[betyonfire]

My DH and I are planning on using cloth diapers on our first, due in the end of November. I've been doing loads of lurking and researching and have bought a newborn sampler from Natural Babies as well as six size 0 Kissaluvs and six Mother-Ease OS diapers from Ebay. I've also got about 12 prefolds from Babies R Us and will soon be getting two WHAM AIOs. I've got the PooPockets pattern and am going to start making some other diapers and covers.

Here's the dilemma. My MIL decided she wanted to buy us disposables until we had enough diapers of a kind we like to CD exclusively. I just counted all the newborn diapers she has bought for us already and the total is 586. Now, I don't know a heck of a lot about diapering at this point, but that seems like a ridiculous number of diapers. If the baby goes through 10 a day, that's 58 and a half days worth. It may take us a couple weeks to order more of the cloth diapers that we like and the PooPockets might not fit at first, but do we really need this many? Should I try to return some?

Thanks for any suggestions.

Bety

 

[MiaPia]

Wow - that IS a lot of disposies! Have you told your MIL that you were going to CD?
If it were me, I would DEFINITELY return some - maybe keep 1 small package on hand, but personally I don't even see a need for that. The next thing I would do is to tell MIL NO MORE DISPOSIES!! If she wants to buy dipes so bad, ask her to buy some cloth!

 

[sixpence1978]

that is a ton of diapers! if they are all size newborn there is no way you'd need that many. my dd went through 1 pack of newborn size (she didn't fit into my CD stash i had prepared) before outgrowing it. if they are like a size 1, that is still a ton of diapers. i'd say return some definitely...they won't get used up.

 

[LuvMy2Kidz]

I would return them if you can and use that money to buy cloth :LOL If you can only exchange them maybe get some baby cltohes or something.

 

[Trishy]

I would wait. Ds was born at 6 lb 1 oz and wore newborns for quite some time. He also wore at least 12 dipes a day in the beginning, usually more. You can always bring them back after the baby outgrows that size.

 

[Peppamint]

Quote:

Originally posted by LuvMy2Kidz I would return them if you can and use that money to buy cloth :LOL If you can only exchange them maybe get some baby cltohes or something.

I agree... that's a LOT of diapers!

:

Ask her to stop buying and she can contribute towards the cloth ones if she wants. Funny how my MIL gave us package after package of sposies, but never once offered to help buy cloth diapers.

:

 

[mothergooseofthree]

That is WAY too many nb dipes. Take them back. Walmart will take them unless they are a store brand. Just tell them they were gifts...not a lie. Ask for cash, but if they will only give you a gift card, buy stuff you need. I bought groceries with the card, then reimbursed my diaper fund the same amount out of the grocery budget.

 

[CortLong]

Wowie!!!! That is a lot of diapers.....I would def. return them.

 

[informed]

Um, both my kids were in newborn size for like 2 seconds. LOL She probably bought about 500 too many dipes. I agree with everyone else - That's a lot of money to drop on sposies... she coulda helped you get cloth, or at least a few samples of different things.

 

[kofduke]

Quote:

Originally posted by sandijones That is WAY too many nb dipes. Take them back. Walmart will take them unless they are a store brand. Just tell them they were gifts...not a lie. Ask for cash, but if they will only give you a gift card, buy stuff you need. I bought groceries with the card, then reimbursed my diaper fund the same amount out of the grocery budget.

Babies R Us might do the same - they're great about returns, even w/out a receipt, so long as it's something they carry.

 

[wildthing]

It is really sweet of her to help out...but I agree with the other posters...can you ask her to buy some cloth instead? For the price of one bag of 'sposies, you can probably get a nice fitted or cover to try out. This could be even more helpful to you, since you can maybe try out some diapers you would not have otherwise.
And I would definitely think 586 is quite a bit in size newborn. But Wal-mart will probably take them back for you.

 

[mommytomy4kids]

but I am suffering from a killer migraine and am on some pain meds but BOY do I wish I had a disposable MIL

and

edited to correct drug induced typos. I am heading to lay down. See you all soon....

 

[betyonfire]

We've been telling the MIL that we're going to CD all along. I'm not sure if she's skeptical or has a serious compulsive buying habit. She also bought us a box of 228 diapers from Costco that are one size up from newborn. Sigh. I can see using some of them (like, maybe 25) when travelling, but we'll probably try and return them too. Of course, I think we might have to travel to another state to find a Costco. Wal-Mart doesn't sell giant boxes of diapers do they? We also have a giant box of the newborn diapers, so I'm not even sure if I'll be able to return them. Don't you need a membership at Costco?

Thanks for all your thoughts. I wish I could get her to buy cloth diapers, but I don't think she's ever bought anything online. Maybe I'll send her a few links and see if she gets inspired.

