Cloth Diapers for Birth Center Stay

[roses25]

I really need some suggestions because I feel like I'm packing for a 2 week vacation as I pack my prefolds, covers, wipes, etc. I live 3 hours away from the birth center I'll be delivering at, so I will be staying in the town that has the birth center in it anywhere from 1 week to 4 weeks (until about 2 days after my baby's born so it depends on when my baby decides to come). So I not only have the baby's stuff to pack, but I also need my own clothing for about a week and I'll wash once a week while there.

So I'm thinking about packing one suitcase for the entire stay and then another suitcase for the short 2-12 hours stay at the birth center. How many prefolds would you suggest taking to the birth center? I have both newborn (5-10 pounds) and small (10 pounds to 6 weeks) prefolds. Do you think I should take some of each with me to the birth center? How many wipes do you think I should take with me?

Thank you for any packing suggestions.
Carolyn

[Kerr096]

I gave birth in a hospital so we did not use cloth there. I can guess we went through about 10-15 pampers a day. Newborns have meconium for the first two days or so (which I think would stain cloth) I would bring some liners to protect your diapers. My dd would poop before and during bf so I felt like I was changing her all the time. I have no idea how much cd you would need, I just remember she went through a lot of diapers the first two weeks. Good luck!

[katie9143]

if you are planning on bfing, which i assume you are, for that first day after you give birth, chances are your milk wont even be in yet, until after you go home. mine took about 2 days. in those first couple days, my baby hardly went to the bathroom at all. yes there were a couple little meconium ones, and they washed out of the pfs just fine. i cant imagine 15 diapers the first couple days unless the baby was getting formula or some other suplimentation. that is just from my one experience though as i do only have one child so far

[simplehome]

I think we used maybe 4 or 5 diapers the first day, then 7 or 8 on day two. My milk comes in fast, though. I think I'd take at least 18 diapers for those two days, just to be safe. I'd pack at least as many wipes as dipes, because meconium can take a few wipes to get off. Pack as many covers as you have!

Meconium has always washed out just fine for me, and will DEFINITELY sun out of a prefold, if it does stain. I wouldn't bother with any liners, myself.

As for sizes, I'd just take the small ones.

Pack some snappis?

[wild fire child]

A lot of people assume meconium stains badly, but I have no stains from it. I do have neon green stains from a foremilk imbalance at first, and bright orange stains from normal bf poo. stains happen. sun fixes it, but I don't care enough to try

2 dozen lasted about 1 week for me, so I doubt you'll need many. I used preemie for the first week (I bought them to use as doublers but liked the trim fit at first), he was a skinny 7 lbs 12ozs, so unless you have a huge baby I doubt you'll need bigger than newborn size. I found that 1 poop needs 1 wipe, but I only went through 6 or so before I realized that the wipes solution I had was giving me horrid welts, and he hated the tiny bit of cold the wipes got when coming to him right from the sink...so we switched to sink baths quick. So I really don't know how many wipes you'll need.