hen I found out I was pregnant, I definitely had a few things on my mind: baby names, nursery furniture, and – oh yeah, how I was going to make it through 9 months without sushi.
It was my husband who had a different take on things. After making an appointment with a cardiologist, he started investigating natural dry cleaners and traded in all of our heavy-duty household cleaners for greener options. While I was daydreaming about my next trip to Coldstone Creamery (it had just opened in our neighborhood, and I convinced myself that it wasn’t that bad if I had the yogurt base instead of the ice cream base), my husband was taking care of his health... and the health of the environment in which we would welcome our daughter.
Hmm. Maybe he was on to something. I decided to join in his green efforts.
For myself, I made sure the nail salons I visited were fully ventilated (and got my nails buffed – not polished – after our daughter was born). For the nursery, we researched outgassing from carpets and V.O.C.’s in paints. For the laundry, we skipped the fabric softener and used all natural, pure detergent to get our baby girl’s layette ready. For the kitchen, we planned on feeding her organic food — though I can admit the idea of pureeing food purchased from the local farmer’s market was a bit of a pipe dream. When we did make a focused effort to go green, however, we found our options weren’t all readily available – or necessarily popular.
Fast forward three years later. It seems that eco-friendly products are sprouting up everywhere. Today it couldn’t be easier to “go green”. Here are some items that I wish were available back then:
Lotions and potions for you and your baby: It’s no longer difficult to find a company that makes gentle, natural products for mother and child. Both new brands and older brand giants are introducing eco-friendly lines for the bath and changing table.
For the nursery: Zero to Low V.O.C. paints - beautiful, durable colors are now available from a variety of manufacturers.
Natural crib mattresses - these options are made without toxic chemicals or materials.
Organic Bedding - instead of sheets that look like cream burlap, you can now find adorable (and soft) bedding for your baby’s crib.
Flooring - natural materials (like cork or bamboo) are not just chemical-free, but allergen-free as well.
For the kitchen: BPA free baby bottles - worry-free bottles that won’t leach potentially dangerous chemicals.
Organic baby food - there are more and more to choose from right in your grocery store’s refrigerator or freezer section - it’s not just jarred food anymore!
For the house: Eco-friendly cleaners for the nursery to the laundry room are now popping up from both boutique and big name brands.
For traveling with baby: From diaper bags to baby carriers to strollers, companies are getting in on the green game!
Whether you are pregnant or not, the marketplace has never offered so many eco-friendly options. Sorting through the choices may be a challenge, but it is easy to be green.
