Kate Arnell
Eco Warrior
Follow Kate on Instagram @katearnellTake the test
When I irst suspected I was pregnant, I looked for a plastic-
free test. Excitingly there is an alternative coming soon – Lia
will be the irst lushable, biodegradable pregnancy test made
from paper and it’s more than 99% accurate, but we’ll have to
wait a bit before it hits the shelves. I decided to get tested at
the doctor’s, and he used a simple plastic pregnancy test
after explaining it was basically the only option available.Double life
Nausea hit me pretty hard during Zero Waste Week last year.
I was on two panel discussions and doing a talk throughout
the week – by night, I was sharing my zero-waste swaps with
an audience and by day... I was sofa-bound with nausea, phoning
my husband and begging him to pick up packets of Hula Hoops,
as that’s all my body could fathom eating. He thought I was
joking, but I was deadly serious. Not so zero-waste!Maternity clothing
Early on, I purchased some maternity jeans as it was
becoming increasingly diicult to fasten my trouser buttons.
I found a couple of pairs on eBay, and my sister-in-law kindly
donated some she no longer needed. I have also found some
wonderful organic baby clothing from the local children’s
charity shops. There is also no shortage of ethically-made,
organic and sustainable baby clothing available both online
and on the high street.
I was pleased to ind a sustainable brand called BOOB
which makes long-lasting maternity clothing from sustainable
materials. They’re designed to be worn during pregnancy and
beyond! I also invested in some non-maternity pieces that
I knew I would love wearing, whatever shape I am in the future.Urine luck!
When the midwives inished testing my irst urine sample,
I asked if I could keep the container, clean it and reuse it fornext time. They loved the idea and one exclaimed that they
used to do this many years ago. I also mentioned that I’m keen
to reduce waste and as a result, I’m convinced my midwife has
minimised the amount of plasters used after taking blood- half the time she doesn’t give me one at all. I bought a box
of Patch plasters which are made from biodegradable bamboo
material, though, just in case!
Edu-Kate
I love geeking out on topics I’m passionate about, and reading
up on pregnancy really helped me with feelings of overwhelm
early on. A lot of the books suggest things like disposable
knickers and pads for postpartum, so instead, I have bought
some reusable organic cotton cloth pads (the biggest I could
ind!) and reusable period underwear.“ Is a low-waste pregnancy possible?
Here are some ways in which I’ve tried
to reduce waste (and some where
I didn’t stand a chance... thanks
morning sickness!)”
READING MATERIAL
How To Have A Baby: A reassuring and empowering
read with a focus on positive birth stories. So often
we are taught to fear birth, so I have found this a
refreshing and informative book to have on hand.
Simplicity Parenting: This talks about minimalism
and parenting and how beneficial it can be for
everyone involved.The Diaper Free Baby: As well as reusable nappies,
I’m hoping to incorporate some elimination
communication (aka Baby Led Potty Training) into
our routine. The more I read about it, the more it
makes sense. Essentially, you learn to recognise
your baby’s cues when they need to relieve
themselves and start potty training from as early
as newborn age, resulting in fewer soiled nappies,
less washing, and happier babies!