Need some more help, please!

[eatingfor3]

I am having twins sometime this summer and have decided to cloth diaper them. I expect them to be quite small at birth, around 5 pounds, 6 tops. My kids tend to grow slow-- my 3.5 year old is just 33 pounds. Both of my kids were barely 13 pounds when they were 7 months old. I don't know if the twins will take the same growth pattern, but I am not expecting them to be chunky by any means.

I got some great advice from some posters here last time I begged for help, and now I'm hoping to have some more input. I am a complete novice so forgive me if these questions have been asked 6052 times before or are just plain dumb!

It appears that the most common way to CD premie size babies is to do prefolds and covers. I will be having some outside help when the babies come home and I'm worried that the people helping won't be able to grasp using prefolds and covers, especially because they are used disposables only. Can I/ they trifold and use a prorap or would it be better to use a "special" fold, snappi or pins and then cover? I would really like to avoid blowouts and messes.

My other thought is to use disposables until the twins are able to fit into size 0 Kissaluvs because I'm pretty sure that the people helping me would be able to use fitted and honestly, I think I will be happier using fitteds than using prefolds. (I've never used prefolds though so I could be wrong)

If I used Kissaluvs, what would be the best cover to use with them?

One of my friends swears by the Stacinator So Simple covers with Kissaluvs but her daughter had chunky thighs and my kids have never had so much as a fat roll on their legs. Do those covers only work well for babies with thicker legs?

Also, the water at our house is very hard well water and we will be using a front loading washer. Will I have problems washing Kissaluvs with this water/ washer combination? Would there be a better fitted diaper to use?

I am really interested in getting something easy to use and something that will be more trim on their bums.

And, lastly, if I decide to go with prefolds/ covers or fitteds and covers, how many should I get for twins, if I want to be washing once every other day?

If there is something I am overlooking, should take into consideration or could do better, please let me know! I need all the help I can get!

Thank you so much!

[mamasthree]

I think prefolds would be a great option, and of course you can trifold them, though the covers will get poop on them, so you'll need more covers. I've never had a blowout in cloth (tons in sposies!), the cover may get dirty, but it never gets past that. I'd definitely stick with a cover that has leg gussets for small thighs. I prefer to snappi, and it really isn't hard to learn. You'll get a lot of use from the newborn prefolds and they are easy to launder.

I like fitteds on newborns as well, though Kissaluvs were not ones I liked (not very absorbant, get crunchy in the wash, and bulky in the bum). Swaddlebees newborn were my favs, I also really liked newborn Mutts. Both of those would probably fit smaller babies better than Kissaluvs.

With well water and a front loader, I'd stay away from any synthetics (other than PUL covers). Good luck with the decisions!

[Michigan Mama]

If money were no object, I would go for fitteds, but will probably be using a combo of fitteds and pf's myself (due Aug with #2)... with a combo of wool and PUL covers.

LIke the PP said, you can totally trifold pf's for simplicity sake, you just might go though more covers. Then you can learn the jelly roll fold or something for yourself and pin or snappi so it leaks less. http://www.littleturtleknits.com/sidewallpf.htm

For twins and washing other day, I'd want about 50-60 diapers, and at least 12 covers, I think, maybe 15. Whew! I like Thirsties, but I think they may be too big on your nb, you probably want to have some premie covers around, like from Proraps.

You'll have your hands full, but you can do it, Mama! And we'll be here to answer questions anytime!

[russsk]

I thought I'd prefer fitteds before DS was born, but I always go back to the prefolds. I would start with prefolds, and maybe a few fitteds. You can always get more later.

Kissaluvs might be a problem with the hard water, as they aren't 100% cotton. I really like Under the Nile for fitteds, but I don't think they would work for the tiny newborn stage. Growing Greens are excellent (and dry much faster than UTNs). You can use the doubler as a contour diaper for the tiny stage, then graduate to the diaper without doubler before moving onto the whole shebang. A really great diaper, IMO. We've had some since birth (albeit at 9 lbs) and they still fit at 27 lbs.

Since the really tiny stage doesn't last all that long, I would go with prefolds and get some size small fitteds or one-sizes later on if you still want. Trifolding and snappi'ing are both really easy. Even my husband can do it. And as for messes - you might get a little on the leg gussets of the cover, but that's not a big deal. The worst blowouts we've ever had have been with disposables. Prefolds and covers work far better, IMO.