Mommy talks with Martha (part 1)

Martha has it all! She is a creative photographer and blogger, a wonderful crafter, a lovely mother of two boys (A is 5 and W is 3) and she naturally incorporate eco-friendly actions in her everyday life...and she has a beautiful collection of wooden spoons (totally jealous)!!!

Did you do any eco-friendly initiatives when decorating the nursery?
We didn’t really have a nursery (just a crib and a rocker in a room that weren’t used) and we lived in an apartment where we couldn’t redecorate. But if I had one I would have used low VOC paint.

Do you think that going the eco-friendly way is more complicated?
Of course, things have to be on a budget, but you do everything you can to have a healthy pregnancy, why change that when the baby is born? Feeding organic foods, nursing/breast-feeding when possible and using reusable objects are really important in my mind.

I feel very strongly about having eco-friendly options for childhood, especially about not using plastics. If you decide to use bottles, there are a lot of glass options with silicone holders if you’re concerned about dropping them. Also once baby is eating solids there are wooden dishes or sturdy pyrex bowls that won’t break if dropped.

Did you buy any second-hand items?
We do buy a lot of items second-hand. However, there are safety precautions you have to take, so I would be careful buying a crib second hand and you should always buy a car seat new, unless you know its exact background.

Did you opt for cloth or disposable diapers?
We used both cloth and disposable diapers. I highly recommend the cloth diapers, especially the fitted ones with wool covers over top. It is not that gross to dump out the yuck and you get used to it. You have to change them more frequently but I never worried about a chemical rash from the absorbent gel inside the diaper when I used cloth - not to mention the environmental hazards.

The expense of disposable diapers is outrageous. We estimate that we spent over $2000usd on diapers for the time we used disposables, while a whole set up of cloth diapers is just a few hundred. I really liked buying diapers off Etsy (my favourite were from fluffymail). There are great wool soaker patterns for knitting on Ravelry and in books.

However, you may want a package of newborn disposables until the meconium is gone – that tar-like poop is difficult to wash out. I would also recommend trying a few different models of cloth diapers until you find one that works well for you. I know our local cloth diapering store has trial rentals that give you a chance to find a diaper that suits your taste.

What is your favourite eco-friendly product?
Oh boy, that is a really difficult question! There are so many great options out there; I’d have to say anything reusable is what I like best: cloth diapers, burp cloths, wipes, etc.

What is your best baby / kid eco-friendly advice?
Be open to spending a little more for quality and sustainability. And keep an open mind when it comes to things like cloth diapers, if you can find another mom that uses them it will help tremendously.

Thank you so much Martha.
xox

I didn't know what meconium was until I read your text. Yeah, it is good to be prepared!