our birth story

We’ve watched over the years as more and more families have embraced a circular approach to caring for their children. They utilize The Nesting House a trusted source for responsibly made, long lasting new items, and a place to extend the use-life of their outgrown items by cycling them through our buy, sell trade. 

But only recently have we seen this mindset filtering into the world of baby registry checklists. We see a lot of stores, registry sites, and other blogs throwing around trendy eco phrases like sustainable baby registry, zero-waste baby registry, non-toxic baby registry, and minimalist baby registry. But none of them offer a truly circular approach that will completely prepare them for their baby's arrival.

building a circular baby registry means considering the complete use-life cycle of each item – from the people, parts, and resources that go into an item’s creation, to how long it will last and what will become of it when it’s no longer useful  

At The Nesting House we’ve spent the last decade building a comprehensive selection of newborn essentials that are good for your family and the planet. Our offerings are meant to go round and round, from one child to the next, your family to another, instead of straight to a landfill. But how did we get here?

Rewind to 2006. I’m pregnant with my first baby, and I know I need to start preparing for her arrival. I know a baby needs things. Things to sleep in. Things to wear. Things to soothe, protect, clean, and nourish. And diapers, so many diapers. So I go where everyone goes in 2006. Babies R Us. 

Someone hands me a checklist. It’s two pages long. I look at it and I’m overwhelmed. I don’t know what half of these things are. I think about how much each thing will cost. What the total will be. I wonder why a person so small requires so many things in the first place. And then I look up. 

Floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall, countless aisles and displays. It’s endless. What is all this stuff? Where did it all come from? Who made it? What’s it all made out of? How did it all get here? What happens to these things next? My mind jumps forward and I see it all piled up in a landfill somewhere and I have to close my eyes. 

At this moment I realize there has to be another way. A way that allows anyone to welcome their baby into this world with confidence, dignity, and a good conscience. A way that feels warm and cozy and uncomplicated.

this is how the nesting house was born

the nesting house began serving the philadelphia region with truly sustainable options for babies and children in 2010, and from the very start, it has been a circular system

The new items in our store are chosen for their quality of craftsmanship, natural materials, and longevity of use. They are made to last for many years. These are the types of items we recirculate through our buy, sell, trade program to support a robust secondhand market. 

Nowhere in the journey of parenthood is a circular mindset more impactful than when preparing for a baby’s arrival. Even though it can be quite a simple list, there are still a handful of physical objects families need to care for their babies. Equally as important are the non-material ways a new family can be supported, like with nourishing meals or visits from postpartum doula. 

only at the nesting house can someone create a sustainable baby registry that truly reduces or eliminates a linear path from purchase to trash

Our Circular Baby Registry welcomes everyone to register for responsibly made new items, carefully selected used items, and non-material community care services. We also provide the pathway to re-cycle items for another family to find and use. 

Through this circular approach, everyone enters wherever they can, and together, we lighten our impact on this earth. 

- Jen

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ready to build your circular baby registry?

Use our sustainable baby registry checklist.

looking for some guidance?

Book a free baby registry consultation with us! Offered in-person and virtually. 

want to see it all for yourself?

Visit our store to explore our new baby essentials, play with our car seats and strollers from Nuna, Clek, Veer, Bumbleride, Thule and more. Learn more about babywearing and cloth diapers. And shop our gently used section any time.