When I tell people this, some ask me, "Aren't you overwhelmed by the thought of a newborn in cloth diapers? All that laundry?! Three kids to take care of, and cloth too?! And two kids in cloth diapers?! I am overwhelmed by just thinking about that! Are you sure you're not?"
I wasn’t sure. So, I did a lot of research and a lot of thinking in preparation for our newborn-in-cloth journey, and learned a lot. I must say, from what I've learned so far, they were right, I am overwhelmed!
I'm overwhelmed by how amazingly affordable cloth diapering a newborn can be! I was surprised to learn how much people loved "old-fashioned" prefolds for newborns. Sure, they were inexpensive, but don't you get what you pay for? (Personally, I never thought of them as cute, or convenient, but I decided to order some anyway. Have I mentioned I'm cheap?). When I got my Bummis Preemie size and Infant size unbleached prefolds, I actually loved watching them fluff up with each pre-wash. Prefolds may be the least expensive standard of cloth diapering, but they definitely aren't boring or cheap! You can customize your stash with the cutest covers to reuse through several changes...saving hundreds of dollars over disposables! Besides, these aren't your run-of-the-mill megastore prefolds, they are amazingly absorbent and luxuriously soft! I'm already in love with my affordable prefolds!
I'm overwhelmed by how easy cloth diapering a newborn will be! It never occurred to me that exclusively breastfed babies have water-soluble "dirties." No rinsing necessary, just toss in the wet bag or pail and wash! When I told my husband about this, he was actually excited too. "Wow, I guess it really is going to be just as easy," he said and nodded his approval, "Just toss them in with all the others? I like it!" It's not going to impact the laundry routine at all! In fact, even if you don't have another child in cloth diapers, the effort it takes to throw a dirty diaper in the laundry is equal to the effort it takes to throw a disposable in the trash (and buy more, and empty the bags, and take them down to the street, and buy more, and did I mention buy more?). Wait, it might actually be saving time and energy! So easy!
I'm also overwhelmed by the great options for using cloth with a newborn! For some reason, I assumed a smaller size meant a narrower selection of options. Larger diapers can be fully customized to each individual child's needs and the newborn sizes are no different...they are just smaller! There are pockets like XS Fuzzi Bunz and Happy Heiny's Minis that can be stuffed with just the right insert, All-in-Ones like XS BumGenius or Lil' Joeys for convenience, fitteds like Kissaluvs 0's and covers like Thirsties or Bummis to contain super-soakers and blow-outs, and everything in between! You know how I've handled having so many options? I've had so much fun stacking up all the different kinds of fluff! I imagine I'll like each for different circumstances. It's wonderful to have so many options!
Finally, I'm overwhelmed by the absolute cuteness of newborn cloth diapers! Did you know that no person (despite their feelings about cloth) can resist the adorable little fluffy bundle of a newborn cloth diaper?! I might have to keep a newborn around just so I don't have to part with them! (Kidding! I think). Those tiny cloth diapers are absolutely irresistible!
So there you have it. I will readily admit to everyone that I'm definitely overwhelmed by cloth diapering a newborn. I'm overwhelmed by the money we'll save, how easy it will be, the options I have, and how cute my itty-bitty newborn will be in his little cloth diapers!
I never thought I would be one to say that I’m actually excitedly looking forward to all the diaper changes having a newborn means. I have many diapers to try, in all sorts of fun colors and prints. Above everything else, cloth diapering a newborn is just overwhelming FUN! :)
By Julie G.
20 comments:
A lot of people will actually customize their prefolds by dying them bright colors, or appliqueing the seat, or any other number of really interesting and fun ways. Sure, you don't see them, but that doesn't mean they can't still be cute folded up in your diaper bin.
I'm due...pretty much any minute now, lol, I'm in early labor as I type. I'm so excited to cloth diaper my newborn! We have cotton prefolds and cute little covers, not to mention some AIOs I bought from a seller I found on eBay. I also love the kissaluvs size 0s! So precious!
We have a 13 month old we just started cloth diapering due to a chemical sensitivity to sposies. I am hopelessly addicted now, and I don't care who knows it! I won't ever go back to sposies!
Love your blog, it's very informative to a fluff n00b such as myself.
Good luck with your newborn!
