Critiquing the Baby Green Shift
A few days ago I stepped into a baby boutique that specialized in organic products that are kinder to the environment. Cloth diapering kits, organic cotton/hemp clothing, and biodegradable products were part of the selection. A "breastfeeding is welcome" sign was proudly displayed on the old-fashioned door. Information about midwifery and doula services was available for costumers to peruse through. Even the architectural structure of the boutique was reminiscent of the early 1900s.
Welcome to the baby green shift movement, a movement where we aim to raise our children with a green, organic, environmentally-friendly conscience.
I can't help but think that there is a desire amongst several mothers to go back to the way it was. Back in the day, babies were brought into this world in the comfort of the mother's home, without drugs, but with the gentle yet firm coaxing of a midwife. Children were fed organic fare, either compliments of their mother's body or indigenous food sources nurtured from the rich soils surrounding their homes. Natural fibres clothed the family. Polyester, nylon, or rayon outfits were no where to be found. Furthermore, chemical additives in foods, harmful household cleaners, and exhaust-filled air were not part of the day-to-day reality.
Sounds romantic. Sounds ideal. Sounds healthier. Part of me wishes to go back and live the simpler life free from the modern, and sometimes harmful, technological advances that we can't seem to live without.
But we can't go back. However, as keepers of the earth, we do need to be more environmentally conscience. We have created a mess. We need to clean it up. That being said, we must approach the challenge with a dose of reality and a reduction of self-righteousness.
Many of the trends in the baby green shift movement need to be tempered with an acknowledgement of the complex nature of cause and effect. Take the natural fiber trend, for instance. Clothing your child in organic cotton diapers and clothing has many benefits: it is cost-effective in the long run; kinder to a baby's skin, if changed often; and it reduces dumping human waste, encased in non-biodegradable plastics, into overflowing landfills. On the other hand, utilizing cloth diapers does increase the amount of water and energy a household consumes. Furthermore, more detergents and bleaches are released into our sewers. And additional land needs to be cultivated for the growing of cotton, land that is desperately needed to keep up with the food demands of an over-populated planet. Not so simple, is it?
Another trend is only purchasing locally grown, organic fare. Makes sense, on the whole. Why waste scare resources in transporting some foreign fruit to a land that is frozen a good chunk of the year? Instead, plant a garden during the warm months and store the goods for the winter. Challenge yourself to engage in the 200 Mile Diet, where you only purchase foods that are grown within a 200 mile radius of your home. But I hesitate. Why? I do not own land that is conducive to gardening. Organic fare is usually expensive to purchase. And if I limited myself to a 200 mile radius, my fruit consumption would dwindle down to berries, crab apples, rhubarb, and plums.
Do I wish to go back to the way it was? Some days I do, especially in light of the disposable, entitlement culture we live in. Other days I am very grateful for today. My main reason? My daughter. She might have not survived her birth or the first few weeks of her life if she was born 100 years earlier. And I might have died too, even with the help of a midwife. Certainly puts medical interventions, while not "natural", into perspective.
Oh, by the way, wondering why I entered the baby boutique? I purchased one cloth diaper, just one, to try it out. I am willing to change, even though I critique the changes I may make.
Welcome to the baby green shift movement, a movement where we aim to raise our children with a green, organic, environmentally-friendly conscience.
I can't help but think that there is a desire amongst several mothers to go back to the way it was. Back in the day, babies were brought into this world in the comfort of the mother's home, without drugs, but with the gentle yet firm coaxing of a midwife. Children were fed organic fare, either compliments of their mother's body or indigenous food sources nurtured from the rich soils surrounding their homes. Natural fibres clothed the family. Polyester, nylon, or rayon outfits were no where to be found. Furthermore, chemical additives in foods, harmful household cleaners, and exhaust-filled air were not part of the day-to-day reality.
Sounds romantic. Sounds ideal. Sounds healthier. Part of me wishes to go back and live the simpler life free from the modern, and sometimes harmful, technological advances that we can't seem to live without.
But we can't go back. However, as keepers of the earth, we do need to be more environmentally conscience. We have created a mess. We need to clean it up. That being said, we must approach the challenge with a dose of reality and a reduction of self-righteousness.
Many of the trends in the baby green shift movement need to be tempered with an acknowledgement of the complex nature of cause and effect. Take the natural fiber trend, for instance. Clothing your child in organic cotton diapers and clothing has many benefits: it is cost-effective in the long run; kinder to a baby's skin, if changed often; and it reduces dumping human waste, encased in non-biodegradable plastics, into overflowing landfills. On the other hand, utilizing cloth diapers does increase the amount of water and energy a household consumes. Furthermore, more detergents and bleaches are released into our sewers. And additional land needs to be cultivated for the growing of cotton, land that is desperately needed to keep up with the food demands of an over-populated planet. Not so simple, is it?
Another trend is only purchasing locally grown, organic fare. Makes sense, on the whole. Why waste scare resources in transporting some foreign fruit to a land that is frozen a good chunk of the year? Instead, plant a garden during the warm months and store the goods for the winter. Challenge yourself to engage in the 200 Mile Diet, where you only purchase foods that are grown within a 200 mile radius of your home. But I hesitate. Why? I do not own land that is conducive to gardening. Organic fare is usually expensive to purchase. And if I limited myself to a 200 mile radius, my fruit consumption would dwindle down to berries, crab apples, rhubarb, and plums.
Do I wish to go back to the way it was? Some days I do, especially in light of the disposable, entitlement culture we live in. Other days I am very grateful for today. My main reason? My daughter. She might have not survived her birth or the first few weeks of her life if she was born 100 years earlier. And I might have died too, even with the help of a midwife. Certainly puts medical interventions, while not "natural", into perspective.
Oh, by the way, wondering why I entered the baby boutique? I purchased one cloth diaper, just one, to try it out. I am willing to change, even though I critique the changes I may make.