A newborn baby is one of life’s greatest miracles, but along with the joy comes the extra weight of responsibility, to the future as well as your little ‘un. Sarah Heeringa shares some smart tips for eco-parenting
We all want to be the best parents we can be, and these days that can mean turning a bit green. But you don’t have to sweat the small stuff—or the small people. Here’s a stress-free and smart approach to raising happy and healthy eco-babies.
‘kisses’ photo by CharlotteSpeaks via Flickr
“Freedom has a scent like the top of a newborn baby’s head,” goes the U2 song. Incredibly light, pitiably helpless and parcelled in impossibly velvety skin, newborns can seem too perfect for this world. Having just arrived, it’s as if there’s a whiff of the divine about them. Their disconcerting habit of focusing on the space immediately to one side of your face only adds to the sense that they know something you don’t. Put it down to post-birth euphoria, or just plain sleep deprivation, but there’s something about newborns that has you wishing the world were a better place.
Pop into the Ecostore shop in Freemans Bay, Auckland, and there’s a high chance you’ll see a pregnant woman browsing the shelves or scrutinising the ingredients list on a container of laundry liquid. “Pregnancy is clearly a trigger for many women to start investigating what’s available in the way of baby-friendly products,” says Annabelle Tatton, Ecostore’s retail manager. According to her estimates, more than 60 percent of the store’s customers are either pregnant or planning to be, and come in to do their research and chat about the issues.
For some it starts with wanting to eat healthier food to minimise possible risks to an unborn child. Start thinking about what you’re eating, and a logical next step is asking ‘What am I putting on my and my baby’s skin?’. Do we really feel okay about washing our babies with chemical-based cleansers or slathering them with petroleum jelly and mineral oil? What about swaddling them in plastic nappies? “Lots of mums-to-be start wanting to know about cloth nappies, but they do so much research, it quickly moves across categories,” says Annabelle. When customers learn about the nasties in a lot of shampoos, it gets them thinking about laundry powder. “Before long, many have been converted into mums who use our products.”
Welcome to the modern world of green parenting, and we’re not just talking cloth nappies and eco-creams. Organic cotton and bamboo outfits, BPA-free feeding bottles, compostable wipes … if you’re up for it, there’s an earth-friendly alternative for every facet of modern child-rearing.
Eco-parenting gives us the green light to buy all sorts of lovely stuff, from gorgeous natural skin products to nursery furniture made from sustainable wood. Even better, some of the most significant choices we can make won’t cost a thing.
Ever noticed that relaxed parents often go together with chilled-out, easy-care babies? Turns out your attitude can have all sorts of effects. Stress has been shown to slow down a birth and get in the way of bonding. One UK study, involving nearly 900 pregnant women, found that depression or anxiety during pregnancy was more likely to lead to babies with sleeping difficulties. And just as being an over-anxious parent doesn’t do you or your baby any favours, nor does fretful green parenting.
While we all want to be the best possible parents, the prospect of caring for our tiny bundle of humanity is daunting— to say the least—and we don’t need the ideal of also raising the perfect green baby to make life any harder or become another stick to beat ourselves up with.
“Breast-feeding requires no manufacturing, produces no waste, involves no preparation time, no non-renewable energy resources to transport or prepare, comes with no marketing rubbish and the packaging is very beautiful!”
Toxic plastics, allergenic substances, contaminated formula … it’s easy to freak out over the task of protecting your little one from our polluted world. We know that babies’ immune systems are underdeveloped, making them more susceptible to allergies than adults. Babies breathe more air per unit of body weight than adults, increasing the effect of inhaled substances. But instead of worrying about what you can’t control, focus on what you can. Here are a few suggestions for easy, economical and eco-friendly baby-raising.
Your baby spends most of its time at home, so switch to natural cleaners and eliminate aerosols. Biff the unflued gas heater and replace it with a clean-burning, efficient alternative. Choose natural fibres to cover the lounge floor, or any other floor your baby rolls around on. Work on eliminating synthetic furnishings over time.
