What to dress cloth diapered baby in?

[birdie.lee]

I hope this is the right place to put this question...

What do you dress your cloth diapered babies in?  I am going to cloth diaper my baby am wondering how are these teeny tiny onesies going to fit over a cloth prefold and cover?  Plus some of the covers I have are so cute that I don't want to cover them up.  I am having a late November baby, so I am worried about keeping the baby warm enough.  I am knitting up some baby leggings but I am not sure what they can wear on top.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

[rinap]

We often go up a size in onesies when we need to. For newborns, gowns can be a way to go (usually they have a bit more room). And I've heard that Under the Nile are cut with room for bigger diapers.

Ours were newborns in the summer, so we often went with either just a diaper and cover or a diaper and a t-shirt when they were small.

[AnkaJones]

When mine was newborn, we just used regular newborn size clothes (he was 6 1/2 lbs at birth, and is now about 13 pounds).  The fabric is pretty stretchy so that you can get them over your baby's head, so we didn't have any trouble even with our larger nighttime diapers.  I tried using the larger sizes, but DS just drowned in them, you know?  The one brand that didn't work was Ralph Lauren (I didn't know they made a baby brand either, but my 7 year old neice shops for us at the local Goodwill and came home with them one day) -- way too slim for a cloth diaper, and the fabric didn't really give as much.

I'm totally with you on showing off the covers!  I was cover obsessed while I was pregnant, and even now I love them.  Leggings are a good idea.  There are t-shirts and long sleeve shirts for babies... we had a bunch of them from Goodwill.  And this last week I found two zip up sweatshirts.

Best,

Anka

[birdie.lee]

Thanks rinap and AnkaJones!  I am going to get some gowns and also, after much internet searching, some t-shirts.  I will definitely keep an eye out for non-onesie clothing.

[gitanamama]

I'm glad I'm not the only one with this dilemma! It seems like as CD gains (or regains) popularity, more baby clothes manufacturers would address the needs of bigger bottomed babies...but I guess not.

I found onsie extenders to be really helpful if buying one size up doesn't work for you (just google "onsie extender" and you should get plenty of results.) For the first few months the baby sacks work really well and by the time your little one is mobile, it should be warm enough to dress him/her in a t-shirt and diaper. 

P.S. Congratulations!

[dejagerw]

I never have a problem with onesies. I just go up a size. My problem is with shorts or pants. My babies are always such chunks, plus with a cloth diaper. Most shorts and pants will not fit. I have to make sure the pants or shorts are really stretchy, or they won't go on. DS2 is 8 months and a lot of 18 month pants are too tight :/

[birdie.lee]

Thanks gitanamama and dejagerw!  I'd never heard of onesies extenders, I will have to check those out.  And I guess when the baby arrives I will have a better idea of what sort of sizes of clothes I need to get.  I will look beyond the infant sizes for pants and shorts.  I don't know whether I will have a string bean or a chunk!  Good to know there are options though and I am not the only one thinking about this issue!

[swd12422]

check out American Apparel for t-shirts! DS lived in their t-shirts and they washed really well, no fading. I bought him a long-sleeve waffle tee to cover him up at the beach; I think it was a 12 or 18 month size but since he's so small he was able to wear it for 2 years after that before it got too small. It still looks like new, as do the short sleeve lap tees.

[birdie.lee]

Thanks swd12422!  Love it that American Apparel has organic options...for the same price as conventional cotton!  Will have to be making a purchase...

[amberskyfire]

I just put plain tees on baby without the snaps in the crotch. It makes diaper changing easier, anyway and onesies are really just to cover up ugly disposable dipes. No need to cover cloth. They are super cute! At bedtime, I prefer using baby gowns. they are so easy to change diapers in.

[Perdita_in_Ontario]

I'm not a fan of onesies. We used them occasionally, but I preferred shirts, sweatshirts, and leggings :)

[scottishmommy]

Our newborn girl wears a dress, a wool diaper cover, baby leggings and socks. If I had a boy, I'd probably do the same, except with a shirt intend of a dress.
For newborns I also sleep gowns.

[hildare]

when dd was newborn and young babyish, we didn't use onesies.  i didn't like them, and would even take some a few sizes bigger and cut them with pinking shears (cool zigzag effect) or seam on the machine.  or bought tshirts..

for the pants, i still haven't found jeans that work so well, so we did and still do knit pants that stretch or just babylegs.  i even made a few of those out of old cool mama knee socks, too.  i am finding that babylegs work pretty well for potty learning these days, too.. so they're worthwhile investments.

[Nicole730]

Originally Posted by amberskyfire 

I just put plain tees on baby without the snaps in the crotch. It makes diaper changing easier, anyway and onesies are really just to cover up ugly disposable dipes. No need to cover cloth. They are super cute! At bedtime, I prefer using baby gowns. they are so easy to change diapers in.

I love onesies, I don't want my baby's stomach exposed and cold air reaching them.  I use them from birth up to age 2. :)  

We cloth diaper and the only problem I've noticed with onesies is that I need to go a size up a little earlier than I otherwise would have to. 

fyi - for pants, I've loved all the older Oshkosh ones I've found at rummages.  The jeans and cords are nice and roomy for a cloth butt.

[birdie.lee]

Thanks everyone for the ideas!  I am excited for my baby to arrive so I can actually dress them AND show off his/her cute cloth diapers.  

[amberskyfire]

Have you tried crotch extenders for onesies? Someone gave me a pair in my baby stash with my last baby and I've only just now figured out what they are. http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=484759
 

Originally Posted by Nicole730 

I love onesies, I don't want my baby's stomach exposed and cold air reaching them.  I use them from birth up to age 2. :)  

We cloth diaper and the only problem I've noticed with onesies is that I need to go a size up a little earlier than I otherwise would have to. 

fyi - for pants, I've loved all the older Oshkosh ones I've found at rummages.  The jeans and cords are nice and roomy for a cloth butt.

[tettiebear]

On casual days I put my ds in a cute t-shirt and leggings. Especially if hes wearing a cd with a cute print. :) However I haven't had too much of an issue with onesies fitting over the diapers. 

[greenmulberry]

If I don't have something over the diaper cover, like a onesie or one piece sleeper, my 8 moth old takes off her diaper cover! She loves the velcro.

[amautik]

I like to dress my DD in one-piece suits/rompers.  Not the ones with feet (those seem more like nighttime gear since they're called 'sleepers' and all), but something like it without the feet.   DD is one chunky monkey, plus she's cloth-diapered, so pants don't fit her very well.  And with the one-piece suit, there's nothing tight against her belly (nothing tighter than the diaper, anyway).  I find they just seem comfy. 

[mambera]

I don't like onesies either.  My 6-week-old has been wearing long-sleeved mitten-cuffed shirts under a zip-up footed romper (Gerber Sleep n Play).  I like that I can just zip the baby into her suit; it fits fine over her CD and her feet stay warm (socks always fall off IME).