Organic Cotton Baby Products

When it comes to natural baby care, some people find they have to draw a line somewhere. Often, that line is found at the clothes baby wears or the items used for baby's cleaning, toweling, diapering,etc. usually for financial reasons. If you have shopped organic clothing, you probably recognized that they are a bit more costly than typical clothes. So is it worth the extra money, and what are you getting for it?

In my experience, organic baby goods like hooded towels and infant gowns tend to be softer than traditionally grown cotton products. They are also less processed and hold up longer than treated (bleached) traditional cotton. Organic cotton goods are also not treated with chemicals like formaldehyde that can cause health problems for babies and adults. Organic cotton also promises a better future for our children. From GreenChoices.com: "Cotton is the most pesticide intensive crop in the world: these pesticides injure and kill many people every year. It also takes up a large proportion of agricultural land, much of which is needed by local people to grow their own food. Herbicides, and also the chemical defoliants which are sometimes used to aid mechanical cotton harvesting, add to the toll on both the environment and human health. These chemicals typically remain in the fabric after finishing, and are released during the lifetime of the garments."

So while organic cotton can make an immediate as well as a future difference, is it personally worth it? While organic cotton products seem expensive, the truth is, the more we buy, the cheaper they will become. Since the market is so small right now, (but it is growing), the demand is not high enough to cause a dip in prices. It is a step that those who can afford it need to make, so that it is more affordable for everyone. While it may mean buying fewer toys or baby goods (that you find out down the road you didn't really need anyway), it does make a world of difference to your baby's health, and the world your baby will live in one day.

If you truly cannot afford organic cotton clothing, shop for used organic clothing which you may find affordable. Another option is to buy gently used baby clothes. Re-using clothes not only prevents more cotton from being grown, it also provides clothes for your baby that have been somewhat stripped of chemicals. The more used something is, the fewer chemicals are left on the garment.

Shop around for organic cotton baby goods to find the prices you are willing to pay, and make a committment to buying better, and buying fewer, rather than buying a bunch of cute outfits that are doing more harm than good