Worrying article about 'forever chemicals' in breast milk - not sure what to think..!

[TBC45678]

www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/may/13/pfas-forever-chemicals-breast-milk-us-study?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

Sorry not sure I've posted the link right, but this has really freaked me out! I breast fed my son for 13 months and am pregnant again and planning to breastfeed again, but this fills me with fear! 200x recommended levels is awful! And I can't imagine things are that different in the UK than the US in terms of these chemicals? It's just so horrible that we're exposed to these kinds of things all the time without having any knowledge of it. But maybe the fact that the mothers clearly have these levels in their bodies and are fine means it's ok? I have no idea what to think.

I'm not looking for a debate about breastfeeding or not here - I'm totally pro whatever you want to do. Anyway - I'd love to hear from anyone who is more knowledgeable about this area or who has done more research about this kind of thing.
I am still planning on breastfeeding, I know the benefits are huge and I loved it first time round, but I feel a new anxiety about it from reading this.

Terrifying. As is the discovery of micro plastics in placenta
www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/dec/22/microplastics-revealed-in-placentas-unborn-babies

There is a link towards the end of this article to a petition asking UK supermarkets to remove PFAS from their food packaging.
chemtrust.org/pfas-food-packaging-uk/

Thanks for the petition link. I'm going to have to turn to a completely plastic free life somehow! I do try but it's essentially impossible unless you make your whole life about avoiding plastics, which I don't have the energy for...

Wow
I joined a fertility class on insta a few months back & one of the thing she highlighted to change was reduce plastic use. That now an adult typically consumes a credit card size amount of plastic A WEEK!!!! She compared it to seeing a dolphin stuck in plastic in an ocean is like what the plastic is doing to our insides !

Some of the things she highlighted is insane.. like makeup setting spray is mainly plastic, then obviously heating anything in plastic (ready meals etc)

So even already knowing that thinking of the placenta & breast milk passing to a baby is scary!!

Makeup setting spray not mainly plastic but containing plastic that soaks into our skin & eyes & lungs if we breath it in

It just seems like such a big problem to overcome! Glad I'm not the only one feeling overwhelmed. But I'm definitely going to make even more of a concerted effort to avoid plastics. I've already got rid of all plastic tupperwares etc. and all plastic baby food bowls/plates/beakers etc. There's so much to think about though!

This is indeed both alarming and depressing. There was also recent research showing how much plastic is consumed by bottle fed babies, though, and it was also scary:
www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/environment/2020/oct/19/bottle-fed-babies-swallow-millions-microplastics-day-study

So (and I say this as someone who is currently combi feeding, so either has no horse in this race or who has the worst of both worlds, depending on how you look at it) it doesn't feel like it's easy to win here

It is really worrying. It seems impossible to avoid. I have been breastfeeding for 19 months so am feeling quite concerned about this. I would recommend getting rid of non stick pans, they seem to be a major source.

I just found this comment on this from Emily Oster, which is reassuring-ish:

emilyoster.substack.com/p/a-plea-to-the-cdc-and-forever-chemicals

(Ignore the first couple of paragraphs, which are about covid)

@Hardbackwriter you can buy glass bottles for babies. I've ordered some for this exact reason!

@Hardbackwriter thanks so much for posting that article, that helps a lot and echoes what I was thinking - ie not much we can do so I should try to stop panicking!
And yes, was thinking the same about dummies and bottles etc. The glass beaker I just got is pretty durable so I'm sure there are good glass bottles too! Managed to find a stainless steel 360 cup as well

When i was prégnant with my second baby, i got into the bad habit of drinking water out of plastic bottes. He was born with a birth defect, which i suspect was because of the plastic. I will know for sure. But when I was pregnant with my third baby, I was extra careful not to be around any hormonal disruptors in cosmetics. I changed my shampoo, makeup, and avoided plastic as much as possible. My baby was born perfect