Baby Green Guide

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Well, maybe not.

When we think of reusing a hand-me-down baby crib it sounds like a great idea that could go on forever. Babies only use a crib for a couple of years. Why not pass a crib along to friends and family members. There is one big reason: Baby Crib Safety!

Watch this video about baby crib safety before you use a used baby crib!

There have been too many sad stories in the news lately about infant deaths resulting from a used baby crib. Recycling and getting just a new crib may be the best thing to do for our precious little ones.

Drybees Gone Natural bamboo diapers are great quality and faster to dry than some other brands. The new Drybees Gone Natural diapers are made with an outer layer of bamboo velour and an inner layer of soft, absorbent bamboo fleece.

The Drybees bamboo diaper are made in two sizes. The official size range for size 1 is 5-15 pounds. For size 2 the official size range is 12-36 pounds. For larger babies the size 2 will be very close to a one-size bamboo, though you will want the smaller size if you have a premie or small newborn.

The Drybees Gone Natural has 2 additional soakers, one that snaps in and an upper soaker that is Drybees Gone Natural bamboo diapers are priced much lower than similar diapers on the bamboo velour topped. The edges are serged in rainbow thread. The bamboo velour is unbleached but is a very soft, light beige. These fit well under Thirsties, Bummis, Sheepish Grins One Size Wool and Little for Now Fleece diaper covers.

These diapers fasten with snaps, so no fear of the diaper snake or snagging in the wash. The snap in back soaker is covered by the front soaker so there are no snaps touching baby. The snap in soaker can be left in place for washing, so there is nothing to lose or find in the wash.

From Cloth Diaper News

Nicole at Cottage Country Baby would like to announce the Grand Opening of her online baby store on January 14th, 2009!

Nestled in the Muskoka area (Canada’s cottage country!) in the town of Hunstville (2 hours north of Toronto), is the first baby store of its kind. There is a large selection of cloth diapers, diapering accessories, clothing, baby shoes and toys.

The inspiration behind Cottage Country Baby came from having her own daughter, Ava. Nicole wanted to offer other parents in the area the choices and information needed to raise their children in an eco-friendly matter; and of course, the opportunity to shop locally!

Free shipping in Canada with orders over $150.00.

From Cloth Diaper News

Do onto your baby’s behind as you do for yourself. We use earth-friendly bath soap and non-fragrance laundry detergent, so why use harsh chemicals that are in baby wipes on our daughter’s bottom.  We have even had problems where the regular baby wipes have given our daughter a diaper rash.

A simple solution of water with a drop of lavender oil will do fine. Use cotton balls or pull apart an old sheet and launder along with the cloth diapers to be really frugal and green.

If you don’t want to make your own cloth wipes there are a few reusable alternatives. BumGenius makes some bamboo baby wipes. Bamboo grows quickly and easily, without the need for pesticides or fertilizers, is biodegradable and the fiber has an unrivaled silky texture and readily absorbs moisture. Bamboo fiber also has a natural antibacterial action to help fight bacteria growth in your diapers.

If you need a organic diaper rash ointment, from my research into the best product to use it seems that Angel Baby Bottom Balm - available from BabyEarth is the thing to use. It is vegan (even no beeswax!) and is the only balm made with organic olive oil with a blend of organic herbs, shea butter and naturally antibacterial and antifungal essential oils.

Glass baby bottles - Are we going back in time?  Well, yes and no.  While the debate goes on about the safety of polycarbonate bottles and whether BPA-free bottles are the answer, you can’t go wrong with glass bottles. They don’t leak or absorb any chemicals whatsoever. 

The problem with glass baby bottles was that during that 4 a.m. feeding when they slipped out of a “I’m really not awake” hand and hit the floor - they broke.  Well, just like the new diaper systems, glass baby bottles just went through a redesign phase.

We’ve listed some details below and also have a “where to buy” shopping page for Glass Baby Bottles.

One of the results is the Babylife Wee-Go Baby Bottle.

Here is what we found out about them:  They are made out of glass and and a silicone non-toxic sleeve that both provides for a good grip and makes them very breakage resistant.  The bottle and the sleeve can be boiled or put in the dishwasher together. The silicone nipple should be hand-washed and is also latex-free and non-toxic. The plastic ring, plug and cap contain no polycarbonates and are food grade, FDA approved and recyclable. The cap and ring should be hand washed only.  This bottle is bisphenol A, phthalate, PVC and polycarbonate-free.  The Wee-Go glass baby bottles are available in six colors and 4oz. and 9oz. sizes.

There are also other glass baby bottles:

Siliskin Glass Bottle by Silikids

These bottles use the Evenflo Classic clear glass nurser and a silicone sleeve. The sleeve allows baby to grab, hold and avoid slippage when feeding from the glass bottle. They are microwave safe, dishwasher safe and hypo allergenic. The translucent silicone sleeve allows you to see measurements and how much liquid still remains in the bottle. Available in 4oz. and 8oz.

BornFree Glass Bottles

The BornFree nipples are extremely soft and gentle for your baby to suckle and are available in 5 flow rates to suit babies from 0-18 months. Due to the unique BornFree valve, the nipples prevent the hard suckling needed with conventional bottles.  The air vent also helps eliminate colic symptoms such as gas and spit-up by reducing the build up of vacuum and is also medically acknowledged to reduce the risk of middle ear infection. The unique inner valve prevents side-leaks, and unlike other vented bottles, allows you to shake freely when mixing.  Available in 5oz. and 9oz.

Dr. Brown’s Natural Flow glass baby bottle

There is the Dr. Brown’s Natural Flow glass baby bottle that features a patented internal vent system. This vent eliminates the air bubbles and vacuum effect to allow positive-pressure feeding with no air - similar to breast-feeding.  Available in 3.5oz and 7oz. sizes.

Find out where these can be purchased on our “where to buy” shopping page for Glass Baby Bottles.