaper

Use code GOODSTUFF*10* at checkout for 10% off everything at Esembly.

Esembly Outer Diaper Cover

Esembly Overnight Insert

MamaSuds Cloth-Diaper Safe Liquid Laundry

ImseVimse Wet Bags

While this is designed for cloth diapers on the go, the large one could also used to line a diaper pail and reduce waste.

Esembly Day Bag

Use code GOODSTUFF*10* at checkout for 10% off everything at Esembly.

Disposable Diapers

If you decide to use disposable diapers (even part time), our Diaper Guide can help you choose the most eco-friendly brands. Nest is a reader favorite.

Nest Baby Diapers

Diaper Wipes

We hope you’ll get addicted to the reusable variety, but you can register for several kinds and see which ones you like best.

Jackson Reece Baby Wipes

Noleo Duo Baby Wipes System

ImseVimse Washable & Reusable Cloth Wipes

Diaper Creams & Powder

Our Diaper Cream Guide will help you choose a toxin-free product for diaper rash relief. The following are our favorites.

Green Goo Baby Balm

Babo Botanicals Oatmilk Calendula Soothing Diaper Cream

Ora’s Amazing Herbal Unscented All Natural Baby Powder

Diaper Pail

Ubbi Steel Diaper Pail

Esembly Diaper Pail Powder Deodorant

BATHTIME

Less is more when it comes to using skin or hair products on your baby. A simple bar of soap is the most eco-friendly choice, and lotion is really only necessary if your baby has dry skin. Organic coconut oil is multi-purpose essential.

Baby Shampoo & Wash

Tandi’s Naturals Gentle Herb Soap

Babo Botanicals Sensitive Baby Newborn Foam Wash

Baby Lotion

Babo Botanicals Sensitive Baby Fragrance Free Daily Hydra Lotion

Beautycounter Baby Daily Protective Balm

Baby Bathtub

Stokke Fle xi Bathtub

Organic Towels

Under the Nile Spa Gift Bag Set

Under the Nile Ne wborn Hooded Towel

Organic Wash Cloths

Under the Nile Sherpa Wash Cloths

Under the Nile Wash Mitt Set

ON THE GO

Diaper Bag

Dera Design Organic Canvas Diaper Bag

Esembly Petite Pouch

Use code GOODSTUFF*10* at checkout for 10% off everything at Esembly.

Face/Hand Wipes

Babo Botanicals 3-in-1 Sensitive Baby Wipes

Hand Sanitizer

All Good Organic Peppermint Hand Sanitizer Spray

BOOKS

You’ll almost certainly be gifted many books, including multiple copies of Good Night Moon. Here are a few other wonderful first book ideas.

You Are Light

Here We Are

The Skin You Live In

A is for Activist

PLAY

Our Safe Toy Guide offers some guidelines for choosing toxin-free toys for children of all ages. What follows are some of our favorite toys and teethers for the youngest set.

Gym

Lovevery Play Gym

Soft Toy

Petit Collage Organic Bunny Soft Chime Ball

Teethers

Three Hearts VW Bus Silicone Teether

Under the Nile Carrot Organic Veggie Toy Teether

Rattles

Haba Rattling Max

Kleynimals Stainless Steel Keys

Doll

Under the Nile Sasha Dress Up Doll

Versatile Toy

Rainbow Toy

Lovey

Under the Nile Sleeping Lovey Doll

Play Kits

Lovevery Play Kits

FOR MAMA

Nipple Cream

My own breastfeeding experience was really tough, and I hope not one woman reading this goes through the same. If you have even a little discomfort, you’ll want a safe, soothing, toxin-free balm like my favorite from Green Goo.

Green Goo Nursing Cream

Stretch Mark Balm

Green Goo Belly Balm

Sitz Bath

Green Goo Herbal Sitz Bath

Radiation Protection

DefenderShield EMF Radiation Protection Baby Belly Band

Reusable Nursing Pads

Bamboobies Washable Nursing Pads

Nursing Pillow

Holy Lamb Nursing Pillow

Nursing-Friendly PJs

Hatch Collection Organic Pointelle Set

Coyuchi Cloud Brushed Organic Sleep Shirt

Nursing Bras & Tanks

Kindred Bravely Nursing/Pumping Tank

Kindred/Bravely Organic Nursing/Sleep Bra

Maternity/Nursing Poncho

Comfy Underwear

Knickey Organic Cotton Undies

Leggings

Cinnamon – New Mom Wear Leggings by DynaTot

Milestone Block Set

Modern Blocks Milestone Block Set

New Pregnancy Resource

Unique Footprints is an online pregnancy program that teaches you everything you need to know for your entire pregnancy and early days of motherhood. It includes pregnancy meal planning, prenatal yoga, birth and postpartum prep, fetal brain development, breastfeeding, baby care, infant sleep and safety, and much more. Unique Footprints is made up of a team of nurses, dietitians, counselors, infant sleep coaches, lactation consultants, and yoga therapists. Use code GIMME THE GOOD STUFF at checkout for a 10% discount.

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The post Complete Non-Toxic Baby Registry Checklist appeared first on Gimme the Good Stuff.

Safe Disposable Diaper Guide

Maia James — Sat, 07 Sep 2019 22:40:34 +0000

My original introduction to this section read something like, “Sure, we all know we should use cloth diapers, but how realistic is that, especially here in New York City where many of us don’t even have washing machines? Thank God for these biodegradable diapers from Seventh Generation!”

This was back in 2010, and I was using cloth diapers about 25% of the time (and my husband was using them never). After doing the research for this guide, I came away realizing that there really isn’t a truly “green” way to use disposables. So I started putting Felix in non-toxic disposable diapers only at bedtime or for long car rides, and stopped using the Seventh Generation disposables completely.

But I had many relapses before potty training was done, and when my second son, Wolf, was born in 2013, I didn’t even attempt cloth diapers. My excuse: a busy business and two children. Valid? Not really, but at least I used diapers I felt better about (see “The Best Stuff,” below).

2019 Updated Biodegradable Diaper Guide

In 2019, nearly a decade after I first published this guide, I hired Dr. Michael Hopkins, PhD, to revisit the guide and update it with some new brands you’ve been asking about. (Dr. Hopkins also helped with this amazing prenatal vitamin guide.)

Michael’s Research Process

Michael began by studying the existing version of this guide, and then looking at other natural parenting websites and the biodegradable diaper brands they recommend, plus the potential sources of toxins in most disposable diapers.

As a scientist, Dr. Hopkins is well-equipped to read peer-reviewed studies and come away with a deep understanding of the nuances of the potential risks from various diaper materials, from chlorine to SAP to adhesives (more on all this later.)

After deciding on the appropriate criteria for what would make brands Best, Good, Bad, or Okay Stuff, Michael made a many-columned spreadsheet and populated it with the list of diaper brands you guys asked us to review.

For each brand, Michael calculated affordability, studied reviews on diaper performance, and double-checked to make sure that all ingredients and materials lists were accurate from the first version of this guide (in the case of Honest Diapers, for instance, the ingredients changed in 2018).

Michael’s final (and the most time-consuming!) step was contacting diaper manufacturers to find out about phthalates, fragrance, chlorine, latex, and the exact materials in the top-sheet and back-sheet of each diaper.

I asked him to find out if the diapers use bamboo or plastic (and in what ratios), if they use traditional SAP or plant-based fluff, what their adhesives are made of, and what percentage of so-called compostable or biodegradable diapers actually biodegrade.

Once he gathered all of this information, we were able to plunk all 37 reviewed brands into a Best, Good, Okay, Bad or Sneaky Stuff category, which you can review at the bottom of this post.

Your Most Pressing Question: Do even the worst disposables really pose a risk to the baby wearing them? Or is this mostly an environmental issue?

This is the question I am asked more than any other about diapers, so let’s start here. Environmental impact aside, is there a risk to disposables?

The short answer is, yes: diapers can pose a risk to the baby wearing them. Here are our two biggest health concerns with disposable diapers:

The phthalates that may be used not only in the plastic components of diapers, but also in the glues, synthetic fragrance, and dyes. In a recent study out of South Korea, four leading diaper brands (as well as several brands of sanitary pads) were shown to all contain varying amounts (and in some cases, very high levels) of phthalates. If you’re a regular reader, you already know how bad phthalates are, and since they directly disrupt hormones, they are definitely not something you want anywhere near your children’s privates! In addition, phthalates proved to be the hardest ingredient to suss out during our investigation. A surprising number of “non-toxic” or “sustainable” diaper brands don’t actually make any claim about phthalates, and you’ll see in our reviews below that we note whether each brand is “phthalate-free.”
Allergens and irritants. TBT, parabens, latex, and more are often found in diapers. These will most likely be present in fragrance, lotions, and dyes. While this is the least sensational potential risk (certainly phthalates are a much more exciting enemy), good old-fashioned diaper rash is probably the greatest actual concern for most babies wearing disposable diapers. The best way to avoid diaper rash (or a more serious reaction) is to avoid any disposables with dyes, fragrance, and lotions, and to look for diapers that explicitly state they are free of latex, parabens, and TBT.

My Top Pick for Best Non-Toxic Disposable Diapers

Nest Biodegradable Diapers

$57.00 – $65.00 — or subscribe and save up to 8%Buy Now

Do We Need to Worry About Bleaching/Dioxins in Diapers?

This is another question I get a lot, and it’s certainly relevant from an environmental perspective. The organochlorines present in the effluent produced by paper mills during the bleaching process are a well-documented environmental pollutant. However, in terms of a danger to the baby, you should know that the level of dioxins present in disposable diapers is:

Comparable to that found in cotton (cloth) diapers.
Thirty thousand to 2.2 million times lower than the average dietary dioxin exposure resulting from “low level contamination of the food supply.” (From this peer reviewed study using commercially available diapers purchased in and around San Francisco.)

In other words, we are exposed to at least tens of thousands of times more dioxins from the Unites States food supply than the trace levels found in chlorine-bleached diapers. Does that mean you should buy bleached diapers? No, definitely not–the production of those suckers is really bad for the planet. But if the hospital puts your newborn in one, don’t worry; it’s not going to harm her.

Total Chlorine Free (TCF) versus Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF)

If you’ve been educating yourself on non-toxic/biodegradable disposable diapers, you’ve probably heard that ECF diapers are basically Sneaky Stuff and that you MUST buy only TCF diapers.

(Quick primer: ECF means bleached with chlorine dioxide instead of elemental chlorine. TCF means bleached using any chemicals other than chlorine, chlorine dioxide, or hypochlorite.)

We are probably the only “green bloggers” saying this, but the distinction between TCF and ECF is totally not important. Here’s why: as we just said, the use of chlorine in pulp and paper mills is really an environmental issue, not a health and safety issue. Yes, ECF bleached diapers might sometimes still contain trace amounts of dioxins, but we are talking about levels that are several orders of magnitude lower than the levels of dioxins we are all exposed to by simply eating food.

And here’s why it doesn’t even matter from an environmental standpoint: Although the waste products of TCF pulp is technically “cleaner” than ECF pulp, TCF produces a lower yield (it takes more wood pulp and energy to produce the same amount of finished product), effectively cancelling out the benefits over ECF.

Moreover, the environmental impact of ECF versus TCF bleaching depends on the practices and procedures of the individual paper mill and how the waste products are handled. Recent reports have concluded that the theoretical benefits of TCF versus ECF bleaching have not been realized in the real world and that there is no appreciable difference between ECF and TCF. Scratch that one of your worry list!

Non-Toxic Incontinence Diapers

Abri-Form Junior is Abena’s line of non-toxic disposable incontinence diapers, designed specifically to fit those between 5 and 15 years old that suffer from uncontrolled urination.

What Makes a Diaper Good Stuff?

I hope all of this helps you guys understand a little more about what makes a diaper potentially unsafe for a baby and decidedly not friendly to the environment. Still, there are dozens of “green” or “biodegradable” diapers on the market; how can we know which ones to buy?

In order for a disposable diaper to be “Good Stuff,” it must:

Be free of artificial fragrance, dyes, and lotions, all of which have the potential to contain irritants/allergens/toxins and simply aren’t necessary in any diaper.
Explicitly state that it is free of phthalates, since this cannot be assumed, unfortunately.

These two criteria are the bare essentials if your only concern is the safety and well-being of the diaper user. (But I know you all are better than that!)

Given the significant environmental impact of disposable diapers, a “Best Stuff” diaper also must:

Be either Elementally Chlorine Free (ECF) or Totally Chlorine Free (TCF). For the reasons explained above.
Be free of petroleum-derived plastics. There are now enough bamboo and other plant-based diapers on the market to eliminate any brand that uses petroleum in its production from the Best Stuff category, even if it poses no real risk to the baby wearing the diaper. This is a happy change from when we last updated this guide four years ago!

Biodegradable Diapers: Do They Exist?

By virtue of using plant-based rather than petroleum-based ingredients, the diapers that we’ve labeled as Best Stuff are inherently compostable or biodegradeable to varying degrees. Some of these brands supplement with a “bio-based SAP” or with cornstarch in the absorbent core to limit the amount of traditional SAP used. The other core component, “fluff,” is wood pulp (cellulose) that undergoes a more traditional bleaching process.

Many people criticize diaper brands that market themselves as “biodegradable” or “compostable” because:

Traditional landfills are inherently non-conducive to biodegradation due to an absence of oxygen, soil, and microorganisms.
Compostable is only relevant when you have a way to compost where you live (keeping in mind that human feces should not be composted!), and anyone who is planning to compost their diapers will need to make sure they understand how to do this properly.

Michael and I agree that, despite these concerns, there are still valid reasons to choose a “compostable” or “biodegradeable” diaper, including a reduction in use of petroleum on the production end, as well as sending a message to the industry about the demand for more environmentally sustainable consumer products.

Reasons to Switch to Cloth Diapers

Before I tell you which are the very best disposable diapers, here’s why you shouldn’t use any of them, even the ones I can sell you from our online store:

Conventional plastic diapers contain small amounts of dioxin—a byproduct of the bleaching process. As discussed above, this doesn’t pose a risk to your baby, but it’s really bad for the environment.

Even if you use non-toxic disposable diapers, you’re probably familiar with the little gel clumps that sometimes stick to your baby’s skin when you wait too long to change her. Known as SAP (Super Absorbent Polymer), some people worry about it because it was linked to toxic shock syndrome when it was in tampons. While I don’t think it causes a health risk to babies, it is not biodegradable, and thus not an earth-friendly choice.

A Greenpeace study found the hormone-disrupting TBT (tributyl tin) in many diaper brands.

I know we’re are all bored with the landfill stats, but the fact remains that a disposable diaper can take as long as 500 years to decompose.

In response to the popular misconception that cloth diapers are just as bad for the environment as disposables (a myth propagated by a study funded by Proctor & Gamble), an independent report found that disposable diapers produce more than 50 times the waste of cloth diapers and use twice as much water and triple the energy.

What About Cloth Diapers with Flushable Liners?

I didn’t use them myself, but tons of readers and friends are devoted to the so-called “hybrid diapers” with the flushable liners.

The Best Stuff

Aleva Naturals Bamboo Diapers

These also feature a bamboo top-sheet and back-sheet, and a fluff and plant-based SAP core.
Price per diaper: $0.53

Andy Pandy Eco-Friendly Bamboo Diapers

Andy Pandy diapers are 85.6% biodegradable, with a bamboo top- and back-sheet, and a fluff/sap core. A lot of you are fans of this diaper, so I’m sure you’ll be happy to know this is the Best Stuff.
Price per diaper: $0.40

Dewor Baby Premium Bamboo Disposable Diapers

This one looks pretty much identical to ECO Boom, with a bamboo top-sheet and back-sheet, a core of fluff and sap, and no PVC, TBT, alcohol, and preservatives.
Price per diaper: $0.39

DYPER Diaper Subscription

Like the other brands on this list, Dyper diapers use a bamboo top- and back-sheet. But Dyper is unique not only because it’s purchased via subscription, but also because it uses Sumitomo SAP for part of its core, along with fluff. Our research suggests that Sumitomo SAP (from Japan) is the very best traditional SAP on the market, so you can use less of it for the same results. We also like Dyper because the company purchases carbon offsets and uses biodegradable bags and nontoxic cardboard inks for packing and shipping. They claim you can compost these diapers at home. Overall, Dyper is probably the most affordable of all the Best Stuff.
Price per diaper: $0.32 to $0.46

Buy Now from Dyper

ECO Boom Bamboo Baby Diaper

This compostable diaper has a bamboo top-sheet and back-sheet. The core is a combination of fluff and SAP. ECO Boom gets extra points for its non-toxic adhesives. These diapers are free of PVC, TBT, alcohol, and preservatives.
Price per diaper: $0.39

Little Toes Biodegradable Bamboo Diapers

Like others in this category, Little Toes feature a bamboo top-sheet and back-sheet, a fluff and SAP core, and are free of alcohol, PVC, TBT, dyes of any kind, and preservatives.
Price per diaper: $0.44

Nest Biodegradable Diapers

This newer brand offers a 64% biodegradable diaper that gets excellent customer reviews. It features a bamboo top sheet and back sheet, and its core is comprised of a combination of fluff and SAP. These diapers are free of phthalates and was quick to answer our questions.
Price per diaper: $0.48

$57.00 – $65.00 — or subscribe and save up to 8%Buy Now

Poof Diapers

With a bamboo top-sheet and cotton/corn-based back-sheet, these diapers claim to be completely biodegradable The print is used a non-toxic soy ink, and the fluff is unique in that it’s made of fluff and a corn-based SAP.
Price per diaper: $0.42

The Good Stuff

The following brands all still count as “Good Stuff” because they are Chlorine free (ECF or TCF), dye, fragrance, lotion, paraben and latex free and explicitly phthalate free. However, the top-sheet and back-sheet of these diapers are made mostly of petroleum-based plastics, so based on our new standards, we cannot call them Best Stuff.

