I'm expecting in April and that means tiny little newborn diapers are on the brain again!
Your first thought might be that using cloth diapers on a newborn is too overwhelming, especially with so much on your plate already. But with these five tips I'm going to share, you will find it's not that challenging. In fact, I think you'll be really happy with your decision! I've used cloth with 4 newborns and highly recommend it.
TIP #1
Buy covers that have more than one snap setting on the rise so your newborn can wear them longer. Newborn covers with growing room in the rise include Imagine, Nicki's and Thirsties Duo Wraps.
TIP #2
Try fitteds or special folding techniques to contain blowouts. Tiny babies have a lot of bowel movements, and you might find that newborn fitted diapers will help hold in messes better because of the leg elastics. If you usually just trifold a prefold and lay it in a cover, consider mastering some folds to help keep blowouts at bay: the Jelly Roll fold, the Angel Wing or the Bikini Twist (aren’t those names great?). Having just a few fitteds for your newborn won’t cost much; the Imagine bamboo fitted at Nicki’s is just $11.99.
TIP #3
Give yourself a break at night. By using a Geffen newborn hemp prefold and a small Diaper Rite cotton doubler, my newborn can sometimes go all night without a change, even after waking up to nurse a time or two. Finding a nighttime diaper that works can save you a lot of money if you’ve been buying disposables just to use at night. Other suggestions for nighttime newborn diapers include the Sloomb snapless mini bamboo fitted, available at Nicki's.
TIP #4
Wipeable covers save time and money. Since you are changing the baby frequently, it makes sense to use “wipeable” PUL or TPU covers and shells (rather than fleece or wool). Being able to freshen up a cover with a wet wipe and hang it to dry for an hour or two before using again means you don’t have to buy as many, or wash as often.
TIP #5
Skip the newborn diapers altogether. While I’m the world’s biggest fan of newborn sized diapers, even investing in a small system is just not doable for some families. They can only afford something that works from birth to potty training. Here are a few of my favorites that fit my (average or larger) babies right from birth:
Best Bottoms (newborn Ingrid in a Best Bottom cover below)
Diaper Rite (if using diaper covers)
Do you have any advice to share for mothers who are planning to use cloth on their newborns?
This post was previously published at the Kelly Wels Blog, and has been revised and updated by me.
