New York City has many wonderful resources and stores for the family and earth conscious parent. Here are my picks for the top 5 NYC go to resources for within the 5 boroughs:

Best New Life Style Store: Caribou Baby

This go to spot, located in Greenpoint, Brooklyn offers not only, food, diapers, clothing and skincare products for baby and mom, but Caribou Baby also offers an array of birth preparation and parenting classes and workshops.

Best Cloth Diapering Resource: Doable Diapers

Regardless of which borough you live in, Doable Diapers’ online store helps to make cloth diapering much easier for you. From newborn to beyond, they carry an array of products and accessories. They have you covered.

Best Breastfeeding Resource: YummyMummy

YummyMummy… I love that name. I love that this store embraces, celebrates and encourages breastfeeding. Whether you are in need of breastfeeding classes, breast pump rentals, nipple butter or an easy access shirt, this UES gem is a go to resource. Delivery is available in Manhattan.

Best Fresh Baby Food Resource: Petit Organics

After 6-8months of exclusive breastfeeding or formula feeding, baby is ready for solid foods. Parents want to give their baby the healthiest nutritious food they can provide. Though my pick for best local baby food resource is not in everyone’s price range, the concept behind the company and their offering is pretty awesome, especially for on-the-go parents. I also want to put out there that as opposed to asking for a lot of clothes or toys at a baby shower ask for friends and family to donate for a fresh food fund for when baby is ready. Petit Organics delivers 100% organic, fresh , vegan, wheat-free and non GMO prepared food to the Manhattan area and has a pick location in Park Slope.

Best Parent & Baby Activity: Karma Kids Yoga

Bonding with baby is one of the most important and fun aspects of motherhood and fatherhood. Mom/Dad & Baby Yoga at Karma Kids is a wonderful way to connect with baby as well as giving your body a little restorative love. They also have story time as well! I am definitely an advocate for creating a tradition of storytelling in the family

Global brand Huggies has just released its new Pure & Natural Diaper line. The diapers come in 5 stages starting at infancy. They are hypoallergenic, latex and fragrance free and feature a breathable outer cover that includes organic cotton. Robert Thibault, president of Kimberly-Clark’s North American Infant, Baby & Child Care business (parents of Huggies) was quoted:

“This innovative Huggies brand diaper offers delicate protection for baby, along with the increased use of renewable materials, ushering into the category a new disposable diaper that delivers the utmost in performance and care along with steps toward environmental improvements”.

The diapers are not compostable or made from fast degrading natural resources like Nature Babycare or G-Diapers, but at least this release is a big push towards the fight to provide more eco-friendly accessible parenting options. It sure is a step in a positive direction as opposed to the traditional petroleum based main-stream diaper. Franklin Associates and the American Petroleum Institute report that 3.5 billion gallons of oil are used to produce the 18 million throwaway diapers that end up in landfills each year. I think its better to have a piece of natural cotton in a landfill to break down verses oil. Plus, cotton allows for your baby’s skin to breathe.

I have yet to speak with mothers who have used the diapers, but I notice that the website is giving away free samples. So head on over to the site and sign up to receive your sample today. Or, just keep an eye out for them at your local retail outlet. Make sure to send your comments and experiences back to the Green Doula. Your testimonials help other parents.

Let’s face it. Babies are champions of dispelling urine, poo, vomit and more. It comes with the territory of babyhood & Parenthood. Parents are frequently daunted with the task of trying to figure out a safe yet effective way to clean up the after math in the war zone. Many over the counter cleaning agents contain harsh chemicals and allergens and residues that can cause skin and respiratory irritations. Here are 3 amazing eco-friendly agents/techniques that take down the competition in performance, economics and sustainability. They can be used on blankets, clothing, cloth diapers, bedding and more.

On the Shelves
Charlie’s Soap Laundry

This 3 lb bag of laundry powder can do up to 80 full wash loads. That’s only 1 TABLESPOON per large wash load. Charlies’ Soap is one of the very few brands that have a high performing detergent in a concentrate earth & people friendly solution. Made from a unique blend of biodegradable coconut-based detergents and high-grade, completely soluble, Green River washing soda, this product is available on the shelves of several green stores in your area such as the Green Depot.

