I have been very blessed that cloth diapering has been pretty easy for me almost the whole time I have been doing it. The one exception was this: the newborn days!

In hindsight, I recognize a lot of my mistakes and I’m going to share them here with you to help you avoid making the same ones. I will be sharing some options that have proven successful for cloth diapering with a newborn, and in addition to that I’ll also let you know about what to avoid during the newborn days to save your sanity.

If you’re interested in jumping straight into specific brand recommendations, check out part two of this post by clicking here.

What to Consider When Choosing Newborn Cloth

saving-money-being-greenBefore we get into all the details, you need to think about your motives for using cloth diapers. Are your motives:

  • To save money?
  • To lessen your environmental impact?
  • To use more natural materials with your baby?
  • Because they’re adorable?

While your reason for cloth diapering may not make as much of a difference when buying your main diaper stash, it will absolutely make a difference for choosing your newborn stash. Figure out your number one reason and keep it in mind as you go through this article.

Why does it matter more here? Because newborn cloth diapers aren’t necessarily cheap, and newborns go through a LOT of diapers. If you’re cloth diapering to save money, you have a lot more to consider.

Different Styles of Newborn Diapers

When it comes to newborn sized cloth diapers, there are a lot of options out there. You can find almost any style of diaper you want in a newborn size, but that doesn’t mean that they will actually work very well for your newborn. Here are some styles you can find:

  • All-in-Ones

    • The easiest to use with a newborn.
    • One of the more expensive newborn options.
    • Absorbency can be lacking
  • Pockets

    • Not as common, but you can find some–especially from some cheaper diaper brands (like Alva and Kawaii).
    • Functions similarly to one-size pockets, they are just smaller.
    • Can be very difficult to stuff since they are so small.
  • Flats with Covers

    • One large, single layer of natural material. This will be wrapped or folded around the baby, and then secured with a pin or Snappi. You put a cover on over it. Flats are usually one-size, but they can work for newborns (and many have smaller sizes for newborns) with certain folding techniques unlike some other one-size diapers.
  • Prefolds with Covers

    • Very similar to a flat, but it is usually a multi-layered material instead of just one. It is also usually sized, not one-size.
    • Does not require as much folding as a flat.
  • Hybrids/All-in-Twos

    • Similar to the other systems that use covers, but you put an insert inside the cover instead of wrapping a cloth around a baby and securing.
  • Fitteds with Covers

    • Fitteds usually go on pretty easily, much like an all-in-one, but they may need a Snappi or pin to secure (depends on the brand). They do not have a waterproof layer, so they must have a cover with them.
    • One of the more expensive options for newborn diapering, but also one of the best.
  • One-Size Diapers

    • Many one-size diapers advertise that they are great for birth through potty training. Most people find them not to work well right after birth, but it is an option and something you can try, especially if you have a bigger baby.
  • Disposables

    • Many cloth diapering families choose to use disposables for the couple months. It depends on your reason for using cloth diapers and your diaper preferences. Because of the cost associated with investing in a newborn stash of diapers, combined with the fact that many babies only need to be in newborn diapers for a few weeks up to a couple months, many families go the disposable route for the first month or two, and then switch over to their one-size stash.

What to Avoid/Common Mistakes

crying-baby1. First off, do not buy or try to use newborn pockets.

Just don’t. Save yourself the frustration. It’s not that they don’t work, but trying to stuff an insert into a newborn sized pocket is almost impossible.

This is just my opinion based on my experience. I will acknowledge that some people like them.

Pockets seem like they will be great–no folding or pinning like a prefold/flat, cheaper than a fitted or all-in-one…but they can be SO frustrating.

They can end up being a waste of money because you try to avoid using them at all costs. There is a reason why pocket diapers are harder to find in newborn sizes–it’s because they are so hard to use! Pockets in general are great, but wait until your baby fits into one-size to use them.

2. Do not force the one-size if it’s not working.

There is nothing wrong with trying out your one-size diapers right away to see if you can manipulate them to fit. There are some hacks out there to try and get your one-size to fit your newborn.

The hacks don’t always work, so don’t keep forcing it if you’re struggling! It will only make you frustrated and leave a bad taste in your mouth regarding cloth. People that try to force the one-size may end up giving up on cloth and wasting a lot of money and time because they believe they don’t work, when really it’s that their baby just wasn’t big enough yet.

Most one-size diapers start fitting between 10-12 lbs, and even then may seem a little big, but they will definitely function.

3. Do not buy a full stash of any one type of newborn diaper.

This is common advice for your one-size stash, too, but I don’t worry about it as much for one-size as I do for newborn diapers. Newborn diapers are VERY finicky. My son can really wear almost any type of one-size diaper, but there are some newborn diapers that did NOT work for him at all. I’m glad I did not invest in a full stash of the ones I thought would be my favorite, because they ended up being my least favorite in the end.

