24th April 2008

Those BPA-free bottles are weighing down my diaper bag

posted in Child Care, Kids' products, Mom Rants |

Edited to add: for the best list on the web of what sippy cups/ bottles are completely BPA-free go to Z Recommends.

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I finally did it. I caved in and got rid of my plastic sippy cups.  I’d been avoiding the inevitable for quite some time now, trying to believe that all the ruckus around leaching and B.P.A was just hype.  But when the New York Times published the story last week that Canada is likely to label the chemical B.P.A. toxic I finally took note.  (Sorry folks, I still need an old school press outlet to print something before I really kick into high-gear neuroses.)

That meant throwing away perfectly-good but potentially harmful Nuby sippy cups (information received from company representative was timely, but ultimately too confusing to figure out which parts of the cup actually still have B.P.A. in them for neurotic Jewish mother) and replacing them with overpriced, very heavy and oh-by-the-way-they-don’t-tell-you-but-you-have-to-wash-them-by-hand stainless steel versions. 

I went with versions from SIGG and Foogo because I didn’t have to crane my eyes to read which number plastic was listed on the bottom to see if it was okay (is it 2? 6?) and because I like cartoony-looking airplanes.  I’m just like Herve Villechaize.

sigg-airplane.jpg

Da plane! Da plane!

Yes, it was more expensive, but so far it’s been worth it because my son seems to be handling the transition just fine.  Apparently, “leak-proof” works just the same with stainless as it does plastic. He can still use the straw to flick milk all over unsuspecting satin pillows or interior of clean car.  (Praise to the genius who figures out how to not collect milk at the end of a sippy cup straw.) Also, it would appear that milk tastes better out of stainless steel because I’ve already gone through a gallon since I instituted the B.P.A. ban (that was Monday).  Maybe there is something to this story?

Which brings me to my most sanctimomious moment ever when me and my lead-weight (oh wait, lead is poisonous too) diaper bag went for a playdate at my friend’s house.  Little did she know that I’d turned into the B.P.A. police overnight.  She offered my son a sippy cup of water.  I inspected the bottom of the cup. A 4!  G-d love Playtex! The plastic cups she served us? No number, so I ceased drinking.  She fed her young daughter her bottle. I chimed in without any solicitation:

Uhm, are you sure you still want to use Dr. Brown’s bottles?

Who am I to comment on the bottle feeding habits of another smart mom?  She told me that she wasn’t informed and needed someone else to help tell her what to do, but I’m far from an expert.  Even though I’ve rid my house of the “plastic devil,” I still have been known every know and then to accidentally microwave those little Gerber plastic bowls full of macaroni and cheese or leave the plastic on the string cheese enough so my son has ingested more of the Frigo guy than the actual mozzarella. 

frigo.jpg

Frigo man says, “don’t eat me, please!”

My information on the topic is unproven, untested.  But everybody’s talking about it and the experts say if you don’t do it you might have a kid with three boobs who runs around in circles all the time. I mean, my cousin, the doctor, the researcher, threw out all the plastic bottles for his three-month-old too.  But he also knows words like polyethelene.  All I know is what I read in the paper.  Which was enough for me to ditch the neon for the metal.

And boy does my back hurt as a result.

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I know I said no blogging because it is spring out, but I got carried away and inspired because the article I fretted about is slated to run this June! Maybe the working once in awhile isn’t so bad after all…

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There are currently 11 responses to “Those BPA-free bottles are weighing down my diaper bag”

Make yourself heard.

  1. 1 On April 24th, 2008, tracey said:

    Ughh… I was just thinking about this as I filled my daughter’s sippy cup for breakfast. We only own 2 or 3 as we’ve lost or thrown away others (due to ickiness of milk being turned to cottage cheese in them. EWW) but they’re Playtex… you’re saying they’re ok? I would love you forever if you said they’re ok!!!!

  2. 2 On April 24th, 2008, Felicia said:

    I use these from rubbermaid they are safe and cheap enough that if they have to get tossed it is ok, plus they don’t weight a ton. http://www.rubbermaid.com/rubbermaid/product/product.jhtml?prodId=HPProd210003

    We were were also using the Born Free sippy cups, but now it is all about the straw. This site has a lot of info I am sure you have seen it but I will link it anyway, one weird jewish mother to another =)

    http://zrecs.blogspot.com/2008/02/z-report-on-bpa-in-infant-care-products.html

    plus you can test them while you are at the store and they will let you know if the product is a good one or not.

    Have a great day. We are off to the park as well.

    Felicia

  3. 3 On April 25th, 2008, shannanb aka Mommy Bits said:

    Ok… What about those plastic disposable sippy cups… you know the kind that come in four packs? Are they bad too? I am so out of the loop on this one.

  4. 4 On April 25th, 2008, Alex Elliot said:

    We just got Sigg water bottles. That being said, I’m not 100% thrilled with them. I recently read of list of safe plastics and my kids Playtex Sippy cups were on there. Also, I’ve read that for non-safe ones, the risk level depends on how worn out they are ie cracks etc. I’ll see if I can find you the list and forward it. Basically, if I were to have another baby, I would go ahead and get the new BPA free Dr. Brown’s bottles that they’re making, but I’m not loosing sleep over using regular bottles bottles with my two sons particularly since both of them used brand-new bottles.

  5. 5 On April 25th, 2008, Alex Elliot said:

    Wow! That had a lot of typos.

  6. 6 On April 25th, 2008, caitlin said:

    We use the SIGG cups — but I don’t love them. First of all, they cost like a million dollars so when we lose one (which we seem to do at least monthly), I am bummed about it. Also, the flip-top thing is always in my son’s face.

  7. 7 On April 25th, 2008, kgirl said:

    I was right pissed when I (or I should say, my sister) lost my sigg bottle. Replaced it with a (slightly less expensive) kleen kanteen, but still… hold on tight.

  8. 8 On April 25th, 2008, selfmademom said:

    I agree re: Sigg tops, but you can find the flip top “active” tops that seem to work a lot better- the lid is not floppy. My issue with it is milk- the container gets so cold!

  9. 9 On April 28th, 2008, Christy said:

    We are past the sippy cup stage, my daughter is 3.5 now. We were die hard Avent people the first time and I have to say it is almost hard to leave them as we loved them so much. But I will! No BPA for us, so it is interesting to hear everyones opinions on the options that are available before we actually have to choose.

    What gets me is my SIL, who is about to have her second any day, is continuing to use them! This is a woman with a PhD in Pharmacology, and doesn’t want the expense of replacing her stuff and thinks it is all hype! I can’t believe it, okay mini-rant over, sorry :)

  10. 10 On May 11th, 2008, Mom101 said:

    Good for you! Just found this and I know it’s tough to make a move like that. We’ve still got the plastic playtex cups but I wash them all by hand like a crazy person. Loooove the sigg bottles for the diaper bag though. I just took off the caps – they stay twisted shut just fine and the water tastes DEElicious.

  11. 11 On May 11th, 2008, selfmademom said:

    The water tastes fine if you don’t leave too much soapy residue from the handwashing. Or else your kid ends up drinking soap water. Not cool.

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