Attitude Disposable Baby Diapers

I was surprised when Michael told me Attitude made the Good Stuff list! The top-sheet and back-sheet are made from a “cellulose polymer,” and the core is made of cellulose fluff, SAP, and “Bio-SAP.” Attitude claims that this is a 90% biodegradable diaper—the 10% is the plastic fasteners and the SAP portion of the core. On the downside, reviews suggest that these diapers are leaky and don’t hold closed as well as others on this list. We also never heard back from them about the exact materials in their polymer, which is why we’ve listed them as Good rather than Best Stuff.
Price per diaper: $0.44

Bambo Nature Diapers

Bambo is highly regarded among green diaper reviews and is often noted for its certifications, such as “Nordic Ecolabel” and “Forest Stewardship Council.” The cellulose fluff is sustainably sourced, and combined with SAP for the core. Bambo diapers are made of around 75% biodegradable materials, but aren’t Best Stuff because they employ a polypropylene top-sheet and a polypropylene/polyethylene back-sheet. Bambo is what I used when I wasn’t using cloth diapers. These are the most affordable of the Good Stuff brands.

Price per diaper: $0.29

From: $72.99 / monthBuy Now

Broody Chick

This brand has been discontinued.

These diapers are compostable, which of course only works if you actually put them in a compost pile, something I can’t do in New York City. The absorbent center of these diapers is made of woodpulp and a “plant-based gel,” which is just another term for SAP. Still, they use less SAP than conventional diapers, and the compostability is a definite plus. The fit of these diapers isn’t as good as other brands, and in particular, the small sizes are much larger than they claim.

Cutie Pea Bamboo Diapers

These are 87% biodegradable, feature a bamboo top- and back-sheet, cellulose fluff, and a SAP core. Please note that Cutie Pie diapers contain aloe vera. These diapers have a wetness indicator and size labels, making life easier for those of you lucky enough to have more than one child in diapers;). Cutie Pea bamboo diapers get very good customer reviews. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to get an answer about dye or prints, but it seems unlikely that these diapers contain any dyes.
Price per diaper: $0.43

Eco by Naty Diapers

Bio-based plastic top-sheet and back-sheet. The core is made of fluff, SAP, and cornstarch. They claim it’s 50 biodegradable, and printed with non-toxic pigments. Several reviews mention a rough feel to these diapers, and I’ve never personally tried them.
Price per diaper: $0.50

Hello Bello Diapers

This brand took some heat at launch-time for having a ton of 5-star reviews before they even went on sale, meaning that the reviews came from people who received free diapers without mentioning that they’d received free diapers. Reviews aside, Hello Bello diapers don’t qualify as Best Stuff because of a petroleum-based top-sheet and back-sheet. They feature a fluff with SAP and Bio-SAP core.
Price per diaper: $0.29

The Honest Company Diapers

Honest diapers are often cited as being “plant-based,” but this is no longer true. It appears that Honest has changed its ingredient list sometime since 2018 to include more petroleum-based plastics. These diapers have a polypropylene and polyethylene top-sheet, a plant-based plastic and polyethylene back-sheet, cellulose fluff, and a SAP and bio-SAP core. People love Honest Diaper’s cute prints, which they claim are printed “dye free.”
Price per diaper: $0.37

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The Okay Stuff

Unless otherwise specified, the following brands are free of dioxins (they are either ECF or TCF), fragrance, lotion, dyes, parabens, and latex. However, we weren’t able to confirm that any of these diapers are phthalate-free (although most of them probably are). Unless otherwise specified, these brands are constructed using petroleum-based plastics with a core made of fluff and traditional SAP.

Abby & Finn Diaper Subscription

The one nice thing about this otherwise just-okay brand is that for every box purchased, 30 diapers are donated to families in need.
Price per diaper: $0.25

Babyganics Ultra-Absorbent Diapers

We sent an email to Babyganics with a bunch of questions about their diapers, and we received a message from customer service that they would respond promptly, but never any further follow-up. Babyganics uses “NeoNourish®− our own blend of tomato, sunflower, cranberry, black clumin, and raspberry seed oils. We incorporate NeoNourish® into the diaper core to help support your baby’s skin health.” Meh.
Price per diaper: $0.50

Cloud Island (Target)

Users seem to really like the unique trifold design, which apparently makes these easier to put on.
Price per diaper: $0.13

Cuties Complete Care Baby Diapers

This line of diapers is produced in a zero-waste-to-landfill facility, printed with “safe ink” (no heavy metals), and uses sustainably-sourced fluff.
Price per diaper: $0.20

Earth + Eden Baby Diapers

These appear to be identical to the Cuties Complete diapers, and we think they are produced by the same manufacturer, First Quality, and sold under two labels.
Price per diaper: $0.20

Little Journey Diapers (sold at Aldi)

Little Journey diapers deserve a special mention for being the most affordable almost Good Stuff. Little Journey’s top-sheet and back-sheet are made of petroleum ingredients, and they aren’t Good Stuff because they contain vitamin E and aloe lotion. They use fluff with SAP core and are printed without dye. We got a prompt, cordial, informative, and personalized response from Aldi, with a statement that all ingredients, including the vitamin E and aloe lotion are “thoroughly reviewed by an independent toxicologist.” Although online reviews suggest that these diapers function well, one commonly noted criticism is that they feel a little thin and “papery.”
Price per diaper: $0.13

Made Of Better Diaper

These are ECF and free of fragrance, dye, and phthalates. They also have many impressive certifications, including ISO 9001, Social Accountability 8000, PEFC, and the Rainforest Alliance Certificate. The only reason we’ve calling Made Of just Okay Stuff is that they clearly states in their marketing that their product does the dirty work “without dirty words like petrochemicals,” when in fact there is no indication that they are made from anything other than petrochemicals.
Price per diaper: $0.34

Buy now from Made Of

Nature’s Promise (Stop n Shop)

We spoke to customer service who passed our questions along, and we did get a prompt email from the manufacturer, but without any info on phthalates or added dyes.
Price per diaper: We weren’t able to find any price for these—please comment below if you know!

Pampers Pure Protection Diapers

This is probably the brand we are asked about most, and I wish I had better news on them. I can’t call them Good Stuff because we were unable to get confirmation that they do not include phthalates. The top- and back-sheet are made of “plant-based” material, polypropylene, cotton, and petroleum-based polymers. In addition, they are labeled as “EU 26 allergens free.”
Price per diaper: $0.30

Seventh Generation Disposable Diapers

There isn’t much notable about Seventh Generation diapers, except that they use SFI-certified fluff (sustainably sourced). Their website also states: “Seventh Generation diapers are not biodegradable, nor can they be composted. Many of the materials used are synthetic, and do not biodegrade.”
Price per diaper: $0.28

Thrive Market Diapers

These are fragrance-free, dye-free, and phthalate-free, but not biodegradable or compostable. One element of “sneakiness” in the Thrive Market diapers marketing is that they are labeled as “Gluten Free” and “Cruelty Free,” which just seems silly given that we are talking about a diaper.
Price per diaper: $0.33

The Bad Stuff

Any bleached diapers should obviously be avoided, although fortunately most diapers nowadays are unbleached. Here are the brands you’ve asked about most that made our Bad Stuff list.

Kirkland Signature Diapers

So here’s a brand that isn’t even unbleached! Being chlorine-free seems to be the lowest rung of the ladder in terms of trying to be eco-friendly, so these are the worst of the Bad Stuff. The only thing they are free of is artificial dyes and fragrance.

Price per diaper: $0.22 (as low as $0.16 if you buy at Costco)

LUVs Diapers

Apart from being ECF, we can’t find anything non-toxic or eco-friendly about these diapers.

Price per diaper: $0.13

Pampers Swaddlers Diapers

Pampers are the same diapers as LUVs, but they are latex free, if you have an allergy.

I’m really bothered by the fact that Pampers have a smell, though. This is what they have to say about that:

“We’ve asked parents all around the world which products they prefer for their babies and they’ve told us they prefer diapers with a soft, baby-fresh scent. The fragrance in Pampers is used at a very low level in each diaper and has been carefully selected and evaluated to be non-allergenic and non-irritatingto the skin.”

Eww!

Price per diaper: $0.27

The Sneaky Stuff

365 Diapers (Whole Foods)

These diapers are ECF, and free of fragrance, latex, and TBT. We are also calling them Sneaky Stuff because of their lack of disclosure about phthalates, dyes, and lotion.
Price per diaper: $0.24

Earth’s Best Tendercare Diapers

At first glance these diapers appear to be at least Good Stuff: they use a “plant based plastic” for their top-sheet and back-sheet and a cellulose fluff/SAP/bio-SAP core. However, there is no info on whether Earth’s Best diapers are phthalate-free or lotion-free. They do claim to be dye-free, but don’t give any info on what is used for the print. There is a general absence of transparency about the composition and percentage of the diaper that uses “plant-based plastic.”
Price per diaper: $0.32

Huggies Diapers

These diapers are ECF, and free of fragrance, lotion, latex and parabens. The label states that they are “EU 26 allergens free,” as well. I’m not moving them from Sneaky Stuff because they do not disclose any information about phthalates, dyes, or the composition of the back-sheet.
Price per diaper: $0.25

Mama Bear (Amazon brand)

These diapers are ECF, fragrance free, latex free and hypoallergenic, but have no further information available. Mama Bear gets a “Sneaky Stuff” designation for lack of disclosure about phthalates, dyes, and lotion.
Price per diaper: $0.20

Up & Up Diapers (Target)

Up & Up diapers are Sneaky Stuff because the label states “petroleum-free lotion” and “perfume free” as opposed to simply being lotion free and fragrance free, although we did confirm that they do not contain phthalates.
Price per diaper: $0.14

What About No Diapers at All?

Forgoing diapers all together, or practicing “elimination communication,” is clearly the greenest option of all.

Here is a story that one reader, Gillian, shared with me:

I learned about EC from a very hippie friend and initially I laughed at her. Then when my son was about 3 weeks old, he started giving very obvious cues about when he was going to poo. I would wait for him to finish in his (disposable) diaper, then clean him up. I realized that I could have just as easily put him on the potty. I tried that a few times, but before he could hold his head up it just wasn’t working for us. As soon as he could hold his head up, though, I started putting him on the potty during most diaper changes. I figured, hey – the diaper is off anyway! I was catching some pees and some poos, but there wasn’t much rhyme or reason to it. When he started eating solids he got into a good pattern of pooping every evening, so I just put him on the potty. On average, I now only have to clean one dirty diaper per week, and my longest stretch without a poopy diaper has been 21 days. I am able to catch some pees, but I’m still not great at it. My son is now 8 months old. I love not cleaning dirty diapers!

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The post Safe Disposable Diaper Guide appeared first on Gimme the Good Stuff.

Safe Baby Lotion Guide

Maia James — Fri, 22 Mar 2019 10:44:28 +0000

1. Babo Botanicals / 2. Beautycounter / 3. Attitude / 4. California Baby / 5. Earth Mama

I don’t think you need to slather your baby in lotion after every bath, but sometimes a baby’s dry skin will be screaming for a moisturizer.

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a huge fan of coconut oil, and we often put a little blob of the organic, unrefined good stuff in the bath with the boys.

My Top Pick for Best Natural Baby Lotion

If you’re looking for a creamy (not greasy), basic natural baby lotion with no sketchy ingredients, my pick is Babo’s Sensitive Baby Daily Hydra Lotion.

$13.99 — or subscribe and save up to 5%Buy Now

DIY Skincare for Babies

Many readers have written in with their own strategies for keeping dry skin at bay, often without buying packaged lotions or creams. I’m always going to be the type to buy a natural baby lotion rather than lube up my kids with pure olive oil, but these strategies are still helpful:

Humidify, humidify, humidify. Lots of you suggested this. I bought an ionic humidifier to help clear Felix’s sinuses, and as an added bonus, I no longer wake up feeling like my skin is a size too small for my body.
Hydrate inside out. While at other times of the year I think the whole “drink eight eight-ounce glasses of water a day” wisdom lacks sufficient research to back it up, in the winter I do feel it helps to up the fluid intake. In any event, I tend to feel thirstier when I’m stuck inside a heated apartment all day.

Bathe less. One reader said her daughter only gets one bath a week and has no dry skin issues. I know that my own skin feels better when I take fewer showers, but I’m too grossed out by their germy classrooms to let me kids skip week-night bathing.
Get a chlorine filter. If you have a water baby like I do, the chlorine exposure might aggravate dry skin (and carries other health risks). We use this filter in the bath and this for the shower.
Apply organic shea butter. It’ll spread more easily when mixed with an oil (one reader suggests jojoba; another loves avocado). If you put the mixture near the stove while cooking dinner, it’ll melt and be perfect after a bath.
Lube your baby up with olive oil before her bath to ensure silky skin afterwards (but be careful, as she will be VERY slippery while in the bath).
Soap them at the end. Let your little one play in the bath first, and then after his skin becomes wrinkly, quickly use the soap to wash him. Less time in the drying soap prevents dry skin.

In addition to some of the above measures, I use a store-bought natural baby lotion on Felix and Wolf after baths (which is the best time to moisturize because skin is already full of water).

What About Eczema?

If your child summers from eczema, this post covers causes and treatments that our readers swear by.

We also love this Earth Mama Organics Eczema Cream

What Might Be Wrong with the Natural Baby Lotion You Have Now

Since pretty much everyone now knows that phthalates are bad, more and more cosmetics lines—especially those marketed for babies—are free of synthetic fragrance (although lots still do contain them).

Other common ingredients in baby lotion include:

Parabens (well-known endocrine disruptors)
Ethanol (a penetration-enhancing alcohol)
Phenoxyethanol (a suspected carcinogen)

Even lotions sold in health food stores and marketed as natural will contain some of these chemicals. Phenoxyethanol in particular is ubiquitous in “natural” baby lotion.

Coconut Oil: Refined vs. Unrefined and Virgin vs. Extra Virgin

Whether you are buying it to use as skincare or as food, definitely opt for unrefined coconut oil, as the refined variety is deodorized and bleached. Refined coconut oil has a higher smoking point and lacks the coconuty smell and taste, which is why it is sometimes preferred for cooking. And while there is a distinction between virgin and extra virgin olive oil, when it comes to coconut oil, these terms mean the same thing.

The Good Stuff

Attitude Baby Lotions

While Attitude’s baby lotion has tons of ingredients, many of which are synthetic, they all seem to be super safe. Attitude is also EWG verified.

Babo Botanicals Moisturizing Natural Baby Lotion

This is my new favorite line, which we are now carrying in our online store. Babo’s line of natural baby lotions are light, smell delicious (but not cloying), and contain none of the bad stuff discussed above. Babo Botanicals products are produced on a certified organic farm in upstate New York. Their lotions contain natural skin softeners like calendula and meadowsweet, and I love their new fragrance-free line.

$13.99 — or subscribe and save up to 5%Buy Now

California Baby Everyday Lotion

I’ve been a fan of California Baby for more than ten years, and they continue to make a great line of natural baby lotions.

Enkido

This Australian line makes a super yummy natural baby lotion (including Soothing, Calming, and Sensitive formulations). You’ll pay about $20 for oughly 4.25 ounces, plus another $20 for them to ship it to you, which I realize is an insane amount of money for a lotion that’s mostly made up of the same ingredients as the other Good Stuff (like calendula and organic lavender oil). I’m including Enkido on this list because I like to support one of the rare companies whose entire line is safe. Almost every single product they sell—from eye makeup remover to anti-aging cream—ranks a 0 on Skin Deep, and nothing scores higher than a 1.

Poofy Organics

I love that Poofy’s lotions are made to order, which means they don’t need to use hardcore preservatives (although they still have a generous one-year shelf life). This fragrance-free natural baby lotion also has some cool ingredients, including kimchi seaweed and apricot kernel oil.

Buy now from Poofy Organics

Beautycounter Baby Daily Protective Balm

Unlike some Beautycounter products, this balm contains a short list of ingredients–mostly organic–such as sunflower seed oil, beeswax, and shea butter. It’s also garnered major praise from users!

Buy Now from Beautycounter

Earth Mama

Earth Mama’s Angel Baby lotion smells super yummy. Shea butter again makes an appearance here, along with olive oil, aloe, and calendula. Other good stuff about this Good Stuff: it scores a 0 on Skin Deep and all the ingredients are organic.

MADE OF Moisturizing Baby Lotion

MADE OF’s Moisturizing Body Lotion contains no synthetic ingredients of any kind, including fragrances or preservatives. It’s also non-greasy and contains soothing ingredients like aloe vera.

Buy Now from MADE OF

Pleni Naturals

Pleni sent us a sample of their natural baby lotion for review. This is a balm rather than a lotion or cream, but is nice for kiddos with very dry skin. It contains mostly organic ingredients.

