Please give me your ideal ideas

[Monarchgrrl]

Ok, I've read through a TON of the stickies, FAQ's, etc. I have no experience whatsoever with CDing. No IRL friends that do it. We're definitely going to use cloth, but I'm so confused. I'm not a mama yet and have no idea what kinds/types we'll want. We'll be TTC in 6 months. Money is no option and I know we won't want to do laundry more than 2-3 times/week. What should I have? Prefolds, AIO's, pocket? No idea!!!! I was thinking that we might do prefolds w/ covers at home and super cute AIO's out about town. My inclination is to buy all in AIO's or pockets but what if our baby doesn't like them? What if we buy lots of newborn sized and he/she is out of them in a few weeks? Did you have to try a bunch of different styles/types before you settled on one kind that worked best for you?

So...all that to ask...if money were no option, what would your ideal stockpile be? Specifics please.

TIA

[chely7425]

If money were no option I would do mostly fitteds and covers for the newborn stage, maybe some AIOs or teeny tiny pockets for out and about. Then I would do a mix of fitteds and AIOs/pockets for the bigger sizes. I would also definitely do all sized stuff, I have found the fit is better. I would buy 24 PFs and 24 fitteds in NB (my kids go through 15-20 diapers a day the frist 4-6 weeks) with 8 covers and then 12 pockets or AIOs for night times or out. Then I would buy a sampling in the next size up to see what you like and 24 PFs and covers to use while you try other things!

[Adasmommy]

There are so many options because we all have different preferences--so you'll just get opinions, and they won't all match!

I'd not spend a ton on newborn sizes, since some babes are born too big or grow out of them right away. If you get some flats or prefolds, you'll be able to use them for the newborn if smalls don't fit yet.

Keep in mind that you can resell diapers. So it's worth trying different kinds, finding out what you love, and trading the rest of your stash for more of what you love! Also, what you love will likely change as your baby changes, so instead of stocking up on years worth of diapers, do one size at a time, and as your baby starts to outgrow them, get a few different kinds in a bigger size, and when you figure out the best, get some more (selling or trading your smaller stash if you don't plan to keep them).

My ideal stash is all natural fibers (unlike the majority, I don't use any pockets or AIOs).

I use only wool for covers and LOVE them. Ideally I'd have plenty of wool longies and shorties instead of soakers, so that I don't have to put clothes on top of them (the shorties or longies are the pants as well as the diaper cover). And I want them to be super gorgeous knit ones!

I love all cotton fitteds (Motherease Sandys are my favorites) under the wool, but I'm planning flat diapers for this next baby and hope to love it even more for versatility, ease of cleaning/drying, and one size fits all

[inky leeuhhh]

well, i agree that everyone is going to give you a different answer on this, lol. i like as many natural fibers against dd's skin (though i do have some fleece inner dipes that i love). we do mostly pf's and covers evenings and weekends when im not nannying. during the weekdays when i have the little baby i nanny for i prefer my ai2's and aios for quick changes since there are two in diapers. my favorite ai2/aios are from green acre designs, and bottom bumpers, and my favorite covers are blueberry coveralls. if i had to pick one of them though it would be the plain ol' covers and prefolds because they are pretty much leak proof!

[Gabes Mommy]

I would get a variety of different dipes to see what you like. Some fitteds/covers, some AIOs, some pockets. I would recommend sized dipes for a newborn (example: BG AIO xs), because one size diapers tend to be too big for an itty bitty baby. Just explore the different websites and see what you like. It's a fun experience!

[Ola_]

I would think a mix of prefolds and fitteds, as well as covers for these would be a good choice for a newborn. This gives you good containment for runny baby poo and two layers to catch it (the diaper and the cover). I'd get a handful of pockets or AIOs for quick out and about changes. Add a bunch of cloth wipes, diaper pail liner, and a couple of smaller wetbags for when you're out.

Then when the little one gets bigger I'd get a mix of various AIOs, AI2s, pockets, and fitteds and see what works best for you and baby. Many mamas like to go coverless at home, either a lot of the time or depending on the circumstances (i.e. when playing outside, when it's hot in the summer, etc). This lets the bum get more air than the PUL layer in a cover or AIO/pocket, esp. if babe has sensitive skin or a rash. So I think prefolds/fitteds are still good to have for bigger babies.

[Galatea]

Get a variety of dipes in the newborn size. They will fit for about 2 months on average. Enough time to learn what you like. Then you can buy more of what you like in larger sizes. Using sposies on a newborn costs over $200 in the first two months so $200 of cloth is not wasting money.

For a newborn, Kissaluvs 0, XS Thirsties, NB Bummis Super Brite, Bamboozle 1, DryBees Gone Natural 1, infant prefolds, and extra small bumGenius 3.0 All-In-One, FuzziBunz, and SposoEasys for going out.

[alfabetsoup]

I think diapering goes in 2 stages: 0-6 months (or whenever baby grows out of smalls) and 6m-potty training. After they grow out of small sizes they fit one size diapers pretty well.

I like prefolds on a newborn, so for the first stage I would get:

24 newborn prefolds
24-36 infant prefolds
6 xsmall Imse Vimse or Nikki covers
6 small Imse Vimse or Nikki covers
2 small Aristocrats soakers
12 xsmall Imse Vimse or BumGenius AIOs
wetbags
wipes

For the 2nd stage I would get:
24 OS fitteds
4 IV or Nikki covers, will have to size up as baby grows
4 overnight diapers
2 Aristocrats or Disana soakers
18 BG Organic OS AIOs

That would be my core stash, but I would probably also spend a small fortune getting super cute wool combos and special diapers from hyena cart.

It's nice to have some really small things. DD2 was 8lbs but a slow grower so the xsmall covers fit her for 3 months--the smalls were really too big at first. I haven't tried any one-size covers but some people really like them, you can read reviews at diaperpin.com.