Cloth Diapering a Newborn

I have to start by giving a few "shout outs." If it weren't for Mary Dougherty & Lonni Schmeckenbecher, I probably wouldn't even be writing this, because I would likely be using disposables. And I am SO thankful that I'm not, because I absolutely adore cloth diapering, and I'm so glad I'm not missing out on the countless advantages of it. So, Lonni & Mary... thank you!

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There are probably about a hundred different ways to cloth diaper, meaning there are tons of different products that all allow people to cloth diaper in a "modern" way. This post is by no means meant to teach about all the amazing and fun ways to cloth diaper-- it's simply meant to show what we use to cloth diaper Finn. I chose to use the products we use (organic cotton prefolds/fitted diapers + PUL covers) because I wanted to use naturals fabric and the "safest" waterproof covers out there. I did a lot of research and feel most comfortable with the brands & combinations you'll see below because they're made from the best & safest materials, are completely affordable, are simple to use and care for, and are extremely effective at doing their job! I'm sad to say that we haven't yet used wool covers- maybe I should order something up today! But know that we definitely plan to incorporate it into our routine... I've just been slacking at ordering any!

I'll start by sharing exactly what products I'm featuring in this post, which are the products we use on a daily basis. You'll find pictures to give you an idea of how everything fits on a 9 lb. 3 oz. 4 week old 21.75 in. baby boy... wow, that's a mouthful! Enjoy and send ANY questions my way!

P.S. I'm sure I'll do a follow-up post to share our laundry routine, detergent used, wipes used, etc..... so much to consider! 

Bummis Organic Cotton Prefold (the prefold without colored edging) : Size Infant (7-20 lbs) 

Thirsties Duo Wrap w/ Snap Closure (the plain green cover) : Size One (6-18 lbs)

Thirsties Diaper Cover (the light blue cover) : Size XS (6-12 lbs)

Bummis Super Brite (the patterned green cover) : Size Newborn (4-9 lbs)

Snappi Diaper Fastener (the stretchy blue "T" shaped thing) : Size One

Green Mountain Diapers Organic Cloth-eez Prefold (the prefold with the orange edging) : Size Newborn

Green Mountain Diapers Organic Workhorse Fitted Diaper w/o Snap Closure (the fitted diapers with the orange/yellow edging) : Size Newborn (preemie-11 lbs, ORANGE edging) & Size Small (9-15 lbs, YELLOW edging)

Bummis Organic Cotton Prefold (INFANT SIZE)

Green Mountain Diapers Workhorse Organic Fitted Diaper (NEWBORN SIZE)

Green Mountain Diapers Organic Cloth-eez Prefold (NEWBORN SIZE)



Comparison of Bummis Prefold, GMD Prefold, and GMD Fitted (in that order)

Comparison of all the Diaper Covers

Comparison of the GMD Workhorse Fitted Diapers, NEWBORN (orange) vs SMALL (yellow)

Notes:

- Joey loves the GMD newborn prefolds + the Thirsties Diaper Cover.
- I love the GMD workhorse fitted newborn diapers + the Thirsties Duo Wrap.
- The Snappi fasteners are AMAZING. We were using diaper pins for a while and it's sooooo much easier to get a trim fit with a Snappi. 
- The Bummis Super Brite diaper cover is TEENY TINY! We actually stopped using it when Finn's legs turned purple from the leg gussets being too tight when he was 3 weeks old. So it is definitely best for small babies or those first days & weeks.
- Definitely buy the GMD workhorse fitted diapers WITHOUT snaps. The fit is much more adjustable this way.
- I would generally choose snaps over velcro (aka aplix) because snaps are more durable. But the velcro closures are definitely more adjustable. They just tend not to stay very "sticky."
- I would DEFINITELY recommend having those tiny newborn sizes if you intend to cloth diaper from the start. I thought the Bummis infant prefolds would be fine, but as you can see from the picture, the GMD newborn prefolds are so much smaller and fit so much better. Cloth diapers are definitely not as trim as disposable diapers, so every inch counts unless you like that big-bottom look! (I do have to admit that it's pretty adorable and comical to see a huge bum on a little chicken-legged baby!)
- The sun is the best stain remover EVER. When I take my diapers out of the wash, they are definitely stained. But after a day hanging in the sun, they look brand new again. It's magical. I look forward to hanging out poop stained clothes & diapers just so I can be amazed by the stains being gone when I take them inside at the end of the day! The trick? Wash them & hang them out while they are still wet from the wash! The dryer tends to set stains in... so beware!

Big thanks to my cute (and well behaved!) little model, Mr. Finley G. Johnson!