I may have exposed my now-eight-year-old-daughter to toxic chemicals when she was a baby that could cause her to develop breast cancer or diabetes or a whole host of other bad things as an adult.

Irresponsible mom, you say? I didn’t think so at the time.

I’m not exaggerating when I say that I got sick to my stomach when I read about the latest on baby bottles, water bottles and sippy cups.

A chemical called bisphenol A (BPA) is a synthetic sex hormone that is used to make many hard plastic products like our trusty sippy cups.

Problem is that, over time, the synthetic estrogen starts to leech out of the product so when your baby is taking his nightly bottle or your toddler is grabbing her sippy cup, depending on the age of the product and how many times it’s been through the dishwasher, they’re also sucking down some toxic chemicals.

Pacifiers don’t get a pass, either. And those non-disposable sports water bottles you bought thinking they would be a better alternative to tossing away those disposable Evian bottles? Odds are they’re a problem, too.

Some experts contend that the test results that have shown problems caused by BPA in animals are inconclusive for humans. Maybe. But how many times have we been told in the past that products or drugs were safe and then found out later that the science was wrong?

So what’s a mom to do? There are alternatives, including other types of plastic not made with BPA, glass (though not always the most practical option) and stainless steel.

You can also sign a petition to get manufacturers to switch to safer alternatives.

See, there are ways to get all political this year without having to deal with the presidential candidates!