[eshe]

hi all,
I am a bit confused. At the hospital (and the obgyn office) we were told that we should not use any laundry detergent which is for sensitive skin or hypoallergenic for the baby clothes so that the baby will not develop a sensitive skin.
However, when I searched for unscented laundry detergent (I do not want to use a scented one) all those that came up were for sensitive skin. Furthermore, for my husband and myself I also use a more natural one in order to avoid chemicals.
I all the time read how these chemicals can be harmful, and I try to avoid them, but now the hospital and the obgyn recommend that I use them for a newborn. I understand they may have a different view on these chemicals than me, and that I may not be fully knowledgeable about this matter.
I would therefore love to hear more views and suggestions on this subject.
Thank you.

 

[farmes94]

I'll just be using the chemical free detergent I currently use, biokleen and borax as a pre soak for cloth diapers.

I say the less chemicals, the better, but that's just my opinion. I was using a natural brand that gave me a rash so I think it could go either way with your body or baby being sensitive.

 

[juicypakwan]

Sorry I am crashing I'm not in July ddc however I have heard the same thing and it didn't make sense to me either. I don't see how it can cause sensitivity? Feeding a child peanuts early doesn't help reduce sensitivity to it it actually increases it I can't imaging our skin being radically different. However I have nothing to base that on so I am interested in the responses as well.

 

[LiLStar]

That's ridiculous. When my last baby was born we were using some random cheap detergent at the time. a few days after he was born, he developed this rash. I was so confused what it could be! Just a bunch of tiny red dots all over his arms and legs. After several days of scratching my head, I figured it was probably a contact rash (not in the creases of his elbows or knees was a clue) I washed all his clothes in 7th generation detergent and...magically, wearing the clothes washed in 7th gen, the rash disappeared immediately! He's 2.5 now and does not have what I would consider "sensitive skin" he's never had any other rash (except occasional diaper rash) not prone to eczema or anything. Babies just have more porous skin and can absorb chemical crap more readily than adult skin can

 

[PrimalJoy]

That's ridiculous. Allergies often arrive from early exposure to a chemical, not the other way around. We use Charlie's Soap for diaper and baby clothes.

 

[PrimalJoy]

I recommend asking the hospital why they stopped using latex gloves in their NICU. The early, frequent exposure to the substance caused many allergies to latex in those babies. Regular detergent may not bother a lot of babies, but it will bother some, and a gentler detergent isn't going to hurt them.

 

[LiLStar]

And it's not like we're talking about something totally otherwise innocent/good, like if it were a food allergy. Being sensitive to/having a reaction to chemical fragrances and stuff is our body telling it like it is! That crap is bad for everyone. whether they react or not. Frequent exposure just desensitized people. I seriously don't understand how people can use mainstream fabric softener because if I try going through someone else's laundry, my lungs give me an immediate "no! Bad! Get away! Response. My 7yo walking down the laundry aisle at the store and will often wait at the end, because she hates the smell. Her body is telling her that it is bad, and she is listening! That is good!

 

[farmes94]

And it's not like we're talking about something totally otherwise innocent/good, like if it were a food allergy. Being sensitive to/having a reaction to chemical fragrances and stuff is our body telling it like it is! That crap is bad for everyone. whether they react or not. Frequent exposure just desensitized people. I seriously don't understand how people can use mainstream fabric softener because if I try going through someone else's laundry, my lungs give me an immediate "no! Bad! Get away! Response. My 7yo walking down the laundry aisle at the store and will often wait at the end, because she hates the smell. Her body is telling her that it is bad, and she is listening! That is good!

It's funny that you say that because when I smell the "normal" stuff, it smells SO strong now. Its interesting how your senses change when its not clogged with overbearing chemical fragrances.