What More to Do for a Green Baby and Green Nursery?

In general, I’m pretty pleased with how green we’ve kept things for baby. Choosing cloth diapers rather than disposables. Reusing so many things, both from things we still had from previous babies to handmedowns from family members, many of which have gone through more than one child already.

It’s quite the adventure doing all this so deliberately. So nice that I finally won some of the debates on green parenting issues with my husband.

But there are still some areas I haven’t gone over in relation to baby.

Baths are a big part of dealing with a newborn. We’re very fortunate in that our kitchen sink is a single basin, rather than two. Perfect for baths, and no need for an infant tub, just Mommy’s hands and full attention.

The right kind of soap matters too. I hadn’t even heard of BPA or phthalates with my older kids. Now they’re things I’d like to avoid where possible. Lucky me, California doesn’t allow phthalates in excess of 0.1% in products for children as of January 1, 2009. For the rest of the country, there’s a post on The Daily Green from last year that gets into how to spot phthalates in ingredient lists. The Skin Deep site has a Parent’s Buying Guide to help you find safer products.

California Baby Shampoo does well on their list, with a hazard score of 1/10. Dr. Bronner’s also has a lot of products listed with good scores. Lots of 0 and 1 out of 10 scores. I don’t know about you, but I like dealing with companies that are doing the right things because that’s just how they do business. They’re good to encourage.

For cleaning around the house or in the nursery when it’s set up, just my usual cleaning supplies, most of which are made from things like baking soda and vinegar. There really isn’t a need to get fancy. However, I would note that for washing cloth diapers I’ve seen people recommend Country Save HE Laundry Detergent. I haven’t had a chance to try it yet. I don’t have a HE washer, however. Might make a difference in how I use this product. I’m still figuring that out.

And of course, who can forget bottles?

Well, me, for much of the time. Except for the occasional outing with my husband once baby is old enough and I have enough of a backup supply pumped and ready for whichever grandparent.

We got rid of our old ones already, I think. I know the old nipples are gone, as those really don’t last through years of storage. I’m looking at BPA free baby bottles because I have too many relatives who will struggle enough with the whole cloth diaper idea. Buying glass baby bottles might be pushing things a bit far for them. It’s a bit of a balance sometimes.

That said, I’m just about in love with the Klean Kanteen baby bottle. Just so perfect for so many years! Pricey, of course, but when you consider that it won’t be outgrown it’s not so bad a deal. It’s the same size bottle as my daughter uses at school. That’s just much too cool.

If I had to buy a new crib, I’d probably be shopping IKEA first. Not only do I love their furniture, but they work hard at having safe and healthy products. I’ve gotten good deals there too. But I don’t need anything just now, soooo…

Give me a few months. We’ll be needing bunk beds and a new dresser. But I’m thinking thrift store for those. Hopefully no CPSIA problems by that point, as we don’t have the space to store these until needed.

Am I forgetting anything? How else would you green your nursery and baby’s first few years?

Can You Find a Green Home Business?

Many stay at home moms want to do more than “just” care for their families. They want to help support it financially as well as emotionally and physically. It’s pretty necessary in a lot of cases.

We’re lucky. There are a lot of options out there.

Working at home itself is pretty green in a lot of ways. You aren’t commuting. You will probably use equipment you already own. You probably won’t eat out very often.

But it’s really nice if you can have a home business that is of itself a green selection. There are a few out there. Shaklee is one that comes to mind for me. They offer personal care and nutrition products, and don’t allow animal testing.

Watkins is another company that offers natural products. They have personal care, cleaning and cooking supplies.

And of course there are many other direct sales opportunities out there. Not all are green, but there’s a good number out there.

Of course, direct sales is not for everyone. But you have a lot of other options.

I enjoy blogging and affiliate marketing, of course. Finding green products with affiliate programs can be a challenge, but it’s worthwhile. It’s a slow build much of the time, not the instant riches so many people promise for home business.

There are a good number of green companies listed on ShareASale. They have a category for it, which most affiliate networks don’t have. Other networks do have green companies, but you have to search a bit harder to find them much of the time. Commission Junction and LinkShare are two of the other big companies.

Clickbank can be an interesting choice too. All they offer are electronically delivered products, such as ebooks or software. You can join them easily as an affiliate or a merchant. You can even do both.

