I am now one of those women I used to marvel at in yoga class who were so big and so close to the end.
I am so big and so close to the end!
Discovery: I learned a little secret this week. You don’t need a “changing pad” to change a baby’s diaper. Was all set to buy a dearly pricey organic changing pad, to avoid the nasties that come off of vinyl/pvc and polyurethane foam, when I stumbled upon this note, on the very website that sells the organic pads, as well as changing tables:
“The changing table pad is not organic and we would recommend that you replace it with one of our organic cradle/changing table mattresses or one of our organic cotton bath towels, folded to fit the changing table. The organic towels are easy to wash and you can always have a fresh one if you buy a pair.”
Ummm… so, yeah. We have towels. They’ve been washed a lot. Doubt there’s any toxins in them. Don’t need to get new organic ones. Washing a towel that gets dirty will be a lot easier than washing one of those wool covered natural latex pads.
We’ll start with what we have, and cross that item off my big list! (Actually, I already had read about this topic and crossed it off yesterday, so you don’t see it in the post below, but it took me till this morning to write about it. Details, details.)
Scott says he’ll most likely change the baby on the floor anyway since the 3-foot drop-potential from the tabletop we had designated makes him (justifiably) nervous.
Disappointment: I found out that there exists in the world one of those vibrating papasan seats (dubbed “mommy’s first shower” because an infant can be soothed in one long enough for mommy to get clean) that is “organic.” I put that in quotes because after we exchanged ours for it at Babies ‘r’ Us and brought it home and set it up (everything requires assembly!), I discovered that the outside is organic cotton, but fill is resin-coated polyester, and it triggered my allergies. Not only that, but the one we had before was deeper, and had better neck supports for baby.
Sigh.
So we’ll be disassembling that and returning it again. Add that to list below.
There is definitely a limit to how useful the label “organic” can be or items that boast to be organic really matter. You have to constantly ask yourself — is this something that a) might contain toxins and b) if so, will leech into my kid. If not, then what’s the point? (other than being a green bean and saving the world, yadda yadda)
We went and bought a ‘real’ changing table simply because we wanted the shelf space for all the supplies and to have them all in one spot and it’s turned out to be great so far. Sure, kiddo is 3′ up off the ground, but where’s he going? Nowhere yet, and once he does, there’s a strap to ratchet him down. It’s not as if you’re going to be leaving the kid alone to play ontop of it unsupervised. In reality, you’re going to get them there, de-poopify them, and get them somewhere else.
A portable changing pad in your diaper bag IS a must, however, to have something to lay down on the changing tables in various restrooms and sundry that you’ll use in public. But at home? Whatever works.
Our changing table is actually a kind of sideboard that happens to be the right height, with cabinets and drawers below; it just doesn’t have the lip to hold the pad in, but yes, we won’t be leaving the baby up there unattended…
You’re right about the leaching as main concern. And the wanting to be a good green bean. Both are factors, and sometimes it’s not worth it.
I think I am going to keep the “organic” vibrating chair after all — the off-gassing was bothering me last night, but should be mostly gone by the time baby gets here.
And yes, I do have the portable pad in the diaper bag, your basic vinyl variety, with cute polka dots of course.
Aaaah! I haven’t checked in in a while. I can’t believe how close you’re getting! EEEEEEK!