I'm new @ cloth diapering - what should I know?

[writteninkursive]

We are having our third child in August, and it will be our first cloth-diapered baby (as it didn't even dawn on my uneducated self when I had my first two!). There are a ton of cloth diapers out there... I see ads all over the place, and I've been looking at some on Ebay. But I have no idea what we need, how many, what kinds. We're expecting a boy, if that makes any difference other than the cuteness and frilliness of the diapers.

So for a first-timer... what do you advise? Where should I get them, how many, what kind, I've heard about needing liners or something of that nature... any input! Thanks!

[levans]

If you plan to cloth diaper from the start, you need to get a newborn stash. A common recommendation is to get 3 dozen newborn diapers (a combo of orange edge prefolds at greenmountaindiapers.com and fitteds such as NB Muttaqin Baby or Kissaluvs size 0 if you wish) and at least 6 NB covers (such as Bummis or Thirsties). I suggest you start there, then build your stash for a larger baby with one-size diapers when you've had the time to research what you'd like to try.
If you are happy with prefolds, then stick with them. Personally, I love them and preferred them to the pocket diapers I used on my daughter. For the next baby I'll use prefolds and fitteds. I have some goodmama's one-size fitted diapers and have made some wool diaper covers from recycled sweaters. I have also sewed some fitteds I plan to use with Bummis covers.
You will find that everyone has their own opinion on what works best, but through all the advice just remember that cloth diapering works and it is much easier than it seems at first. Good luck!
Oh...and one more thing: natural fibers (as opposed to synthetic like microfiber) are easiest to get clean. You can avoid stinky diapers by staying with natural fibers

[brietta]

Here's a helpful link: http://www.jilliansdrawers.com/newtocloth

I would read all 8 topics to get a good frame of reference for everything. Then once you kind of think you know what types of diapers you'd like to go with, you'll be able to get lots more info that's specific to those diapers.

I, too, didn't cloth diaper until my 3rd. I just didn't know anything about cloth any sooner!

Good luck!

[writteninkursive]

Ooh, thanks for posting that link! The $10 try-it thing sounds amazing, with different kinds. Neato, I'll be checking back there before baby arrives for sure! Thank you!

[Bran]

I am new to cloth diapering as well. With my second one due any minute I was really having a hard time trying to determine what to buy.

However, for me, knowing I have big babies (my first was 8lbs 7oz) it isn't worth it for me to invest a whole lot in newborns as they only go to 10 lbs and my lo wou'd be out of those in a blink of an eye. So I got about 12 prefolds, 2 fitteds,1 aio and 2 or 3 covers. I was lucky enought to have another cloth mommy lend them to me so now I can just focus on building up my size small statsh, which should go from 9-15 lbs or get ones that will hopefully take us all the way to the end. Like one size pockets or aio's or something like that.

So baby size - to me - seems important in figureing this out as well. After that I tried to get a couple of each type of diaper (prefolds, fitted, pockets, aio) and a few different brands so I can see what I like.

[Michigan Mama]

I started initially with several different brands of pocket dipes and prefolds. I found prefolds tough at first, but really like them now. Now my favorite is a fitted with a nice cover. So my suggestion is always to try several types and brands so you can see what you like!

Seems like a lot to figure out at first, but you will. And what works well for diapers, washing, etc - is different for every family. There's a bit of a learning curve, but don't get frustrated. Just keep asking questions!

[Ifluffedthree]

I always liked the fitteds or prefolds with a good cover.

I would suggest mixing it up a bit to find out what you like and what baby's skin will like.

Good Luck

[Galatea]

Here's an article I wrote about newborn diapers, but it also applies to older babies (you just need fewer diapers):

Expectant parents who want to use cloth diapers are often very confused about what makes a good newborn stash. Having had no real-world experience with cloth diapers, choosing what to use on their new baby can be very difficult! Most people want to save money in case their baby grows very quickly and only fits in newborn diapers for a month, but the reality is that most babies can wear newborn diapers for two to four months, so it is important to buy diapers that you will like to use.

