Wise to Make NB Dipes *before* Baby Arrives?

[ktmama]

I've never made cloth dipes before, but I'm a pretty good seamstress and I want my NB to wear cloth prior to fitting into the MotherEase one size that I already have. However, from what I'm reading online, it's better to wait and make dipes fitted specifically to your NB before making! Can any of you share your experiences with diapering a NB?

TIA!

[Dahlea]

Originally Posted by ktmama

I've never made cloth dipes before, but I'm a pretty good seamstress and I want my NB to wear cloth prior to fitting into the MotherEase one size that I already have. However, from what I'm reading online, it's better to wait and make dipes fitted specifically to your NB before making! Can any of you share your experiences with diapering a NB?

TIA!

I wouldn't wait personally because I had (and have) no time to sew. I made some and planned to make more after he was born but didn't have time, so we had to use disposables until he fit into the bigger ones I had.

[ktmama]

Dahlea, how did the ones you made before your baby came work for you? Did they fit OK?

[grniys]

I won't have time to sew after new baby arrives. At least not for the first few months.

[jennifercp8]

I don't have experience CD a NB, but I am not waiting to make any diapers. Knowing how exhausted I was with DS I am not going to take chances. I am making snappi-able fitteds out of recycled materials like t-shirts and some old fleece. If they don't fit, I am not out a fortune in fancy materials.

I have purchased a few covers, but I am knitting and sewing the rest to double as clothing (fleece pants, wool longies, etc). Hopefully I am covering all my bases!

[Devaskyla]

I'm making prefolds. There's no way I'm going to have time to sew with a newborn. If I get sleep, food & the occasional shower, I figure I'm doing great.

[mamasthree]

I've used the Sew Darling pattern for my newborn dipes this time around...they come out sized very similar to other newborn fitteds I have and used with my last dd. I don't think you have to wait at all!

The free newborn pattern works fine, but I bought this one because it is so comprehensive, and I plan to make more diapers in the bigger sizes. I love AIOs once my babes hit mediums.

[wobblykate]

Originally Posted by jennifercp8

I don't have experience CD a NB, but I am not waiting to make any diapers. Knowing how exhausted I was with DS I am not going to take chances. I am making snappi-able fitteds out of recycled materials like t-shirts and some old fleece. If they don't fit, I am not out a fortune in fancy materials.

I have purchased a few covers, but I am knitting and sewing the rest to double as clothing (fleece pants, wool longies, etc). Hopefully I am covering all my bases!

: This is our first and I love my sewing, but I'm guessing that there won't be a ton of time. I've been making diapers out of saved materials and clothign. I think I would wait on making a lot of larger sizes if you were planning on those, but NB I wouldn't wait on. If you're worried about fit, you could go the prefold route and buy/make a number of different covers and see what works. I'm doing a mix of kissaluvs 0 (e-bay score), homemade fitteds traced from the kissaluvs, and prefolds and wraps. GL!!

[izadora]

Originally Posted by mamasthree

I've used the Sew Darling pattern for my newborn dipes this time around...they come out sized very similar to other newborn fitteds I have and used with my last dd. I don't think you have to wait at all!

The free newborn pattern works fine, but I bought this one because it is so comprehensive, and I plan to make more diapers in the bigger sizes. I love AIOs once my babes hit mediums.

do these need seam allowance? I don't have a serger.

Thanks for sharing

[Dahlea]

The few I had I did use, they fit fine for about 2 weeks and then he was out of them. (he was 7 lb 12 oz at birth)

[love2bmom]

I sew them before baby arrives. I usually get started on the next size up as well. After having a baby I don't have the time or energy to sew. Newborns grow sooo quickly that by the time you're able to sit down and make them the baby will probably be just about ready to move to the next size up.
I suggest going ahead and making your diapers, make some doublers in case you need them, then see what you think after baby arrives and you're using the diapers.
Congratulations on baby and on sewing diapers!

[mamasthree]

Originally Posted by izadora

do these need seam allowance? I don't have a serger.

Thanks for sharing

sorry for the delay...I had my baby on 1/4!

anyway, the seam allowance is built in...you don't need a serger. These are working great, BTW!

[durafemina]

I vote before too. You could always sew some tie-ons - they are super easy and very adjustable for a newborn (or any size really).
There are directions through my sig link (blog)

[ktmama]

durafemina, I love the idea of that wrap dipe. What are some other materials you would recommend to use? I want to use some recycled material - I have lots of flannel, some micro fleece, regular fleece (both stretchy) and some t-shirt (some stretchy) material too. What do you think?

[ktmama]

also, can you use that wrap dipe as a pocket diaper?

[BananaBreadGirl]

Originally Posted by jennifercp8

I don't have experience CD a NB, but I am not waiting to make any diapers. Knowing how exhausted I was with DS I am not going to take chances. I am making snappi-able fitteds out of recycled materials like t-shirts and some old fleece. If they don't fit, I am not out a fortune in fancy materials.

I have purchased a few covers, but I am knitting and sewing the rest to double as clothing (fleece pants, wool longies, etc). Hopefully I am covering all my bases!

Ditto on the recycled fabrics. Then if they don't work well, look a little funny, or are outgrown quickly, you have not invested as much.

I wish my covers would have got here first so I would have known their size while sewing the diapers. The Mama bird fitteds newborn size I sewed seem like they'll barely fit in Thirsties x-small covers. So my advice is to get covers before you sew diapers.

[durafemina]

hey ktmama - I'd try the t-shirt material - it's basically what I used in the red/blue one. The fleece might get a bit bulky, and my microfleece isn't that stretchy, but it would probably work if you just cut the 'wings' at the back a little longer, kwim?
I guess you could use them as pocket dipes if you didn't sew the bottom shut - is that what you meant? In that case you might want to sew 2 lengths of stitches vertically so the insert doesn't shift around too much.

[Mymble]

I didn't sew NB covers, I bought some to use with my prefolds -- since they didn't fit AT ALL I am glad I didn't spend time sewing them!! (DD was big and the NB stuff was all too small.)

I spent my sewing time on tons of wipes, altering my prefolds, making clothes, and making bigger covers, which I started using almost immediately. If I were doing it again, I would skip NB covers again, I think.

[simplymother]

I'd say definitely make them beforehand! I was a little worried about fit too, I'd read the same warnings--but I couldn't imagine sitting down to sew a newborn stash AFTER having the baby! Plus, I wanted her in them right away. It really only makes sense, since they outgrow them in about 2 months (if you're lucky, some say only a few weeks) anyway.

The Very Baby newborn AIO pattern fit great, as did the same brand of fitteds. I wouldn't go for AIO's again for a newborn--too much work for such a short period of time, and they pee so much that each change just doesn't last that long. I found myself using them just because I made them--and trying to push away thoughts that the much cheaper, much quicker to make fitteds worked better. (The AIOs are cuter/slimmer though!)

[dis]

Definitely make them before, no way you'll have time to sew up an entire stash in the first few weeks! I'd try and get your smalls and some mediums sewn up as well.

If you go with fitteds, I highly recommend you make them out of knitted fabrics, not wovens. I made a whole bunch out of wovens which was a bad idea, DD outgrew them in about 2 weeks. If they'd been made of knit, they'd have had some stretch and fit a lot longer! Old t shirts make the best diapers, IMO.

The darling diapers pattern is my favourite - the full pattern is inexpensive and has options for pretty much every diaper variation you might want.