This can be fun. Ebooks on some topics sell very well. Or you can write your own and try to attract affiliates to sell for you, alongside your own efforts. Both can be quite challenging, but some people do very well with it. Think about topics you know well, and you might just have an idea for an ebook. I have notes for about 5 I would like to write, and minimal concepts for a few more.

Now I just need the time!

Any home business is going to be challenging. Most people aren’t going to get rich, no matter what they hype. There’s quite a bit to learn, even when you know what you want to do.

In future posts I will talk about that. Mostly about the online options, as I know those best. And I would love to hear from other people who are running green home businesses. Just send a quick note or even a full guest post for my consideration through the contact form.

Does It Really Matter That You’re Just One Person?

The environmental movement has a lot of fans, but you get some negativity too, especially if you post a lot about what people can do as individuals. Naysayers go on about how what really matters is what we do as a society.

That’s a good point, but it shouldn’t be a criticism of individual action. Why discourage people from doing either?

Yes, governmental action is required to get things done at the level they need to be done. Businesses need to get involved. The effort required is, quite simply, huge.

But do you really think these things will happen if they don’t see individuals doing the small stuff? I don’t.

The small stuff is what I see as motivation for the bigger things. It shows that we care, that we believe in putting forth our best efforts to protect the environment.

Businesses won’t change their practices without financial motivation, whether it comes from governmental pressures or consumers. The government won’t change without pressure from the voters.

Living even a small part of what we’re asking them to do is creating demand for these changes.

Make your small changes.

Then start campaigning for more.

Pay attention to what’s coming out from the White House. They have a page on the site now on Energy and Environment. Encourage your Representatives to push for these changes.

But still, try to live a green lifestyle. If no one is doing it, our leaders won’t feel the pressure to make changes. We can’t demand action from them if we aren’t taking it ourselves.

How We Are Trying to Keep Our Minivan Green

One of the things we needed with the coming of the new baby is a minivan, which we bought a bit over a week ago. It’s an idea I resisted, as we’ve done so well as a one car family. But babies have more doctor appointments and our one car was a 4 seater. Not exactly adequate for a family of 5.

I kept aiming for a larger sedan, rather than a minivan. Better gas mileage as a general rule. But I didn’t win that debate, and a minivan is what we now have. A 2002 Mazda MPV, to be specific.

I have to admit, it is comfortable for all of us.

Our goal, however, is to only use it when we need to do something with the kids along. We aren’t buying extra car seats just to be able to switch back and forth by the number of people. That would be a waste.

Instead, the old car is the commuter/errands without kids car.

This allows us to take advantage of the better mileage of the old car. I built the habit quickly of running errands only when my husband is home, and I want to keep that habit so that I can just go in the car rather than the minivan. It just makes sense to me to be efficient.

Another key point is how long we keep it. I have always had a habit of driving a car until it costs more than I’m willing to pay in repairs. Generally someone else is willing to go further with it. I’m just not the sort to replace a vehicle every few years. That’s not a green decision in most cases, no matter how good a newer vehicle feels.

Some of the lacks I like. No DVD player installed, although it could have one. I’ve always felt that if you must have one, a portable one makes more sense than one stuck in the car. That said, we don’t have a portable DVD player either. I can think of other ways for the kids to keep themselves busy on the kinds of  (rare) trips we take as a family.

No power doors or power seats. That makes things harder for the kids, but I don’t mind needing to open the doors for them. The kids will be able to cope with those when they’re older. And I think I can adjust my own seat.

Overall, I think we can do well by keeping our usage sensible. No overplanning activities for the kids. No driving just to drive. Thinking about which car we use.

It’s not as green as a hybrid or low emissions car, but it will do. Especially on our budget.

What Do You Really Need to Bring to the Hospital for Childbirth?

With things getting so close to the end of my pregnancy now, I have to get ready to go to the hospital. Naturally, I looked over what is recommended that you have prepacked and ready to go. It’s been a while, after all, and I don’t want to be too rushed.

I forgot how ridiculous most of those lists are.

I’d forgotten a lot since with my last pregnancy nearly 4 years ago I was sent from a routine OB check to the hospital to be monitored and prepared for an urgent C-section. In other words, no bag. No supplies.

