| So what do you need if you want to have a more | | | | all suitable first foods, and they mash up a treat. |
| environmentally friendly baby (by which I mean that | | | | Bananas are also portable. If you can get hold of |
| you want to raise and care for your child in a more | | | | organic fruit and veg, all the better. A farmers' |
| environmentally friendly way, rather than having a | | | | market may be a good source of locally grown and |
| child that is innately eco-minded)? People love handing | | | | organic fruit and veg that are suitable, such as |
| out lists of what you'll need when you go to | | | | potatoes, carrots and apples. Blend one or several in |
| antenatal classes. But what about a green list? This is | | | | the food processor, either raw (in the case of |
| just a start. | | | | bananas) or cooked (for everything else) to make a |
| * Cloth nappies. Get at least two dozen. Your choice | | | | smooth puree. You can freeze home-made baby |
| as to whether you're going to use the old-fashioned | | | | food in regular ice cube trays. |
| square sort or the newer ready-shaped sort. Folding | | | | * Cornstarch. This is safer than talcum powder for |
| the square sort isn't as hard as you think. If you can | | | | your baby's skin, but still stops chafing. |
| fold a letter to put in an envelope, wrap a parcel or | | | | * Decent-sized pushchair. You are going to walk |
| make a paper plane, you can fold a nappy. | | | | instead of driving everywhere, aren't you? This is |
| * Safety pins. For fastening the square-style cloth | | | | great exercise for you and gives you more chance |
| nappies around the baby. | | | | to interact with your baby as you get about. |
| * Lots of flannels - use a damp flannel instead of | | | | * A potty. The sooner you can get them out of |
| disposable baby wipes. | | | | nappies, the better. Less washing for you therefore |
| * Huge bucket with lid - for soaking dirty nappies and | | | | less work for your house cleaner. |
| flannels. | | | | * More thick bathmats. Who needs a plastic-backed |
| * Breast pump - if you want to share the feeding | | | | changing mat when you can use a thick bathmat that |
| duties. | | | | will then be used as a bathmat once the baby is well |
| * Bottles for feeding - also if you want to share the | | | | out of nappies. Change the baby on the bathmat on |
| feeding duties. You can sterilize these in boiling water | | | | the floor - they can't roll off the floor and you won't |
| or by washing in the dishwasher. If you don't want | | | | need a big changing table. |
| to share feeding duties, you won't need bottles and | | | | Cutting down on packaging and waste is an |
| all the associated paraphernalia. | | | | important part of sustainability and living green. Buying |
| * Second-hand clothing or else good quality clothing | | | | second-hand items helps here. However, some items |
| that you plan on passing on to a friend or family | | | | should always be bought new, such as cot |
| member, the nearest charity store or to a younger | | | | mattresses (old ones may give off dubious and |
| child. This cuts down on landfill waste, both in the | | | | harmful gases), car safety seats and soft toys. If |
| form of old clothes and in packaging on new clothes. | | | | you must, you can buy soft toys second hand, but |
| * A food processor. You weren't going to buy baby | | | | give them a thorough wash first to make sure no |
| food, were you? Instead of buying oodles of little | | | | germs or residues of steam cleaning fluid remain on |
| tins and glass jars (which are recyclable, admittedly, | | | | them. But potties, baby baths, toilet seats, changing |
| and you can re-use the small jars for spices), you can | | | | tables (if you must), backpacks and the like can all be |
| use ordinary fruit and veg as first food for your | | | | obtained second-hand as part of the great recycling |
| baby. Potato, pumpkin, banana and sweet potato are | | | | chain of society. |