As a new mom, you want the best for your baby, including creating a safe and healthy environment. From what you eat to prepare your body to breastfeed to ensuring they get enough sleep, every decision you make is driven by your desire to ensure their well-being.
However, one aspect of your baby’s environment may have slipped your mind: the cleaning products you use in your home. Understandably, you might not give much thought to the cleaning products you use, but they can have a significant impact the wellbeing of your baby’s, especially while breastfeeding. Your healthcare provider may not have shared these important facts with new mothers.
In this blog post, we’ll explore the importance of using non-toxic cleaning products while breastfeeding, how chemicals can affect the quality of your breast milk and milk supply, and how small changes can make a big difference in your baby’s overall well-being.
How Cleaning Products Can Affect Your Baby
Cleaning products can affect your baby in several ways. Many traditional cleaning products contain harmful chemicals that can be toxic when inhaled, ingested, or absorbed through the skin.
These chemicals can contribute to various health problems, including respiratory issues, skin irritations, allergies, and even more serious conditions like cancer.
Regarding breastfeeding, the potential impact of these chemicals becomes even more significant. Some chemicals found in cleaning products can be passed on to the baby through breastmilk, potentially exposing them to harmful toxins and affecting their brain and brain development while breastfeeding.
This is especially concerning for newborns, as their immune systems are still developing, and they are more susceptible to the negative effects of toxic chemicals.
Moreover, using traditional cleaning products can negatively affect the air quality in your home, which can further impact your baby’s.
Poor air quality can cause respiratory problems, especially for babies who spend most of their time indoors. Therefore, it’s essential to use non-toxic cleaning products.
The Importance of Using Non-Toxic Cleaning Products
Using non-toxic cleaning products when breastfeeding and your baby is in the home daily is essential. Here are several reasons why:
Reduction of exposure to harmful chemicals: Traditional cleaning products often contain harsh chemicals that can harm adults and babies. Using non-toxic cleaning products can reduce your baby’s exposure to these harmful chemicals and ensure your home is safe and healthy. This also helps keep your baby safe.
Prevent toxic chemical transfer to breastmilk: When you use traditional cleaning products while breastfeeding, you risk transferring toxic chemicals to your baby through breastmilk. These chemicals could harm or delay the development of the baby’s brain.
Non-toxic cleaning products eliminate this risk, ensuring your breastmilk is free from harmful chemicals.Improve air quality: Traditional cleaning products can release toxic fumes that can negatively impact indoor air quality, leading to respiratory problems. Non-toxic cleaning products do not emit harmful fumes, making them safer for your baby and the environment. When we have trouble breathing, we have trouble sleeping. Nothing is more peaceful than watching your baby sleep, knowing they breathe safely.
Overall, using non-toxic cleaning products is a simple and effective way to protect your baby and ensure that your home is a safe and healthy environment for them to grow up and thrive in.
Understanding the Risks of Toxic Cleaning Products
If you’re a new mom, you’ve likely already taken steps to protect your newborn’s health and safety, from baby-proofing your home to ensuring enough sleep and proper nutrition. However, there is still more needed to safeguard your newborn.
Traditional cleaning products often contain harsh chemicals that can harm adults and babies, especially in enclosed spaces like your home.
In this section, we’ll look at the risks associated with toxic cleaning products and why using non-toxic alternatives is essential, especially when you have you are breastfeeding your new baby at home all day during those first few months.
Chemicals In Traditional Cleaning Products
Traditional cleaning products often contain chemicals that can harm humans and the environment.
The most common chemicals in traditional cleaning products include ammonia, bleach, phthalates, and triclosan.
Ammonia and bleach are often used in cleaning products as disinfectants. They can also irritate the eyes, skin, and respiratory system and cause chemical burns if not used properly. If an area is not rinsed properly on a surface where these ingredients are used, you put your child at risk.
Phthalates are often added to fragrances in cleaning products and can be linked to hormone disruption and developmental issues. While they might smell fresh and clean, don’t let these fragrances fool you. They are not safe for you or your newborn, now or ever.
Triclosan, commonly found in antibacterial cleaning products, has been linked to various problems, including endocrine disruption and antibiotic resistance. Endocrine disruptors wreak havoc on our hormones and can even affect the reproductive system of your unborn child in utero.
