Missy's Corner: Maternity Clothing Swap

In trying to be a good steward of Mother Earth, I have been doing my best to come up with ways during my pregnancy to be more green and “consume more, buy less” as I like to say.

Pregnancy only lasts 9 months but during that time your clothing needs change so rapidly. What you need at the beginning is not the same as what you need at the end. Clothing can be expensive and it can be especially expensive in the maternity department. I am very fortunate to have many friends whom have already had children and live somewhat close to me. Instead of going out and spending tons of money on a new wardrobe, that I would only wear for nine months, I decided that maybe some of my friends would be willing to lend me some of their old maternity clothes.

Check out our video from What You Can Do featuring ideas about starting a clothing swap.

Sure enough my friends were more than happy to lend me all of their maternity wear. Between three different friends, I now have an entire wardrobe of options that I can use throughout my entire pregnancy. I also have my own small collection to add to the mix. Most of the items I have purchased for my bump have been from thrift stores. It was pretty easy to find oversized shirts and maternity specific wear for a very cheap price if I just took the time to look hard enough. 

I plan on offering my collection up to these same gals (If they have more children) or offering them to other close friends who become pregnant. Maybe it would become something kind of like the "sisterhood of the traveling maternity clothes.”   

This was one of the shirts I got at the thrift store for a couple dollars.
It was not maternity specific but it fit and was inexpensive.  This way
I don't care if it gets stretched out and it didn't break my wallet.

Borrowing and returning clothes only worn by mothers for less than a year has been such a great adventure (and easy on my pocket book). When so many things meant for pregnancy/babies etc. are expensive this is a great way to recycle, reduce and reuse. I have also been trying my best these days to buy gently used or recycled items for my new baby. By cleaning them up and making them usable, I consume more than I buy. Of course this can help keep items out of landfills and reduce our carbon footprint.  

Since sometimes times you can be the first of your friends to have a baby, you might not always have the option to borrow clothes from friends. However, there are many groups on the internet that are all about swapping maternity clothes, baby items etc. etc. Take a moment online to google your local area and see if there are other mothers around you that might be willing to participate in a clothing swap. It can never hurt to take a chance at finding ways to better our green lifestyles.

Since I live in a highly populated, urban area, I am also exploring what my options are for greener ways to live with a baby. More ideas and thoughts to come as I venture into this “baby” journey all while trying my best to be a good steward of the earth. What are some of your green baby ideas? We want to hear from you. Please write comments below!

Until Next time,

Missy