Pregnancy is an ideal time to adopt a green lifestyle. You’ll be getting rid of things to make room for baby, and definitely going S-H-O-P-P-I-N-G in preparation for the new arrival. Prepare your home and adopt new habits in advance to ease the transition. Being green can be hard work so we have selected some practical and do-able tips. We don't claim to be 100% eco-conscious but we can feel proud that we are doing our bit - so anything you can take from this read is great!
- Eat organic food. Your diet has perhaps the greatest impact on your baby. By cutting out pesticides and junk food, you can give your baby a great start and feel good too. This is also a good time to start a new habit of healthy eating that you will share with your baby and family.
- Have a green baby shower.
- Create a facebook notes page or blog (remember we have a blogging tips tutorial) where you can list items for your friends and families to view (when they purchase an item ask them to leave a note in the comments).
- Direct them to Chic Mother and Baby organic range Dandelion feeding and toys range, Ergopouch Cocoons, Aden + Anais Wraps, Baby E organic clothing, Skincare + more (see we got it all :)
- Paint the nursery with non-VOC paint and decorate with wall decals. Paints and finishes, which are among the leading causes of indoor air pollution. Wall decals are practical way to decorate the nursery given that they are reusable and you can mix and match sets to create a fresh new look when you get bored (but make sure you stick them up without your toddler seeing them otherwise they'll just be peeling them off).
- Borrow big items, such as a car seat and high chair. If you don't know other mums that have you can always post on mum forums like Ministylista or check the trading post.
- Switch to biodegradable and eco-friendly cleaning products. It can take a while to change shopping patterns. There are several companies that make eco-friendly cleaning products check a nice list here. Recommend them to us too!
- Invest in a stainless water bottle which will last for years like klean kanteen and cheeki. It is important to stay hydrated throughout pregnancy and during the postpartum period. In preparation for baby purchase Green to Grow bottles which are free from BPA.
- Research eco-friendly personal care products. There are tons of eco-friendly facial cleansers, shampoos, deodorants, moisturisers, and fragrances on the market. Recommend them to us too!
- Invest in organic cotton bedding. Your baby will spend hours sleeping in and on blankets and bedding. That is why we highly recommend ErgoPouch Organic Quilt Sleeping Bags keeps bub comfie and safe from pesticides and other chemicals (both boys have slept beautifully through summer and winter).
- Have a garage sale. To make space for the baby you’ll probably be getting rid of a lot of junk so why not let your junk be someone else’s treasure and earn some extra cash. Be sure to have great signage and consider posting an ad in the local newspaper, some tips here. Our friends just did one on the weekend and suprisingly all the coins here and there added up to $1000!
- Visit your local farmer’s market. Farmer’s markets are a great place to buy local, healthy, organic produce. Farmers Markets and Organic Food Markets in Australia.
- Have indoor plants. You and your baby will spend the majority of time indoors. According to the EPA, indoor air is three times more polluted than outdoor air. Plants recycle oxygen and break down pollutants. Be sure to rearrange your plants once bub becomes a toddler guarantee you’ll have dirt everywhere!
- Install energy efficient light bulbs. These products will reduce your energy bill and save electricity. Consider using light sensors and timers will help rid you of the bad habit of leaving lights on when they’re not in use.
Greening your pregnancy (is that even a phrase? :) is a great way to feel good about the choices you are making in preparation for your baby’s arrival. Anyways, these are all handy green tips to take on board post baby!
A great tip to make your Garage Sale even better is to combine with family or friends and just have the items on separate tables and the more goods there are to sell the more people will come. Also you can take advantage of the baby markets and save yourself a packet!
ReplyDeleteHi!
ReplyDeleteExcellent blog, some really great tips for new mummies.
It's such a better way for our children to grow up in a less toxic house.
Indooor air pollution is a big one that's easily overlooked. There's some very good air-purifiers on the market to help with that. I have an Elanra one which is great for the bedroom.
Plants are also a wonderful way to help clean the household air, and they look lovely too!