Don't let the arrival of your new baby bring on the mountains of unnecessary stuff and trash that goes along with it. Read along for ways to go green when baby arrives.

So when baby time shows up, it’s easy to let all mindfulness go out the door due to sleep deprivation, baby brain and the constant string of visitors in the beginning, HOWEVER, by following a few of these pointers before the baby comes, you’ll be treading lightly on our dear Mother Earth and won’t have to think a second about it.

1. Instead of relying on plastic or packaged water bottles, invest in an under the cabinet water filtration system or a simple refrigerator brand. Purchase a large stainless steel water bottle (or a couple of them, they are super handy) to utilize in your nursing stations and at your bedside and you’ll avoid filling the landfill with 8 water bottles a day.

2. Consider cloth diapering or utilizing a cloth diaper delivery service in your area. Cloth diapering is ridiculously simple if you follow a couple guidelines and have the proper information to get you started. This will cut down on the thousands of diapers one baby goes through in his/her lifetime and with a delivery service, you won’t even have to rinse them!

3. Welcome borrowed or handed down clothing. Save what will amount to be a ridiculous amount of money on the cutesy baby stuff that just gets spit up on and pooped on and keep it simple with sleepers, onesies and the goodies your family and friends hand down to you. You’ll find it’s fun to hand off what you loved to use for your wee one(s) once you’re through. Upcycling and repurposing is the way to go!

4. Consider making your own wipes solution and wipes from soft flannel cloth with serged edges. They are super easy to soak in a little pail with a cover until laundering time and you can avoid the chemicals in the wipes from the store.