Eco-friendly, economical baby care

Just how big is baby’s carbon footprint? The average American household with a newborn burns 25 percent more energy, adds 1 ton of disposable-diaper garbage to a landfill, and spends more than $6,600 on baby stuff—just in the first year. Save money and the planet while bonding with your bundle of joy with these tips from moms Joy Hatch and Rebecca Kelley, coauthors of The Eco-nomical Baby Guide (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2010).

* Feed wisely. Breastfeeding is best for health, bonding, eco-friendliness … and savings. Ready for solids? Making even some food from scratch saves money and eliminates extra packaging. For her daughter’s first food, Kelley skipped $5-per-pound rice cereal and bought organic oats ($0.99 per pound), ground them in a food processor, and cooked them. Try steaming and puréeing organic fruits and veggies and freeze in baby-safe ice-cube trays.

* Chill out. Overheating a baby has more serious consequences (including increased SIDS risk) than does exposure to slightly lower temperatures. Decrease your home temperature gradually, 1 degree each week. Nudging the thermostat down just 1 degree can slash energy use by 3 percent.

Check out these 3 ways to save money with cloth diapers

* Go with cloth. Even considering the energy and water to wash them, reusable cloth diapers still save money and environmental impact. Petroleum-based disposables also contain troubling ingredients, including dioxin. Hatch and Kelley estimate the cost of using and washing cloth diapers for two children over two years at $250. The cost of the cheapest disposables? $1,800.

* Go with cloth. Even considering the energy and water to wash them, reusable cloth diapers still save money and environmental impact. Petroleum-based disposables also contain troubling ingredients, including dioxin. Hatch and Kelley estimate the cost of using and washing cloth diapers for two children over two years at $250. The cost of the cheapest disposables? $1,800.

* Relax. Don’t beat yourself up for every desperation disposable. “Green parenting is about progress, not perfection,” says Hatch.