This is why I love this blog - I was about to write almost the exact same questions!

Regarding non-organic 100% cotton baby clothes, I too have received a large amount in anticipation of having a baby. It is comforting to know that I may not need to discard all of the non-organic cotton gifts, but I have found that the majority of these items come from China. Debra, what do you think about baby clothes that come from China and say they are 100% cotton - do you think they are safe to use after washing?

Second, I was surprised to read that you suggested possibly covering a mattress in polyurethane - I was under the impression that polyurethane plastic was one of the more toxic types and therefore have been trying to eliminate all plastic polyurethane baby items that we are given (baby eating chairs, mattresses, etc). Am I mistaken, and this is one of the more innocuous plastic types?

Lastly, I ran across this website that any new mother interested in chemical toxins may be interested in - www.healthytoys.org reports the levels of common toxic chemicals in many children\'s toys (lead, mercury, chlorine, bromine, etc). This may be of interest to you and other moms.

Thank you!

As far as your mattress goes, you might want to do some research on BabeSafe mattress covers. While I don't think you can buy these for large mattresses (at least you couldn't two years ago when I had my baby), the principle is that wrapping the mattress in a thick polyethylene plastic (I think it has to be at least 5 mils thick, if I remember correctly) eliminates the offgassing. A doctor in Australia named Dr. TJ Sprott has been researching SIDS for years and his research shows a connection to toxic gases from mattresses, not medical issues. His research has led to the promotion of mattress wrapping in Australia. Since 1995, at least 175,000 babies in Australia have slept on wrapped mattresses and there have been no reported SIDS deaths among those babies. The protocol is also very specific about what to use / not use on top of the mattress wrapper. I know some hardware stores sell polyethelene plastic that is thick enough, so you might be able to make a wrap for your bed.

I, too, became a lot greener when I had my baby 2 years ago. For the mattress, you may want to look at Shepherds Dream (shepherdsdream.com). They have a beautiful, non toxic wool crib mattress. I'd also recommend the wool mattress protector and puddle pad. I used both and never did any leaks ever get down to the mattress.

We are in the LA area and use spud.com to deliver organic vegetables and fruits each week. For me it is so nice to eliminate one stop on the errand list. Maybe there is a similar service where you live.

I haven't found resonably priced organic children's clothes given how fast they grow, and we do have our share of plastic toys, but I think the bed and the food are two major places to impact your growing organic baby.

Congratulations!