Update: It’s come to our attention that Lac Larde has been using synthetic fragrances due to a dishonest chemist. They are rectifying the problem and we will report back as soon as their formula is safe.

Lac Larde Organic Baby Lotion

~~Lac Larde organic baby lotion is my husband’s current favorite (for himself!).~~

Thinkbaby Baby Lotion

Thinkbaby’s new baby lotion formula doesn’t contain dimethicone, so I can officially call it Good Stuff. Even though the ingredients aren’t organic, they are all low hazard

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The Bad Stuff

CeraVe Baby is almost what I would call Okay Stuff, because it’s free of fragrance and parabens. Still, it’s all synthetics, nothing is organic, and it contains dimethicone, phenoxyethanol, and sodium hydroxide.

Eucerin Baby Body Lotion seems to have an identical ingredients list to Cerave Baby, so it’s basically the best of the Bad Stuff, too.

When I wrote this guide in 2010, Johnson’s Lotions contained fragrance, three different kinds of parabens, benzyl alcohol, BHT, propylene glycol, and artificial colors. Things are much improved now! Johnson’s has responded to consumer demand (that’s you guys!), and cut the number of ingredients in their baby line by 50 percent. I also like that they disclose all of their fragrances now, rather than hiding behind the word “fragrance” on the label. Best of all, they’ve ditched the parabens and phthalates! Unfortunately, a bottle of Johnson’s lotion is still going to contain phenoxyethanol and dimethicone, both of which are considered moderately hazardous by EWG. Moreover, a few ingredients in their fragrance blend have no safety data available. Because lotion is something you slather on your baby’s entire body every day and don’t wash off, even the new version of Johnson’s lotions aren’t good enough.

~~To give credit where credit is due, however, Johnson’s Naturals lotion is actually pretty safe. The only thing I don’t love is the hydrogenated cottonseed oil it contains.~~ Johnson’s has discontinued its Naturals line–too bad!

Aveeno (also produced by Johnson & Johnson) makes a ;Calming Comfort Moisturizing Lotion, which, while free of phthalates and parabens, contains synthetic fragrance, dimethicone, and petrolatum.

The Sneaky Stuff

BabyGanics Smooth Move Daily Lotion isn’t totally terrible–but it does contain phenoxyethanol (a possible carcinogen), as well as several other ingredients that Skin Deep rates at least a 3.

Burt’s Bees Baby Lotion is doing some things right. They don’t use synthetic fragrance or parabens. Unfortunately, it also contains sodium benzoate, lactic acid, phenoxyethanol, and limonene.

Cetaphil Baby Lotion advertises organic calendula on the front of the bottle. Unfortunately, it’s full of chemical ingredients, including synthetic fragrance.

A lot of you have asked about Live Clean baby lotion. I can’t recommend it because of several gross ingredients, including “fragrance.”

Mrs. Meyers Baby Blossom Lotion contains fragrance, phenoxyethanol, and ceteareth-20, which is often contaminated with carcinogenic 1,4-dioxane. Despite bragging about aromatherapy all over the label, I knew all of the Mrs. Meyers stuff smelled too good to be true (take a whiff of anything with the geranium scent—it’s heavenly), and so I asked for more details. I was told:

“To answer your question regarding our fragrances – our aromatherapeutic fragrances are a proprietary combination of natural essential oils and synthetic fragrance ingredients formulated in compliance with IFRA / RIFM’s (International Fragrance Association and Research Institute for Fragrance Materials) guidelines for safety. Please note…none of our fragrances contain phthalates.”

Perhaps Skin Deep would lower the score on this product if they knew that it was phthalate-free (they currently give it a 4), but I still don’t feel comfortable using it.

Mustela is fancy and France and calls itself “eco-friendly,” but it also contains “perfum” (AKA fragrance). Mustela did recently remove the parabens from their products.

Puracy makes a baby lotion that many of you have asked us about. Unfortunately, it contains benzisothiazolinone and phenoxyethanol.

You guys ask me all the time about Tubby Todd. With phenoxyethanol and sodium benzoate, Tubby Todd not quite Good Stuff.

Yes to Naturals Baby Body Lotion says it’s 100% natural, but this is flat-out untrue because it has synthetic fragrance and sodium benzoate in it.

What About Baby Oil?

Baby oil is generally a combination of mineral oil (a petroleum byproduct) and synthetic fragrance. According to some sources, it seals up the pores in a way that doesn’t allow skin to breathe effectively. Baby massage oils are now readily available due to the popularity of baby massage (which, along with baby sign language, I never got around to trying). This one from Badger is my favorite.

Beautycounter also makes a nice Soothing Baby Oil.

Check out our Hand & Body Lotion Review for some more clean lotions that are safe for kids and babies.

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Should You Do Cord Blood Banking?

Maia James — Fri, 27 Apr 2018 17:47:08 +0000

Did you choose to do private cord blood banking after your baby’s birth? This is one of the first decisions you’ll make about something that may affect your child’s health, and parents naturally agonize over it.

My husband, Daylon, is the Director of the Reproductive Endocrinology at Weill Cornell Medical College as well as a embryonic stem cell research scientist. My pregnant friends often ask to pick his brain about cord blood banking.

Daylon recently emailed a friend of ours his opinion on private cord blood banking. I thought I would share that email with my readers, some of whom are probably wondering about cord blood banking themselves. Please feel free to post questions below and I will ask him to respond!

Most new parents have thought about whether or not to pay for private cord blood banking. I have fielded the question a lot over the past decade, and my answer hasn’t really changed: Cord blood banking is probably worth it if you can afford it.

Maia and I put both our kids’ blood in the public registry because it was a significant expense to bank it privately. We reasoned that our boys were a rare enough genetic combo that the blood would sit there in the registry if we needed it (that is probably not actually the case, unfortunately for us).

Ultimately, it comes down to grim mathematics. Cord blood is used to treat hematological malignancy–disease of the blood, mostly cancer, but also beta-thallasemia, sickle cell, auto-immune conditions, and other rare diseases.

If a child comes down with cancer in childhood, their own cord blood is a home run. It’s a perfect genetic match, with no trace of the disease in that pristine population of cells at birth. But this represents a very small sub-population.

Leukemia, a third of all childhood cancer diagnoses, will account for about 5,000 new cases in kids under twenty this year (out of roughly 60 million such young people). Depending on subtypes, survival of childhood cancer is already above 70% with existing therapies.

Autologous cord blood transplant has not been practiced widely because private banking is relatively new and indications are pretty rare. However, it may also be worth considering that there will probably be further applications for autologous cord blood that may be in play for adults once our kids are grown up. But that would mean that you are banking the blood for decades.

The Bottom Line on Cord Blood Banking

If you want to have an extra insurance policy for an unlikely event; and you understand that the extra insurance is not guaranteed but could also be extended to as yet undeveloped but amazing therapies for a broader list of unlikely events; and if you are willing to pay storage fees for what may be decades…then bank the cord blood. If not, don’t feel like you are screwing your kid over. Whatever you choose, this will be the least of your worries and won’t hold a candle to your joy, so don’t agonize over it.

Stay sane,

(but actually Daylon this time)

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Safe Baby Bottle Cheat Sheet

Maia James — Thu, 08 Feb 2018 21:23:00 +0000

All bottle-feeding moms want the best non-toxic baby bottles for their babies, whether the bottles are is filled with breastmilk or formula or even water. Here’s how to make sure you’re using truly non-toxic baby bottles.

1. Avoid Plastic Baby Bottles (including “BPA-free” ones!)

Plastic bottles are tempting—they are inexpensive, readily available, lightweight, and hard to break. But plastic leeches chemicals, some of which are known endocrine disruptors (hello, BPA!).

Don’t be fooled by “BPA-free” labels. BPA-free plastics that contain BPA substitutes like BPS are possibly just as bad, if not worse. Bottom line: If you want non-toxic baby bottles, you’ll never be buying any kind of plastic.

2. Choose Glass or Stainless Steel Baby Bottles

The safest baby bottle material is probably glass. Glass bottles won’t leech anything into milk or formula. Whenever possible, choose glass for breast milk storage, too.

Food-grade stainless steel is a close second to glass. Stainless steel bottles are lighter and less breakable than glass. We love Pura Kiki infant bottles because they are totally plastic-free, come in two sizes (5 oz and 11 oz), are available insulated and non-insulated, and can be converted into bottles for toddlers, kids, and adults.

3. Silicone Baby Bottles Are Okay

Silicone baby bottles are better than plastic, but probably not as safe as glass or stainless steel; research on the safety of silicone is relatively limited. We do know that silicone may leech at very low and high temperatures, so you might consider skipping silicone bottles for hot liquids and avoid putting them in the freezer. I like the Comotomo Natural Feel silicone bottle. (Note: (These silicone bags are better than storing breast milk in plastic.)

4. Don’t Forget the Nipples

Food-grade silicone is probably the safest, most durable and hygienic material for baby bottle nipples. A close second is natural rubber nipples from a credible company like Hevea or Natursutten. Definitely skip synthetic latex nipples (like these by Gerber), which can contain a number of concerning additives.

Because my babies rarely drank from bottles, I can’t recommend a favorite in terms of efficacy. That’s why I need you guys to comment below on your favorites glass, stainless steel, and silicone baby bottles and nipples–please do so below!

Stay sane,

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HiPP Versus Holle: Which European Infant Formula is Healthier?

Maia James — Wed, 31 Jan 2018 02:43:05 +0000

Below is an email I recently sent to a private client of mine. Since the number one question I receive is “What is the safest infant formula?,” I thought some of you might be interested in my analysis of the two safest brands of baby formula, HiPP vs. Holle (both from Europe). Note that whichever formula you choose, you should always use a water filter to remove chlorine (carcinogenic) and fluoride (linked with lowered IQ). (Here’s more on why you should get a filter and which ones I like.)

Dear E.:

So the bottom line is I would recommend Holle formula as the best option, but it’s not without some problems, unfortunately (yet again it becomes clear that nothing can compare with breastmilk). HiPP is superior in a few ways, but I’ll explain why ultimately I would go with Holle below.

Here’s what I considered when researching HiPP vs. Holle:

Palm oil. Palm oil is an ingredient that a lot of people worry about (suspected to affect bone density), and both HiPP and Holle contain it. However, because they each contain a blend of other oils (like coconut and sunflower), I don’t think the amount is as concerning. They do both also contain rapeseed oil, otherwise known as canola oil, which is also somewhat controversial. It’s worth noting that Baby’s Only doesn’t contain palm oil–but it does contain soybean oil, which I don’t like, so not really a huge win.
Aluminum issue. The HiPP ready-made formula is preferable to the HiPP powder because the latter has strangely high aluminum levels, although even the ready-man has borderline levels. (I can’t figure out why–possibly because it comes in aluminum pouches (within a cardboard box)). However, in general I actually DON’T like ready-made formulas because they contain soy lecithin (sometimes extracted with hexane…and soy is problematic anyway because of its estrogenic properties). On the other hand, the amount of lecithin is relatively small, and probably worth the trade-off. Note that the HiPP Growing Up milk in powder form actually has much lower levels of aluminum (but you can’t use that until after 12 months, and it does contain soy lecithin. Sigh). Bottom line here is go for ready-made or Growing Up milk if you do get HiPP, but with Holle you don’t have to worry about this.
LCP oils. The addition of omega 3 and 6 oils in U.S. formulas is controversial because of the extraction methods (super complicated issue so I’ll spare you all the details). HiPP has these added oils, but I suspect the extraction methods are probably required to be cleaner in Europe. Unfortunately, I’ve been unable to get to the bottom of this, so it’s a question mark and potentially another negative for HiPP. And studies show that the addition of the oils doesn’t improve the nutrition for babies anyway, so their absence isn’t really a negative for Holle.
Organic practices. Both of these companies have been around for more than 50 years, and the dairy products from both come from grass-fed, organic cattle, certainly of a higher quality that anything you get here. Holle farms are certified organic and biodynamic–which I’ll simplify by saying is like organic-plus, with very strict standards from the processing all the way to the packaging. Another point in the Holle column.
Sugars. All formula has a lot of sugar (breastmilk is naturally quite sweet), and HiPP wins in this category, as it uses lactose as a sweetener, which is the best option (and also the most expensive). Holle uses maltodextrin (a plant-based sweetener), although it seems to use less of it than most American formula brands. And here’s an update from July 2015: Lebenswert is a newish formula under the Holle umbrella. The Stage 1 Lebenswert formula contains lactose instead of maltodextrin, and Lebenswert is now available at Little World Organics!
Prebiotics. This is another win for HiPP. Holle doesn’t contain these, and it’s one of the big things found in breastmilk but missing from formula.

Bottom line: Both HiPP and Holle are superior to American formulas, in my opinion. They lack many of the concerning ingredients found in most formula you get here, don’t have white sugar or corn syrup in them, and also skip some preservatives and the carrageenan found even in other organic formulas. If it were my baby, I would probably choose Holle because of the aluminum issues with HiPP–which to me is more concerning than the maltodextrin (the only major downside to Holle). The lecithin, biodynamic farming, and LCP oil issues further put Holle in the lead. And if you choose Stage 1 Lebenswert, you skip the maltodextrin as well.

In terms of where to by Holle (or HiPP): this is complicated since these formulas do not meet FDA approval. There are many online vendors (including Ebay sellers), but until I can vet that one (or several) are legit, I cannot make a recommendation on where you should purchase European formula. I hope to have this information available soon.

October 2019 update: I’ve vetted several places to purchase this formula, and am happy to have established affiliate relationships with the following sellers:

Stay sane,

P.S. If you want to learn about goat milk formula (including one from Holle), click here.

Standard disclaimer: The advice and opinions presented here by Gimme the Good Stuff are based on our own research process as well as current scientific evidence. For medical advice, you should see a licensed medical professional. Statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any illness.    Manufacturers change the ingredients in their products frequently; always read labels or call companies to verify.

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Safe Baby Wash, Bubble Bath & Soap Guide

Maia James — Sat, 20 Jan 2018 14:42:34 +0000

1. Dr. Bronner’s / 2. Babo Botanicals / 3. Carina Organic / 4. Paleo Skincare / 5. Honest

Written by Maia, President

UPDATED: January 2018

Guess what–you probably don’t even need a non-toxic, natural baby wash. There is no reason you can’t use a non-toxic shampoo on your baby’s body as well as his head, and most products are labeled for use as shampoo and as baby body wash.

That said, shampoos, even the ones I consider Good Stuff, generally has more ingredients than a simple bar of natural soap, so I prefer the latter for babies.

Some companies do make a separate natural baby wash that doesn’t double as shampoo. This Safe Product Guide gives you the run-down of the best and worst of these, plus recommends some great bar soaps (which, by the way, can be used on your little one’s hair, too!) and bubble baths, which I use every night for my boys just because they love it.

My Top Pick for Best Natural Baby Wash

I love Dr. Bronner’s 4-in-1 Organic Baby Sugar Soap because it lacks any sneaky ingredients and can be used on their body as well as hair.

Ingredients to Avoid in Baby Soap

When it comes to soap for your baby’s body, the biggies to stay away from are fragrance, anything ending in “paraben,” and all the obviously chemically-sounding names (like PEG-40).

Adult soaps and shower gels often include harsh petroleum-based detergents, but baby wash does tend to be gentler, if not necessarily safer. Ideally, you should choose a baby wash or bubble bath that specifies 100% natural ingredients; choosing organic baby wash is an even bigger plus.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate Is Ok…Sort of

One soap ingredient that has stirred a lot of controversy is sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS).

After lots of research, I’ve decided that while I’m okay using products that contain SLS to wash clothing or dishes, I don’t want it in anything that I rub directly onto my kids’ skin because it can be irritating.

Fortunately, most natural baby wash doesn’t contain SLS. Note that sodium laureth sulfate–often found in natural baby wash–is a different ingredient all together, and one that should always be avoided as it is often contaminated with carcinogenic 1-4, dioxane.

(Here’s more on the differences between these two ingredients.)

Now that you have some basic info on what you should stay away from, here is my roundup of Good, Bad, and Sneaky body washes, bar soaps, and bubble baths for babies and kids. I hope this makes picking a natural baby wash much easier, and feel free to post questions in the comments section below.

The Good Stuff

Dr. Bronner’s 4-in-1 Organic Natural Baby Wash

This unique product is a shampoo, body wash, hand product, and also gentle enough to use on your own face. This unscented sugar soap contains no questionable ingredients, and is great for those of you who want zero scent in anything you put on your baby. It is my favorite natural baby wash.

Babo Botanicals Bubble Bath & Natural Baby Wash

Babo’s line, all produced on an organic farm in upstate New York, boasts a clean ingredients list and yummy scent, without any synthetic fragrances.

My kids enjoy nightly bubble baths in Babo’s lavender formula, which doubles as a shampoo.

Please note that we are no longer carrying Babo’s Moisturizing Oatmilk/Calendula Bubble Bath & Wash in our online store because they added sodium benzoate to the formula (read more on this below in the box titled “Some Okay Stuff”).