Many newborns pee a lot and poop all the time. For this reason, you need 24-36 diapers. My last baby had to be changed every hour for the first month, so I really needed that many diapers! The cheapest way to go would be 2 or 3 dozen infant prefolds and 6 to 10 extra small covers, with 4 Snappis. This would likely get you through two to three days and be very economical since the infant prefolds can be used as pocket diaper inserts and boosters later. Learning to use a prefold on a newborn is easy because newborns stay still while you change them!

Kissaluvs size 0 fitteds are really popular for newborns, and for good reason - they are a fitted diaper that is really easy to put on, but they are truly small enough for a newborn, and their cotton fleece texture really grabs and traps those runny newborn poops. These fit best under an extra small Thirsties cover, but a Bummis is fine as well. If you wanted to use Kissaluvs exclusively, you would need about 2 dozen and 6-8 covers.

The absolute simplest way to cloth diaper a newborn is with pockets or all-in-ones. FuzziBunz makes an extra small pocket with crossover snaps that really fits a newborn and is super-easy for anyone to put on. The SposoEasy all-in-one newborn size is a great option with a soft cotton inner and Aplix closure. The Green Acre Designs small can fit larger newborns and is super-cute. BumGenius! diapers are one-size from 7 to 35 pounds and so are a very economical choice. They might be a bit bulky on a newborn, but that’s okay! Baby won’t mind and you’re saving money! If you choose this type of diapers exclusively, plan on 2 dozen.

(With whatever diapers you get, you need as many wipes as you have diapers, plus another half-dozen or dozen. Get some flannel for pees and little poops, and some textured cotton velour for bigger poops. Don’t forget wipe solution, rash cream, wetbag and pail liners, and the Diaper Sprayer. You will have these for the whole time you have children in diapers.)

I recommend getting some of each type, for a couple of reasons: 1) you don’t know what shape your baby will be or how he will pee and poop; 2) you don’t know what diaper you will like; 3) it’s good to have some very simple diapers that anyone can change (and that you can change at 3 a.m. or while out); and 4) you need so many diapers that it can be too expensive to buy all pockets and all-in-ones. My stash for my last baby was:

18 infant prefolds

4 Snappis

6 Kissaluvs size 0

6 Kissaluvs booster doublers

6 extra small covers (Thirsties, Bummis Super Brite, Bummis Super Whisper Wrap)

3 extra small FuzziBunz

3 extra small SposoEasy

3 small Green Acre Designs

3 bumGenius! one-size (both the 3.0 and the organics)

That makes 36 diapers and I was washing every 2.5 days. My baby wore these diapers for 2 months, at which point she fit into smalls. She could still wear the infant prefolds until 4 months. Of course the one-size bumGenius! still fit her at 11 months!

[Smirkin]

http://diaperpages.com/index.php

this is a helpful site, written by a mom so it's not commercial at all. It's a good site to look at especially if you're thinking of doing mostly prefolds, which are the cheapest and most low maintenance way to go. There are tons and tons of fancier options out there, enough to make you dizzy really , but if you want to keep it simple, you could just start with prefolds and build from there as you get more of a feel for what you need/like.

If you did decide to start with prefolds, you'd only need about 2 dozen newborn-sized prefolds (prob $1-$3 each depending on where you got them, used or new), maybe 6 or so covers ($5-$15 each again depending), and maybe a wool for nighttime ($$$), but that's really not necessary. Then you could just use that for the first 6 weeks or so and get the hang of it, and build up from there with pockets, AIOs, and all the rest of the wide wide CD world!

This was the same advice I was given as a newbie when I was pregnant, and I followed it for the most part. I eventually of course was tempted to try out a bunch of the fancy stuff - pockets, AIOs, fitteds, etc - and they are cool, but I always find myself going back to the prefolds. Just my two cents!

[Lynda&Jenna]

Hi,
A good rule of thumb is you will need 12 diapers a day per baby. A onesize diaper is more economical. You'll need 2 wet bags, these hold in smell and wetness in your diaper bag. Cloth friendly rash cream. Cloth friendly detergent. Everyone likes something different as far as brand. You might want to try a few different ones before you decide what to go with for your stash. We personally use a mix. Newborn stage we like newborn size. They fit is much nicer. Congratulations on the new baby.
Lynda