Diapers

I've talked a little about diapers in recent posting or maybe I thought I did, I dunno. There are a ton of brands out there and I've kinda been baffled on what to use. I really want to try cloth out but not when she is a newborn and shitting all the time. I got a sample of Huggies Natural from babies r us. Super cute and felt amazing. I tried to put them on Sierra but she wasn't having it. So I decided to look them up and see what "natural" ingredients were in them. On my search I came across this awesome post which pretty much summed up why I will not be using them.

http://www.lunch.com/ecobabyz/reviews/UserReview-Huggies_Pure_Natural-51-1393838-11037-Greenwash_alert_.html

But here is the lowdown on each claim they make and why they are so questionable:

Aloe & Vitamin E: Well, kudos. Too bad for those who are allergic to aloe. Is this there to minimize the rash from the chlorine bleached liner? They are nice and soft though if that is of any consolation.

Fragrance Free & Hypoallergenic: If it is indeed, then it shouldn't smell so toxic. Seventh Generation diapers are hypoallergenic too, but they have no smell whatsoever. These Huggies have chlorine in case you don't know. That means they have dioxin that accumulates in the body and has been linked to cancer and immune system depression.

Liner includes renewable materials: Great wording. Includes? It is like saying "may contain traces of renewable materials". Do people really buy this misleading cliche?

Soft outer cover with organic cotton: This one really cracked me up... What is the point of organic cotton where it doesn't even touch the baby's bottom? "With organic cotton" doesn't tell me anything either, is it 1% organic cotton or 99%? Why bother with organic cotton if the rest is synthetic? Seventh Generation does not have organic cotton, but at least it doesn't falsely advertise outlandish claims about its products.

Less inks: Wow, really impressive there! Less inks. I guess the inks are something toxic if having less of them is considered as something to applaud. Yet another reason to stick with Seventh Generation if you are opting for disposable. They don't have Disney characters and trade mark signs all over. Even better, go cloth - as all things disposable are not very Eco-friendly (unless it is completely biodegradable in less than say 5 years).

Packaging 20% post-consumer recycled materials: Hm, just 20%? I guess you can't really expect more from a large corporation.

So looks like we will be trying out the 7th generation (per suggestion from a friend) and hoping they work out for the baby. Besides Earths Best they are the only diapers that are chlorine free. And they reveal exactly what is in the diapers which I appreciate. I'm pretty sure between Blake having nasty eczema and me being allergic to everything when I was little our baby is going to be sensitive.
Being pregnant and bringing someone else into this world has totally opened my eyes to all the shitty things that are out there. Blake and I eat fairly good, we try to buy organic when possible and look out for dangerous environmental things we can avoid but we're not perfect. I can't say we will be for our daughter either but we can at least try and do everything we can at least in our power. I wrote this long email to my mom today expressing all of this. I just feel like there are so many environmental factors today that are screwing us up and it scares me. Like girls getting their periods super early. I believe its from all the hormones and crap in our milk and lunch meats (and other things) but there are so many crappy processed things now that its hard to stay away from them. How did we get to this place?? Its just gross. Trust me I enjoy crap food, fast food, and whatever other bad thing I can get my hands on but in moderation of course. I just think we need to be smarter about what we put in near and in our bodies. Wow ok I'll stop my rant.