$15.99 — or subscribe and save up to 5%Buy Now

Carina Organics Baby Tear-Free Bubble Bath

Scented with the essence of the sweet pea flower, this is an extra gentle and tear-free bubble bath formulated with certified organic plant, vegetable, flower and tree extracts. This formula lathers less, rinses easily, and leaves no irritating residue, making it gentle enough for even a newborn’s delicate skin. Perfect for infants, babies, and children.

$10.99 — or subscribe and save up to 5%Buy Now

Lafe’s Organic Baby Foaming Shampoo & Body Wash

If you want a very pure, basic fragrance-free liquid soap/shampoo for your baby, this is a good bet, although I don’t love the way it smells (a sort of castile soap smell).

Lafe’s wash is 100% organic, with hydrating saponified oils of sunflower seed, coconut, olive, and palm. You can buy it on Amazon for around $13. Like I said, this is a safe natural baby wash, but not my favorite in terms of performance.

Farmaesthetics Fine Herbal Cleanser & Natural Baby Wash

This is the best of the best if you’re in search of a natural baby wash for a newborn. I originally bought it to use as a facial cleanser for myself, and then began using it on my kids as well. (Parenting.com calls it one of only three cleansers they “…would ever recommend using on a child.”)

The simple ingredients list includes witch hazel, vegetable glycerin, and essential oils of geranium and lavender. Note that is won’t work as a bubble bath.

$42.00 — or subscribe and save up to 5%Buy Now

Farmaesthetics Homemade Bath Bars

If you love bar soaps, try Farmaesthetics Rainwater Bath Bars, which are gentle enough for babies and kids, and made of organic ingredients. I often prefer a simple bar soap to natural baby wash when I bathe my kids.

The soap ingredients are basic: just purified rain water, olive, palm, and coconut oils, and various herbs, flowers, and essential oils. You’ll pay $12 per long-lasting bar, and you can buy these pretty soaps from the Good Stuff Store.

$12.99 — or subscribe and save up to 5%Buy Now

MADE OF Baby Shampoo & Body Wash

Made’s Of’s Baby Shampoo & Body Wash is a great gentle soap option for kids– it’s free of synthetic fragrances and problematic surfactants.

Buy Now from MADE OF

Paleo Skincare Tallow & Herb Soap for Babies

I am not a Paleo momma (in fact, I barely eat meat), but I love this soap!

It’s mild, unscented, and made with a variety of seasonal herbs, which are gathered in the wild or grown by the soapmaker herself.

This soap–like the rest of the Paleo Skincare line, is beef-tallow-based, which means it yields a rich, moisturizing lather and lasts longer than vegetable-based soaps.

If you’re looking for the most environmentally friendly, natural baby wash on this list, Paleo Skincare’s tallow soap is for you.

Earth Mama Angel Baby Bath Blossoms

Earth Mama offers another safe bar soap option. With some slightly more interesting ingredients than most natural bar soaps—such as oats, cabbage rose, and lemon balm–this pleasant smelling soap is available on Amazon for $5.

Looks like this product is discontinued, Earth Mama’s Baby Wash & Shampoo is Good Stuff!

Beautycounter Kids Body Wash

I am normally not a fan of direct sales companies (Arbonne, Ava Anderson, etc.), but there are some exceptions.

Beautycounter is one of the companies that is genuinely committed to bringing safe products to market.

The only caveat here is that their stuff is definitely NOT all natural or organic–but they do choose all ingredients that EWG has rated as low concern–and conduct their own research to boot.

Beautycounter’s body wash for kids has a pleasant smell (and doesn’t contain any undisclosed chemical fragrances), and is free of sodium lauryl and laureth sulfates. It also doesn’t contain sodium benzoate. You’ll pay $18 for a 10-ounce bottle.

Buy Now from Beautycounter

Honest Bubble Bath

While not 100% natural or organic, the bubble bath by The Honest Company is a safe option from a fairly reliable company (there are just a few of their products that I wouldn’t recommend–the majority are non-toxic).

You’ll pay around $12 for the 12-ounce bottle, and the bubble wand they include is a fun touch. Honest Bubble Bath is now available on Amazon.

Dr. Bronner’s Baby Unscented Pure-Castile Liquid Soap

This very basic soap contains only a few organic ingredients, but one of them is potassium hydroxide, which some readers have been concerned about (it gets a 3 from Skin Deep). Otherwise known as lye, potassium hydroxide is a caustic agent used to turn the coconut oil in Bronner’s soap into, well, soap. Fortunately, none remains in the finished product, and therefore, I consider this Good Stuff.

This is a solid natural baby wash choice, and you can use it for general household cleaning as well.

Seventh Generation Coconut Care Foaming Shampoo & Wash

There is nothing bad or sneaky in this product, but there are a large number of synthetic ingredients. This isn’t a natural baby wash, but I do believe it’s a safe baby wash.

Baby Mantra Natural Baby Wash, Shampoo & Bubble Bath

Baby Mantra is another brand that makes a nice, safe bubble bath (although it does contain potassium sorbate for those of you wanting to avoid that).

Baby Mantra sent me a free bottle of this natural baby wash to try, but of course this review is my own.

Baja Baby’s Bubble Bath, Shampoo & Body Wash

This natural baby wash and shampoo gets extra points for no icky presevatives and for being organic. I haven’t tried it, so I can’t speak to how it performs.

Tom’s of Maine Natural Baby Wash & Shampoo

Other than not being organic, I can’t say anything bad about Tom’s of Maine natural baby wash and shampoo.

It’s unscented and reasonably priced.

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The Okay Stuff

The following products are not quite Good Stuff because they contain sodium benzoate, an ingredient that Skin Deep rates a 3 and about which I have some concerns.

Beautycounter Baby Gentle All Over Wash

Despite the small amount of sodium benzoate it contains, I would feel comfortable using this wash on my own kids, as it has a short ingredients list and Beautycounter is committed to testing all their products for purity.

It’s not a natural baby wash, since nothing from Beautycounter is 100% natural, but it is safe.

Buy Now from Beautycounter

California Baby Bubble Bath & Natural Baby Wash

California Baby products are widely available and people ask about them all the time.

Despite a recent change in their formula (now containing sodium benzoate), I would be okay using this bubble bath.

Babo Botanicals Moisturizing Oatmilk & Calendula

Bubble Bath & Natural Baby Wash

As I mentioned above, we are no longer carrying this variety of Babo’s bubble bath in our store since they added sodium benzoate to their formula.

If you want a Babo bubble bath, choose their Lavender Bubble Bath, which does not contain this questionable preservative.

In a pinch, however, any of this Okay Stuff is fine.

Weleda Calendula Cream Bath

Weleda is a tough one. It’s one of those companies whose ingredients are all natural, just as they claim; unfortunately, some of the oils (limonene, geraniol, etc.) that make up Weleda’s fragrance are rated poorly by Skin Deep/EWG. So I can’t call Weleda Good Stuff.

But, strictly speaking, this is a 100% natural baby wash, and it smells incredible.

The Bad Stuff

Fisher-Price not only makes toxic plastic toys, but also toxic bubble baths and baby washes, complete with synthetic fragrances and PEG chemicals galore.

Johnson’s tops the gross list, since most of their baby washes and soaps include fragrance, parabens, and artificial coloring. Johnson’s has, however, recently launched a natural line that is free of phthalates, parabens, artificial fragrances, and dyes (although none of it is organic).

Mustela, a high-end but noxious baby product line, makes several formulations of baby wash and bubble bath, full of fragrances and PEG chemicals.

Aquaphor’s Gentle Wash & Shampoo throws chamomile in their formula and hopes you won’t notice the PEG chemicals.

The Sneaky Stuff

Burt’s Bee’s Bubble Bath contains synthetic fragrance (which can be home to dozens of undisclosed chemicals).

Earth’s Best Soothing Bubble Bath contains a host of concerning natural ingredients, such a linalool and limonene (both linked with immunotoxicity), as well as benzyl alcohol.

Gaia Natural Baby Bath & Body Wash contains the scary formaldehyde-releasing sodium hydroxymethylglycinate. I don’t know how they get away with calling this a “natural baby wash.” Oh wait, yes I do: total lack of regulation over this terms.

Gentle Naturals Eczema Baby Wash is not particularly gentle nor natural, with phenoxyethanol and several PEG chemicals among its ingredients.

Aveeno Baby Calming Comfort Bath contains synthetic fragrance and immunotoxic cocamidopropyl betaine, plus a range of PEG chemicals.

BabyGanics Bubble Bath is better than the other products listed in this Sneaky Stuff section–but I don’t like that it contains phenoxyethanol and sodium benzoate.

Dr. Brown’s Foaming Baby Wash claims to be a natural baby wash but definitely is not, and includes “fragrance” as an ingredient.

Yes to Baby Carrots Naturally Cleansing Bubble Bath contains retinyl acetate, which Skin Deep gives a 9 (out of 10) on their hazard scale.

Little Twig Organics Bubble Bath contains suspected immunotoxin cocamidopropyl betaine and sodium benzoate.

While in general I consider Shea Moisture products to be at least Okay Stuff, I don’t like their baby washes because they contain cocamidopropyl betaine, which is given a hazard score of 4 from EWG because of it’s immunotoxic properties.

It’s not that there is anything so terrible in the Tubby Todd products, but they are full of it with their 100% natural claims. There are plenty of synthetics in there.

So many of you have asked about Just Hatched brand, but it’s decidedly sneaky, with fragrance, cocamidopropyl betaine, and PEG chemicals.

Noodle & Boo is a Sneaky brand has phenoxyethanol, synthetic fragrance, and other questionable ingredients.

Read our Safe Bar Soap Guide for other great natural soap and organic soap options for kids and grownups alike.

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How I Nursed Three Kids Without Going (Too) Crazy

Colleen Webb — Wed, 17 Jan 2018 14:52:36 +0000

Written by Colleen Webb, Chief Product Investigator

Until recently, I was nursing three kids: a newborn, a two-year-old, and a four-year-old.

When other women hear this, the most common thing they say is, “Oh my gosh, I could never do that!” Moms often share stories about how they weaned their older child in anticipation of a new baby arriving.

I don’t think nursing two or more kids is as hard as many people assume, but it’s also not for everyone (obviously!). I’ve nursed three kids because it’s been a natural choice for my family: My kids and I enjoy nursing from infancy through toddlerhood, and I’ve had them relatively close together.

For those of you who are curious, below are the strategies that have helped make nursing three kids work for me and my family.

PS: I can’t speak for moms of multiples, because I’ve only had one baby at a time. If you’ve nursed twins (or triplets?!) and have wisdom to share, please leave a comment below.

1. Only the baby nurses “on demand.”

Newborns need to breastfeed frequently, whereas older babies and toddlers can usually go hours (or days!) without nursing. For me, feeding the baby “on demand” and having the older kid(s) on stage-appropriate nursing schedules (see below) has been essential.

2. I got the older kid(s) on a nursing schedule before the new baby came.

In order to prevent the chaos of a lap full of kids clamoring for milk, I’ve used the final trimester of my pregnancies as a time to get the older kid(s) on a more structured and minimal nursing schedule.

Before my second baby was born, I got my toddler nursing three times a day (morning, after lunch, and bedtime). Before my third baby was born, I got the oldest kid nursing only at bedtime, and the middle one nursing in the morning and at bedtime. This approach created plenty of space for an infant to nurse on demand.

3. I nurse one kid at a time.

For about 18 months, with my first two kids, I often breastfed both of them at the same time. This worked until the younger one entered a feisty phase, and the kids would sometimes struggle with each other on my lap…while nursing. Ouch! After my nipples got caught in the crossfire one too many times, we switched to “taking turns.”

Maia asked me to write this post, since she had her own boys four years apart and only was ever nursing one!

4. I eat (and hydrate) a lot.

When you’re pregnant, people love telling you that you’re “eating for two,” but there’s actually a higher caloric demand on your body when you’re lactating for a new baby—about 500 extra calories per day.

I eat a lot of nutritious food and drink plenty of filtered water to help my body maintain a healthy milk supply without getting depleted. (I also take a multivitamin and a couple of other supplements, as recommended by my midwives.)

5. I weaned when the time came.

Last summer, when my third baby was a few months old, I hit a point where nursing three kids started to feel like too much. I also started looking at my four-year-old (who’s the size of a six-year old) and thinking, “Maybe you’re getting a little bit big for nursing.” So I weaned him. It wasn’t nearly as difficult as I expected, and now I’m happily nursing my baby and my two-year-old.

Have you wondered about or tried breastfeeding more than one baby/toddler at a time? If you’ve nursed twins (or triplets?!), do you have any wisdom to share?

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Is Goat Milk Formula Healthier?

Maia James — Tue, 26 Sep 2017 05:48:49 +0000

UPDATED: March 2018

Organic baby formula is a hot topic here; in fact, it’s what you guys ask about most! I understand—you want to make sure that what you’re feeding your babies and toddlers is the best stuff possible, and there are about a gajillion types of organic baby formula now on the market. I’ve reviewed many of them in my Safe Infant Formula Guide, but this post is dedicated specifically to goat milk baby formula.

Best Goat Milk Baby Formula

If I were looking for a goat milk baby formula for my own child, I would choose Kabrita. There is strong evidence that goat milk more closely mimics human breast milk than does cow milk, and Kabrita is the only formula I know of that contains the beneficial type of palm oil (see more on this below). Kabrita is now also the only formula sold in the United States that is certified glyphosate-free!

Kabrita has offered 10% off for my readers with code GIMMEKABRITA.

Buy now from Kabrita

I’ve researched the goat milk formulas from Sammy’s Milk, Kabrita, Holle and NANNYcare because these are the brands that you ask about most.

Here’s the Deal with Goat Milk Baby Formula

1) Is goat milk healthier than cow milk? What are the benefits of goat milk baby formula?

Goat milk can be better, yes.

In basic nutritional terms, goat milk and cow milk are pretty similar. Goat milk tends to be higher in several vitamins and minerals. Cow milk is higher in vitamin B12 and has significantly more folic acid than goat milk.

When it comes to formula, these differences don’t matter much. All formulas have nutrients added to make up for whatever the milk they’re based on might be lacking, and to make the formula mimic human milk as closely as possible.

What’s most important is how the animals—be they cows or goats—are fed and raised. I prefer milk that is organic, or at least non-GMO, and from animals that are pastured.

It’s also worth noting that animal studies and some studies on humans suggest that the vitamins and minerals in goat’s milk might be more readily absorbed than those in cow milk. Basically, goat milk in its natural state seems to be closer to human milk than cow milk is, which is one of the benefits of goat milk formulas.

Note that whichever formula you choose, you should always use a water filter to remove chlorine (carcinogenic) and fluoride (linked with lowered IQ). (Here’s more on why you should get a filter and which ones I like.)

2) Is goat milk less allergenic than cow milk?

Yes. One of the other benefits of goat milk baby formula is that it’s easier to digest. But it’s not for everyone.

Goat’s milk is regarded as a “hypoallergenic” alternative to cow milk because it’s less likely to trigger the allergies and food sensitivities that many people experience with cow milk.

The composition of the proteins and fats in goat and cow milk varies enough to make goat milk less problematic and, overall, more digestible. For babies, whose immune and digestive systems are still developing, this could make a big difference.

The proteins in goat milk digest faster and more easily than those in cow milk. (This is true for the fats, too.) In terms of allergies, goat milk does not contain the type of casein protein, alpha-S1, that tends to be problematic in cow milk. Instead, the primary type of casein in goat milk is more similar to what’s found in human milk. Note: if your child has a full-blown cow milk protein allergy (CMPA), he or she could also react to the proteins in goat’s milk, which are similar.
Goat milk has less lactose than cow milk, but it might still be an issue for people with lactose intolerance. All of the goat milk formulas I reviewed, except for Sammy’s Milk, add more lactose as carbohydrate source.

3) Why aren’t all of these goat milk formulas organic?

Of the goat milk formulas I researched, only one brand, Holle, is certified organic (according to European standards, which are actually stricter than American standards). This may be surprising, given that these companies all seem to be going to great lengths to make formula with pure ingredients. As it turns out, there isn’t much certified organic goats milk being produced. There are multiple reasons for this phenomenon, but that’s beyond the scope of this post.

Kabrita goat’s milk is non-GMO, from farms in the Netherlands and Missouri.

NANNYcare milk is from goats that are mostly pasture fed in New Zealand, and raised without the use of hormones; antibiotics use is minimal.

You’ll find more info about Sammy’s Milk below.

4) Which goat milk formula is best? Is it worth switching baby formula?

We all know breast milk is better than formula, be in from a goat or a cow, and even if you’re choosing an organic baby formula. There’s no such thing as a perfect formula, but the best brands get really close– close enough that you should feel confident feeding the formula to your infant or toddler.

In this comparison of goat milk formulas, I considered several factors:

The quality and purity of the goat milk (organic/non-GMO/pastured);
The type and purity of of added carbohydrates (sugars);
The type and purity of added vegetable oils;
The presence of hexane-extracted DHA/ARA;
and the presence of problematic synthetic preservatives and nutrients.

For more about my rationale behind these factors and why I think they matter when selecting an organic baby formula, see our Safe Infant Formula Guide.

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Here’s my bottom line: All of the brands I looked into qualify as Good Stuff when looked at in the context of baby formula in general. If I were looking for a goat’s milk formula for my kids, here is what I would choose, in order of preference:

1st choice: Kabrita Goat Milk Toddler Formula (12+ months).

