Strollerderby

I read that 70% of the chemicals stored in our fatty tissues are passed to our babies during breast-feeding (cited in a 2004 article in the NYT).  This is a hugely important and complicated issue, and people need to get informed and get political about it.  The US has a much more lenient attitude toward chemicals than most other countries (aside from China and India), and they are incredibly effective at slowing global efforts to reduce or eliminate the use of these chemicals (via international agreements like the Montreal Protocol, the Stockholm Convention, etc.).  Women in the US have exceptionally high levels of chemicals in their bodies - much higher than women in most parts of the world.  Individual lifestyle changes can help to a limited degree, but in a lot of cases (flame retardants, for example), chemicals are pervasive and cannot be avoided.  I'm not an expert, and I'm not advocating a knee-jerk reaction, but I do worry about the long-term effects of continued exposure to so many chemicals, and at such high levels.  

Right on Gracie5.  We never use Teflon and I chose to stop breastfeeding when placed on meds for high BP.  I figured filtered water and formula was safer for my child.  I have my mom buy my shampoo when she visits France.  The EU has much stricter protocols about what deadly toxins are allowed in their personal products.

You folks are nuts. Yes chemicals and petisides are bad and certainly bad for the Mom and fetus but the EU is NOT better at anything relating to this. My family has lived in Europe for 40 years and it is just as bad as the US. If you want to sound off about chemicals in the US then please do so but stop pointing to other countries. Who cares about the EU. We live here!!!!