Parents today are very worried about the chemicals their little ones are exposed to. It is little wonder that parents are now considering every aspect of what their babies wear, sleep in, and drink from. Dangerous substances are showing up everywhere from phthalates in toys to BPA in bottles. Fortunately, you have more choices than ever about what to put in your baby’s world – and in many cases you can save a lot of money by going with the simpler choices. Parents are left to wonder, what does a baby really need?
Here are some ideas for reducing exposure to chemicals and saving cash at the same time:
* Baby carrier vs. Stroller. Your baby will naturally be happiest in your arms – but that keeps you tied up and unable to do what needs doing. You will be happier, and so will they, if you have a comfortable baby carrier. We did not even use a stroller for the first 6 months after my daughter was born. It was just easier to pop her in the Moby Wrap baby carrier or sling and go.
No messing with getting a heavy stroller in and out of the trunk. We didn’t even carry her infant car seat. We just took her out of the car seat and nestled her in with one of us for shopping, hiking, or going to the grocery store. We knew just where she was (and who was touching her!) at every moment.
If you choose a carrier, look for a wrap style baby carrier for most comfortable weight distribution or a mei tai baby carrier for babies up to 35 pounds. These carriers are more ergonomic for both of you. Savings are significant and there are very few recalls on these styles. You’ll pay $40-100 instead of hundreds for a stroller.
* Cosleeper vs. Crib. With the many crib recalls, I am even more glad that we chose a cosleeper over a crib. Cosleeping (having your baby in your bed) is safe if you follow correct precautions such as making sure there are no gaps for them to get stuck in or fluffy bedding to restrict ariflow. A large organic cotton in=bed cosleeper will keep your little one safe from rolling out until they are ready for a toddler bed. You’ll spend about $180 versus hundreds or thousands for a crib and mattress.
* Cloth diapers vs. Disposables. Cleaning cloth diapers is as simple as running a wash load a few times a week. I discovered that it takes me only 18 minutes per week to wash three batches of diapers. In return, we have spent only about $500 on diapers that will last until our baby is ready to potty learn. Even better, these diapers are still in great shape and will diaper another child – making diapering a younger sibling essentially free. The average family will save about $1,500 by using reusable diapers.