I like that Kabrita uses non-GMO goat milk (from Missouri and the Netherlands) and has lactose as the primary added carbohydrate. Kabrita is now the only formula sold in the U.S. that is certified glyphosate free.

Kabrita’s latest formulation doesn’t contain any taurine or carnitine (two synthetic nutrients that are in most baby formulas), and they’d added a probiotic.

What really makes Kabrita stand out is the fat blend that they use—from what we know, Kabrita is the only brand that uses plant-derived fats that match the structure of the most common fat molecules in breast milk. These fats (high SN-2 palmitate, a.k.a. “OPO fats”), which are produced by an enzymatic reaction on a mixture of vegetable oils, have been shown to promote more healthy bacteria in the gut, reduce colic and gas, reduce constipation, and allow for fat and calcium to be absorbed better.

I also appreciate that Kabrita is transparent about their ingredients. And like all of the formulas listed here, Kabrita forgoes the most concerning preservatives and most synthetic nutrients (they do add L-carninite and taurine).

Kabrita adds hexane-extracted DHA and ARA but assures me that hexane is not present in the finished product.

Kabrita hopes to debut an infant formula in the U.S. market later this year, at which point I feel confident that it will become my top formula pick. (Ask your pediatrician if the current toddler formula–which has more protein than most infant formulas–is appropriate for your baby.)

Since I am a Kabrita affiliate, they are offering my readers 10% off with code GIMMEKABRITA. (Read my affiliate disclosure page here.)

Try Kabrita

2nd choice: Holle Organic Infant Goat Milk Formula 1 (0+ months) and Holle Organic Infant Goat Milk Follow-on Formula 2 (6+ months).

I like that the primary ingredients in these formulas—goat milk, carbohydrates, and oils—meet a very high, European organic standard. These are the only goat milk formulas that are officially organic. (I’m a fan of Holle’s cow milk formulas, too.) I also like that they don’t add hexane-extracted DHA/ARA and also forgo the most concerning preservatives and most problematic synthetic nutrients. (Formula 1 does have L-methionine).

I don’t like that maltodextrin is the primary added carbohydrate in Holle’s formula, but I appreciate that it is organic, and that they do also use lactose as a sweetener. I’m also not a fan of the palm and grapeseed oils, but they are organic, and Holle also uses organic sunflower oil.

Holle isn’t imported to the U.S. so can be hard to purchase; you can buy this formula Huggable or Organic Baby Food 24 (based in Germany). I’ve spoken with both of these distributors, set up affiliate relationships, and would feel comfortable ordering from them if I were looking to feed my own baby this formula.

3rd choice: NANNYcare First Infant Milk, Follow On Milk, and Growing Up Milk.

The goat milk used for NANNYcare formulas seems to be well-sourced from New Zealand, but they don’t have any organic or non-GMO certifications.

I like that lactose is the only added carbohydrate, and they skip palm oil and hexane-extracted DHA and ARA. They also don’t use any soy-based ingredients (oil or lecithin).

Like all of the goat milk formulas listed here, NANNYcare forgoes the most concerning preservatives and most synthetic nutrients (they do add L-carninite and taurine to the first formula and growing up milk, and taurine to the follow on milk).

What About Sammy’s Milk?

We originally wrote this guide during the Sammy’s Milk recall. It’s now back on the market as a “Toddler Formula,” and while some of you remain skittish, and we haven’t done a thorough review, there is a lot to like about Sammy’s, including milk from goats that are free range, antibiotic free, and hormone free; molasses as the added carbohydrate and a source of bioavailable iron; real fish oil as a source of DHA and EPA; the lack of controversial palm oil and soy; and the addition of prebiotics to this formula.

Should You Be Switching Baby Formula?

If I were formula feeding my own child, the apparent benefits of goat milk formula would probably make me consider switching from a cow milk variety. I do have clients whose pediatricians discouraged this, so definitely talk to yours before starting on or switching to a goat milk baby formula. It bears repeating that I am not a medical professional of any kind.

Stay sane,

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Where to Buy European Infant Formula

Maia James — Fri, 29 May 2015 19:53:27 +0000

Written by Maia, President

First, read my affiliate disclosure.

As you may have seen in our updated Safe Infant Formula Guide, I recently recommended Lebenswert as the healthiest infant formula on the market (yes, even better than Holle and HiPP!). Unfortunately, it’s become harder and harder for American parents to find European formulas as they are no longer available on Amazon.

Some parents have resorted to buying Holle and HiPP and other European formula on eBay, but many of you feel uneasy purchasing something so important from unverified sellers.

This is why I decided to create a screening process to help me find trustworthy online vendors where my readers could confidently buy European baby formulas.

This post will help you figure out where to buy Holle and HiPP and Lebenswert, as well as other European brands of formula.

Bottom Line on Where to Buy European Formula

I’ve approved and established an affiliate relationship with the following vendors.

BabyKind Market

Organic Start

Organic Baby Food 24 (based in Germany)

Little Bundle

Please note that Gimme the Good Stuff is not responsible for the quality of either the formula itself or the experience of ordering from these vendors. I am simply saying that based on my research, if I were buying a European formula for my own child, I would feel comfortable getting it from any of them.

My Vetting Process for European Formula Vendors

I started on the websites of Holle and HiPP, and contacted the retailers they listed to see if any of them would ship to the U.S. The answer was no.

I then looked into a variety of websites that were mentioned on blogs and parenting forums as places moms were buying European formula–some of these had good reviews and others had failed to deliver the formula parents ordered. One mom told me that she drove by the address listed on one of the websites and found a boarded-up building in a bad L.A. neighborhood!

I narrowed my list down to the websites that seemed not sketchy (based on my online research), and scheduled phone calls with the owners of these sites.

Why Most of Them Didn’t Make the Cut

While I cannot say that any of these companies seemed outright dishonest–or that I truly believe anyone is taking empty Holle formula containers and filling them with Similac–I didn’t feel completely reassured by my conversations with most of these vendors.

Perhaps some of this was a language barrier (plus time-zone issues–one guy in Germany was nice enough to speak with me at midnight his time!), but in many cases I just couldn’t seem to get a clear answer on the supply chain.

I really wanted to know exactly where this formula was coming from, and how these vendors were getting it to their customers in the U.S.

Another thing I didn’t like about many of these sites is that they didn’t seem to know anything about why these formulas were superior, and in many cases they would ask that I recommend a bunch of other European products they wanted to sell to U.S. parents–most of which of course were not Good Stuff!

A Note on X-Rays

A lot of you wonder if you should be concerned about formula being x-rayed when it comes through customs (as is the case for any imported food or food ingredient). What I have read suggests that this is not a risk, and this article may be particularly reassuring to those of you who are concerned.

Stay sane,

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Honest Company’s Infant Formula Review

Maia James — Mon, 23 Feb 2015 19:14:06 +0000

As soon as The Honest Company’s infant formula hit the market, we were flooded with emails asking, “Is this the Good Stuff?” After putting the Honest formula through our research and review process, our answer is…sort of.

Essentially, Honest’s formula is the same as the rest of the Jessica Alba product line: definitely well-intentioned, definitely better than most conventional stuff, not quite Sneaky Stuff, but not quite Good Stuff. When it comes to this formula, here’s what we discovered:

The Good

It’s mostly milk. I like that Honest’s formula’s first ingredient is actual organic milk. The only other American-made formula I recommend to clients, Baby’s Only, has brown rice syrup (a sweetener) as its first ingredient, so this is a plus for Honest.

It contains lactose. It’s also great that Honest formula contains lactose as a sweetener, which is most similar to breast milk, but which many companies have stopped using because it’s pricier than other forms of sugar. (Unfortunately, Honest also uses corn syrup to sweeten this formula—more on this below.)

It skips some synthetics. The synthetic nutrients found in Honest’s formula are less in number than is the case for other organic formula brands. Some of these additives are not allowed in organic products in Europe, so it’s nice to see an American brand leaving them out.

It doesn’t contain hexane residue. The biggest plus to Honest formula is that the DHA they use is actual fish oil rather than hexane-extracted oils from algae and fungus (as is the case with most formulas, even organic ones).

It’s free of carrageenan. Honest’s formula is free of carrageenan (which is found in some organic formulas). Derived from seaweed, carrageenan helps stabilize formula, but numerous animal studies suggest that it leads to intestinal inflammation and colon tumors. The European Union has outlawed the use of carrageenan in all infant formula.

The Bad

Corn syrup. The biggest bummer about Honest’s formula is that it contains corn syrup (cleverly called “organic glucose syrup solids”). Honest uses mostly lactose to sweeten their formula, but I assume they blend with corn syrup because the latter is much less expensive.

Palm oil. Honest’s formula also contains palm oil, which is not properly absorbed by infants, and may contribute to decreased bone density. Even the European formulas I recommend (HiPP and Holle) contain palm oil, but it should be noted that Baby’s Only formula does not.

Soy. Honest formula also contains soy oil and soy lecithin. I’m not into soy for babies, since it is a source of phytoestrogens, which may have negative health implications. Worth noting: Baby’s Only also contains soy, as does HiPP. Holle is the only soy-free formula, which is part of the reason it’s our number one formula pick.

Synthetic preservatives. Honest formula contains two synthetic preservatives that some experts say should not be allowed in organic products: beta carotene and ascorbyl palmitate. Baby’s Only doesn’t contain these two, and nor do the European brands we recommend. I’m not convinced these are particularly harmful in the concentrations present in formula, but they aren’t natural and their effects are unknown.

Whichever Formula You Choose…Filter Your Water!

Tap water may be contaminated with chlorine byproducts, weed killers, insecticides, solvents, lead, BPA, phthalates…the list goes on. Fluoride is present in infant formula, and when combined with fluoridated tap water, infant exposure levels can exceed safe amounts. Invest in a good carbon water filter.

What Are the Best Infant Formulas?

After all the research I’ve done (I’ve written about formula here, here, and here), there are only four I would consider feeding my baby, and yes, Honest is among them. In order of preference, the best infant formulas, in my non-doctor opinion, are:

While difficult and expensive to obtain, the European formulas win out because they are both made with milk from grass-fed cattle, and have a simpler and more natural list of ingredients. I still consider Baby’s Only the best widely-available formula in this country, but Honest is a pretty close second, only losing out because of the corn syrup and palm oil it contains.

Baby’s Only remains our top choice amongst American formulas.

We feel that HiPP formula is superior to anything you can get in the U.S.

Holle remains our #1 choice for infant formula.

Honest Formula is better than most organic brands sold in the U.S.

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Questioning Vaccinations While Not Being a Kook

Maia James — Tue, 10 Feb 2015 17:55:22 +0000

Written by Maia, President

Let me start with this: I have chosen to vaccinate my children. That said, I’m annoyed by the media coverage of this issue and also by the viciousness coming from many pro-vaxxers.

My anti-vax friends are pretty quiet these days (and I wish they wouldn’t be), but not so with the pro-vaxers. These moms are not only keeping their kids out of playgroups—even here in New York City where there is no measles outbreak yet—but they are also furious with anyone who admits any doubt about the long-term safety of the standard vaccination schedule. In fact, if you question the recommendations of the AAP at all, you are anti-science and basically a climate-change denier and a creationist, apparently.

What’s up with this?

As I have written before, vaccinations are my least favorite parenting decision, and the one over which I have agonized most. In the end, it made sense to me to vaccinate my kids, but we spaced the shots out and seriously delayed some of them (like the hep-B immunization, which is recommended at birth). Does my decision to vaccinate my children mean that I think anyone who skips the MMR vaccine is an anti-science nutbag who gets all health advice from Jenny McCarthy? Um, no.

I didn’t want to be completely silent during a time when it seems people want to talk about little else, so here is a summary of my stance:

I am always going to be skeptical of the medical and pharmaceutical industry, mostly because they have a long history of retracting their recommendations (antibiotics, mammograms, hormone-replacement therapy, etc.).
This doesn’t mean that the AAP and CDC are wrong about vaccine recommendations, but to me it means that it’s not outside of the realm of possibility that they could be wrong.
Overall, I would describe myself as agnostic about many vaccines–I don’t know that they carry with them any long-term risks, but the assurances of the medical establishment doesn’t entirely reassure me.
All this said, I believe in vaccinating, since the risks of vaccines are mostly unknown, whereas the risks of the diseases they prevent are real. I am particularly in favor of the vaccines for measles, polio, pertussis, Hib, and Pc.
I wish pediatricians would be more willing to discuss the ins and outs of each vaccine and the disease against which it protects. Instead, most simply insist that there is zero potential for any long-term downside to vaccines, and—in the words of our first pediatrician—it’s “Russian roulette” to delay a single shot, even something like hepatitis B for a newborn. I think many parents would actually opt IN to vaccinating against some of the scariest diseases if they could get better, more detailed information from experts on the risks, benefits, and unknowns.

(If you want to hear people articulate my feelings on this better than I can do myself, here’s a clip of Bill Maher and Marianne Williamson discussing measles and vaccinations the other night).

Stay sane and healthy,

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The Pendulum Swings: Breastfeeding

Maia James — Mon, 02 Feb 2015 21:10:48 +0000

You know how we feel about breastfeeding here at Gimme the Good Stuff. Our president, Maia James, breastfeeds her kids until they are pushing three. She has written about why she thinks the benefits of breastfeeding have not been overstated, despite headlines to that effect last year. And whenever we talk about the best formulas out there, it’s always with the caveat that no formula comes close to being as good for your baby as breastmilk. On the other hand, we know that our readers include a lot of wonderful formula-feeding moms, and we also recognize the challenges of exclusive breastfeeding for a whole host of valid reasons. More importantly, we dislike the inevitable guilt that we all feel as parents every single day (whether it’s about how much TV we let our kids watch today or the lack of green veggies in their diet). We always welcome open and nonjudgemental discourse on this website, and in that spirit we invited our friend, Alison, to submit a guest post sharing her perspectives on breastfeeding, and specifically on the idea that formula should be kept away from new mothers in maternity wards. Please comment with your own opinions!

By Guest Blogger Alison Relyea

I have a challenge for you, and I urge the breastfeeding preachers out there to take the same challenge: Next time you go to a cocktail party, look around at the people in the room. Look closely. Study their faces, hair, and skin. Think about what you know about the ones who are already acquaintances. What do they do professionally? Where did they go to college? Are they healthy? Are they happy? So far, the challenge is not very interesting. Now, without asking any further questions, try to break them up into two groups based on your evaluations: The Breastfed and the Formula Fed.

There is an enormous amount of pressure placed on mothers to breastfeed in today’s world, and while the intentions are probably good, the outcomes are mixed. I am not questioning whether or not it benefits an infant’s or a mother’s health to try to breastfeed. What is concerning is the extent to which mothers are criticized and made to feel guilty if for any reason this is not the right choice for them, or if challenges cause them to alter their plan once their newborn arrives. This guilt leads some mothers to go to extreme measures, spend a lot of money, and waste a good portion of their time with their newborn to find “success” in breastfeeding. In the big picture, there are options. A healthy, happy mother is a usually a better mother than a sleep-deprived, anxious mother. Women need to decide what works for them, and follow their own instincts and the advice of professionals whom they trust.

In today’s world, with so much attention on parenting issues and health issues, and with personal boundaries breaking down on the web and Facebook, it is difficult to even identify one’s own goals and priorities without considering the opinions of others. Women who feed their child formula, either as their primary food source or to supplement, are not sinners and they are not breaking the law, despite recent attempts to keep formula under lock and key at hospitals, essentially making it the infant equivalent of a cigarette or prescription drug. These are mothers who have just brought a new life into the world and who will be making many decisions for their child in the future.

I understand that some of the rationale for locking up formula is to create a paper trail and encourage hospitals to follow protocol, preventing nurses from giving formula without a mother’s consent. When my son was born at Manhattan’s St. Luke’s/Roosevelt Hospital in 2008, he was fed formula once during the night despite my request to be woken up to feed. I was disappointed. Friends of mine at many local hospitals have had similar experiences. It did not ruin my breastfeeding career, but I do hope that hospital employees are more careful now that there is greater scrutiny. With my daughter, two years later, I did not have any issues. There must be a way to monitor hospitals without increasing the already intense pressure on new mothers.

Most mothers have done a lot of reading. Most know that breastfeeding their baby is recommended. Ultimately, it is the woman’s body and her choice how to feed her child, and the hospital’s responsibility to provide resources and support that choice. A friend of mine decided before giving birth that she did not want to breastfeed her child. On the hospital tour at NYU, a great deal of time was spent in a Q&A with a lactation consultant and all of the other expecting moms and dads asked their questions. When my friend’s husband started to raise his hand to ask whether or not they should bring their own formula, she kicked him and whispered, “Not now!” Even among her friends and colleagues, she had been asked if she would breastfeed and had to defend her decision to confused expressions. What kind of response would she get from these new parents, complete strangers, and a lactation consultant? The formula question was not worth the judging glares.