$12.95-$15.49

On-line
Nature Bright® Laundry Booster and Stain Remover

This powerful chlorine-free, laundry booster is an effective alternative to chlorine bleach. The natural enzymes and active oxygen within the all natural stain remover re-brightens laundry, de-stains upholstery, and way more. Nature Bright is an excellent laundry pretreatment on organic stains like juice stains, blood, grass, poo, vomit and more. It outperformed Oxiclean® Versatile by 50% on grass stains in third-party performance tests*, performs in all temperatures, even cold water, is biodegradable, contains no phosphates and is safe for septic tanks and graywater.

Available from your Shaklee distributor at Member’s Price $ 9.30 Non-Member Price $10.95

Natural DIY Solution

The most common stains generated by babies are protein-based stains. Difficult protein stains can be removed by pre-soaking and then rubbing the stain in cold water before washing. NEVER use hot water; it will only embed the stain in the fibers of the fabric making the stain hard to remove. Put one cup of white vinegar in the rinse cycle to remove uric acids and other traces of stain makers. After you have rinsed the stained textile, spray with diluted lemon juice and then dry the textile in direct sunlight. The sunlight will naturally brighten up the fibers and your stain will be gone.

Prince Lionheart just unveiled the release of their new Warmies® Wipe Warmer. It is the first and ONLY baby wipes warmer available on the market created for use with eco-friendly reusable baby wipes. The warmer can accommodate all standard baby wipes, but it was designed in mind with the company’s line of 100% reusable bamboo cloths, Warmies®. In addition to being washable and reusable, the wipes are naturally anti-bacterial, un-dyed and unbleached.

“At Prince Lionheart we listen to the concerns and wants of parents and create innovative new products to fulfill these needs,” said Kelly Griffiths, President and CEO of Prince Lionheart. “Our new eco-friendly baby Warmies Wipe Warmer was created as a response to discerning parents who want environmentally friendly products that their babies love.”

Here are a few of the Warmies® Wipe Warmer’s features:

• Advanced heating and insulation keeps Warmies® just the right temperature
• Molded with an EPA approved antimicrobial additive to inhibit the growth of micro-organisms and bacteria
• Nightlight for nighttime diaper changes
• Includes 4 Warmies®, reusable wipes made from 100% bamboo

“Many new parents can testify to the fussiness that is created by using cold wipes when changing their infant’s diaper,” said Griffiths. “Babies love the warmed, gentle wipes and parents love the fact that our Warmies are reusable, safe for the health of their baby, and good for the environment.”

To Cloth or not to Cloth that is the question. Many parents are curious, confused or somewhere in between when it comes to selecting the most environmentally friendly diapering system for their little one. Adopting a cloth diapering regime may not be for all, especially for the many who live in the city and do not have access a washer and dryer on their floor or within their building. Thankfully, there are other eco-friendly options out there that can be adaptable for all lifestyles. My suggestion is to have both a stash of regular diapers such as the ones referenced below as well as either a hybrid cloth diapering system or cloth diapers in case of emergencies.

Diaper Recommendation
Nature babycare diapers “Nappies”

*Convenience of high-performance disposable diapers
*Non oil-based plastic used in construction like other major brand diapers; uses corn based ingredients instead
*100% Chlorine-free diaper
*Natural, breathable high performance diaper
*Wonderful leak protection
*Absorbent pulp from sustainably harvested Scandinavian forests
*No latex, fragrance, or TBT (tributyltin)

Cloth Diaper recommendation
BumGenuis

*Tabs that stretch for a perfect fit
*Super absorbent
*Sizes available specifically designed to fit newborns
*No inserts required, just throw into the wash

You can also contact cloth diapering services such as Healthy Diapers or Queen Bee Diaper Service . These companies will deliver fresh cloth diapers to your door and clean your soiled ones for you. Do keep in mind to research and confirm that your diapering company uses eco-friendly laundry detergent and not industrial strength toxic solutions. You do not want to have your baby develop a rash from harsh cleaning products.

Hybrid Cloth Diapering Recommendation
G Diapers

* Hybrid: combination of cloth diapering and regular diapering
* Inserts are flushable, though leakage has still been reported to occur
* Can put the cover in wash cycle
* Can compost wet liners (50-150 days to break down)