Cloth Diapering a Newborn

When a parent chooses to enter the cloth diapering world they are often left overwhelmed with the number of choices on diapers to use. Cloth diapering has came a long way since your grandmother's time. Chances are you wouldn't even recognize them today. Cloth diapers have evolved to such an extent over the last ten years that many rival disposables any day. In fact, if you were to put an All-In-One cloth diaper next to a disposable, you would find very little difference in bulk, size and function.

With all the new types of cloth diapers out there a lot of parents find themselves wondering what would work best for their newborn, pockets, all in ones, flats, prefolds or fitteds? A lot of parents also have the question on how many diapers they should buy and what items are a must have.

Newborns normally go through up to twelve diapers a day. Of course that number varies from child to child, but on the average twelve diapers a day is a safe bet. Most parents are changing their newborn almost every hour to every two hours during the day and those diaper changes really add up.

When choosing a number of diapers to buy for your newborn stash you must take into consideration how much time you plan on doing laundry. Are you going to have the time to wash diapers every day, or will it be more like every three or four days. Taking care of a newborn is a full time job and while you may think you will have the extra time to do a load of laundry everyday, I am telling you a lot of new parents will never get that chance. I recommend having at least three days worth of diapers in your stash, incase you do not have the time to do laundry daily or an emergency arises.

What type of cloth diaper works best on newborns? A lot of parents new to cloth diapering do not want to hear this, yet the best cloth diapering system for a newborn baby is that of prefold diapers and diaper covers. "Infant prefolds are definitely the most economical choice." (Sunshine Diapers) You can pick up a dozen infant prefolds normally for less then $20, and they are some of the most cheapest cloth diapers on the market today! "They are very absorbent, very versatile, and actually easier to use than you might imagine." (Sunshine Diapers) Yes, some folding is involved and you must pin or Snappi the diaper shut. This will take practice, but soon you will be a pro and diapering your infant will seem like a breeze.

There are preemie or newborn sized prefold diapers on the market, yet a lot of parents skip these all together. Yes they are smaller diapers and a lot of parents will get a better fit on their child while using these tiny prefolds, yet the infant sized prefold will perform just as well on a newborn with a little extra folding. An infant prefold will also last you months longer then that of a preemie or a newborn prefold as infant prefolds can fit a infant up till almost a year old depending on size and shape.

"Bowel movements are frequent in the newborn, and bowel movements are runny, but thick enough to not be absorbed quickly or completely. A lot of new parents experience the dreaded newborn blow-out. A blow-out is when there's so much poop, and it comes so fast, that before it can be absorbed it goes up the back. You have them frequently with disposables since they have no elastic along the back and no back-up containment like you do with a cloth diaper cover.

At the newborn stage containment is far more important than absorbency. You read a lot about the absorbency of a diaper, but bowel movements are so frequent at this age that you'll change a diaper before it gets a chance to get really wet. Prefold diapers are very adjustable and fit even the skinniest of chicken newborn legs. And when used with a diaper cover, prefolds are the best chance you have at containing those dreaded newborn blow outs. " (Sunshine Diapers)

A lot of parents do not like the idea of folding diapers and want an easier way out. Fitteds are the next best newborn diaper for those parents who hate the fact of folding a cloth diaper. Fitteds come in many styles and sizes and are a little more pricey then prefolds. Like prefolds fitted diapers must be covered by a diaper cover. Fitteds unlike prefolds do not have to be folded and can easily snap or velcro on a child a lot like a disposable diaper. The elastic around the diapers legs and waist help contain messes. The only problem with fitted diapers is that newborn grow so fast and the newborn size may only fit your child a couple weeks to a month before you are out buying the next size up. Yes, you can skip the newborn size all together on fitteds and go straight to the small size of fitteds which may last you a bit longer, but if you have a smaller sized newborn you may find the small size fitted too big for your newborn child leaving gaps in the diaper where blowouts can escape causing you a large mess to clean up.

If you really want to go the fitted diaper route, some great newborn brands to try are Kissaluvs size 0 (highly rated), Under the Nile, and Thirsties. A good feature to look for in a newborn fitted diaper is a snap down feature for newborn belly button stumps. Another awesome feature is that of allowing room to grow since newborns do grow so quickly, it is nice to have a diaper that will last you awhile.

How about one size fitted diapers? One size fitted diapers are a good choice to have in your stash. The only problem is that a lot of one size fitteds may not get a small enough fit to tightly fit a newborn body. These may better suit you when your child grows a little and fits into a small size fitted instead of a newborn size.

