pls help a new CD momma out!! re: prefolds

[tippy]

hey mommas!

ok, so i have:
-24 gerber prefolds
-4 newborn thirsties covers
-12 BG all-in-one one size
-1 cover/insert econobum
-1 cover/insert flip

and then i found out that the gerber prefolds suck - lol. so now i'm freaking out. i went to GMD and saw that their prefolds are sized, and i don't know how many of each i should get. can you ladies please give me some guidance on how many you think i should get of each size. i know at some point i can just switch over to my BGs, but i'd like to have prefolds the whole time to use as back-up, if that makes any sense.

any thoughts, or am i going overboard??

TIA!!!

[lucy_v]

i'm a 1st time mama & totally new to cloth. dd is almost 6 wks. i followed gmd's recs & ordered 3 doz newborn pfs & 1 doz infant. i have 3 thirsties duo covers that i love, 2 bummis that i hardly use (don't contain leaks as well, ime). snappis also. this has worked really well for me to learn to use cloth. (i used disposables for 1st 2 weeks.)

the infant pfs are great burp cloths! but i think i'm about to start using them as dipes.. dd is 10 lbs (born @ 7)

[Bokonon]

Can you start with flats instead? That way you wouldn't have to change sizes as baby grows.

[Mom2SammyJoe]

I used Gerbers on both my kids to start with, as that is all I knew in the beginning. While they are thin, they work fine in place of infant sized prefolds. I say if you have them, you might as well use them. For DD, we used them Snappied for 4-5 months then moved right up to premium prefolds. We have some BG's that we use at night. Use your money on the bigger sizes.

[Babina's Mommy]

The problem with the Gerber prefolds is the layer of polyester batting they put in the middle. The stuff really is not too absorbant. Drives me crazy! I had a bunch of Gerber prefolds and my friend gave me some that were also Gerber (the weave looked slightly different, probably just an older style) I cut them all open just to be sure. Yep, polyester...

[Katie T]

I used Gerber for a year, they work just aren't as absorbant.

I would either order 1 or 2 dozen infant size pf if you have $ to spare or if money is tight/you cheap (like me ) you could use what you have and then go straight for the premium size.

I used Bum Genius and they fit on my dd at 10days old (when her stump fell off). She was born at 7.11.

If you wash every day to every other you will be fine with what you have until you need a bigger size.

[Ola_]

GMD prefolds are great because they have all those different sizes. But if you want just standard size prefolds you can get them from other places. One with good prices is Little Lions. Then you'd get just regular infant prefolds, then size up to the premium size eventually.

If your Gerber prefolds have polyester batting in the middle they will suck for absorbency. If they are all cotton layers though they may be better. Still not as absorbent as "diaper service quality" stuff that you'd buy online, but you can double up or use them in a pinch when you run out of your good prefolds.

You may want some more covers, that kind of depends on the person and the baby too. If you decide to get a couple more try a different brand as some fit babies better than others, depending on their shape.

[tippy]

thank you ladies for all of the advice!! it has been so so helpful. i'm not sure why i'm getting so worked up over this whole CD issue - lol.

Originally Posted by Bokonon

Can you start with flats instead? That way you wouldn't have to change sizes as baby grows.

actually i do have about 24 flats all together (still Gerber though that i got from BRU). i didn't even mention them since they intimidate me, and i was just planning to use them for cleaning or burp cloths. i guess i'm going to have to research how to fold them properly.

[lucy_v]

Originally Posted by tippy

thank you ladies for all of the advice!! it has been so so helpful. i'm not sure why i'm getting so worked up over this whole CD issue - lol.

I was SO stressed about being fully prepared for CD. In the end, I had everything I needed, but childbirth & nursing & everything else was so much more overwhelming than i expected, so i ended up using disposables at first. (I had no hands-on experience with cloth prior to this.) Try to not stress over it too much & enjoy the last few weeks of your pregnancy!

[Mom2SammyJoe]

Just remember that a baby will happily pee on anything. It it absorbs pee, go with it. receiving blankets, wash cloths, dish towels...your baby with love whatever is soft and dry that you put on her bum. Just fold stuff in a prefold-like rectangle and go with it. Good for you for wanting to CD your precious little one!

[tippy]

Originally Posted by Mom2SammyJoe

Just remember that a baby will happily pee on anything. It it absorbs pee, go with it. receiving blankets, wash cloths, dish towels...your baby with love whatever is soft and dry that you put on her bum. Just fold stuff in a prefold-like rectangle and go with it. Good for you for wanting to CD your precious little one!

lol! aww, thx! if only i could get a handle on all the lingo , but i'm sure that will all come with time. my sis and i were both CD'd when we were babes, so i guess it just felt right like the right step for me. hopefully i don't mess it up

[inky leeuhhh]

you won't mess it up! you'll love cding. id try and use the gerbers until baby outgrew them or was out peeing them, then switch over to using those for burp cloths and get some gmd brown edges. our dd has been wearing those since about 4 mos, and they are going to last her a LONG time. maybe even till pting. i dont have any experience with the gerbers though and don't really know how big they are- will they fold down small enough for a newborn to wear them?

[3boobykins]

Have you checked out Diaper Swappers forums?

http://www.diaperswappers.com

The Q and A forums are way more active than this one ( I think that's WHY this one is so quiet when it used to be very active). Also, their for sale or trade forums are huge and active, if you want to pick up more dipes or covers and save some money.

I've heard that the Gerber flats can work well on a newborn, btw.

[MEcatlady17]

Another thought, while having newborn sized prefolds is convenient, why not buy GMD prefolds in a larger size and fold down. That way you can use them for a longer amount of time. They will be bulkier on a young baby but can be 'grown into'. Meanwhile you get the good quality of a premium prefold without paying the extra for sized diapers. I believe GMD used to only carry infant and toddler sized before upgrading to the sized ones. Having sized prefolds is more a luxury than necessity.

I have two dozen gerbers we use as burp cloths for our super spitter. I would imagine they would work fine with a doubler if changed often. At least during the newborn stage when they don't pee as much. If money is a concern, try starting with what you have. You can always add to your stash later as you figure out what your preferences are.