When I was pregnant with K, one of the most difficult things for me to prepare for was the sheer amount of waste and synthetic materials involved in typical child-rearing. Synthetic material is in everything from diapers and wipes to plastic and polyester EVERYTHING. There was a lot of planning involved to shrink her waste footprint before she was even born. I’ve gained a lot of experience with natural child raising, especially after having her sisters. Here are several things I did or considered doing in an effort to go more natural when raising babies:
Cloth Diapering (or a biodegradable alternative)
With K, I was a SAHM, but I was also in the middle of the desert. It wasn’t feasible for me to use cloth diapers. I was stuck with the disposable alternative and wipes (which made me even more excited once it was time to potty train!) For moms unable to go the cloth route, there are several disposable alternatives made from biodegradable materials. This makes all those changes at least a little easier on the environment. Check out these biodegradable diapers, which I think work better than the others!
Baby wipes are another waste-maker. Instead of using them for EVERYTHING, I use washable towels, napkins, spit-up clothes, etc. for non-bio-hazardous waste. For cleaning purposes, you can also go with bio-degradable disposables or reusable cleaning cloths.
Nursing instead of Formula feeding
There’s nothing more natural than feeding your child from your own breast. Countless articles have been written about the benefits of breastfeeding versus formula. I won’t get into any of that aside to say that nursing does cut down on the amount of waste (both in the process of creating formula and in the waste it produces to be packaged, stored, etc.) Of course breastfeeding isn’t always an option, but for mothers blessed with an ample milk supply, this seriously cuts down on excess waste! There’s also a growing number of women donating their milk supplies to mamas who need to supplement or cannot nurse. Check with local hospitals, many of whom are now screening and pasteurizing their donations.
Reusable containers for storing milk instead of storage bags
We’ve all seen mamas who post photos of freezers packed with milk. (I didn’t believe this was possible until Baby J came along. I found myself practically drowning in excess breast milk, which hadn’t happened before.) For long term freezer storage, I haven’t found anything easier or safer than the bags. Glass jars tend to crack when thawing, which means it’s not going to my daughter! For day-to-day, non-frozen storage, I keep several glass mason jars on rotation in the fridge. As long as you use the milk within a week, this is a great alternative constantly throwing out milk bags.
Reusable Nursing Pads
Anyone who’s nursed has probably dealt with leaks. The baby oversleeps (no, really, that CAN happen!), or makes that little sound and WHOOSH, let down. No mama wants to deal with milk everywhere, (or the smell of it once it’s been in your clothes all day). Rather than spend what would have been about $10 a month on disposable nursing pads, I invested in a set of fourteen reusable, bamboo cotton pads.
Generally I switch to a new set every evening before bed, so fourteen is a two-week supply without any “accidents.” Since I do laundry once a week, I find I’ve never run out of pads. These pads get softer every time I wash them and have held up to months of use. I’ve never had a problem with leaks or odors and I don’t even notice them in my bra or under my clothes. They do tend to shift slightly if you sleep with them and I dropped them on the ground the first few times I was using them just because I forgot they weren’t attached. But overall, they’re a fabulous alternative to disposable pads and cut down on waste significantly.
Clothes Line
Babies generate a LOT of laundry. One of the ways I cut down on energy consumption was to invest in a clothes line. Being a country girl at heart, I have no qualms about hanging things outside to dry. But when K was born, the windy, dusty desert made outdoor lines a recipe for muddy disaster. Luckily, there are a TON of indoor alternatives that can be hung anywhere from your garage to basement or even over the stairwell!
Almost all of the girls’ baby things are hung to dry, which not only cuts down on electric usage, but also on our use of (carcinogenic) fabric softener. For a softer dry, I add little vinegar in the wash and their clothes are good to go! (Check out my post here for how to go natural with laundry and still get everything clean.)
What do you mamas do to stay natural with your little ones? Let me know below!