I didn't do the whole cloth diapering with my son until he was in size 2 diapers. Which I regret because, really, I was afraid, and I didn't want to spend too much money. But recently my nieces got rid of a bunch of their old t-shirts, things like their softball and basketball shirts, and they were given to us. And then the idea occurred to me, if I have made the diapers in the other sizes, well, why not in the smaller sizes, plus I've read how much people prefer to have a fitted or pre-fold with a cover for little babies because they contain the messes of an infant better. So, I have gone through their shirts and used them, along with some old fleece blankets to make infant diapers. Now I've just got to make a few covers. I did the math and since all my fitted diapers are upcycled, all I have to buy is the stuff to make the covers, it's going to cost us a whole $12 to diaper our child from infant size to the size 2 that I was so afraid of spending too much money on. Though, if you think about it, my next child will only be $12 to cloth diaper them the whole time because I'll be using my son's old diapers too. So, yeah, we'll be saving TONS of cash!
Such a cool post. I'm going to have my second in cloth soon (and my first newborn) and had so many of the same questions. Love this!
I'm due with my first child in July and I never even considered the fact that cloth-diapering a newborn would be harder than an older child. I guess I just never thought that way :) But I do have to agree-seeing those tiny diapers in cute prints makes me want to use them for a LONG time :)
I have a newborn and I started using Rumparooz but wasn't happy about how big the were on my little 6lb baby boy. I recently ordered the Happy Heiny's mini and am in complete and total love with them! I almost gave up on cloth until I found the mini's!!
We have our first babe due in 4 weeks and I can't get over the cuteness of the little teeny newborn CDs either! I just ordered a few more Lil Joey's because they are sooo darn cute! i hope our newborn stage will last :) so I can see little fluffly butt in action!! g
I'm not going the cheap route...because I plan to use them again, and I'm going pretty gender neutral...but I'm really looking forward to newborn CDing....especially the BF poop, yay! :)
I love prefolds. I don't think people always realize how easy they can be to use, as well as very absorbent. And you make a good point about the cute covers. That's the part that shows anyway. I am ready to have another baby to try out newborn diapers, too!
I was relieved a few months ago when I found out people prefer prefolds for newborns because of their low cost! I have 2 dozen infant size Indian prefolds, 6 newborn Prorap covers (yes, they are boring white but inexpensive), 4 Thirsties Duo Wraps, and the Bummis frog print waiting for the little guy. He will be my first, and I'm glad to make the move into CDing with water soluble poops for a while before having to invest in a sprayer.
I love cloth diapering so much... and makig them... that I dedicated a whole blog to PUL fabric (sick, I know :) ) Anyway, check it out and leave a comment. Love your blog BTW~
My husband and I are just trying to conceive our first, but I just ordered a variety of newborn dipes because they are so darn cute! I want to CD right away to save money and the environment. Plus, both my husband and I have very sensitive skin, so I like the idea of having complete control over what touches our babies' bums!
I hope you post an update about how it goes next month! I am due in two months and would love to see your photos and struggles/successes! I started cloth for my son at 4 weeks, but I plan to do this from day 1 this time!
have you looked into the tiny g diapers? I used them for my newborn and they do a great job. You can get the new baby bundle for $150
I would love to see a follow up post! I love my prefolds for my son, almost a year. I have thought if we have a third I would do prefolds for the newborn stage. I also have pockets, which I love, but sometimes it is just a prefold kind of day.
Loved this post! I started CDing with my third child when he was 5 months old, but he was born 2 months early, so he was the size of a 3 month old. I never bought newborn diapers, BumGenius was small enough that it worked for his size at the time. But most of my diapers now (various brands) wouldn't fit a baby as small as he was at 3 months and definitely not a newborn.
My son is barely a year old and you've already got me excited to have another! Just to buy newborn cloth! LOL!
It really was super easy with an EBF baby. Easier than with an older baby actually. As far as the poopy dipes goes. Here's my ranking for easiest age to CD to hardest stage to CD:
1. newborn (so easy)
2. older baby (still pretty easy)
3. just starting solids... aka... peanut butter stage (this was tricky for me. i allllmost gave up... but then I found the wonder that is flushable liners and it made that stage super easy as well!)
I'm due this spring and stocking up on pre-folds (bummis), a few different covers, fitteds (kissaluvs), and maybe a few AIOs like the GroVia newborn. I'm holding off on the AIOs since I already purchased some Rumparooz and they might fit early based on birth weight.
My NB comes in May and I have 6 tiny newborn CDs I got at a CD garage sale for $1 each! SCORE! Yes they are used but still appear to be in good condish and they are kushies and swaddlebees and 1 kissaluv I think. Can't wait they are SO cute. And maybe I will give prefolds another chance tho I didn't like em with baby #1... Willing to try again- thanks for sharing!
Great read. Although we didn't start out with cloth on our daughter and only started cloth with her around 6 months. I am excited to start with cloth for our next baby - Lord willing we are blessed with another child.
This is awesome! I am buying up my stash to CD our little one when she arrives so this is exactly how I'm feeling now! :)
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