We have all, as new mothers, heard the preaching about breastfeeding from other mothers. Sometimes it is well-intended. Sometimes it is aimed at making the mother feel less adequate than the preacher. And sometimes it is just cruel. When my son was a few weeks old, I attended a lactation support group at St. Vincent’s hospital with a friend who also had a newborn. At this point, my breastfeeding was pretty much underway, but I still had some concerns and questions. Nursing with other moms was okay, I guess. What I did not expect was the tears and the responses. Questions like, “I have to go back to work because I am a hairdresser and am not getting paid for the six weeks I am off. I want to nurse when I am home but don’t think I can take breaks to pump.” The lactation consultant’s response? “You should do everything you can to continue. Do they have a lactation room at the salon where you work?” Another woman described having supplemented her feeds with formula because the baby had been crying uncontrollably and this seemed to soothe him. Another was supplementing because her baby had lost a lot of weight at birth and was slow in gaining. She was extremely anxious about it – visibly anxious to those of us in the room. The consultant’s response to both of them was, “Whatever you do, you need to cut out the yucky stuff.” I was confused. A comforted baby and a baby on a steady weight gain were bad outcomes? All my years of school combined with common sense and logic led me to question this woman’s expertise. Luckily, in my early days of breastfeeding, I had a sensible lactation consultant who helped me develop a plan to supplement with small amounts until I could breastfeed exclusively.

For me, it worked. I am a success story where things evened out around six weeks and it became easy and, the word that perplexes many new mothers when it feels anything but, natural. Among my friends, however, the outcomes varied. There were friends who suffered from a typical amount of pain, anxiety, latching issues or infant weight loss, but some that went well beyond this. Conversations with friends who are recent new mothers often involve them confessing their failure as a breastfeeder for various reasons. I try to reassure them that once the baby is older, they will see that it is just one of many things we do as parents and not a huge deal, but when you are in those early months and everyone is judging you, you need to confess. I get it. I did it, too. Reasons for quitting range from recurring bouts of mastitis and thrush to a baby who was hospitalized with RSV at two months and needed to be fed through an IV at times. I know of women who have not been able to breastfeed because of pre-existing medical conditions, including a mother who was diagnosed with breast cancer during pregnancy and had to undergo chemotherapy during pregnancy and after delivering her son. Should she have to sign a waiver explaining why she is feeding her son formula? Should she have gone to greater lengths, asking friends to donate their extra milk or changing her own treatment to nurse? La Leche League might say yes. Her doctor said no.

One major problem with breastfeeding is that currently, despite our individual goals and situations, we live in a country that does not support new mothers adequately. We all know formula costs money and breastfeeding is free. It is one of the many compelling arguments laid out by breastfeeding advocates. Breastfeeding is only free if our time is worth nothing. Many working mothers do not receive any paid maternity leave and can only take the minimum amount allowed. They do not have lactation rooms at work and to pump in closets and bathrooms would add hours to their day, precious time away from their newborns. For the people who hire baby nurses and nannies to ensure that they can nurse, sleep, and make it to their morning Soul Cycle class between feeds, sure, breastfeeding seems great. Nursing bras, special pillows, herbal supplements and a myriad of other purchases are made without blinking an eye. My $350 breastpump was not reimbursed by my employer’s flex spend account, and neither was my session with a private lactation consultant. I even submitted receipts for the storage containers and other accessories, thinking it would all be covered as a necessary health expense, but it was not. Will healthcare laws ever reimburse for post-partum support groups or extended maternity leave, during which mothers will have continued support for their breastfeeding efforts? If people took a few minutes to consider the socio-economic and class issues imbedded in this debate, it should be enough to give them pause before they preach.

The women who frown at a bottle of formula are the same ones who give a sympathetic, almost pitiful look if someone mentions having had a C-section. I have even heard one person tell an acquaintance who had a recent c-section that she is lucky they can do V-BACS these days so she’ll have a chance to have that bonding experience, as if she won’t be able to bond adequately with this child. It seems so strange to me that people feel sorry for women who have given birth to a healthy baby surgically, when in generations past, they or the baby might have not survived childbirth. Babies with feeding difficulties may have suffered Failure to Thrive in the 1800s, or may have been sent to a wetnurse every time they needed to eat. Where’s the bonding in that? In today’s world, for mothers who pump because of feeding difficulties or because they have returned to work, bonding with a Medela breastpump, no matter how “in style” it may be, is usually the low point of that first year. For many of us, it is a reminder that we are not with our child because life entails decisions and compromises. But we must not compromise on breastfeeding, because good mothers breastfeed. We want to be good mothers. It is an endless cycle.

Prenatal and postnatal care have improved significantly over the last few generations, and we have much more knowledge and expertise to help us make good decisions for ourselves and our children. We have options. Other people besides mothers can feed and bond with our babies, a great joy for fathers and grandparents everywhere. My mother did not breastfeed any of her four children and we are all very bonded with her, perhaps resulting in more frequent phonecalls than she would deem necessary for four married individuals in their thirties and forties. The greatest strain my sister and I suffered with our mother was probably during the early days with our first born children, when she came to stay in our respective cities to offer us maternal support and get to know her grandchildren. As a non-breastfeeder, she struggled to understand how her educated, responsible and loving daughters could feel so strongly about something that was causing them immense stress during an otherwise precious and joyful time in their lives. It reminded her of high school peer pressure revisited; hearing our stories of why we have to do it because everyone else is doing it. We overcame it, but I am grateful she was there to give me some perspective. A college friend of mine had twins and she had difficulty breastfeeding both children and getting any sleep. Her father, a pediatrician, removed the myths and gave her advice based on actual research, not the dramatic claims touted by preachy playground mothers. His advice? One potential IQ point and one extra cold does not make or break a child’s future. Calm, rested, relaxed parenting, on the other hand, can have a huge positive impact.

We have a lot to worry about as new parents, but we also have a lot to celebrate. Smiles, sleeping through the night, visits with family and friends, and most importantly, embarking on a new journey that will change our lives forever. We have decisions to make, and we don’t all make the same ones. Trust yourself. Get advice from close friends when you need it. Respect the decisions of others. If you feel the need to preach about something, preach about sunscreen.

About the Author

My name is Alison Cupp Relyea and I’m a 38-year-old, mother, teacher and former marketing professional now trying my hand at writing. I live with my three children and my husband in Rye, New York. After sixteen years in Manhattan, we left the city for the suburbs. I am currently taking a break from teaching elementary school to be home with my kids and explore some of my other interests. Writing has always been a passion of mine and part of my professional life, and now use it as a creative outlet to share my stories and connect with people. Writing helps me stay engaged, think critically, and find humor in the everyday moments life brings us. I hope you enjoy this piece and please check out my other work at alicupp.wordpress.com.

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The 20 Best Brooklyn Baby Names

Maia James — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 16:14:23 +0000

By Maia, President (here with Felix and Wolf)

This post originally appeared on Maia’s blog on The Huffington Post.

We recently moved from the Upper East Side of Manhattan to Brooklyn, and despite being less than five miles away, it feels like we’ve relocated to another planet.

Perhaps the biggest change is that, in this borough, no one recoils when we introduce our son as “Wolf.” I’ve stopped mumbling my answer or quickly changing the subject when faced with the “what’s his name?” question at the playground, and my husband has stopped apologetically adding, “it’s a family name” (which it’s not), to fill the awkward silence following my mumble. Yes, we’ve said goodbye to the legions of Williams and Charlottes (both lovely names, but in heavy, heavy use on Park Avenue), and Wolfie now has friends named Eisenhower or Strummer (for real).

Animal Names: You and Everyone Else!

When we settled on the name Wolf, we thought we were being creative, but turns out that would have been decidedly untrue if I had delivered my babies in Brooklyn. Here, animal names are, apparently this generation’s “J” names (I’m referring to the Jessica, Jeremy, Jason, Jennifer, etc. craze of the ’70s and ’80s). If you want to join me in my lack of originality, you might consider, in addition to Wolf: Eagle, Lion, Colt or Panther (all actual human beings over here).

If you’re not into any of those, but still want something unique, but not overly try-hardish, check my lists below. By the way, some of my very favorite names didn’t make these lists — like Henry, Esther and of course Felix and Wolf, the two I chose myself. The options below are names I’ve heard since moving here that I didn’t come across during either of my pregnancies, despite combing through about a jillion baby-naming websites (the one exception is Wild, which I wanted for both of my boys. My husband didn’t think this fell into the “non-try-hard” category).

If you’re searching for the perfect name, perhaps you’ll find it in my lists below. If not, the list may give you a good laugh, or, if you live on the Upper East Side, a good vomit.

My Top 10 Brooklyn Boy Names

1. Harris
2. Hazen
3. Hopper
4. Juniper
5. Pilot
6. Rex
7. Rio
8. Teo
9. Wild
10. Zane

My Top 10 Brooklyn Girl Names

1. Barrett
2. Billie
3. Cleo
4. Fern
5. Juna
6. Nova
7. Phoenix
8. Sterling
9. Viva
10. Wave

Please share the cool but not try-hard names you chose for your own children in the comments! (When we shared these lists on Facebook most people had a strong negative reaction–don’t worry, I’m not offended!)

Stay sane,

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A Better, Safer Disposable Diaper

Maia James — Wed, 28 May 2014 18:08:11 +0000

Written by Maia, President

Last year, I helped actress Jordana Brewster design a beautiful, nontoxic nursery for her now 9-month-old son, Julian. (I worked with a talented interior designer, by the way–I can pick the safe stuff, but designer I am not!). In addition, I helped Jordana select the safest baby essentials–diapers, wipes, bottles, and skincare–for her son. Once Julian was born, she tried a range of eco-friendly, natural disposable diapers, and her favorite was Bambo Nature. She liked the design, the fit, and the lack of leaking. Now, Gimme the Good Stuff is pleased to offer Bambo diapers in our online store.

Is there a truly eco-friendly disposable?

Let me be clear: I sell Bambo disposable diapers, but I encourage all my clients to try cloth diapers! When it comes to the health of the planet, there is no question that cloth diapers are superior to disposables–even the greenest, cleanest disposables on the market. But, if you’re going to use disposables (I use them myself, for a variety of reasons), Bambo Nature diapers are the safest and most responsible choice. Here are ten reasons why:

Bambo is the only brand of diapers certified to be 100% free of chemicals and all known allergens. This means that no chemicals are used during raw material sourcing and production, and that there are no toxins on the diaper itself.
Bambo diapers are free of all additives, including dyes, inks, latex, glues, perfumes (even essential oils), preservatives, lotions, plant extracts, etc.
Bambo guarantees that they are environmentally friendly, and have voluntarily elected to undergo strict, rigorous environmental inspections of entire lifecycle of their diapers, from raw material to production to consumption to waste. Inspections include a review of all raw material suppliers, business partners, distributors, and subsidiaries.
Abena, the company that produces Bambo diapers, only uses state-of-the-art renewable raw materials. The wood used for the pulp in the diapers is derived from sustainable forestry (where more trees are planted than felled). Tree farms are carbon sinks where the trees absorb CO2 from the air.
Abena is remarkably open and transparent, and they publish a complete list of ingredients, including a Health Certificate and Life Cycle Assessment.
Abena manufactures Bambo Nature in Denmark with machines that they own and operate. Almost all other “eco-friendly” diapers are made in China.
Bambo diapers actually work as well as Pampers. Bambo Nature is designed to reduce the likelihood of rash. These diapers are breathable, highly absorbent, well-fitting, soft, not bulky, and features a wrapped core, which concentrates absorption where it’s most needed, and uses less raw materials by reducing waste.
Bambo Nature diapers have earned the following awards and certifications: Nordic Swan Eco-label, The Forest Stewardship Council Label, The Dermatologically Tested Label, Asthma & Allergy Association, ISO 14001 Certification.
Bambo Nature is a signator of the UN Global Compact.
Bambo Nature was rated the #1 Best Diaper in the U.S. by BabyGearLab.com, and the Most Eco-Friendly Diaper at EthicalConsumer.org.

BOTTOM LINE: We should all be using cloth diapers. But if we don’t, we should be using Bambo Nature.

Stay sane,

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Safe Baby Clothing Guide

Maia James — Tue, 11 Mar 2014 14:53:07 +0000

1. Under the Nile / 2. MilkBarn / 3. Hanna Andersson / 4. Kate Quinn Organics

If you’re a Gimme the Good Stuff reader, you likely to try to eat organically grown food and are taking steps to eliminate toxins in your home. So it probably seems like a no-brainer to insist on organic cotton clothing for your kids. But organic clothing is harder to find than the regular stuff (although becoming more and more available), and it’s significantly pricier. And what happens when your baby shower gifts are all really cute, non-organic onesies? My private clients ask me all the time: How important is it for my kid to wear organic clothing?

My Top Pick for Best Organic Baby Clothes

Under the Nile is a small family business that offers some of the best certified organic baby clothes on the market. I like that they don’t have slogans, logos, or cheesy prints on anything, and that they are super soft and simple.

$35.99Buy Now

What is “Organic” Cotton?

Crops that are grown using organic methods means a lot to the environment, as well as to all the hands that actually work with and among the plants. Cotton that is not grown organically is treated with pesticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers. Harvesting organic cotton is much safer for the workers who pick it, and those living near cotton crops won’t have pesticides in their water sources. Plus, the producers can’t use GMO crops.

But in terms of the person wearing the clothing? The toxins used to farm the fiber are almost certainly washed out in the processing of the fiber, so you’re unlikely to get much pesticide exposure by wearing those clothes. I still tell my clients to wash everything before their kids wear it, because young children are especially vulnerable to the harmful effects of pesticides, and we know that exposure has been linked to the development of ADHD. (There are many other good reasons to wash your clothes before wearing them, which I will get to in a minute.)

Bottom Line: You’re not exposing your kid to a lot of pesticides by putting him in a regular cotton T-shirt, but the chemicals washed out of the cotton that made his T-shirt ends up back in our environment. And you are exposing him to a lot of other gross chemicals in that conventional T-shirt, as you’ll read below.

Other Toxins Used in Fabric Treatment

Under the Nile’s line of organic baby clothes are GTOS certified.

Most clothing is produced with synthetic dyes and is treated with toxic chemicals to provide wrinkle resistance, stain resistance, fade resistance, static cling resistance, etc. In fact, that “new” smell in clothing usually indicates chemicals–and if the smell lingers after a washing, the chemicals haven’t been banished. Here’s some of the bad stuff found in some conventional fabrics:

Benzidine-based “azo dyes” are synthetic colorants, some of which may release carcinogenic amines (ammonia derivatives). Certain azo dyes have been recognized as human bladder carcinogens and are also detrimental to the environment. In particular, o-dianisidine is a classified as potentially cancer causing in humans.
Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen (although unregulated in this country), and is used in clothing to prevent wrinkling. Many popular brands of baby clothing have been shown to contain formaldehyde in concentrations as high as 18,000 ppm (parts per million). Supposedly, up to 20 ppm for babies is safe, but I’d prefer zero, thanks. Short-term exposure to formaldehyde in fabrics can lead to a condition called contact allergic dermatitis, which is just a bad rash, but still no fun. In 2013, Minnesota became the first state to ban formaldehyde in certain baby products (lotions, soaps, and shampoos)–let’s hope more states follow.
Perfluorochemicals (PFCs) are a group of chemicals that work to repel water and stains, in particular grease. According to EWG, PCFs break down into a toxic blood contaminant called PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid), and they are ubiquitous (over 90% of Americans are shown to have PFOA in their bloodstream). PCFs are found in cosmetics, household cleaners, packaged food containers, microwave popcorn, furniture, paper plates, and nonstick pans, amongst other places. In clothing, PFCs are usually lurking in wrinkle-, water-, and stain-resistant clothing, including those with Scotchgard and Gore-Tex tags.
Nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs) are cheap surfactants sometimes used in the textile industry. They are also yucky hormone disruptors that wind up in our water supply when we launder clothing that contains them.
Phthalates–yup, they are even in our clothing! Children are at a significantly higher risk than adults when it comes to phthalate exposure, and phthalates are often found in clothing dyes and in plastisol prints.

Can organic clothing contain these chemicals?

Up until recently, yes. A manufacturer could take organically grown cotton and dye it with toxic colorants and then treat it with formaldehyde to prevent wrinkling. In 2011, the USDA ruled that textiles (including mattresses) labeled as “organic” have a third-party certification, ideally GOTS, which ensures that the entire production process is gentle on the environment and on the person wearing the garment.

Wolfie at 6 months, in a Zebi organic cotton romper.

Organic Clothing Certifications to Look For

Organic standards for clothing are still not as clear-cut as they are for food. That said, buying organic cotton garments greatly reduces the likelihood that you are exposing your baby to endocrine disruptors and carcinogens when you lovingly wrap her in a brand new swaddle blanket.

You should continue to wash all clothing and blankets (using non-toxic laundry detergent) before use, preferably multiple times (but really, does anyone actually have time for that?!).

When buying organic cotton clothing, make sure the company has a third-party certification to back up their claim. In the US, solid organic certifications include:

If a company claims to use “natural” dyes, make sure they are certified by the Oeko-Tex Standard 100, which is the strictest out there.

The Good Stuff

Under the Nile

Under the Nile offers a widely available, relatively affordable selection of GOTS-certified organic baby clothes, blankets, and toys. I love that Under the Nile is a family business that is genuinely committed to ethical production, including making sure their employees receive a living wage, education, and health care. The Under the Nile basics are perfect for stocking a non-toxic, organic nursery before your baby is born.

Cost: A basic long-sleeved onesie is around $20. We sell them in two-packs.

