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.

The largest issue with babies being green and environmentally friendly is the D issue - Diapers. Whether to use cloth diapers or green disposable diapers. 30 to 50 million disposables go into landfills in the United States each year, multiple that by 5, 10, 15 years - Yikes, that equals around 600 million diapers!

But think of this. Besides saving landfill space, cloth diapers can save parents money. Parents can take care of their baby’s diapering needs straight through toilet training for a total cost of less than $300 with cloth diapers, whereas disposables may run up to $3,000.  Do the Earth a double favor - Buy some cloth diapers and take 10% of the money you will save (equally around $250) and donate it to your favorite environmental charity in your baby’s name.

How greener can a diaper get?

Cloth diapers have come a long way in design and usability. So using them is easier than ever. Having form fitting shapes and velcro fasteners really helps these reusable diaper systems work just as well as disposable ones.

There are two different kinds - One Size and Pocket Diapers. Basically they both have a waterproof outer barrier that keeps wetness contained. The difference is that one-sized diapers have inserts allowing for customized absorption and adjustable settings that are made to fit the baby from birth to potty.

Pocket diapers differ because of a pocket opening that allows for absorbent material to be inserted into the pocket during use and them removed for laundering and they have the actual fit of a diaper. The downside is that you have to buy the different sizes as your baby grows. Pocket diapers are generally offered in 3 standard sizes.

See our listing of products on the Cloth Diapers page.