Cloth Diapering a Newborn Baby
Soon after the joy and elation of seeing those two little lines on the
home pregnancy test, the overwhelming thoughts of all the choices you'll face
over the coming months start to set in. Most people who decide to use
cloth diapers are completely unprepared for the unbelievable number of choices
they encounter. For some, it is so overwhelming that they end up putting
it off and are unprepared when baby arrives. The availability of throw-away
diapers at every turn often leaves the dreams of a cloth diapered baby bum
forgotten and filed under "to do with next baby!" We hope to help prepare
you before baby arrives (or very soon after!) so that you will have all of your
newborn diapering needs met and can concentrate on cuddling with your new
baby.
Truthfully, there are endless combinations of diapers that can be
successfully used with newborn babies. Our goal here is to provide newborn
diapering recommendations that will make your first cloth diapering experience a
positive one- this means giving you a short list of cloth diapers that
work, that are readily available in any quantity
needed, and that are easy to use and clean. We
have helped cloth diaper thousands of babies, and have a good sense of what
works for most of the people most of the time. We also have kept cost in
mind, as we understand that budget is a concern for many!
How many diapers for a newborn?
Let's be realistic about how many diapers you really need. Newborns
will go through about 12 diapers (on average) each day. At first, little
distinction is made between day and night as baby will likely be pooping with
every feeding, about every 2 hours or less. Those first weeks with a
newborn are a blur, and most parents don't want to wash diapers every day.
For this reason, we recommend a minimum of 2 dozen diapers to start. Three
dozen diapers would be even better.
What size diapers for the average newborn (6-8 pounds)?
Success with cloth diapers depends largely on achieving a good fit. A
good fit means that when the diaper is on, there are no gaps around the
thighs or across the back for that explosive newborn poo to trickle out of
(something that happens frequently with paper diapers!) Newborn thighs are
very skinny, and often will not fill up the leg holes in size 'small'
diapers. To achieve the best fit that will prevent leaks, you will need
infant sized prefolds or newborn sized fitted diapers (or all-in-ones or pocket
diapers).
What kind of cloth diapers for newborns?
Many families are so excited about all-in-ones
and pocket
diapers (neither require diaper
covers) that they don't consider the other options. Because newborns
are harder to fit and require so many diapers, we've found that most people are
happiest with a combination of diaper
service quality prefolds and newborn fitted
diapers, with a handful of all in ones and/or pocket diapers to try.
Then as baby grows, you can make an informed choice about which diapers to
purchase for the next size up.
Fitted
diapers and prefolds are
made of natural fibers so are soft and absorbent- as soon as baby poos,
the fabric instantly absorbs and contains the mess. This means
no leaks out the top or sides of the diapers, no messy clothes to wash, and no
need to bathe with every diaper change! All fitted diapers and prefolds
require a cover for
waterproofing, so if by chance anything escapes the diaper, the cover provides a
second line of defense.
What do most people get? (most popular choices***)
We've listed below our most successful and popular newborn options.
Keep in mind that while many people begin with these items as "staples," most
people will also try a wide variety of other things during the first few
months to decide what will work best when they move up to the next size.
3 dozen diapers total:
4-6 Diaper Covers (wool option included- if choosing wool, we recommend
having at least a couple machine washable covers as backup):
Essential Accessories:
I really, really want to do only All-In-Ones
and/or Pocket
Diapers- what should I get?
For a perfect fit in all-in-ones and pocket diapers from day one, we
recommend:
For babies over 8 pounds, small diapers will be fine, but do keep in mind
that baby's skinny little thighs might not quite fill up the leg holes right
away.
How long will my baby's first diapers fit?
Infant sized prefolds and Kissaluvs 0s will fit up to about 15 lbs. (usually
3-4 months). Most babies can then go into size medium diapers in most
brands, which will last a year or more! XS AIOs and pocket diapers usually
fit about 6-8 weeks, and size small AIOs and pockets fit 4-6 months. See
size charts for other products not listed here.
We've tried to keep this page simple and straight-forward, and have resisted
the urge to make too many recommendations that may further confuse or
overwhelm! Every day, I tell someone that it is much harder to think about
cloth diapering than to actually do it. Get your basics so that your baby
will have cloth on his or her bum from the beginning. After a few weeks
with your diapers, you will be a pro! Then try a few other things that
look interesting. You will soon know what your favorites are, what you
plan to try for the next size up, and what other accessories you may want to
pick up.
Make sure to utilize our gift
registry- register not only for what you need, but for all the things you
want to try too! We invite you to keep your registry for the entire time
your child is in diapers.
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