What worked best for your newborn??

[MuslimMama]

I am sure this will be a hands-down "PREFOLDS!! with covers", but I am going to ask anyways.

Here is the deal... DS is 19 months and we use Fuzibunz Medium pocket dipes. They work great for us.

I have #2 due next month and my "plan" is to purchase Fuzibunz Small until she grows into the mediums... then they can share.

Until the point that she grows into that (I am guessing around the 1 month mark or so- DS was 8lbs 3oz at birth), AND until the umbilical cord falls off (this always worries me), I need a cloth solution.

I figure that my choices are to:
1. just put her straight into the Fuzibunz small (but again there is the umbilical problem plus they might be too big)
2. invest in fitteds (pretty big investment for only 1 month)
3. Prefolds

I just hate prefolds though they are soooo huge and bulky and just look so uncomfortable on the LO. Of course, the plus side is that they are cheap and you can fold them to fit any size baby!

So what did you mamas do with your LO? And if you did do prefolds as a newborn, what age did you start doing something else (pockets, etc)

Thanks!!

[mumkimum]

I mostly use prefolds until the lo gets too squigly for them (for dd1, this was. . um, size medium around 1 year) and even them, we still used them for nights.

I do love flats with a newborn. They're much less bulkier and you can get a better fit (I got some hemp jersey flats for dd2 - now 2 months and they're awesome, plus they can get used to stuff pockets later). If you're really wanting to avoid prefolds you could still consider flats.
We did get a few of the thirsties duo diapers (they're pockets, basically) and I have been really impressed with how well they fit a newborn - I'd totally recommend those. Their fit was good even early on (dd2 was 7lbs at birth) and they were easy to fit around her cord area (same with the covers).

[DevaMajka]

I used coverless fitteds, mostly. I got a bunch of nb fitteds, including lots of KL0's used for good prices.
If we were going out, we used prefolds with covers. I used the orange edge GMD's. I don't remember thinking they were that bulky, but ds2 was a big baby, and grew fast.

I wonder if gerber flats would work for a nb? Definitely not absorbant enough for a bigger baby, but maybe for a nb. (I much prefer flats to pfs. I just fold in fourths, then trifold like a pf). And I've found gerber flats really useful for all kinds of non-cd related things around here!

[Perdita_in_Ontario]

Second-hand fitteds here. We had mainly Mother-Ease Sandy's, and a few Kissaluv 0s. All second hand. It really cut down on the price, and they really, really contain runny poo.

I doubt your FB smalls will fit at first - probably around 10 or 11lbs.

I found the Kissaluvs were best for not irritating the umbilical stump.

[sweet_tart_vt]

I used GM orange-edge nb pf's on my now 16month old DS for his 1st 4months and I. HATED. THEM!!! I know lots of mamas love pf's but for me I just never got into them. Yes, they are the most econmical, and the natural fibers are great for babe's skin, they dont get that nasty stink like some other dipes do, but I just didnt like them. I ended up really liking newborn Mutt's, newborn Goodmamas, and got some really nice WAHM fitteds made for me from a lady that made me 18 fitteds and we traded for the GM pf's I didnt like.The NB Mutts fit a newborn really well, have 2 rise settings to fit 5-15lb babies and keep things contained really well. The Newborn Goodmamas are a bit bluky, but super soft, really absorbent and fit a newborn's shape well. I am due with #7 any day now and plan to use my fitteds again. Once they get past the chicken leg stage I like pockets. We use BG 3.0 OS, BG OS AIO Organics and OS Blueberry Minky.

[Tiana]

My son was fairly large at birth (9lbs 4oz). He used homemade prefolds, pinned, with homemade wool soakers from about 2 weeks old, and they worked great for us. His diapers were made quite small, and not hugely bulky (so they did require frequent changes), and the soakers were also made to fit. I'm not sure if purchased prefolds would fit as nicely. I have no personal experience with them on a newborn, but I've heard mixed reviews.