Meet Paula Miquelis, Co-founder & Creative Director of Green Is the New Black 

Photo taken by Giulia Giu

Green Is The New Black [GITNB] is a lifestyle media and events platform on a mission to make sustainability more accessible and to inspire meaningful change. Founded in 2015 in Singapore by Stephanie Dickson and Paula Miquelis, GITNB has hosted their annual Conscious Festival around the world as well as empower thousands of individuals, brands and communities to take action to live more consciously. We recently caught up with Paula who is pregnant with her first child to find out more about how she is preparing for baby, her pregnancy journey so far and her top tips on sustainable pregnancy and baby brands.

Congratulations on your first pregnancy! How have you started to prepare for the arrival of your little one?

I am so excited about becoming a mother although it wasn’t at all planned! I found out I was pregnant three weeks before our annual Conscious Festival, an event that I had worked on for 9 months so it was definitely a huge surprise. It took us a while to adjust to the news but once we made a clear and final decision to move ahead with this chapter of our lives, everything seemed so perfect! It was definitely meant to be and we cannot wait to meet with our baby boy.

Since I was miles away from the idea of starting a family, I have had to learn so much about it! Mostly thanks to my friends who are already mums and midwives, but also my sister who is a doula and has given birth to two beautiful babies. She is the first person I called. I very soon put in place an army of support to help me with my pregnancy. I am seeing a doula, two midwives as I am preparing for a home birth, a hypnotherapist (using the Mongan method) and a physiotherapist specialized in preparing the perineum. I could not do it without them! 

I also went off the grid for 10 days of Vipassanna Meditation in the Spanish mountains when I was four months pregnant, something I have wanted to do for a long time, and that has definitely helped me to chill out! 

How are you deciding what to buy brand new versus secondhand?

I am literally buying everything second hand or have been fortunate to receive hand-me-downs. I recently moved to Lisbon (another new thing in our lives) and have met some incredible people including mummies who have so generously provided baby and maternity clothes as well as tips! My sister has also given me two suitcases full of baby stuff including a white noise sound machine. For now, I have not bought anything new…! 

Which sustainable baby brands are you most excited about? 

It took me a while to figure out what stroller I should get, between the smart compact ones vs. the more “all-terrain” ones. I finally opted for the second option and I decided to buy a Greentom stroller for its sustainability commitments as it is made out of 100% recycled plastic. We got it second hand from a couple with two kids in Lisbon where we recently relocated. I am so excited to try it out! 

Photo from Instagram @greentomworld

I am also super excited about my Pantys nursing bra which a friend gifted me! I am already wearing it every day. Mina Storm has also saved my life, boobs wise :) 

Photos from Instagram @pantys & @minastormgirls

We are even going to buy our baby bed second hand. This is the craziest purchase we are going to make - the Snoo Happiest Baby bed. I will let you know if that is worth it! 

Photo from Happiest Baby

Oh, another thing which saved my life is a doughnut shaped sleeping pillow. It is life changing! I have found one 100% organic cotton certified and locally made in Portugal.

How are you going about researching brands and products - any tips on where parents should look for quality product research and eco certifications?

I am reading a lot about the Montessori educational philosophy and came across a lot of youtube channels including the Hapa Family which I have binged watched. They are not necessarily sustainability advocates but definitely promote simple set-ups for babies including wooden toys, books rental etc. and I love it! 

Photo from Youtube @HapaFamily

Regarding certifications, my priority is to find as many items second hand as possible. However, when it comes to clothing I am definitely looking for certified organic. 

What do you think are the easiest eco-friendly choices any expecting parent can make?

BUY SECOND HAND!! Baby stuff is only used for such a short period of time that buying second hand literally means, buying almost new!

What do you think is the most wasteful baby product and is it easy to avoid?

My impression is that diapers are the most wasteful baby product so we are going to try to use reusable ones. I have heard that it can be hard so we will see.  I really do not want to put too much pressure on myself.

What is your advice to other expecting parents who wish to lead a more sustainable parenting journey?

Really speak with your friends and people around you who you admire for their sustainability values and commitments and ask them how they have been doing. 

I also have to confess that although I regularly criticize instagram and social media, it has really helped me to connect with other mummies and watch first time mums blossom in their new role. It can be a powerful tool in guiding you through pregnancy and parenthood and establishing new role models! 

You can follow Paula and her pregnancy journey here.

Photo taken by Giulia Giu