The Environmentalist’s Guide to Having a Baby

So, you didn’t use a condom because they’re single-use. Woops! Now you have a baby on the way that could become a mass consumer before it is even born, or he/she could grow up to be a world-changing environmentalist! Here’s how to get started on the right foot:

​In the Early Days:

• Empower yourself with knowledge. Many people, including healthcare providers and parents, will give advice with the best intentions but it will rarely align with your environmental goals. It is important to spend lots of time researching so that you are equipped with options and knowledge before you can be coerced into decisions that you may later regret.
• Take it slowly. You don’t have to have everything ready and decided by month 3 of pregnancy. Give yourself time to research: look around and chat to various people before deciding on the best options for various mom and baby essentials.
• Be strong. Decide beforehand what you will and won’t accept from healthcare providers, family members and friends. Stand strong in your decisions as you may receive resistance in various forms. Remember that good parents are those that love and care for their child, not those that buy the most things.
• Take care of yourself. Eat healthily and exercise right from the start, this will lessen the chance of pregnancy and birth complications and decrease unhealthy cravings for plastic and palm oil-laden junk food later on.
• Consider using a midwife and home birth instead of a doctor-led hospital birth. Midwives generally allow parents a far greater scope of choice than doctors, as does home birth.
• Start a food garden. Ensure that you have fresh and organic produce throughout your pregnancy and your child’s life by starting a vegetable, herb and fruit garden now. 

Later in Pregnancy:

• Buy second-hand. As your clothes start to get too tight, avoid the temptation to shop at expensive maternity stores and opt for flowy, secondhand clothes from charity stores instead. Maternity clothes last only a few months, are way overpriced and are really quite unnecessary.
• Opt for healthy snacks. You will be hungry, often. The best way to avoid the bad habit of unhealthy snacking is to be prepared with healthy and environmentally-friendly snack options, like: homemade bliss balls, veggie sticks, kale chips and fruit. Locally-made, fair-trade chocolate works too! Don’t forget that your baby eats what you eat.
• Start sourcing second-hand baby products. One can find most baby products second-hand, at a fraction of the cost. This includes: all clothes, cloth nappies, sleeping gear, play things, books, etc. Consider that it will take more time to find second hand things, so join online ‘buy and sell’ groups and start perusing charity stores well before you are due to give birth.
• Learn. Unconventional childcare is not part of common knowledge anymore. To find out all of your options, you are going to have to do a little digging. Join natural parenting groups online, read books about indigenous child-rearing practices and speak to community elders. Always do what feels right to you, and not what others try to enforce. The consumerist system is very ingrained; as an unconventional parent – you will be questioned.
• Prepare and freeze meals and snacks for postpartum. This will save any unnecessary fast food purchases and the extra packaging and driving associated with that.
• Make things. If you choose to make cloth nappies, burp cloths and washcloths, or creams and natural detergents - source the natural fabrics, essential oils and other products now and prepare everything before birth. You will not have the time or energy once baby is born.

Birth:

• Discuss the process with your healthcare provider. What single-use items can be re-used? What items can you opt away from? What can you get second-hand? As stated above, a midwife-led home birth offers more options, but it’s worth a shot regardless.
• Research and prepare. Gather all that you may need before the birth to avoid rushed purchases. Pre-prepare food, drinks and postpartum essentials. Second-hand towels negate the need for single-use linen savers and reusable postpartum pads prevent a huge amount of waste generation from single use pads.
• Have a plan. Writing your wishes down onto a birth plan will help all who attend your birth to act according to your desires. It may be difficult to articulate these whilst in labour.
• Don’t accept unnecessary hospital freebies. The hospital/birth centre may want to send you home with various sponsored products and samples. Take what you need and decline the rest.

Baby:

• Set boundaries. Make sure that family and friends know your intentions and abide by your ethics as a parent when buying gifts for the baby.
• Breastfeed if you can. Breastfeeding negates a huge amount of waste associated with formula feeding. If you are unable to breastfeed, research and find formula companies that adhere to good environmental practices.
• Consider baby-wearing. Using a baby-wearing cloth or carrier negates the need for a plastic laden stroller/pram and various other baby-carrying devices. Baby carriers can easily be found second-hand.
• Use cloth nappies. Disposable nappies are a relatively new and extremely wasteful product on the baby market. Cloth nappies produce far less waste, are cheaper in the long run and can easily be bought secondhand or made.
• Invest in a blender and make baby food at home. This will save money, packaging and allow you to decide exactly what your child is eating. Home-grown produce takes this to the next level!
• Holistic entertainment. Opt for less, but better-quality wooden toys. Take your child out into nature to play instead of providing lots of plastic toys and screens.

Useful Swaps:

• Disposable maternity pads for reusable ones.
• Disposable breast pads for reusable ones.
• Disposable nappies for cloth nappies.
• New clothes for secondhand clothes.
• Polyester fabric for hemp/bamboo/organic cotton.
• Disposable baby wipes for wash cloths or compostable wipes.
• Chemical skin products for natural ones. (Bum cream, baby skin cream, nipple balm, first aid creams and balms, tissue oil)
• New plastic items for second-hand plastic or wooden items.
• Disposable linen savers for second-hand towels.
• Chemical detergents for natural ones (washing powder, disinfectant, household cleaner).
• Ready-made baby food for home-made.
• Chips and sweets for bliss balls, veggie sticks, natural chocolate and fruit.
• Store-bought and inorganic produce for homegrown, locally-sourced and/or organic produce.
• Plastic toys for wooden toys.
• More toys for more experiences and attention.

Written by: Kelly Steenhuisen