$19.99Buy Now

Colored Organics Emerson Sleeper

The Organic Emerson sleeper is an essential piece for your baby’s wardrobe. Not only will your little one be cozy in this 100% organic cotton breathable sleeper all night long, but they’ll also be comfortable wearing it for daytime play!

$34.00Buy Now

CastleWare Baby

CastleWare is one of the most transparent organic clothing companies out there. This family-owned business, based in Eureka, CA, produces all garments in the USA, and uses 100% organic cotton (certified by the GOTS) and low-impact dyes (certified by the Oeko-Tex Standard 100)–this means no harmful chemicals or residues. You can purchase their organic baby clothes online, or in select retail locations (a few of which are in New York City for those of us who live here). CastleWare offers a range of clothing items and the design of the clothing is simple and understated.

Cost: The pajama sets here go for $44-$53.

Zebi (now MilkBarn)

I often struggle to find clothing for my kids that is organic but also cute but not cutesie. I was psyched to discover Zebi, which was founded by Stacy Phillips, a Stanford University graduate and a mom who wanted to design stylish, organic baby clothes. Zebi uses 100% organic cotton and has three certifications (GOTS, Intertek Eco, and Oeko-Tex 100 Standard) to back it up. Zebi recently changed their name to Milkbarn.

Hanna Andersson

We were surprised to learn that Hanna Andersson uses organic cotton and Oeko-Tex standards for the production of their long johns, baby sleepers, “unders,” turtlenecks, and boxy tees. However, since “almost 60%” of their clothing is certified, you have to dig into each product to learn whether it is truly organic. You can buy Hanna Andersson’s organic baby clothes on their website or through Amazon.

Cost: The organic sleeper pictured here sells for around $35.

Kate Quinn Organics

Kate Quinn Organics offers a range of incredibly soft and super cute clothes for sizes newborn through age 8. Their GOTS-certified pieces are colored using low-impact dyes. You can now buy this line on Amazon

Cost: A jumpsuit like the the one pictured here sells for $22.

Burt’s Bees

I love when this happens! Formerly listed as Sneaky Stuff, we can now move Burt’s Bees line of baby clothing to Good Stuff, as they have GOTS certification. Thanks to several readers who did their own sleuthing to find this out!

Cost: You can get a 5-pack Burt’s Bees bodysuits for$25 on Amazon. They even sell packs of two for around $14.95.

Pact

Pact offers a small line of simple baby clothes– all of 100% GOTS-certified organic cotton. Pact partners with Fair Trade Certified™ factories that provide safe working conditions and protect the environment.

Cost: Short-sleeved onesies start at $8.

Buy now from Pact

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The Bad Stuff

Gap was one of the companies investigated in Greenpeace’s Toxic Threads report, and 78% of the items tested were found to contain hormone-disrupting NPEs (see above for more on these). Baby Gap has an “organic” line, yet presents zero information on the products, so I cannot say whether or not it is legit. Gimme the Good Stuff contacted Gap with a long list of questions, but have not heard back from them for any confirmation on the production of their organic clothing.

Carter’s (which makes a few brands of baby clothing, including OshKosh B’gosh) has a page of FAQ’s on their website that almost addresses the actual chemicals used in their production process; none of Carter’s garments is made with organic cotton, and there is no mention of dyes. Until I hear otherwise from them, I’ll assume the worst.

The Sneaky Stuff

Giggle claims to sell clothing made from organic cotton, but they source their cotton from a member of the Better Cotton Initiative, who isn’t necessarily 100% organic.

In 2010, independent testing revealed that nearly one-third of the organic cotton used by H&M contained genetically modified material (which is not allowed in organic farming).

Yala sells “organic bamboo” baby clothes. One problem with this claim? There is no such thing as organic bamboo.

Want to Know More?

To learn more about azo and other dyes, check out this study and this report.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides more information on formaldehyde and its impact on our indoor air quality here.
Ed Branigan, International Coatings’ Print Applications Manager reminds consumers of a very important aspect of labeling products: “ink doesn’t need to be free of phthalates in order to comply with CSPIA restrictions…some manufacturers may list their compliant products as “non-phthalate” when in reality the product still does contain phthalates, just not the six restricted ones.”
Be sure to check out this resource from Green America on organic clothing and the textile industry.
To learn more about children and pesticides, click here.
In 2011, Greenpeace published a report on Toxic Threads: The Big Fashion Stitch Up. This is a great tool for those interested in learning about the toxic chemicals, dyes, and worldwide cycles of bioaccumulation that occur thanks to the manufacturing of clothing.

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Are the Benefits of Breastfeeding Overstated? I Doubt It.

Maia James — Fri, 07 Mar 2014 02:57:59 +0000

Written by Maia, President

Have you heard the news? It turns out that nursing your baby is a big waste of effort because formula is just as beneficial as breastmilk. At least that’s the conclusion you could reasonably draw from recent headlines that assert that there are “no long-term benefits of breastfeeding,” and “breast doesn’t beat the bottle.” Bloggers and reporters suggest we “hold the guilt!” because a “new study finds benefits of breastfeeding [are] dramatically overstated.” What has the media in such a froth? That would be sociologist Cynthia Colen’s cleverly designed new study, which looked at 1,773 sibling pairs in which one had been breastfed and the other had not, and found that—when these kids were between the ages of 4 and 14 years old–there were no statistically significant differences in their BMI, obesity rates, hyperactivity, parental attachment levels, behavioral compliance, or several measures of academic achievement.

I admit that as soon as the “formula is as good as breastmilk” headlines started clogging up my inbox and newsfeeds, I felt skeptical, defensive, and even annoyed. Am I attached to the idea that breastfeeding is hugely beneficial, considering that I nursed exclusively for over two years with my first son and am now doing it a second time? Absolutely. Breastfeeding–while snuggly and sweet and a great way to lose pregnancy weight—is also a serious commitment and involves a lot of personal sacrifice, especially if you plan to do it without supplementing with formula, without a breast pump (obviously not an option for moms working out of the home), and for longer than a year. All this nursing—and the lack of traveling, sleeping, and drinking margaritas—had better be ensuring that my sons are healthy little geniuses, dammit!

My husband, a stem cell scientist and assistant professor at Weill Cornell Medical College, got his hands on Colen’s manuscript, and I spent an evening poring over the 57-page document (while breastfeeding my 8-month-old, naturally). There are some really obvious issues that jumped out right away, and I won’t spend much time addressing the ones that many bloggers have already tackled, such as, what about the many established health benefits enjoyed by a breastfeeding mother, especially if she breastfeeds multiple children for long durations? Or how about the fact that Colen only looked at kids over the age of 4? She does briefly acknowledge the nutritional value of breastmilk for newborns, but the media is ignoring the numerous, well-established health benefits breastfeeding offers infants—such as a proven decrease in SIDS risk.

But let’s forget about the benefits to moms and babies for a minute, and focus on Colen’s conclusions about children ages 4-14. Does breastfeeding really offer NO benefit to this group? In order to answer that, Colen would need to address the following:

For how long did these women breastfeed? The mothers who participated in this study were asked two questions: did you breastfeed your baby, and if so, for how long? I read the manuscript over and over, and bugged my husband to help me understand the tables of data, and it’s official: nowhere does Colen mention what the average duration of breastfeeding was for the families studied. In fact, she doesn’t tell us anything about the duration of breastfeeding for any of the families, except to say that the length of time a child was breastfed didn’t affect the outcomes. In Colen’s analysis, an infant who was breastfed even one single time would be put in the breastfed category (and of course this child’s outcomes cannot be expected to be different from a sibling who was never breastfed at all). What if the average breastfeeding duration among the study’s participants was two weeks? And what if no woman breastfed for more than 4 months? In that plausible scenario, the results of this study aren’t very meaningful, or at least need to be interpreted differently. Studies show that very few women in this country exclusively breastfeed for a significant amount of time (less than 15% at 6 months postpartum), so I suspect that the number of babies in this study who were breastfed for more than a few months is quite small (the fact that Colen measured breastfeeding in weeks instead of months supports this theory). In fact, it seems likely that a mother who lacks good support to breastfeed the first time, and therefore doesn’t stick with it, might opt to formula feed her next child right from the start, possibly concluding that she doesn’t produce enough milk. I know several moms in this exact situation, and I would not expect their eldest child to have different math scores at age 14 than the younger siblings, obviously.
Were these babies exclusively breastfed? Another huge piece of missing information here is how much these women breastfed—in other words, were the babies also fed formula? I don’t know anyone who exclusively breastfed one child and exclusively formula-fed another. This isn’t to say such situations don’t exist, but my hunch is that most of the babies who were put in the “breastfed” bucket were fed some combination of breastmilk and formula. Other studies clearly demonstrate that exclusive breastfeeding is protective against a number of diseases and that “partial breastfeeding” (supplementing with formula) provides much weaker protection, so knowing whether the breastfed siblings were exclusively breastfed (or even mostly breastfed) is important when looking at long-term outcomes.
How did the author choose which outcomes to study? Colen’s selection of long-term outcomes is curious. Other studies on breastfeeding duration have failed to show a substantial effect on obesity, asthma, and intelligence (three outcomes that Colen chose to look at), but have showed a significant effect, for instance, on the risk of high blood pressure and type-2 diabetes (two outcomes Colen chose to ignore). Colen’s previous body of work focuses on socioeconomic and racial disparities in a variety of healthcare issues, and again in this paper she asserts that these factors are responsible for the better outcomes of breastfed babies (rather than the breastfeeding itself). It seems possible that Colen cherry-picked which outcomes to study in order to support her thesis.

Breastfeeding Isn’t a Panacea, But We Should Make It Easier

I will concede that breastmilk isn’t necessarily the liquid gold many of us want to believe it is (every time my son, Wolfie, gets a runny nose, you will find me shaking my fist shouting, “But what about the ANTIBODIES?!!”). It isn’t a cure for all illnesses, and it doesn’t guarantee your kid admission to Harvard or a BMI of 18 for life. But I mean, come on, it’s better than formula. We all know this intuitively, even without the bajillion studies other than Colen’s that strongly suggest the superiority of breastmilk.

What vexes me most about Colen’s study and the sensationalist news headlines that followed isn’t that it lets formula feeders off the hook—I’m all for making parenting choices that work for you and not feeling guilty about them, and I know loads of wonderful formula-feeding moms who have robust, bright, well-adjusted kids. What bugs me is that this one questionable study has shifted the focus from where I believe it needs to be: and that’s on improved policies and support—like paid maternity leave and better postpartum healthcare—that would enable more mothers to have successful and pleasant nursing experiences, should they choose to breastfeed.

(By the way, if you do formula-feed, you should read our Safe Infant Formula Guide.)

Stay sane,

Maia

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The post Are the Benefits of Breastfeeding Overstated? I Doubt It. appeared first on Gimme the Good Stuff.

What if I Don’t Love My Baby?

Maia James — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 23:12:05 +0000

I had forgotten that during Felix’s infancy, and before I had launched Gimme the Good Stuff, I sometimes wrote about my pregnancy, birth and postpartum period before falling asleep at night. I recently found the entry below, and it brought me some comfort as I have again been worrying about not loving the baby I’ve been gestating for the last 39 weeks.

I spent pretty much my entire pregnancy convinced I wasn’t going to love my child. While other moms-to-be claimed they fell head over heels the minute they saw the plus sign on the EPT, my reaction was ever-so-slightly different — in that I burst into tears, felt like I couldn’t catch a full breath and demanded that Daylon — at that point, my boyfriend for less than a year — schedule an appointment for an abortion immediately (note that up until this moment, I’d always said I would never, ever be able to have an abortion, no matter what the circumstances).

It wasn’t that I didn’t want kids or that I wasn’t sure that Daylon was the person I would eventually have them with. It was more that none of my friends were talking babies yet. I was only 28 years old and had just moved in with Daylon and I was enjoying our new life together. In my mind, kids were still many years away.

As we were on the first day of a week-long Caribbean vacation when I found out I was pregnant, there wasn’t much to do besides stop drinking margaritas and wait until we got home (the fact that I immediately stopped drinking makes me wonder if I was REALLY so sure I didn’t want the pregnancy, although at the time, I told myself it was only because Daylon was having such a hard time hiding his excitement — I had to at least PRETEND to weigh the options).

The next day I started spotting. And weirdly, I was devastated. Hold on. Shouldn’t I have felt some relief over a potential miscarriage? Yet somehow, it again felt like I wasn’t being given any choice in the matter — I had in no way wanted to get pregnant, but I also hadn’t definitively made up my mind to abort the little lima bean. (Of course, I thought that I HAD made up my mind, right up until the blood showed up on the toilet paper.)

In the end, I didn’t have a miscarriage, and I decided to marry Daylon and have the baby. But still, I fretted about the lack of real affection I felt towards the fetus as the trimesters slipped by.

During my ninth month of pregnancy, Daylon assured me that if I didn’t love our son, I could leave and he’d raise him and wouldn’t even hold it against me. I hate to admit that this possible out gave me some comfort.

During labor, I still felt nearly nothing towards the little human causing me such exquisite pain. The nurses kept saying things like, “Don’t you want to meet the baby?” or “He has blonde hair! Do you want to feel his head?” Of course, I couldn’t tell these benign women that I didn’t give a shit about his head. All I cared about was my own agony.

When Felix finally came out — all 9 pounds, 4 ounces of him — I felt more relief than anything even close to love. It was over. Never mind that I was now being stitched up for 45 minutes — compared to the sensation of a contraction (I didn’t have an epidural), this pain felt like acupuncture.

So now, Felix River was here. No longer a fetus, but a baby. And even during the first few days of his life, I’d look at him more with curiosity than any genuine love.

Then it changed. And rather than feeling a wave of relief that I wasn’t a evolutionary freak and was indeed capable of loving my offspring, I was terrified. Oh NO. I love this human more than anyone else EVER. More than Daylon. More than my own little BROTHER. What if something happens to Felix? What if he’s not happy and safe every single second of his existence? How will I cope? How will I ever leave him to go back to work for even 15 minutes a day?

Felix is one month old at the time of this writing. And my vehement hope is that as he gets older, I can scale back on how much I love this objectively-funny-looking-yet-beyond-perfect-to-me little creature. Because the burden of loving someone as much as I love him right now makes it hard to catch a full breath.

Stay sane,

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Safe Nipple Cream (for Nursing Mothers) Guide

Maia James — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 00:08:00 +0000

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure page.

Worstfeeding

Nursing was a nightmare in the first weeks.

I suffered from cracked, bleeding, and excruciatingly sore nipples for the first two months of breastfeeding my first son (although for most women, the pain will be milder and will last just a few weeks).

After hearing great things about lactation consultants, I paid a ridiculous Australian woman $250 to visit us and observe Felix while he was breastfeeding. Apparently, nothing was wrong with his “latch,” and the Aussie seemed confused as she doled out her standard advice in infuriating, often nonsensical, smiles: “Breastfeeding is like a dance, and the breast pump is just an extra partner.” “Hold the baby’s head like a steering wheel as you guide it onto your breast.” Huh? Try holding your baby’s head like a steering wheel and let me know how it goes. I couldn’t quite get the ten-and-two position down.

I might have laughed, had I not already been crying from the burn of my soft cotton shirt touching my chest.

During this time, I’d burst into tears whenever my baby began fussing from hunger, and my husband, Daylon, called the pediatrician in a panic after Felix spit up bits of blood (turns out it was from the lesions on my nipples). I even allowed Daylon to feed my precious newborn a bottle of Enfamil one morning around week 5, while I lay in bed and sobbed from the guilt…and from the flannel sheets tearing at my nipples. (If you do resort to formula, don’t go for Enfamil like I did. Instead, check out this Safe Infant Formula Guide for some better options.)

My Top Pick for Best Organic Nipple Cream

I’ve already told you that nipple creams didn’t do a whole lot for me when I was in the throes of breastfeeding misery, but if I had to do it again, I would try Green Goo Nursing Cream, based on their clean ingredient list and the commitment of the herbalist who makes this stuff.

$17.99Buy Now

The Light At the End of the Nipple…I Mean Tunnel

Once my nipples healed, breastfeeding was a blast!

Even the most gruesome of breastfeeding scenarios will eventually improve (I did not, in the end, lose the entire tip of my left nipple, despite my conviction that it was detaching). I know moms who have been saved by visits from La Leche League reps or lactation consultants.

For me, nothing really worked, except of course the passing of fifty or sixty days spent topless, watching TLC’s “A Baby Story,” and taking solace in the fact that at least I wasn’t in labor anymore.

And organic nipple cream helped soothe the pain between nursing sessions. (By the way, the time between said sessions usually did not exceed 45 minutes. Felix was a nursing fiend.)

If your own nipple pain is less intense than mine was (as in, there is no fear of losing a nipple and only limited scabbing), creams may offer significant relief during those rough few weeks of breastfeeding.

Oh, it’s worth noting that with my second son, Wolfie, the pain never escalated beyond a mild pinch, and breastfeeding cream definitely brought relief.

Nipple Cream: Your Baby’s First Food!

Nursing my second child has always been a breeze.

Since your baby will presumably be ingesting small amounts of whatever you smear on your nipples, it’s critical that all ingredients are safe. Many people swear by lanolin, and I know this was what my mom and her friends all used in the ’70s and ’80s. Yet a lot of products now boast that they are “lanolin free.” So what’s the deal?