And in my first pregnancy, I quickly found that I didn’t use that much of what I brought. There just really aren’t that many things you need there.

Toiletries

Yes, absolutely. But unless you have duplicates, they’re really hard to prepack. Just keep in mind that you will want your toothbrush, toothpaste and hair brush at some point. The hospital has soap and shampoo as a rule, so if you don’t bring them it’s not the end of the world.

Important Papers

You’ll need your insurance card. You’ll want to have a copy of your birth plan if you’ve written one. Not much else matters.

My husband and I had a birth plan with our daughter, but ended up really not paying attention to it. Sometimes they work out great. Other times… just paper.

Don’t forget a phone book or list. If you have a family member who is willing to call with the good news, you can split up this job so that you mostly call the people you really want to talk to. After giving birth you’re probably going to be tired, so anything that keeps the number of calls down to something reasonable is good.

Clothes

Most important to me has always been just having an outfit to go home in. But if you want to wear your own gown during labor, or clothes other than a hospital gown when you’re done, pack what you need.

My first time around, I found that I just didn’t feel like changing clothes much of the time, so I spent a lot of time just in the hospital gowns. Also nice that if anything got on them, I wasn’t going to have to wash them when I got home.

A nursing bra is nice to have along, though. Your milk may start coming in during your hospital stay, so have some nursing pads ready too. Oh, the joys!

Your partner may or may not want to bring clothes. My husband always just went home to change. For our first, we were just blocks from the hospital anyhow. For the second, he spent time with our oldest as well as with me in the hospital, so packing clothes wasn’t needed. But that won’t work for every couple.

Labor Supplies

What do you need to make your time in labor comfortable? MP3 players really make bringing your own music easier than it was back when I had my daughter. Some people like lotions or massage supplies, a birth ball, focus object, pillows… you can create quite a list.

Just practice at home first. If something sounds nice when you read about it, but doesn’t work out at home, odds are you won’t want it at the hospital either.

Money

Odds are pretty good that you will have to pay for parking. Not true at all hospitals, but know in advance if it’s true at yours.

Besides, your partner will want to be able to buy snacks and/or meals. The hospital rarely feeds anyone who isn’t a patient there.

Snacks

Odds are, the hospital won’t let you eat during labor. They’re too concerned that you might have to go in for a C-section, as I understand it. If you want to eat during labor, better do so before you head out to the hospital if you can.

You may be able to enjoy some hard candies and such to keep your throat moist, but that’s about it.

Your partner, on the other hand, will probably need snacks. The hospital won’t care what he eats. But if it bugs you, send him out of the room to do so.

Raisins are a fair choice for snacking after giving birth. That first postpartum bowel movement is not so fun. Making it move a little easier is not a bad idea. Though you probably don’t want to overdo it.

Camera and Supplies

I have my digital camera cleared out, and two sets of batteries charged. I still need to check the camcorder to be sure that there’s plenty of tape, although I don’t anticipate recording the labor. Cozy times with baby, on the other hand….

Baby Supplies

The only vital things are your infant car seat, a going home outfit and an appropriate blanket. All of these can be brought from home by your partner after you’ve given birth. No need to rush on getting these together beforehand if you just don’t have them ready.

The hospital will have disposable diapers and wipes for you, so just skip it unless you really, really need to start cloth diapering in the hospital. Which isn’t a bad thing, but rather more inconvenient than you may have the energy to deal with.

Something to Do After Baby is Born

Hospitals are boring! Even with a new baby beside you waking regularly to be fed, you will get bored. Keep it simple, as you’ll probably have to put down your book or whatever you bring down pretty often as people come in to visit, nurses come in to check your blood pressure and such, baby wakes up and so forth. Boring certainly doesn’t mean restful.

No, You Probably Won’t Use All This Stuff

If you get in a rush and don’t even bring the bag at first, don’t be surprised if you get along just fine with only what the hospital gives you for the first while. The only things you really need in order to give birth are a comfortable place and some good support.

But having things packed means your partner can bring the things you need for after labor pretty easily. No wondering about what you want to wear when you go home. No searching for baby’s first outfit. No wondering what you’d like to do with your spare time.