Parents-to-be sometimes get ready for a new child by carefully painting, papering and carpeting a baby room. Ironically, in the process they can unwittingly create an environment high in potentially toxic chemicals. Minimise fumes and other irritants by using low-VOC paint and natural cleaners. Look for soft furnishings made with unbleached, formaldehyde-free, eco-dyed fibres. (See bedroom detox tips and more on cotton.) Is your car fumy inside? Get it tuned.
Even simpler, cultivate an organic garden or a spray-free lawn and you’ll provide a natural environment where your infant can happily spend hours. Most importantly, relax and enjoy the precious time together. Babies can be surprisingly resilient. What they mostly need is love, regular feeds and lots of positive attention—all of which you can provide.
Choosing to breastfeed is another simple, yet hugely beneficial choice. “Breast milk is the greenest and most complete food,” says Liz Nash, lactation consultant and midwife adviser for the Marlborough region. “It requires no manufacturing, produces no waste, involves no preparation time, no nonrenewable energy resources to transport or prepare, comes with no marketing rubbish and the packaging is very beautiful!”
Breastfed babies experience fewer digestive problems, allergies, infections and hospitalisations, and as adults are less likely to suffer heart disease, diabetes or obesity. Breastfeeding also reduces the risk of breast cancer in mothers. One recent, extensive review of lifestyle and breast cancer published in 2009 by the World Cancer Research Fund and Imperial College London not only confirmed this finding, but also identified breastfeeding as being likely to reduce babies’ chances of gaining excess weight as they grew.
In addition, breastfeeding ensures that the most complete habitat—the mother’s body—is on hand to provide everything a new baby needs for growth and development. “Breastfeeding mums and babies behave in an amazingly predictable and delightful way, each initiating and stimulating the appropriate behaviour from the other,” says Liz.
Infant formula, bottles and sterilisation packs come at a great cost to your household and an even bigger cost environmentally, considering the farming, processing, packaging, transporting and advertising involved. Developed by trial and error since the 19th century, most modern formulas are based on cow’s, soy or goat’s milk. While none replicate breast milk’s perfect combination of proteins, fats, vitamins and carbohydrates, there are significant variations between brands. Some formulas, such as the UK brand Babynat, are organic and sucrose-, gluten- and GM-free.
Be an informed consumer. Nestlé, for instance, has earned a reputation for the unethical promotion of formula use in developing countries, and the boycott of its products, launched in 1977, continues today (babymilkaction.org).
Many of us use bottles for one reason or another. Some mothers express milk so a partner can manage a late-night feed—helping a sleep-deprived mother and allowing dad to enjoy some bonding time. Others supplement breastfeeding with formula. Choose the bottles you use with care, as many baby bottles are made using bisphenol A (BPA; see good.net.nz/bpa). When heated, it releases a chemical linked in some studies to obesity, diabetes and developmental problems. Phthalates—chemicals added to some plastics to increase flexibility—can leach from food packaging, creams, perfumes, dummies, baby bottle teats, teethers and other chewable plastic toys. While the effect of these substances has not been fully determined, we do know they get into little bodies. We also know that infants’ developing immune and central nervous systems are particularly vulnerable to the effects of chemicals. Alternatives are available: avoid using plastics numbered 2, 4, 5 or 7, and use glass or BPA-free bottles and highgrade silicon teats.
Per unit of body weight, children have approximately double the skin surface area of adults, making them more exposed to chemicals absorbed through the skin. Instead of buying cheap synthetic pyjamas made from fabric treated with fireretardant chemicals, dress your children in nightwear made from natural or organic fabrics. Further reduce the chemical load by washing clothes and bedding using eco-laundry products—you’ll also prevent chemical contamination of your waste water. (Ecostore estimates the use of its laundry products alone has prevented the discharge of 4.4 billion litres of chemical-laden grey water into our streams, rivers and lakes.)
