There are many decisions to make when preparing for a new baby. Now that you have decided to make as many green decisions as possible.

1. Paint a Colorful and Safe Nursery – Choosing Green Paints A Volatile organic compound (VOCs) is any organic chemical that well vaporize into the air under normal conditions. Traditional paints and varnishes are loaded with them. They are the biggest contributor to unhealthy air in your nursery. Look for “Natural” paints that are clearly labeled as having low VOC levels, ideally as low as 50 to 0 g/l.

2. Walking on Fresh Air –Selecting Green Flooring VOC varnishes also show up in most flooring including, wood, vinyl, linoleum, laminates and carpets and padding. Look for natural wood with VOC-safe finishes. Bamboo is a great option because it is so renewable. There is a lot to choose from so you won’t have to compromise on style.

3. Your Baby’s World can be Bright -Turn on the Green Light Incandescent light bulb technology has not sufficiently improved to make a difference in negative environmental impact. A 26-watt compact fluorescent (CFL) bulb produces the same lumens as a 100-watt incandescent bulb, saving an average household 125 KW hours and 170 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions per year. CFLs are available for most lighting needs.

4. Let the Sunshine in—Green Window Treatments that Brighten the World Fire retardants and permanent press finishes in fabrics emit detectable toxins even after many washes. Vinyl slat blinds emit semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) into the air. Try wooden slat blinds that are untreated or finished with a water-based coating, and organic fiber drapes and blinds.

5. Sleep, Eat, Sit and be Healthy—Safe, Green Furniture Composite wood is usually manufactured with glues containing formaldehyde, a suspected carcinogen, and emissions of formaldehyde have been detected years after manufacture. Cribs, changing tables, rocking chairs, bureaus, and high chairs are often made in this way. All-natural wood baby furniture is available with VOC-safe finishes.

6. Sweet Dreams—Green bedding for a Good Night’s Sleep Bedding that is synthetic or has permanent press or other finishes may contain formaldehyde and other chemicals. Besides being a suspected carcinogen, it can cause symptoms as mild as watery eyes, headache, nausea, and may trigger asthma attacks. Unfinished, natural fibers such as 100-percent organic cotton, hemp, and untreated wool are the answer here and are becoming easier to find in lots of great, baby styles.

7. Play Time—Green Toys for Fun and Well-being Babies love to explore toys with their hands and mouths. This is a problem when those toys deliver chemicals that are easily absorbed through contact. This issue got a lot of attention this recently and you will have no trouble finding toys made of unfinished natural wood, or finished with a non-toxin such as bee’s wax, and toys made of natural fibers such as cotton, hemp, and wool.

8. Beautiful Baby—Be Clean, Be Green
Many body products are sold in plastic bottles and tubes manufactured with a class of chemicals that can leach into the product, and fragrances are not required to be labeled as chemicals. Baby products have been no exception. Certified organic and fragrance-free products are available in safe packaging but be sure and read the labels. It’s easy to be fooled by words like “natural” and “hypoallergenic”, or green images on packaging.

9. Fashionista Baby—Dressing Green Any treated fiber may contain formaldehyde or other fire retardant chemicals which are suspected carcinogens. If buying all organic is not a financial option, then support your local Goodwill and other second-hand stores: after a few washings, these chemicals are almost undetectable.

10. Yummy Yummy—Green Meals for Baby Bisphenol-a (BPA) is commonly found in plastic baby bottles and liners, nipples, protective linings in canned food, ready-to-feed infant formula and metal lids of baby food jars. The National Toxicology Program (NTP) is researching effects of BPA exposure on human development and reproduction. Glass bottles with silicone nipples and organic foods in safe packaging are widely available so no need to wait for the results of those tests.