Brand spankin' new to cloth diapers...now some questions

[dayxday]

Hello everyone, 

I'm expecting my second son in the next month and have decided to abandon the disposables this time around and use cloth diapers. First of all I live abroad, so not all of the US brands are available here. But thanks to the wonders of the internet, my local shop, etc. special ordering is always an option. That being said, I've just received my sample pack, which includes an all-in-one pocket diaper and a snap in (?) with a waterproof cover. I'll try out both, see what type I prefer and make a bigger purchase then. So...all that being said, a few questions:

1.) What are some of the best brands you've come across? Please note: I will not be making any of my own. I wish I was in that way inclined, but I'm just not.

2.) Did you start out with a full supply or add to it over time?

3.) How many do you recommend for starting out? I've read from 20 to 36.

4.) How many diaper changes did/do you average with a newborn?

Anyway, many more questions to come I'm sure! I imagine it will all be trial and error, but just trying to get a gauge on what to expect.

Thanks! 

[mamatoabirdie]

That's fantastic news!  Welcome to the cloth diapering journey.  I know it can seem really overwhelming at first (I still get overwhelmed) but it gets much easier down the road and you will find your groove.  So to answer your questions....

1.  I am not a brand lover, to be honest with you.  HOWEVER, I have heard amazing things about kiwipies and if I could do it all over again, I would probably have gone with them.  I bought diapers from SAHMs, zulily, ect.  Really, most of my diapers are "off-brand."  LotusBumz, Royal Fluff, ect.  They work just fine for me, although I'm sure better are out there.

2.  I started out with a pretty meager full supply.  Enough to get through two days, but I left some room to fill it out with other diapers I may like better later on. 

3.  You want at least 10 per day (at LEAST) and it depends on how often you want to do laundry.  I have about 25 diapers now and have to do laundry every other day.  I could stand to stock up a little more but I don't really want to spend the money right now and every other day works pretty well for me.  

4.  So my rule is under 10 pounds, and I do disposables.  That's just for me, but I find that it's much cheaper for us.  Both of my kids have reached 10 pounds within about two months and we often got diapers for gifts, so we just used those.  It worked better for us than spending a few hundred dollars on a newborn stash.  I would probably do it differently next time, though.  I don't think I want my next to have sposies at all.  I would say we went through about fifteen diapers a day at first.  Sometimes more, sometimes a little less.  My kiddos aren't crazy poopers but it just really depends.

Good luck!  It totally is trial and error and I've found that in the end, it just matters that my kid's butt is covered.  

[dayxday]

Fabulous! Thanks for the advice momtoabirdie, especially about the ten pound rule. I was wondering about that...Of course, my first son was over ten pounds at birth! We'll see where the little one weighs in, but looking at these sample reusables, I can't see them fitting on a wee one's bottom. They say one size, but look gigantic! 

Meanwhile, I will look up kiwipies. Ten a day sounds about right...Laundry is always being done around here, hence a big part of the decision. Plus we line-dry, so...savings there. 

Anyway, thanks again! I will be back with more questions, I'm sure. 

[iowaorganic]

I agree on not buying newborn diapers.  My kids have all been over 8# so we do disposables for the first month or two and then go into size smalls.  As far as the number of changes- all the time for a newborn!  I never like to feed them with a wet/dirty diaper and then they poo as they eat so that is about a million diapers a day.  36 is a great number- but probably a few more than you absolutely need.  I would say 30 is just about perfect.  If you line dry AIOs will still take a while to dry- so be prepared for that.  We went through a phase with DS1 where all I used were AIOs and now with #5 I only use fitted diapers with wool covers- so expect your style to change over time too :)

[LeighPF]

With my first we had 36 newborn diapers and that was way more than we need washing every other day ish.

With my second, my first was still in diapers and I washed at least every other day and got away with much more like 18 newborn diapers.

One size diapers generally don't fit babies under 10 lb with some leg meat. Rumparooz 8lb.

Flats or prefolds and waterproof covers are the cheapest way to do the newborn stash.  They both line dry well (flats line dry like dream)

Start with a two day supply. Somewhere in the neighbour hood of 24 diaper changes. I added more and in larger sizes overtime as I found my favourites.

My Favourites.I have lots of others that I like, but these are my loves.

Prefolds & Flats: Ikea flat burp cloths are my fav flats. Easy to get, cheap too. I like Bummies prefolds, but any organics are great (they absorbe more). Covers I love Bummies Super Brites.

Fitted diapers. I love Babykicks one size. They have a neat trick that makes them really fit a newborn. I have more of these than any other diaper.

Pocket diapers. The only one I really love is my BabyKick Premiums. Best of all worlds. Trim and very absorbent. Fits my tall and skinny kids well. My Fuzzi Bunz larges are great on my night wetting preschooler.

Hybrid: I like Gro Vias. That sounds like what you have (insert snaps into cover) but don't love them. Not great for nights, great in the diaper bag.

AIOs: Love my Bummies TotsBots. They dry faster clipped to a rack then in my dryer. Easy to add a hemp insert for seriously wet nights

I know lots of expats who get their diapers delivered by visiting family and friends.

[dayxday]

Must say, I've been intimidated by the idea of prefolds, but after looking at some videos it looks really easy! Am I hallucinating? Can't believe it's taken me this long to get turned on to cloth diapers. 

Okay, another question: do any of you use flushable biodegradable inserts for catching poop? My sample pack came with a pack of Poplis. Seems to defeat the purpose a bit, but perhaps a good idea for outings? Of course, I know how useless these will be on a nursing newborn. Anyway, I welcome any thoughts on those...

Thanks to all of you!

[LeighPF]

Breastfeed poop is watersoluible, so it just rinses out in the wash. Once they are eating other things, it changes and needs to be disposed of. Liners are good, we usually se a sprayer in our house. Whatever works or you.

Prefolds and flats are really pretty easy, very simple and flexible and easy to launder in a wide range of circumstances.

[1love4ever]

For newborns I loved fitteds with covers, such as Kissaluv's fitteds and any old cover :)  Then Fuzzibunz or other pocket diaper with fleece inner for nights to keep baby dry, I like hemp inserts to go in pockets.  Starting at about 5 months I use one size diapers, I like Happy Heinys organic one size, because its natural material touching baby, I still do the fleece inner pockets at night, and I also love BumGenius Elementals one size starting around 6 months, these diapers will work from about 3 months til Potty training but I prefer getting newborn/small sizes and then switching to the one size diapers when baby outgrows the newborn diapers.

[Ola_]

I liked fitteds + covers for the newborn phase and one-size pockets after the first few months. I use some one-size fitteds for sleep time also because I find the pockets don't work as well for me there. I have to say I've been impressed by cheap pockets from Alva Baby, and they have free shipping (though it takes a few weeks so order early). http://alvababy.com/ I haven't tried their newborn dipes but may for the next baby. DD is almost 2 and still goes through 8-10 diapers a day but I like to change her often.