Expecting a baby? The best top tips on sustainable baby buys

Congratulations! If this is your first baby it can be overwhelming knowing where to start buying for baby. There’s SO much you seem to need.

But do you really need all this STUFF?

Many second time parents acknowledge that, first time round, they bought many baby products which simply just weren’t needed. Which is bad for our planet’s resources and our wallet!

Here’s our top tips for buying for your baby in a more sustainable way.

A baby has actually very few needs…

Somewhere to sleep

Do you really need a moses basket AND a cot?

Probably not.

Buying a cot which converts to a toddler bed saves on the amount of things you’ll need to buy.

Or look for a drop side cot which can sit alongside your bed, making middle of the night feed so much easier.

Safe, secure transport

Prams are a brilliant second hand purchase which you can save a lot of money on too, plus of course be much more eco friendly.

Look for rear facing car seats which are suitable for more than one age group, or which can be clipped onto a buggy to use as a stroller.

Alternatively, do you really need a pram or buggy? Many parents prefer to keep their baby close in a carrier when they’re little, avoiding the need for a bulky pram or travel system and going straight into a buggy when they’re slightly older.

Something to play with

When your baby is newborn, they’ll be happy to play with just about anything as the whole world is new to them!

However age appropriate toys are really important for healthy development of your baby.

Again, this is an area where buying pre-loved comes into it’s own. Look on local Facebook marketplaces or Gumtree and not only will you be able to save yourself a fortune, you’ll be doing the planet a favour too.

Something to wear

This doesn’t just apply to baby clothing. Maternity clothing is a great place to start. You can find barely worn designer brands on ebay etc for just a few pounds. And then sell then on again once you’ve finished with them.

The same applies to baby clothing. Especially newborn clothing, where they grow out of things so fast! Often people will keep nicer items ‘for good’ and they only get worn once or twice.

Buying bundles of baby clothing is also a brilliant way to kit your baby out quickly, cheaply and sustainably too.

Something to eat

Breastfeed – if you can.  There’s no more environmentally friendly way of feeding your baby than breast feeding. And breast milk is the best nutritionally complete food for newborn babies until they start being weaned on solid foods.

We appreciate that it can be a very overwhelming experience to start with, especially in the days after birth when you’re hormonal and your baby is feeding constantly. If you’re unsure about breast feeding, there’s lots of breastfeeding support groups out there to help.

Nappy changes

Your baby is DEFINITELY going to pee and poo. In fact you’ll wonder how one very small person manages to generate quite so much!

There’s lots of eco friendly products out there for nappy changing. Biodegradable and plastic free wipes and disposable nappies are a huge step forward for protecting our planet.

But if you want the most sustainable option, consider reusable nappies and reusable wipes.

Lots of people aren’t aware, but more local councils in the UK offer incentives such as £50 worth of free real nappies so that people can give them a try.

If that seems a step too far for you, reusable baby wipes are a brilliant, EASY alternative to disposable wipes. Simply soak, use, wash, reuse.

Switching to reusable wipes will save at least 300 packs of baby wipes from landfill from newborn to potty training. And save somewhere in the region of £500!

There are kits out there such as Cheeky Wipes reusable wipes kit which make switching to reusable wipes easy. They come with a money back guarantee so if for some reason you don’t get on with them, you’ll get your money back.

You’ll be doing the planet a massive favour – and will save money too.

What’s your top tip for sustainable baby buying? We’d love to hear!