a month in cloth diapers: newborn madness!

Pin It

Currently, A is wearing the red diaper in the photo.

Adelle has been in cloth diapers from day one. Well, a disclaimer: I have to say that we have used disposable diapers, too, because we have them.  But, for most nights and days, the girl is in cloth.

It's been working pretty well.  We are lucky (I guess?)  that Adelle apparently doesn't care if her diaper is wet or poopy. Really,  Doesn't faze her.  And since she sleeps for long stretches at night and/or we both barely wake up to get her fed, there aren't a lot of diaper changes at night.  I know.  I'm a lazy mama.

For the first 3 weeks, Adelle had been in Kissaluvs Size 0 fitted diapers and infant sized prefolds.  I love the fitted diapers especially for new babies.  They're pretty easy to put on, and they keep the stuff in the diaper.  We've also been using infant sized prefolds with snappis, which are also great and easy to use.  For covers, I've had 4 different styles in our rotation: Thirsties (absolute favorite for fit), proraps, and bummis.  

Here's what I like and don't like about the covers I've used:

Thirsties covers - love the fit.  Fits nicely around both the fitted and prefold, without leaving absorbent material exposed. Has an umbilical stump cut out, which makes them great for that first week or two. These are very easy to rinse out or wipe out between uses, which means needing fewer covers.

Proraps - Inexpensive, has an umbilical cutout that is very nice for new babes.  The was okay at first, but as Adelle has gained weight, we had to go up a size from the newborn cover (6-10 pounds) to the meduim cover(10-15) because even at 9 pounds, the cover was leaving gaps at the thigh that exposed absorbent material to contact with clothing.  The next size up cover wis a little too big/long in the rise, so I still have some problems with gaps. These are also easy to clean between uses.

Bummis super whisper wrap, Newborn and small - I have just one of these, and the fit is very nice, but we're at the very limit of the newborn.  The small is a little big for the girl, but it doesn't leave gaps.  Just extra material that bunches up (room to grow!)  I have some with snaps, but I prefer the velcro, as I can get a better fit.  A is between snap sizes right now.  These don't wipe out well between uses, since the inner side of the cover has a fabric material.

Dappis - I have them, because they came free with the infant prefolds, but I really don't like the covers.  I will use them in a pinch when I have nothing else.  They pull on, which means a fight with newborn feet, and they just don't fit well.  Again, though, better than nothing.  

Of these covers, if I had to pick one, it would be the Thirsties.  

During week 4, I started trying out the BumGenius one-size diapers (all 2+ years old, but still decent condition). Adelle is right at 10 pounds, so she should be within the range of fit for the various one-size diapers I have. I tried stuffing them with the regular microfiber insert and a hemp babies little weeds doubler, hoping to get through most of the night without a diaper change.  This caused some serious gaping at the legs, leading to an unfortunate diaper leak on our bed. A few nights later, I got out the newborn insert that came with the diaper. Honestly, I was never quite sure what to do with the newborn insert, but I figured I'd try it in the diaper all by itself, with a plan to check and change frequently.  Another leaky night, but I think this time it was caused by ill-fitting diaper and a bit of repelling, since the insert was barely damp.  Boo for that.  Finally a different approach: Regular insert, and playing with the fit. I made sure the diaper rested pretty low on the thighs - more like boy cut briefs than like high-cut panties. They were snug around the thigh, and stayed that way.  The diaper kept everything in, but I did need to change her diaper every couple of hours.  Unfortunately, the old inserts still have a funky smell about them (not as bad as toddler pee, and no ammonia smell or burn, but still, not good.  I'll try some bleach on the microfiber, but I might just call it done after 2 years, and buy replacement inserts.  We'll see.

I've been using some of the BumGenius one-size diapers as covers over a fitted, which works well.  It also solves my problem of not having quite enough covers in size small.

Overall, it's been working well.  No funky rashes, diapers smell clean, with the exception of the oldest microfiber inserts.  They have yellow poop stains, but that's life with a breastfed baby.  The stains fade over time, and again, the smell clean, so I'm not concerned about lingering poo on the diaper.

I've been satisfied with my experience this time with newborn diapering.  So far, I've gotten three kids into the same set of diapers (again disclaimer: I have added to the stash since I first bought them with E - adding covers and a few more of the fitted diapers.)

I look forward to trying out some new diapers and products over the next few months.  I have some new diapers that that I haven't prepped yet, and I'm curious to see how I like them!