Awareness of these chemicals and the potential risks associated with using traditional cleaning products is important.
What are the Risks of Exposure to These Chemicals?
Newborns are particularly vulnerable to the risks associated with exposure to chemicals found in traditional cleaning products.
Some of the potential risks include the following:
Respiratory problems
The fumes from cleaning products can cause respiratory issues, particularly for newborns with delicate respiratory systems. Weakening the lungs at this age of development can invite long-term complications including allergies, and asthma.
Skin irritation
Some chemicals in traditional cleaning products can cause skin irritation or even chemical burns, which can be especially concerning for newborns with sensitive skin. The ingredient fragrance, in particular, is a scary component.
Allergies and sensitivities
Exposure to chemicals in traditional cleaning products can increase the risk of developing allergies or sensitivities, affecting the baby’s overall well-being.
Endocrine disruption
Exposure to certain chemicals found in cleaning products, such as phthalates, can disrupt the endocrine system, negatively impacting the baby’s growth and development.
Toxic chemical exposure
Newborns are particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of toxic chemical exposure, which can have serious long-term consequences.
Given these risks, minimize your newborn’s exposure to harmful chemicals found in traditional cleaning products, such as by using non-toxic alternatives and ensuring that your home is well-ventilated when cleaning.
The Impact of Chemical Exposure on Breast Milk and Your Developing Baby When Breastfeeding
Chemical exposure can significantly impact breast milk, milk supply, breast milk production, and the developing baby.
When a breastfeeding mother is exposed to chemicals found in traditional cleaning products, those chemicals can potentially be transferred to the baby through breast milk.
It is important to note that our skin is our largest organ. What goes on your skin hits your bloodstream faster than if you were to eat it.
If you are a breastfeeding mom, you need to be mindful of this fact, as what is in your bloodstream also affects the quality of your milk supply.
Exposure to these harmful ingredients can lead to negative health effects on your baby, including:
Toxic chemical exposure
Exposure to chemicals through breast milk can potentially lead to long-term consequences for your baby, including developmental delays and chronic health problems.
Reduced milk supply
Chemical exposure can interfere with lactation and breast milk production, reducing the breast milk the baby receives when breastfeeding.
Changes in milk composition
Exposure to chemicals can alter the composition of breast milk, potentially affecting the baby’s nutrient intake and overall health during breastfeeding and beyond.
Allergies and sensitivities
Exposure to chemicals through breast milk can increase the risk of allergies and sensitivities.
Given these potential risks, minimizing chemical exposure for both the breastfeeding mother and the baby is essential.
This includes using non-toxic cleaning products and reducing exposure to harmful chemicals in the home.
Benefits of Non-Toxic Cleaning Products
There are many benefits to be experienced when using non-toxic, natural cleaning products while breastfeeding.
What Constitutes Non-Toxic Cleaning Products?
Non-toxic cleaning products do not contain chemicals that can harm human health and the environment. These products use natural ingredients and are free from synthetic fragrances, dyes, and other harmful chemicals.
Non-toxic cleaning products are designed to be safe for use in homes with newborns and young children, and they offer several benefits over traditional cleaning products.
Benefits of Using Non-Toxic Cleaning Products While Breastfeeding
The decision to use non-toxic cleaning products while breastfeeding offers several benefits for the mother and the baby.
First and foremost, non-toxic cleaning products do not contain harmful chemicals that can be transferred to the baby through the breast milk of the breastfeeding mom.
Using non-toxic products can help ensure your breastmilk is free from toxins, protecting your baby’s health and well-being.
Additionally, non-toxic cleaning products are generally safer for use around the home.
These products do not emit harmful fumes, improving indoor air quality and reducing the risk of respiratory problems for the mother and the baby.
Moreover, non-toxic cleaning products can be gentler on the skin, reducing the risk of skin irritation or chemical burns that can be especially concerning for newborns with delicate skin.
To learn how your cleaning products affect indoor air quality and your baby’s health, continue reading this blog post in Part 2, which discusses what to look for in safe cleaning products, where to find them, and how they are best used.
