Earth Month: Sustainable Parenting from the Start

April is the beginning of Earth Month, a time to reflect on our daily choices and how they impact the Earth and future generations. As parents, making sustainable choices from the very beginning helps contribute to a healthier planet. The parenting journey involves constant learning, especially when it comes to understanding what works and doesn’t for your baby. 

Newborn skin is incredibly soft, yet sensitive, and parents often face challenges like rashes, eczema, and other skin irritations that affect their bub’s sweet sleep. The fabrics that touch your bub’s skin become extremely important, especially when it comes to their comfort while they rest. This Earth Month, we’re diving into the importance of choosing the right materials - ones that are gentle on your newborn’s skin and on the planet. In this blog post, let’s explore how we can make everyday choices that protect our babies and the planet.

Newborn babies are born with oh-so-soft and delicate skin. Unlike adults, their skin is thinner, more sensitive, and more prone to irritation. Unfortunately, certain fabrics and harsh chemicals make them more susceptible to rashes, eczema, and allergies. Conventional baby clothes and bedding usually contain pesticides, dyes, and flame retardants that can trigger or worsen allergies and skin conditions. This means that as parents, our choices, from their clothing to bedding to diapers, all matter. Choosing more natural fabrics without the use of harsh dyes or chemicals can be costly from the get-go, but the investment can ensure your bub’s comfort.

Babies aren’t able to regulate their body temperature as well as adults can. That’s why breathable fabrics can make a huge difference in your bub’s comfort and peaceful sleep. Non-breathable fabrics can trap heat, make them sweaty and uncomfortable, and ultimately disrupt their sleep. Breathable fabrics will allow air to flow, wick moisture away, and be more gentle on your bub’s delicate skin.

Nest Designs uses the earth’s most natural and gentlest materials for our baby sleep essentials because we want you to worry less about your bub’s comfort and enjoy those sweet cuddles. When your baby is comfortable, they’ll sleep better, which means you will too! Some of our favourite eco-friendly materials include: 

• GOTS-certified organic cotton: It’s soft, hypoallergenic, and breathable. More importantly, it’s free from harsh chemicals and dyes. Nest Designs makes sleepers, crib sheets, and swaddle sleep bags with organic cotton. We even have dry baby wipes made from organic cotton that don’t contain any dyes! 
• Bamboo: One of our most-loved fabrics, it is soft from the get-go and gets softer over time! We love it because it is incredibly breathable, moisture-wicking, and thermally-gulating. 
• Sorona: This is an oh-so-soft filling we use for our sleep bags, quilted blankets, and pillows. It’s plushy and made mostly from plant-based materials. It’s also breathable and dries quickly when it gets wet. 

These are just some of our favourite eco-friendly materials. Get to know some of our other favourites on Our Fabrics page.

Your baby’s nursery or sleep space can impact their comfort, health, and environmental footprint. When setting up their nursery, you can opt for eco-friendly and skin-friendly items like: onesies, sleep bags, swaddles, pajamas, crib sheets, and non-toxic mattresses. You can also choose non-toxic furniture like cribs, bassinets, and dressers. To keep the room comfortable, you can opt to use an air purifier to keep it cool without using an air conditioner to save on energy. 

Making thoughtful, earth-first choices can make an impact on our little ones and the planet. This Earth Month, consider one of these small changes that can make a big impact:

• Choose high-quality, long-lasting baby essentials: These are often made with earth-friendly, non-toxic fabrics that can be passed on from one baby to another. 
• Buy secondhand: Often, because babies grow so quickly, their clothing is gently used. By buying second-hand, you’ll help reduce textile waste. 
• Eco-friendly baby care: Making the switch from hot to cold water for laundry can not only make your baby clothes last longer, but it can save 75-90% more energy. Opt for fragrance-free, biodegradable detergents and stain removers to reduce the amount of toxins and chemicals your bub is exposed to.

As parents, you can make choices from the beginning that can contribute to a healthier planet for our children. By choosing healthier fabrics that are breathable, non-toxic, and responsibly made, you’ll ensure your bub’s delicate skin is comfortable while taking care of the planet.