Greening babies, is it possible?

What are the best options for having and bringing up a child as sustainably as possible?Having two of my close relatives expecting babies this year, I have been completely overwhelmed over the past few months with baby-related facts and info. So it seemed only natural that I took interest in researching and writing my first blog entry for Green Renters on the topic of ‘Sustainable babies’.The question that lingered in my head for weeks was ‘what’s the big deal?’ I mean, baby has very minimal needs after all. I am well aware (from endless baby conversations with my relatives) that a new baby entering into one’s life brings enormous number of changes, both unforeseen and foreseen. With all these pressures in mind, do expected parents even have time to consider ways to raise babies sustainably?After conducting few researches on how to go green in raising babies, it turns out that there are infinite ways we can go green with babies whilst at the same time saving hundreds of dollars and not going into unnecessary buying frenzy that we so often seen with our newly expected parents.As expecting babies create a new category of things to purchase, I have listed the top four baby needs and the ways we can go green for each of them.

1. Eco- friendly Diapers: Disposables are never good for the environment and disposable diapers in particular, take 200 – 500 years to decompose. Studies have shown that one baby will use approximately 6,000 diapers before toilet-training. Obviously, the days of diaper pins are gone for good so what the eco-friendly mothers do is to obtain fitted cloth diapers with Velcro made from hemp, bamboo or organic cotton. One problem in choosing cloth diapers is that there will be a lot more laundry piling up, so the advice is to optimize the washing setup with an efficient machine and non-toxic detergent. Some may want to choose using Eco Friendly disposables and organic cloth diapers alternatively. When going out for a stroll or on outings, the best sustainable option is to take disposable diapers that are made with non-chlorine, absorbent materials and are biodegradable, plastic and latex free.
2. Breast or bottle: This may come across as a common sense, but it never hurts to reiterate. Breastfeeding brings far more health benefits for mother and baby and it has absolutely no environmental impact! However, there may be some instances where mothers are unable to breastfeed their babies, then the next best thing would be to go for a fair-trade organic infant formula.
3. Clothing: Babies have extremely sensitive skin and they grow extremely fast. These are two well-known facts. Experts say that the best piece of clothing for any babies is the one-piece suit made from organic hemp or cotton, bamboo or wool fabrics without toxic chemicals. They not only protect baby’s sensitive skin, they can be constantly washed and worn for a long period of time. The most sustainable options are to find this kind of clothing from second-hand stores or there is always the hand-me-down tradition.
4. Furniture: Contrary to popular belief, babies don’t really need that much furniture: a car seat, a high chair, a carrier and a place to sleep. Furniture made of sustainable, low-toxicity materials are the best option possible or use your creativity; using an organic cotton baby hammock, or reusing regular wooden baby beds. In terms of carriers, the most sustainable option would be to choose recycled strollers.

It’s incredible how so many of our green mothers translate their green spirit into their babies’ lives in so many ways! I came across this amazing blog that solely dedicates its entries on raising babies in a more sustainable and healthier way. From tips on ‘How to Turn an Ordinary dress into a breastfeeding one’ to ‘Eco-ing in the Great Outdoors’ with your babies, this blog affirmatively demonstrates to mothers that raising a child sustainably is (too) easy and that it can be done in every aspect of your baby’s life!I’m now looking forward to bestowing my soon-to-be-born nephews and nieces the green spirit that I have accumulated over the past few weeks along with the olive oil baby lotion that I have recently purchased – natural, organic and cheap!Information regarding the products in the photos:

• Wotnot natural protection sunscreen - certified organic aloe vera
• Organic Cotton Kimono Short Sleeved
• Natures Purest Elephant Knit - 100% natural coloured cotton yarn

All from www.downtoearthbaby.com