So can you be eco-friendly if you have a baby? I think the biggest choice you can make is to use reusable nappies. This not only saves the planet from a huge amount of landfill, but it can also save you lots of money! They are not nearly as difficult as most people believe, and you don't have to be all or nothing. I did a ton of research before E was born, and even then I wasn't sure which brand I wanted to buy. This is not going to be a guide for nappies so if that's what you're into, get researching! Different types of nappies fit different situations and lifestyles so no one nappy is perfect. My best suggestion is to just buy one of a few different types of brands and give them a go and see what works best. We have three types: Bumgenius Flip Diapers, Rumparooz, and TotsBots. The Flip diapers are great because the waterproof outer shell can be reused and the wet inner liner is just "flipped" out in the wet bucket and replaced. This means less washing! Rumparooz are great for on the go because they are stuffed ahead of time and can just be put on like a normal nappy and the same goes for the TotsBots. I bought all of my nappies second hand, gave them a good few washes, and now they are perfect for us. I spent maybe £150 in all for all the nappies and wipes we'll use from 4 months - 3 years. Reusing them for a second baby makes them even more eco friendly and cost effective!
Our first time using the Flips. They looked huge! Cloth wipes shown up by Ellie's head/
Do cloth nappies scare you? A nappy change takes, on average, about 30 seconds longer with a cloth nappy depending on the type. This is because I fit the insert and liner on top before doing the change. What do you do with the poo? We dump it in the toilet now, but back when she was just eating breastmilk we did nothing as it just broken down in the wash. We wash the nappies every third day, and it takes me about 20 minutes to sort out the nappies and put a pile upstairs and downstairs. Some nappies take more work to prep, some take no work. It all depends on what you buy! Weekly, I think it adds about an hour of extra work total. Just an hour! Over a whole week! Also, when I changed to cloth nappies I stopped having blowouts completely - no more up-the-back poo. That, in itself, was worth it. And it's not like I'm sitting in a river washing them by hand, my washing machine does all the heavy lifting.
Super cute Rumparooz come in bright, fun colors
Some say cloth nappies are not eco-friendly because you have to use a washer and dryer and lots of water. We have a HE washer and dryer, and it's just an extra 2 to 3 loads a week. Most days we're doing 2-3 loads anyways, so adding one extra load in every couple of days is not comparable to the mountain of disposable nappies that would be left behind. You could also just hang the nappies to dry to save even more energy, especially if you live in a warm location.
E helping fold the nappies
Also, we don't use cloth nappies overnight. We tried for a few weeks using every combination but without fail Ellie would leak through the nappy or wake up screaming to be changed as she doesn't like being wet. At that time she was sleeping in our bed so our sheets were constantly being washed and her sleep was already the pits. I didn't need more reasons to be sleep deprived! We tried again when she moved to her own cot, but by then she was sleeping in the most ridiculous positions and the wee would always find a way out (usually out the top front and down her chest!). We're resigned to one disposable nappy a day and it works for us. Maybe someday we'll try again with a new combination and see what happens. You've just got to do what works for you!
The same goes for trips and travel. We don't bring our cloth nappies and then spend our holiday trying to find a laundromat to wash them. We could buy disposable inserts for the Flip nappy system, but we'd still have to wash the covers so we just go with disposables. It works for the week or so we're away and we don't feel guilty.
If you're using cloth nappies, you might as well use cloth wipes too - save even more money! You're already doing the washing so you won't even notice the extra 20 wipes stuck in there. We use just pieces of flannel sprayed with a bottle of soap & oil (we use wipe juice but you can make your own if you have oodles of free time) and water and it works perfectly. Out and about we have a small travel spray bottle and a stash of nappies and wipes as well as a wet bag to stuff everything in to. You do have to carry the dirty nappy with you until you go home, but it's in the bag so I never notice.
I love that cloth nappies come in a range of colors and patterns. We bought them
secondhand so had less of a choice, but still cuter than a disposable
Okay, now that we've talked about nappies, what about everything else? I knew from the beginning I was going to avoid buying anything new for E whenever possible. She was going to grow so quickly and it's not like she'd remember! Except for the very occasional gift, dress or outfit I need specifically for an something, everything she wears and plays with has been
150 books plus toys and games and puzzles and clothes - all second hand for £40!
Unfortunately, some things they really recommend you buying new are the most expensive. The carseat and base and cot (or crib) are two of them. These are big ticket items, but at least you will most likely be using them very often and for several years so at least you'll get your money's worth. Occasionally I need something and just can't seem to find it used. This was the case with our stair gates and after months of searching and checking and umm-ing and ahh-ing, I just bought a few new ones. These are for safety, after all, and will be used for years. Most things, however, have only been used a few month and someone is selling them!
What are your tricks for saving money and the planet? Have you found other ways to be eco-friendly with a child?
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