site banner
PaperclipPerfector  1yr ago (text post)   3264 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for July 9, 2023

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

5
Top Bottom Old Controversial Comments
Jump in the discussion.

No email address required.

Why no co-sleep? Suffocation or too dependent of a child? Any suggestion on a good carrier? Everyone around here is all about Baby Bjorn... $239.99, that is a plate carrier...

Co-sleeping isn't recommended in the US but I live in Japan and it's not particularly dispreferred here, and we co-slept with our first boy. Our bed was very big and I am an extremely light sleeper--I was especially then. We had light coverings and never any problems. We did have a crib for him, however, on many nights, and wrapped him up tight. You want to avoid him rolling over and getting all caught up in the pillows and quilts and whatever. That isn't good. The "too dependent" thing I really don't get and have never heard of, but I understand the idea of suffocation, especially if the parent is a heavy sleeper. I woke at the slightest peep in those days.

My advice is mostly for the mom: Sleep when the baby sleeps if at all possible. And for dad: Get shit done that mom is too tired to do. I was a dishwasher, cook, cleaner, carrier-around of crying baby, coo-er of sweet nothings, singer, feeder, diaper-changer, baby-bather, formula-giver. About the only thing I didn't do was breastfeed. Even then I felt like my wife did most of the figurative hard-lifting as I was at work most of the day. Also re: baby bathing: When the child is young you have no choice but to hold him/ her in whatever the bath. As they grow, the temptation might be to leave them for a second if you have something you need to do-- a door needs closing, phone answering, etc. Do not do it. Do not leave the child alone. I had a close call once when I walked out of the room for literally ten seconds and when I came back my youngest son was submerged in water. Not good. He hadn't been under more than a second, but it was enough to make me feel like I had dodged a very, very bad thing.

Finally, limit or avoid wifey's exposure to phthalates, which has been called "The Everywhere Chemical."

The following from Public Health and Preventative Medicine Boulton & Wallace, 2022:

Phthalates have well-documented antiandrogenic properties; they can not only mimic or inhibit hormones but can also alter target tissue response to hormonal signaling. ...

While epidemiologic studies of the health effects of phthalate exposure have been mixed, with associations varying by phthalate metabolite, in general, phthalates been associated with a wide range of adverse health outcomes. Experimental evidence suggests that maternal-fetal transfer of phthalates occurs during gestation, and phthalate monoester metabolites have been detected in amniotic fluid, umbilical cord blood, and meconium.Exposure to phthalates during fetal development or early childhood may be particularly detrimental.

Increased maternal exposure to phthalates during gestation has been associated with alterations in birth outcomes (infant size and gestational duration), as well as alterations in anogenital distance and digit ratio (ratio of second digit to fourth digit), both of which are markers of fetal testosterone production. Additionally, many studies have found adverse impacts of prenatal phthalate exposure on neurodevelopmental outcomes. Prospective epidemiologic studies have reported decreased cognition and increased behavioral problems [including anxiety, depression, autistic-like behaviors, internalizing and externalizing behaviors, aggressiveness, and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder-like behaviors] in children born to mothers with higher urinary concentrations of select phthalate metabolites during pregnancy. However, the direction and magnitude of these associations, as well as the implicated phthalates, have been inconsistent across studies. Many studies have reported sex-specific effects, indicating that the neurodevelopmental consequences of early-life phthalate exposure tend to be more detrimental in males.

Finally, limit or avoid wifey's exposure to phthalates, which has been called "The Everywhere Chemical."

If you're going to give advice like that, maybe add a few hints on how to avoid something called "The Everywhere Chemical"...

Fair call. From the link I posted:

Read Labels to avoid phthalates.

The most common products using phthalate compounds are:

PVC Products

Phthalates are frequently added to PVC (vinyl) products to soften and make more flexible.

If a plastic product is flexible, it probably contains phthalates unless the label specifically says it does not.

Personal Care Products

Phthalates are often added to personal care products, such as nail polish, perfumes, deodorants, hair gels, shampoos, soaps, hair sprays, and body lotions, to help lubricate other substances in the formula and to carry fragrances. Phthalates must be listed among the ingredients on product labels, unless they are added as a part of the “fragrance.” Under current law, they can then simply be labeled “fragrance,” even though they may make up 20% or more of the product.

Many companies have voluntarily removed phthalates from their products. A company will usually label its product “phthalate-free.” If unsure, call the company. If you can’t get information from the manufacturer, look for alternatives.

How can I recognize plastic toys and containers containing phthalates?

All plastics are not the same. One easy way to recognize plastic toys, clothing, bottles, food and beverage storage containers, and/or food wrap that may contain phthalate compounds is to look for the number 3 inside the universal recycling symbol usually molded into the plastic on the bottom of the product.Avoid products with the number 3 within the arrows and the letters “V” or “PVC” below the arrows.

The article has diagrams and goes on a bit more but I am on mobile and pasting from that PDF already was tedious to reformat.

Re: co-sleep, both.

As far as baby carriers, the one we ended using was a gift, but I'm pretty sure this is it.

I don't know about recommendations, but it (along with a couple molle pouches) did the job, and maybe we just got lucky with both of our kids having reasonably chill attitudes as infants but "wear the carrier and just continue your" life turned out to be a pretty workable plan.

What is this place?

This website is a place for people who want to move past shady thinking and test their ideas in a court of people who don't all share the same biases. Our goal is to optimize for light, not heat; this is a group effort, and all commentators are asked to do their part.

The weekly Culture War threads host the most controversial topics and are the most visible aspect of The Motte. However, many other topics are appropriate here. We encourage people to post anything related to science, politics, or philosophy; if in doubt, post!

Check out The Vault for an archive of old quality posts. You are encouraged to crosspost these elsewhere.


Why are you called The Motte?

A motte is a stone keep on a raised earthwork common in early medieval fortifications. More pertinently, it's an element in a rhetorical move called a "Motte-and-Bailey", originally identified by philosopher Nicholas Shackel. It describes the tendency in discourse for people to move from a controversial but high value claim to a defensible but less exciting one upon any resistance to the former. He likens this to the medieval fortification, where a desirable land (the bailey) is abandoned when in danger for the more easily defended motte. In Shackel's words, "The Motte represents the defensible but undesired propositions to which one retreats when hard pressed."

On The Motte, always attempt to remain inside your defensible territory, even if you are not being pressed.


New post guidelines

If you're posting something that isn't related to the culture war, we encourage you to post a thread for it. A submission statement is highly appreciated, but isn't necessary for text posts or links to largely-text posts such as blogs or news articles; if we're unsure of the value of your post, we might remove it until you add a submission statement. A submission statement is required for non-text sources (videos, podcasts, images).

Culture war posts go in the culture war thread; all links must either include a submission statement or significant commentary. Bare links without those will be removed.

If in doubt, please post it!


Rules


Recommended Posts And Communities

Recommended Realtime Chats