In the name of Allah, the most Gracious, the most Merciful
There are lots of things to consider when having a baby. One of those things is thinking about what you’ll need to purchase in preparation for him/her. Regardless of what you choose to get for your newest addition, it is worth considering how to make choices that honor not only the Earth but also the holistic wellness of our baby and our family as a whole. I want to share with you 10 ideas that can help you be more Eco-conscious, make healthier choices and save money when stocking up for your newborn needs.
Though the priority is really about making choices that are best for your baby and your family overall, there are definitely a couple of other good benefits that come along with making these swaps. Most of these alternatives are better for the environment and they also cost less, if not overall, then at least in the long run.
This whole topic can be a little bit touchy so I do want to throw out some disclaimers real quick! I recognize these suggestions can bring people a myriad of emotions. I also think it’s important to recognize the fact that these more natural alternatives are becoming very commercialized – which can be problematic depending on how you look at it.
So before going further, I want to share two things:
Firstly is that I don’t believe there is a one-size-fits-all for parenting or pretty much any other aspect of life. Something I may choose for my child and our family might be the complete opposite of what you and your family need. And vice versa. As I have said before and will continue to reaffirm, just because I mention something as being beneficial or good does not mean I believe that to be the only right way or the proper choice for everyone.
The second thing is that when we do choose to go down these alternative routes, I want to encourage us to be mindful of (1) our intentions and (2) our source. We want to make sure that we are making these choices to get closer to God, to somehow better ourselves, to serve our families, to preserve our Earth, etc…not because everyone is doing it and we’ll feel bad if we don’t jump on the bandwagon. And as far as our source, we want to make sure that when we are, for example, choosing to use cloth diapers, that we do our best to get products that are as natural as we can rather than synthetic materials.
Without further ramblings, let’s jump into the list of 10 baby swaps for your little one’s first year that are better for your baby, your budget and our Earth:
1. Cloth Diapers
There is a learning curve when using cloth diapers. You have to figure out which style works best for you and your baby. You’ll also need to figure out the best washing schedule and make sure you build a proper stash. But once you figure it out and fit it into your routine, it works really well. It’s great for babies skin and it does wonders for your budget as well.
2. Cloth Wipes
We didn’t use cloth wipes but I think it’s definitely something we’ll be trying next time. There are good options for disposable wipes, such as Water Wipes. However, using cloth wipes along with those cloth diapers seems to make a lot of sense. Not to mention wipes are another area of baby care that can really add up on the budget. There are options to buy cloth wipes but it also seems pretty easy to make them.
3. Good quality, natural material clothing
Focus on quality vs quantity when it comes to clothes. Instead of buying a whole lot of fast fashion clothing items, buy a handful of good quality outfits made of natural materials for your baby. Ideally, ethically made and sustainably sourced but we do what we can.. That can be expensive. Second hand shopping for clothing is a great option as well. This is something I hope to focus on a bit more next time around. Hand-me-downs are awesome as well if that is an option for your family. We are so grateful as we got so many clothes passed down to us from family and friends that we didn’t need to buy anything until very recently for our son.
4. Unscented Castile Soap
To be honest, babies don’t need soap very often in their first year but it’s good to have on hand for when they do need it! Instead of all the fancy baby body washes, shampoos, etc simply use a bottle of unscented castile soap or even a bar of gentle, hypo-allergenic unscented soap. Your baby’s skin is so pure and sensitive, you really want to try to keep anything you put on them as pure and natural as possible. Castile soap is a nice oil-based soap and the unscented option is as gentle as it gets.
5. Olive oil, coconut oil or shea butter.
Instead of getting all the various creams, lotions and whatnot for your baby’s skin and hair, switch to a natural oil. Not only do these oils have healing properties within them, they don’t contain all the chemicals and whatnot found in the other commercialized products. They’re very multi-purpose and you can often buy it in bulk. The only thing here is to be a little precautionary when going with coconut oil or almond oil until you are sure your baby doesn’t have a nut allergy.
6. Glass or stainless steel bottles.
A lot of people use bottles at some point in their baby’s feeding journey, whether they have to supplement, they’ve decided not to breastfeed, mom has to go back to work or even just to allow dad to take part in the feeding aspect of baby care. Plastic bottles are generally the go-to – they seem to be more accessible as far as how many options and the price tag but I highly recommend making the swap to either glass bottles or stainless steel. There are a lot of chemicals in plastic, especially if you’re putting warm/hot liquid in there. If you only choose one of the things off this list to implement, I’d say go for this one!
7. Ditch the baby monitor.
I have heard way too many crazy stories about baby monitors to ever want one but I know some people consider this as a necessity. If at all possible however, I encourage us to make sure that we do everything we know to make sure our baby is safe to sleep and let them sleep without the extra electronics in their room. I guess this isn’t really a swap but I think it’s worth mentioning on this list.
8. Good quality, wooden and cloth toys.
This means leaving behind all those plastic, light-up, etc toys. They’re very overstimulating for a baby and they leave little room for true exploration. Babies don’t need many toys. They’re very easily entertained with regular household items, getting outdoors and just getting exposed to everyday life. But toys are fun! So when you choose toys, try to stick to good quality and natural materials.
9. Skip all the unnecessary stuff!
These last two aren’t actually physical swaps but rather making a swap within your mindset. Every family is going to have different things that they consider a necessity but…I think we can all agree, there are lots of baby items that are really pushed on parents that are not as practical as they are made to seem. I’ve made a list of some of the things that we didn’t use with our baby and don’t plan on ever using… but it all comes down to you deciding what your family needs and doesn’t need and simply sticking to that.
10. Buy second-hand instead of new when you’re able.
I’m not big on shopping generally but I LOVE thrifting and shopping at consignment stores! If you are patient, you can find so many great deals when shopping second-hand. Not only are the items much less expensive than buying brand new, you are also helping give that item “a new life” and keeping it out of the landfill.
As you might be able to tell, I’m of the opinion that babies really don’t need that much, especially for their first year of life. I really don’t like when people continuously tell others how expensive having a baby is. While growing your family definitely costs money… you also have the power to prioritize what you want to spend money on and what you choose to bring into your home. There are plenty of ways in which we can save money. Making these swaps, even if only one or two, especially if you are concerned about your budget and/or the environment.
Question for the comments: What is another eco-friendly/budget friendly baby swap you have used or heard of?
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