When I first started cloth diapering little man, he was just over 4 months old. I remember seeing a mom in my breastfeeding group with BumGenius diapers and I was floored at how they looked like they worked similarly to disposables but so much cuter! I chatted casually with her about them and she told me how easy they were to use and wash. She told me to go check them out online ...and that's what I did... as soon as I got home! Hubby and I were tired of cracking open our wallets to buy disposable diapers. I spent some time researching cloth diapers and was blown away! They looked so easy to use!
Little man in his first cloth diaper!
Since I discovered that cloth diapers were indeed modern and convenient, hubby and I jumped in and we haven't looked back! I loved cloth diapering little man! I even branched out and learned how to use flats and prefolds on little man and I actually really liked them! Iit really opened my eyes to the variety of diapering styles that are out there.
Now that we are preparing to welcome baby boy #2 into our arms, I have newborn cloth diapers on the brain! Since we didn't start cloth diapering little man until he was 4 months old, I have no experience with diapering a new, tiny baby. I have been researching some of the options and reading about what other cloth diapering mamas love or find to work the best. One thing that I have read over and over is that prefolds and covers are the way to go! They are easy to adjust for fit, absorbent, inexpensive and easy to clean. Those all sound like good things to me!
Even though I have plenty of one sized diapers, I have heard that it is best to start your new baby out in sized diapers or prefolds and covers. Unless our little guy ends up being over 9lbs, he probably won't fit into one size diapers until he 2 months old or older. Little man was born at 7lbs, 14oz. and I am hoping that baby boy #2 will be around the same birth weight!
I feel that using prefolds will help us to get the best and most secure fit on our new little boy. Whether he has long and thin legs like his older brother or if he has chunkier legs, a prefold will be able to adapt to fit around his legs snugly and keep the poo where it belongs! There is also a lot of versatility with a prefold. You can simple trifold it (folding a prefold into thirds) and lay it in a cover or you can do a fancier fold and secure it with a Snappi for extra security. One thing that I find myself really liking about prefolds and covers, is that you potentially have the option to remove a wet or soiled prefold, wipe the cover down and then re-use it (if there wasn't a poo-spolsion, of course). This means that there will be less laundry to do and less covers to buy!
So how many diapers will a newborn go through in a day? If memory serves me correctly, our little guy should go through around 12 diapers a day (or more)! So, to make things a little easier on the laundry side, ideally, I would like to have 2 dozen prefolds (or maybe more!) and about 6-10 covers for our new little one. That way I don't have to do laundry every day!
Now, while there are a lot of really cute, sized newborn diapers out there, I feel that personally, it is not the most economical way for us to go. Newborn prefolds are very reasonably priced, as are most covers. Most prefolds are around $2 each and covers are around $10-12. So, 2 dozen prefolds would be around $48 (sometimes you can even get a discount if you are buying more than 12) and if I got 6 of the $12 covers, I would spend $72. Add some diaper pins & fasteners, like Snappi fasteners to secure the prefolds and I am ready to go!
So, how am I preparing to cloth diaper our baby boy?
Here's a peek at my "Must Have Cloth Diaper List" for our new baby:
2 dozen organic cotton prefolds - newborn size
6 diaper covers - newborn size or size 1
4 fitted cloth diapers
2 Snappi Diaper Fasteners in Size 1
Pretty simple, huh? So far, I already have 1 dozen organic cotton prefolds, 3 diaper covers, 2 Snappis, 2 fitted diapers and 1 one size cloth diaper. Of course, I already have cloth diaper safe detergent and I may add a few more things here and there that are "wants", rather than "needs". ;) But, I am well on my way to reaching my goal list of things to have before November gets here!
photo from Diaper Junction
One great thing that I found was that if you buy in bulk, you can save! I found the Bummis Newborn Pack that comes with a dozen organic cotton prefolds and 2 Bummis Super Brite Diaper Covers on Diaper Junction for $41.99. If each prefold is $2, then each cover would only be $8.95 each! Definitely a savings! I have bought one of these newborn packs already and can't wait to use them when baby boy gets here! I absolutely love that the prefolds are organic cotton! Plus, they are so cute and tiny!
So, as I prepare for little baby boy #2 and look to fluffing up my stash of tiny goodies, I may get another one of the Bummis Newborn Packs or I may branch out and try out a few of the Thirsties Diaper Covers or Rumparooz Newborn Diaper Covers. I am so excited to get everything ready for baby boy! I am looking forward to using prefolds and covers and can't wait to wrap my little guy up in cotton-y goodness!
Have you cloth diapered a newborn? Do you have a favorite diapering solution for daytime or night time?
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