Having a baby means opening your front door to an influx of clothing and kid-related paraphernalia. Grandparents can be among the worst offenders when it comes to buying unnecessary stuff. Here are a few tips to stem the tide of plastic and polyester: at birthdays, buy one large item such as a rocking horse or a doll’s house and suggest grandparents contribute. Start an education fund and ask for contributions in lieu of gifts. Explain your preferences to family and friends: no to plastic tat, yes to Lego or a wooden train set. Let them know if you’re collecting a set and that any piece (no matter how small) is appreciated.
Most people don’t mind using hand-me-downs, but for some reason it’s not done to give used items as gifts. Let friends know that you’re fine with pre-loved items as baby presents.
Buying quality means things last the distance (the New Zealand-made 100 percent merino singlets I bought for my first baby were still good enough to put on my fourth), and you may have something worth selling later. Take advantage of the emerging second-hand market for quality baby products. Furnish your baby’s room by mixing old with new and you’ll add style, save money and reduce waste. Go to good.net.nz/2/cots for a checklist of standard cot safety features to look out for, then eco-vamp that vintage cot with a fresh coat of odourless, solvent-free paint and a lovely new woollen, organic cotton or latex mattress.
Try to buy only what you can’t borrow. Talk with other parents in your child’s playgroup—look for creative ways to pass hand-me-downs to others who will value and use them. How much baby stuff do you need, really? Instead of hoarding things, choose a few treasured mementos to frame and display. Before you know it, your perfect eco baby will be a lanky teen debating with you over your eco politics.
Born free
In 1990 the Caesarean rate was under 13 percent. By 2005 the rate was above 25 percent and today the national average is approaching 30 percent. Is it possible that one-third of New Zealand women can no longer give birth without major surgery?
Many factors—some of which are beyond a woman’s control—determine how a birth proceeds. Choosing to give birth naturally is no guarantee that interventions won’t be needed or that complications won’t occur. Nevertheless, there are choices you can make that can influence the way a birth progresses. Labour in a hospital, for instance, and you’ll be more likely to use all the medicalised birth technology at hand than you would if you were elsewhere.
Who you choose to be your lead maternity carer is important. Even if you plan to give birth in hospital, a midwife who also attends home births may be more likely to fully support the process of a natural birth. Check your local independent midwives and other options for pre- to post-natal continuity of care (maternity.org.nz).
Planned home births currently account for between seven and 10 percent of births in New Zealand. They can be a hugely satisfying, low environmental impact option for women with low-risk pregnancies (I should know, I’ve had four). A home birth means being at liberty to control your environment—everything from dim lights to natural soaps and cleaners. With no harsh antiseptic smells, blinking lights, whirring fans or humming machines, your home is quieter and more relaxing than any hospital—and it’s not occupied by strangers or sick people. The dining will be better too: stock up on local and organic food or get friends to bring homecooked meals.
Birth centres are an ideal halfway house between home and hospital. Some are small maternity units run by local community trusts; others, like Birthcare Auckland, are public maternity hospitals funded by the District Health Board. Birth centres offer a personalised, low-tech environment where birth is treated as a normal, rather than a medical, process. UK studies show that if you give birth in a birth centre you’re less likely to need interventions during labour or have problems with breastfeeding. The best birth centres are ‘Baby Friendly’ accredited—a global initiative by WHO and UNICEF to promote breastfeeding.
Birthing units of the future may look a lot like Rodney’s Helensville Birthing Centre, where birthing baths and other amenities help mothers labour drug-free, and registered nurses and midwives assist with breastfeeding and provide support in the important first days. Double beds allow partners to stay and purpose-built ‘side car cribs’ enable safe parent/baby co-sleeping.
The centre maintains sustainable practices such as recycling and the use of cloth nappies; instead of the usual advertising-laden baby packs, it offers simple brown paper bags containing useful information and three velcro overnaps to encourage the ongoing use of cloth nappies. Rural Women (formerly the Country Women’s Institute) also provides knitted garments. There are regular community support coffee groups, with delicious home-made cooking for breastfeeding mums, and everyone who uses the centre has free ongoing access to lactation consultants.