Bety

 

[cinnamonamon]

Bety:

It was nice of your MIL to help you out, but yea -- that's soooo many dipes. If she's anything like my MIL, she just wants to buy you useful things. I would bring up something that you need, like ... "oh, I had really hoped I'd have a collection of infant nightgowns with drawsting bottoms for the first month or so." That would give her something to do.

I wouldn't return the dipes yet, though (at least not all of them). My ds was in newborn dipes for 2-3 months. It just depends on the baby.

T I know you didn't ask, but if I were you, I'd check out getting some good quality Chinese Prefolds, or Diaper Service Quality Prefolds. Most people are very disappointed in the performance of the brands of prefolds you find at Baby's R Us or Target.

Oh, & I recommend the yahoo group: sewyourowndiapers

 

[StephanieK]

It definately depends on the baby. I had planned on using newborn disposables for a couple weeks while adjusting to life with baby/waiting for him to fill out my stash more comfortably. I didn't want to buy preemie cpfs to use only a few weeks. Turns out, it was a good thought, because my baby was born at 10 lbs.8 oz., First baby! I am 5'4 with an average build, size 8 or so, and was 7 lbs. 3 oz. at birth, my husband is big (6'2), but was 8 something at birth. I gained thirty-five pounds.

Anyhow, E didn't fit into my 'sposie stash, he would have easily fit into his infant cpfs, but since I had a c-section I returned my newborn 'sposies ans got the next size, so i wouldn't have to deal with the extra laundry while recovering from surgery.

You probably will want to return most of the diapers your MIL bought you, but keep a few, you will be able to use them if you have an average sized baby, which is likely. You can always return the rest after baby is born or buy more if your baby does't fit the cloth you have bought. I had to return my infant proraps, they were too small!!

 

[Rebecca]

I Laughed out loud at the disposable MIL title! Wish mine was! LOL!!

Anyhoo, I agree that she's probably just soooo excited that you're having a baby that she wants to do anything to help. My own mother went nutty buying little overall outfits, sewing flannel nighties (that fit my boy now that he's 2 and doesn't wear nightgowns!!), etc... MIL probably is remembering her cloth experiences without fondness for pins and rubber pants, and probably thinks she's being helpful.

I'd hang onto them. You could exchange them once they're outgrown if you don't use them, give them away, hock them on ebay, but I think unopened boxes of paper dipes would certainly send a subtle message that cloth works well for you (assuming of course that it does) and that you just don't need the wasteful ones. It never hurts to have extra stuff on hand just in case.

I too recommend finding some nice chinese prefolds to supplement your layette. i wish I had nb prefolds (smaller, thinner, not as bulky) as you change often and absorbency doesn't matter quite as much at the youngest stage (I found a washcloth made a great doubler if necessary). The Infant ones were really bulky on my son, so much that I really didn't use them until he was a few mos old. I also wish I had more gussetted covers when he was tiny (like plain old prowraps, litewraps, etc). Those baby poops sure can be messy!

Congratulations and WELCOME to this group!!

 

[cinnamonamon]

Ooh, oooh! I second the proraps. They aren't all that pretty, but they hold wonderfully! I loved my proraps AIO - it was trim & snug. They run small though. I think Proraps in general do (especially in the leg). I

when I had to put in the "too small" bin.

 

[cvharris]

Another problem with having a box of 228 diapers of the same size/same type, sometimes a certain brand won't work for your baby. When DS was first born, we had both Huggies and Pampers and the Huggies never worked for us, he always had leaks. I ended up donating the open bag of Huggies to a shelter.

It's better to have small amounts of different types of diapers to begin with, in newborn and size 1. Then when the craziness dies down and you feel up to it, you can start CD'ing.

 

[turquoise]

OH BETY!

There's nothing wrong with your MIL! It's just that her shopping energy has been misplaced! You need to reel her in and FOCUS her efforts on cloth diaper purchases. Imagine all the fluffy mail you could have with the $ she spent on sposies!

So here's the deal - take here to a pre-natal yoga class with you or something get her to channel her energy, and you'll have a

MIL in no time. Show her how cute cloth is, let her feel and play with the cloth you've already got. Show her the coveted WAHM cloth and I bet she turns! Maybe she remembers dunking and scrubbing poopy diaps when she was a new mom - disposable diapes were a real status symbol when our moms were doin' the diaperin' ya know. In her mind, she's probably saving you from a lot of headache that she went through.

oh, ps, my DH wishes his MIL were disposable :LOL

 

[sm3247]

Quote:

Turns out, it was a good thought, because my baby was born at 10 lbs.8 oz., First baby! I am 5'4 with an average build, size 8 or so, and was 7 lbs. 3 oz. at birth, my husband is big (6'2), but was 8 something at birth. I gained thirty-five pounds

Stephanie - you sound just like me! I'm fairly small and have an average size husband and Jack was 10 lbs 4 oz at birth! I gained 55 lbs though - I think I must have eaten too much ice cream

The newborn diapers were outgrown quickly. My advice is to return them, you can always use the cloth and can buy more if need be.