5 Things I Learned About Cloth Diapering a Newborn

Cloth diapering a newborn can be intimidating. Heck, cloth diapering ANY baby can be intimidating. Especially if you don't know a soul "in real life" who uses them. I know. I've been there. I was overwhelmed with the choices and decisions, but I was determined to use them. I made some mistakes along the way, but I learned a lot as well! So pull up a chair, pour a cup of something and learn from my rookie mistakes! (Not that you won't make your own!)

1. Those One Size Diapers Aren't Gonna Fit

Unless you give birth to a baby gorilla, one size diapers ain't gonna cut it (for the most part). Sorry to be the one to break it to ya, frugal mama. I was right there with you. Not a single newborn or sized diaper in my pre-baby stash. Nope. I dismissed them as a waste of money and unnecessary. Silly, silly me. I struggled for several weeks trying to make the one size diapers (which are usually sized for 8 or 9lbs+) I had work. My SoftBums and Rumparooz were the only ones that made the cut and that gave me a grand total of FIVE diapers. For a newborn who pooped every 37 seconds. Yeah, you do the math.

2. Velcro is Your Bestie

Another huge mistake I made pre-baby was investing exclusively in snap closures. They were touted to last longer and be harder for an older baby to remove. Makes sense. Until you are trying to get that diaper on a squirming, screaming baby at 3:47 AM in a postpartum, sleep deprived haze. Velcro makes ALL the difference in that scenario. It also enables you to get a better fit on those one size diapers that DO fit a skinny newborn. Snaps are set intervals, there is no in between. With Velcro you can customize the fit SO much better.

3. Buy All of the Diapers

I wasn't kidding when I said newborns poop every 37 seconds. Okay, maybe it's closer to every two hours. Or every time they eat. Regardless, it's a lot of diapers. I started with five one size diapers that fit and added ten newborn diapers and three more SoftBums a few weeks in. It was tight, but it was doable. I was also washing my diapers every evening. If you plan on washing every other day you will need A LOT more diapers.

4. Don't be Afraid

Seriously. Don't be. It takes a couple of days, but once you get the hang of it you will wonder what the heck you were so worried about. And you will never look back. Until you go on vacation. Or the grocery store. Or when ever you have had it with laundry. It's OKAY. This is not all or nothing. This is what works for YOU.

5. Prefolds and Flats Are Awesome

This is one area I really could have done better in. I was terrified of prefolds and flats. I had six newborn prefolds to use in my SoftBums but they really didn't see a lot of use until she was way out of the newborn stage. Please buy some prefolds and/or flats. And for the love of Pete, buy a $3 Snappi. My prefolds would have seen so much more use if I had JUST bought a Snappi!

Have you cloth diapered a newborn? What would you do differently if you could do it again?