The Deal with Lanolin
Lanolin is the greasy discharge from a sheep’s sebaceous glands, and is used in host of cosmetics, from lip balms to breastfeeding creams. Although highly effective in soothing and healing chapped skin, lanolin contains a heavy load of pesticides (the wool is soaked in chemicals to remove parasites before the lanolin is scoured out of it), and at the moment there are no truly organic options out there.

These days, thankfully, lanolin-free nursing creams are easily found.

The Good Stuff

Green Goo Nursing Cream

Green Goo Nursing Cream contains 100% organic, non-GMO ingredients, including beeswax, chamomile flowers, and extra virgin olive oil. This is now my go-to gift for nursing friends, and one of our best sellers. You can buy Green Goo Nursing Cream from Gimme the Good Stuff’s online store.

$17.99Buy Now

Earth Mama Angel Baby Natural Nipple Butter

Earth Mama Angel Baby Natural Nipple Butter contains ingredients safe for baby–such as organic olive oil and mango butter. This cream brought me a bit of relief when I was nursing Felix (I hadn’t yet discovered Sierra Sage), and can be found in lots of brick-and-mortar retailers and on Amazon.

MADE OF Soothing Organic Nipple Cream

Made Of’s Soothing Nipple Balm is made from only plant-based ingredients, 95% of which are organic. It’s also been tested for everything from microbial contamination to heavy metals, which is what makes this brand so unique.

Buy Now from MADE OF

Motherlove Nipple Cream

Motherlove Nipple Cream’s organic ingredients include marshmallow root and calendula, and is scored a zero-hazard product by Skin Deep. You can buy Motherlove on Amazon.

Fans of Poofy’s breastfeeding cream say it not only soothes sore nipples, but also works for dry skin and eczema. Just four natural ingredients make up Happy Boobies, so it’s safe for momma and baby alike.

Buy now from Poofy Organics

The Bad Stuff

Maternity Solutions for Painful Breasts Cream contains fragrance, parabens, and triethanolamine, none of which I would want my baby to ingest, even if it cured my mangled nipples. (Well, maybe at the height of my misery while nursing Felix I would have made my peace with it, considering I justified Enfamil).

Udderly Smooth Udder Cream is icky for all the same reasons, and also contains peg-2 stearate, a suspected environmental toxin.

The Sneaky Stuff

The two most popular breastfeeding creams are the lanolin varieties produced by Lansinoh and Medela, and each is rated only a 1 out of 10 on Skin Deep. However, given the potential risks of lanolin (see above), I avoid both brands. Of the two, Lansinoh seems safer: according to their website, Lansinoh HPA Lanolin “has been refined…to remove all allergenic components…and to bring to the lowest level possible any environmental impurities (including pesticide residues).” Medela does not provide such information.

Mama Mio Keep Calm Nipple Balm also contains lanolin.

Despite its high price, Mustela Nursing Comfort Balm is not the Good Stuff, with PEG chemicals and other synthetic ingredients in its formula.

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Safe Diaper Wipes Guide

Maia James — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 23:33:42 +0000

By Maia, President

UPDATED: JUNE 2017

I didn’t intend to use non-toxic baby wipes at all, and assumed that in addition to exclusive cloth diaper usage, I’d be employing a washcloth and warm water at changing time.

Um, yeah. As soon as I experienced the convenience of the disposable wipe, wringing out poopy rags was a thing of the past.

Because of the frequency with which we use baby wipes, the fact that they are used on the most delicate area of a baby, and the fact that we don’t wash the area off after use, I think it is imperative that we choose truly non-toxic baby wipes.

In terms of the environment, no disposable wipe–including the “eco-friendly” ones I will recommend below–is a green choice. Only water and a washcloth can be considered truly eco-friendly.

My Top Pick for Best Non-Toxic Baby Wipes

Like everyone who tries Jackson Reece wipes, I was instantly hooked. Not only are they nontoxic and earth-friendlier, but they have the perfect amount of moisture. Even with kids out of diapers, I still keep these around for wiping hands and faces on the go.

$4.99 — or subscribe and save up to 3%Buy Now

Ingredients to Avoid in Baby Wipes

If you are like me and have a hard time depriving yourself of the convenience of disposable baby wipes, your best bet is to avoid anything scented, since “fragrance” or “parfum” almost always means pthlalates (known endocrine disruptors). Additionally, many conventional wipes contain parabens, and some also contain phenoxyethanol, a suspected carcinogen. In particular, “natural” or “organics” wipes might contain phenoxyethanol as a preservative.

Ingredients You Won’t See Listed on Baby Wipes

In addition to the ingredients you’ll see listed on the side of a package of wipes, there are a number of other chemicals that may be included—contaminants and byproducts of the production process for some of the ingredients that go into the wipes. For example:

Polysorbate-20, a common preservative, is often contaminated with carcinogenic 1,4-dioxane.
2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1,3-Diol (the preservative in the old Kirkland wipes, although they recently removed it) releases carcinogenic formaldehyde.
Tocopheryl acetate (synthetic vitamin E that’s used as a skin conditioner) is produced using hydroquinone, a skin toxicant and potential carcinogen.

Alternatives to Disposable Diaper Wipes

Since Felix was born in 2009, a bunch of new brands of biodegradable wipes have popped up—and they are remarkably effective, superior in terms of earth-friendliness (ideally, they should be flushed or composted), and safer than other “natural” brands of wipes. Most aren’t reviewed by Skin Deep, but I’ve researched the ingredients and explain any concerns below.

A few companies produce natural liquid solutions (some with accompanying cloths), to use in place of baby wipes, but I don’t see why you wouldn’t just use water and a washcloth if you were going this route. Should you want to purchase one such eco-friendly solution, this is a safe option.

As for ready-made baby wipes, read on.

The Best Stuff: Biodegradable & Non-Toxic

Babo Botanicals 3-in-1 Sensitive Baby Wipes

Babo Botanicals products are produced on a certified organic farm in upstate New York, and are made in small batches. Babo utilizes a Certified Organic Nutri-Soothe™ Blend, which is a mix of chamomile, calendula, kudzu, and watercress, rich in vitamin A, C and D, and which was developed to deliver maximum nutrients, protection and moisturization. None of Babo’s products contain sulfates, parabens, phthalates, synthetic fragrances, 1,4-dioxane, formaldehyde-releasers, or propylene glycol.

$7.99 — or subscribe and save up to 8%Buy Now

Bum Boosa

Bum Boosa Baby Wipes are made of bamboo (another renewable resource), and are biodegradable. They are also soft and smell nice (scented with only essential oils). They contain polysorbate 20, but this emulsifier scores only a 1 on Skin Deep. Citric acid is perhaps more concerning, but since it’s only present in trace amounts and evidence of its toxicity is lacking, I don’t think it’s a big concern. You can buy these wipes in bulk on the Bum Boosa website or Amazon, and they are the most expensive of the Good Stuff.

Elements Naturals

Elements Naturals Baby Wipes are available at Diapers.com as well as Whole Foods, which is convenient (although they are not available on Amazon). They are made from a product called Ingeo™, which, according to the Elements Naturals website, is “the world’s first man-made fiber from annually renewable resources.” Of course, we have to assume that Ingeo itself (a biopolymer or “natural plastic”) is safe, and the scientific consensus seems to be that it is–although studies are lacking. Of more concern is the phenoxyethanol in these wipes. I like the scentlessness of these wipes, but found that they were sort of hard to get out of the box (they don’t seem to feed out of the slot as well as other brands). You’ll pay around 8¢ a wipe.
It seems that Elements Naturals has gone out of business.

Jackson Reece

Jackson Reece Herbal and Biodegradable Wipes are made from wood pulp (a renewable resource), and have a nice short list of ingredients. These come in scented (essential oils) or unscented varieties, and while they are a slightly pricier option than more widely-available wipes, Jackson Reeces wipes are big and thick, so I find that I go through fewer of them than other brands. I converted to Jackson Reece wipes 3 years ago and now cannot tolerate any other brand of wipe–to me, they offer the perfect level of wetness (I found Earth’s Best to be too sudsy to the point that I wanted to wipe down my baby with a towel afterwards, and other brands to be too dry.) Jackson Reece wipes are made in the UK and hard to find here, so we are thrilled to now offer them in The Good Stuff Store!

$4.99 — or subscribe and save up to 3%Buy Now

The Good Stuff: Non Toxic

Honest Wipes

Some of Honest’s products are Good Stuff and some are not. Their wipes fall into the former category. The only potentially concerning ingredient they contain is silver dihydrogen citrate (which they use as a preservative), but Honest claims that the silver they are using does not contain problematic nanoparticles. Honest wipes are not cheap (at around 7 cents per wipe), but they perform well. You can get Honest on their website as well as on Amazon.

Joonya Wipes

Joonya’s founder recently sent me some wipes to try, and even though I no longer have any kids in diapers, I loved the performance of these wipes for cleaning hands and faces (I also tried them a few times on my 3-year-old’s tush after trips to the toilet). Joonya definitely wins for nicest looking packaging, and I liked the amount of wetness and lack of suds in Joonya wipes. In terms of the ingredients in these wipes–nothing concerns me. They use decyl glucoside as a surfactant and silver dihygrogen citrate as a preservative (which carries an EWG score of just 1).

MADE OF Soothing Baby Wipes

Made Of Soothing Baby Wipes are free of alcohol and other skin irritants, Made Of’s wipes are also independently tested free of microbes, heavy metals, parabens, and more.

Buy Now from MADE OF

Thrive Market Baby Wipes

For those of you who are Thrive shoppers, you’ll be happy to know that their wipes are Good Stuff (although they are not biodegradable and shouldn’t be flushed). I’m not worried about any of the ingredients in these wipes, and because of my partnership with Thrive, you can receive $60 off of your first three orders with this link.

UPDATE as of March 2018: Thrive added benzyl alcohol, so I can no longer call these truly non-toxic baby wipes.

The Okay Stuff: Mostly Non-Toxic

BabyGanics Face, Hand, and Baby Wipes

If you are a regular reader of mine, you know I often categorize BabyGanics as Sneaky Stuff. Their wipes, however, are actually not bad, with sodium benzoate being the only questionable ingredients. The wipes are actually a better bet than Seventh Generation in my opinion, although still behind all the Best Stuff and Good Stuff above.

Earth’s Best

Earth’s Best baby wipes are comprised of essentially the same ingredients as Seventh Generation’s wipes, and in addition they contain alkyl polyglycoside, a substance that has not been tested for safety as far as I can tell (I couldn’t find any studies.) Many people prefer these over the Seventh Generation wipes because they are sudsier. They are available everywhere, including Amazon, where you’ll pay about 5¢ a wipe if you buy in bulk.

Seventh Generation

I have used Seventh Generation’s baby wipes, but I don’t like that they contain sodium hydroxymethylglycinate (no, I didn’t just have a seizure while typing–that is actually how it’s spelled). This ingredient has not been assessed for safety, although it scores just a 2 out of 10 on Skin Deep. These wipes also contain sodium benzoate, an ingredient I avoid whenever possible. Basically, Seventh Generation’s wipes are just on the border of being Sneaky Stuff, but they are okay in a pinch. These wipes are widely available, including on Amazon, where you can get them for about 5¢ a wipe if you buy in bulk.

June 2016 Update: Seventh Generation no longer contain sodium hydroxymethylglycinate. One less thing to worry about!

The Bad Stuff

Unsurprisingly, Huggies baby wipes are some of the worst. Even their unscented wipes contain a number of questionable ingredients–including numerous parabens and DMDM hydantoin, a known human immune system toxicant–so don’t be fooled by the natural-sounding varieties (Cucumber and Green Tea, for example). I can barely stomach the scent of these wipes. Pampers is another brand that just doesn’t make any safe wipes, despite their numerous varieties; while a few score only moderate hazard on Skin Deep, the majority are ranked high hazard, thanks to parabens, fragrance, and benzyl alcohol. Even their “Sensitive” label should be avoided, as they include PEG chemicals, sodium benzoate, and other nasties. Oh, and the wipes themselves are made of a plastic blend.

Kirkland wipes, which seem to be many people’s favorite, do have an improved formula as of 2014. Most notably, they now use a safer preservatives and have taken out PEG chemicals and propylene glycol. Still, I don’t like phenoxyethanol or sodium benzoate, so Kirkland wipes are still Bad Stuff in my book–just slightly less bad than they were before.

The Sneaky Stuff

Huggies Natural Care Baby Wipes ~~contain parabens and methylisothiazolinone. This is a particularly egregious use of the word “natural.”~~ Update: In 2014, the ingredients of Huggies Natural Care were updated, and they ditched the parabens and methylisothiazolionone.
Because these wipes still contain phenoxyethanol and cocamidopropyl betaine (which scores a 5 on Skin Deep), they remain in the Sneaky category.

Burt’s Bees Baby Bee Wipes contain phenoxythanol, sodium benzoate, and immunotoxic benzyl alcohol.

Naty Eco Wipes call themselves “100% eco,” which is a meaningless statement (especially from a brand with a bunch of synthetic ingredients in it!). It’s worth noting that Skin Deep’s rating of these wipes is wrong because Naty has changed their ingredients to be somewhat safer. These wipes actually aren’t THAT bad, but they do contain sodium benzoate and benzoic acid, both of which score a 3 on Skin Deep’s hazard scale.

Water Wipes have been the biggest headache to review and categorize! We used to call them Good Stuff, but they now have disclosed that their wipes indeed contain benzalkonium chloride. I will be honest: I’m not personally worried about the teeny tiny amount of this chemical that’s found in “trace amounts in these wipes.” If I had a pack of these wipes, I would feel fine using them. That said, this ingredient is definitely #badstuff, and so it’s not something we can give our stamp of approval.

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What’s Wrong With Dreft?

Maia James — Sun, 09 Sep 2012 20:58:55 +0000

This blog entry is part of our “What’s Wrong With” series, each installment of which profiles a different product and gives you the bottom line on its safety. Think of these as cheat sheets for our more comprehensive Safety Reviews (which we publish less frequently).

Any laundry detergent you use will leave a residue on clothing and linens, which is then inhaled and absorbed (via skin) by the people who come in contact with it. Many of you probably use a different detergent for your baby’s clothes, and you probably assume this detergent is a special formulation. This is very rarely the case. Most conventional detergents, be they marketed for baby clothes or grownup clothes, contain some combination of the following:

synthetic detergents, which are often made of petrochemicals;
phenols (established endocrine disruptors, of which BPA is the most notorious);
fragrance, which often contains phthalates ;
optical brighteners, which are often made from benzene, a definite carcinogen;
bleach, which contains chlorine (an environmental toxin–and possibly a carcinogen and endocrine disruptor);
phosphates, which break down minerals and render detergent more effective, at the cost of harmful environmental ramifications.

If you ask your pediatrician what detergent you should use for your baby’s clothes, she’s probably going to suggest Dreft. Dreft’s prolific marketing campaign doesn’t includes a single example of their actual ingredients, so you might wonder what actually makes up the “gentle clean” of Dreft? Here’s a list of Dreft ingredients, and some that I don’t consider gentle include fragrance, propylene glycol, ethanolamine, ethanol, sodium hydroxide, diethylene glycol, polyethylene glycol 4000 (which Skin Deep scores as 5-8, depending on usage), and about a dozen other ingredients. It’s got more bad stuff in it than Tide does!

Better Bets

Tandi’s Naturals makes a laundry soap that works wonderfully on baby clothes and is tallow-based.

Check out our Laundry Detergent Shopping Review for a list of other Good Stuff.

Stay sane,

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A Natural Cradle Cap Cure (I’m as Surprised as You Are)

Maia James — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 21:09:13 +0000

Felix never had cradle cap, but I did as a baby, and my mom employed a bunch of different natural remedies to try to get rid of it. As we all know, natural treatments aren’t always as effective as the harsh, synthetic ones (I still cannot find a natural dish soap that really works as well as Dawn–can you?). So, I was stuck with a gross crusty head until I eventually outgrew it on my own.

And now, thirty-two years later, I seem to have stumbled upon the secret cure to cradle cap.

As many of you know, we recently launched an online store, and one of the products we carry is a Baby Balm by an Idaho-based herbalist named Jen (her line is called Sierra Sage, and it’s one of the oldest herb companies in the U.S.). When I discovered Sierra Sage, I loved the way the Baby Balm smelled and felt (and it’s totally organic and has nothing sneaky in it), but Felix is out of diapers now so I couldn’t try it on a rash, and as I mentioned, cradle cap wasn’t a problem for him.

Our very first customer happened to buy some of the balm, and within two days of shipping her order, we received the following message on our Facebook page:

“I wanted to comment on the baby balm I purchased, but I didn’t see where I could do it on the site. I bought the baby balm after I had tried everything else in an attempt to get rid of my little girl’s cradle cap. It is amazing. After the 1st use 75% of it fell off. And after the 2nd application no more cradle cap, not to mention no more irritated baby:). Thank you!!!”

By the way, whenever I read testimonials like this when considering a product, it goes in one ear and out the other because it sounds phony and suspect, but this really is exactly what this woman wrote (and no, I didn’t pay her to write it). I hope more of you will try this balm for cradle cap or diaper rash and have the same results. I happen to love the Sierra Sage products made for grown-ups (the Green Goo is awesome for bruises), so I’m happy to give Jen more business!

Stay sane,

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