Since prefolds and fitteds require a diaper cover, the question remains on what type of covers do you buy for a newborn? Mostly any good PUL diaper cover will work for your small infant. Some good features to look for in a diaper cover is that of strong elastic around not only the legs but also the waist to avoid gaps. Also it is a must to find a diaper cover with some type of built in gussets to help contain the messiest of poop. When buying a diaper cover for a newborn it is best to buy the smallest size available. A lot of newborns will fit into a size newborn or extra small. Of course they will grow out of them quickly, and you may have to size up in a month or two, but for the best containment you want something with a snug fit. Some of the most popular brands of diaper covers to look for are Bummis, Thirsties, Prowraps and Bumkins. Of course their are other good brands out there also and a lot of work at home moms make awesome diaper covers.

Wool covers are also a good choice for newborns. Although some newborn's skin may be too delicate to use wool next too. Yet, wool is a good choice year round because it breathes well and is very absorbent. Wool is a little more expensive then other types of covers yet, it lasts a very long time and can be passed down from child to child. Wool is easy to take care of too. You only have to wash it every week at least, unless it gets poop on it. You have to wash wool by hand though.. and A cover needs to be relanolized about every 3-6 months. (Lanolion is mostly that stuff you put on cracked nipples when nursing. You can buy big bottles of it on eBay for CHEAP!).. Between lanolizing times, washing your covers in warm water with a teaspoon of Eucalin or Sudz 'n Dudz Liquid wool wash every 1-2 weeks or whenever poopy. I use baby shampoo when I have no wool wash in the house and it does the trick most of the time.

Pocket diapers may seem like a good choice for newborns. A lot of parents like the fact that pocket diapers do not require a cover. Like fitted diapers these diapers will cost you more money. A lot of parents though are willing to pay for the convince of not having to fold a diaper and not using a cover. Pocket diapers are easy to use and you just have to stuff the pocket with a special insert and snap or velcro them on your child and go. The problem with pocket diapers though is that to get a good fit you must buy a newborn sized diaper. These will only last you a couple of weeks at most and your child will grow out of them needing to move into the next bigger size. This can become pricey for new parents who are already spending a lot of cash on other newborn supplies. Yet, for the ease a lot of parents still turn to this choice. If you decide pocket diapers are the best choice for your newborn, some good brands to try are Fuzzi Bunz, Swaddle Bees, Snap-Ez, and Happy Heiny. All these brands have a newborn size that is the prefect fit on most newborn babies.

All In One diapers are quickly becoming more and more popular. Unlike other types of cloth diapers these diapers are the easiest to use and most like disposables. Most parents love the fact that they make diaper changing such a snap. You do not have to worry about diaper covers, folding or even stuffing a diaper. All in Ones (AIOS) are some of the most expensive diapers on the cloth diapering market and will cost new parents a pretty penny if they want to build a stash. Yet for the ease a lot of parents are turning to them. Like other types of diapers, newborns must use the smallest size All in One diaper to get the best fit, and of course a newborn will grow out of this size very quickly and a parent will be left buying the next size up. A lot of parents also have issues with All in One diapers leaking or having blow outs escape. This is due to the fact that a lot of All in One style diapers do not have built in gussets to prevent blow outs. A lot of AIO's may also not get a tight enough fit on a newborns body. Yet, if a parent still wants the ease of trying AIO's on their newborn some good brands to try are Snap-Ez, Nana Bottoms, and Bum Genius.

Once a new parent decides on what type of diaper to buy for his newborn he or she must know how many diapers to buy. A good number to shoot for is 36-40 diapers in a newborn stash and if using prefolds or fitteds at least 4-5 diaper covers. This gives you room to do laundry every couple of days and still have a few diapers left in case of an emergency.

A good example stash is:

36 infant prefolds
A couple Snappis or diaper pins
12 fitted diapers
4 diaper covers
2 pocket diapers
1 Medium sized Wet bag (to store dirty diapers while out and about)

This example stash has a little bit of everything in it almost and will last a parent a couple days between washings. The parent of course could do without the fitted diapers and the pocket diapers, yet these may be nice to have on hand for outings to the park or grandmas.

Overall, cloth diapering a newborn does not have to be stressful and it does not have to cost you an arm and a leg to get started. Keep in mind when buying newborn diapers; "at this age, containment is far more important than absorbency." (Sunshine Diapers) Also remember to have fun and enjoy the moments with your child while they are young because they will truly grow up before your eyes.

Cloth Diapering a Newborn. 2007. Sunshine Diapers. 16 January 2008. http://www.sunshinediapers.com/cloth-diaper-university/diapering-a-newborn . >