Styles of Newborn Diapers that Work

Now that I’ve gone on and on about the negative stuff, time to get to the positive stuff! There are three types of newborn diaper that I really think will work well for most families:

My Top Recommendation: Prefolds (or flats) and Covers

prefold-with-snappiEven if you have no interest in using prefolds for your one-size stash, they are a really great option for newborns. They are very absorbent and it is much easier to get the right fit with appropriately sized covers and the various sizes of prefold. They are also a fairly economical choice when it comes to newborn diapers.

If you’re nervous about using pins, you can secure them with something called a “Snappi”–you can see it in the picture here. They really are a pretty slick invention in the cloth diapering world. I love not having to mess with pins or worry about poking the baby or myself!

Prefolds do not have a moisture-wicking layer, so if your baby has a wetness sensitivity, you might want to look at adding a layer of fleece between the baby and the prefold. Nothing too crazy, just cut a rectangle of fleece a little smaller than the length of the diaper.

My Second Recommendation: Fitteds with Covers

newborn-fittedAs far as preferences go, fitteds would actually take the number one spot. They are an awesome style of diaper–very absorbent and easy to put on. The only draw back is they tend to be more expensive, which can make investing in a lot of them just to use for a month or two a little difficult for some families. If cost is not a consideration for you, I’d definitely pick up some fitteds!

Fitteds will need a cover because they do not have a waterproof layer. Like prefolds, they do not have a moisture-wicking layer, either. You can also use a rectangle of fleece with these to help if your baby is extra sensitive to wetness.

My Third Recommendation: All-in-Ones

newborn-all-in-onesWhile these are the easiest to put on and the simplest to use, they get the third spot because the absorbency isn’t as good. They work great for the brand new babies, but in my experience I reached a point with both of my kids where they were out-wetting the all-in-ones but still not fitting into one-size diapers. That is a frustrating spot to be in! That problem is less frequent with the first two options.

Different brands will hold more, too, so if you buy all-in-ones, make sure you vary your stash. The ones that hold more liquid can also cost a little more, so it’s a trade off!

One perk of all-in-ones is that many of them have a moisture-wicking material, making them a good choice for babies with a wetness sensitivity.

Back-up Idea: Try Your One-Size Hybrids

I actually had some success using the one-size BumGenius Flips system with my babies when they were as small as 7-8 lbs. The trim fit of the inserts allowed me to get a better fit around their chicken legs. This may not work for everyone. Like I said before, diapering a newborn can be a bit more finicky than diapering a 3+ month old. But it’s worth a try, anyway!

flips-on-newborn

What Do I Need to Cloth Diaper a Newborn?

To cloth diaper your newborn, you will need the following:

  • At least 24 diapers (prefold, fitteds, flats, all-in-ones…you decide, or do a mix)
    • Newborns need to be changed A LOT. Anywhere from 8-12 times per day. 18-24 diapers will have you doing a load of laundry every 1-2 days, depending. If you’re not concerned about spending as little as possible, look at getting 30-36.
  • Around 10 covers (if using primarily prefolds or fitteds)
  • Snappis or Pins (if using prefolds and some types of fitteds)–between 3-4 is probably plenty.
  • Wet Bags
  • Diaper Pail (can even use an old garbage can or laundry basket)
  • Pail Liner
  • Baby Wipes (Cloth wipes are easy to make and use, but you may also choose to purchase some or use disposable wipes).
  • A laundry detergent approved for cloth diapers (most detergents will work as long as they don’t contain fabric softeners–if you use a plant-based detergent, you need to do more research into your particular brand to make sure it is fine. Here is a list of approved detergents.
    • Note: Homemade detergent is not recommended for cloth diapers. Most homemade detergent recipes are actually laundry soaps, not detergents. Soaps aren’t good for your diapers. Not only will they not get as clean, but the soap will build up and cause repelling.
    • Other homemade detergent recipes that aren’t soaps are usually just water softeners, like Borax. Those will NOT get your diapers clean, either.

Newborn Diapers – Are They Worth It?

Now that you know your family’s reasons and goals for using cloth diapers, and you know a little more about different types of newborn diapers, it’s time to decide if using newborn cloth is the right option for you.

I firmly believe that cloth doesn’t have to be all or nothing. If your family’s goals are to save money and you’re hesitant to invest in a newborn stash, do not feel bad about using disposables for a few weeks until your baby is ready for one-size diapers.

If your family’s goal is to put the least amount of waste as possible into the landfill, getting a newborn stash will be very important for you. Following my recommendations in this article will save you a lot of frustration.

So which brands of newborn diapers are worth investing in? Look for part 2 of this post for some excellent recommendations.

What do you think of newborn diapers? Are they worth it to you, or would you rather use disposables for a few weeks? Let me know in the comments!