“You’re kinda crunchy, aren’t you?” I still remember the day one of my bestie’s sister-in-laws asked me that within the first hour of us meeting. I didn’t take offense, in fact, I may have taken a small amount of pride in it. Does that make me even CRUNCHIER? Maybe…

Label or not, if you’re a “crunchy” or “natural” or “organic” mom like me, then you probably understand #TheStruggle when it comes to creating a baby registry. You’re constantly researching brands and their products and trying to figure out how and what they’re made from, only to end your search with a headache and a cold cup of coffee.

And even more frustrating, you undoubtedly end up with handful of baby gifts that, while given with truly the best of intentions, are things you may not actually want to use on your baby.

Big companies inundate us with alllll the latest baby products that we simply must have.  But sadly, the majority of those products are made with toxins, plastic, and all of the things we Do NOT want for our families.

But staying green while stocking up on baby stuff isn’t as difficult as you think. When you’re creating a baby registry, you’ll likely want to know about the materials used in each of the products you’re asking for. This will help you avoid nasty chemicals, opt for things you can reuse for months or years, and you’ll be able to go organic where possible.

The good news is that you don’t need to know every little thing about environmental science to make this happen; we’ve done some of the research for you!

We’ve compiled a few of our favorite brands for crunchy moms and lovers of simple and natural living. These companies create earth-friendly baby products that will cover many of your newborn needs, and they actually walk their talk. So you can feel great supporting them, using them on your baby,and holding true to your green roots and honoring your intentional lifestyle.

WHAT DOES “BEST” MEAN TO US?

We’ve compiled a short list of brands that have some of the best baby products on the market. And when we say best, we do not mean the most expensive or the most popular products on the market right now.

At Smiling Tree Toys “best” to us means that these businesses make products that are the safest, healthiest, most effective, least toxic, and most natural baby products on the market!

We are of the opinion that it’s totally better to have high quality products that work well and can stand the test of time, than to spend a little less and have to rebuy in a couple of weeks or months.

Are you willing to pay a little more for something if it means it’s good for your baby and will hold up well for one or more kids?

We’re betting yes...

Here are some of the brands we know our fellow crunchy and natural moms will love:

SAFE AND NATURAL BRANDS FOR BABY AND MOTHERHOOD

Modern Burlap “believes in intentional design and creating items for the modern family that will last a lifetime.” We really love the Organic Cotton Muslin Swaddles that they offer in a variety of colors because they’re ultra soft and breathable, eco-conscious and gentle on your baby and child's skin. During our six-month NICU journey with our son Judah, we used Modern Burlap swaddles every single day for both play time and sleeping. Plus, the great thing about muslin is that it’s a safer alternative to other fabrics to protect  baby from overheating.

Earth Mama Organics “supports women with safe, effective herbal care for the entire journey of motherhood: pregnancy, postpartum, baby care, breastfeeding and beyond.” We love that Earth Mama Organics discloses all ingredients in every single product on every single product page so you know what’s going on and in you and your little one’s bodies. I personallyloved their postpartum herbal bottom spray in the hours and first few days after each of my births. It. was. amazing. And check out their breastfeeding products because they’re a fan favorite!

My Green Mattress is a family owned business who makes their mattresses in the USA. You’re probably wondering why we’ve put a mattress company on here, but it’s important to keep in mind that your newborn is going to spend a lot of time sleeping (hopefully in their crib!). So you’ll want to purchase a mattress you can trust. My Green Mattress offers organic crib mattresses that are Greenguard Gold Certified and it’s healthy for your baby’s body. Check out their Emily Natural Crib Mattress for the crib mattress of your (I mean your baby’s!) dreams.

If you’re searching for super cute bedding for your brand new mattress, consider checking out Natti Natti. They’re another small business based in Brooklyn who handmakes their sheets in small batches. Natti Natti provides 100% organic cotton fitted crib sheets that will have your Instagram followers asking, “Where did you get those?!”.

Under The Nile has some seriously cute organic clothes and their side snap baby clothes offer a fuss free and comfortable fit that we love. We’re also huge fans of Janice and her moving story and mission when founding her biz. Under The Nile is “committed to providing the highest quality baby clothes in a sustainable and socially responsible manner, while demonstrating authenticity and transparency in our business practices.”

PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT

Since you’re a natural mom, you probably want to protect the environment for future generations, right? One of the easiest ways to do this is to take a quick glance at the ingredients list for any baby product you’re considering purchasing.  A short list of ingredients that you canactually pronounce is going to be best for baby and for Mother Earth.

We know, your budget may not always allow this, but a little effort goes a long way!  When we take just a few extra minutes to consider what’s in the products we’re buying and the companies we’re supporting, all of our individual choices will add up to big, positive impacts for everyone who calls planet Earth home.  At Smiling Tree Toys, for example, we celebrate Earth Day every day because we really are that passionate about leaving this world a better place for future generations.

DON’T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF, JUST DO YOUR BEST

We know, we know… add this to your ever-growing list of “things to do before baby arrives”.  Whoever coined the phrase “there just aren’t enough hours in the day” was surely a working mom with kids.

But don’t worry about absolutely every. little. thing. when it comes to products for your baby.  Just prioritize a handful of specific items or categories that are most important to you right now and choose products you love from brands you believe in.  Hopefully we’ve given you a great place to start!

CREATE YOUR OWN NATURAL MOM ONLINE BABY REGISTRY

Now that you’ve got a few brands on your must-have list, let’s make it super easy to share your wish list with your family and friends so that you actuallygetthe natural baby products youwant.

Consider starting your own registry via BabyList. BabyList “makes the journey to parenthood easier and less overwhelming with our helpful content, curated store and universal baby registry.”

You can even create a registry with products from any store (literally - big or small!) which means you don’t have to forget play time when creating your registry. You can add Smiling Tree Toys to your BabyList registry with a just a couple of clicks via this link HERE.

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We’d love to know - what are your must-have baby and mama brands for a natural pregnancy and caring for your new babe? Please share in the comments below so we can pass your advice on to other natural moms!

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