But this time around I'm going to be ready!!
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| Kay is actually 4 months here but let's pretend its a newborn! |
The first decision you need to make is what type of diapers do you want to use.
There are flats/prefolds + covers, which is how our Grandmas used to diaper. You use absorbent material that you fold and pin (or use Snappis) onto the baby with a waterproof cover on top. This is the cheapest option since you can buy prefolds and flats for around $1.00 each. Covers can start at around $5.00 each and you don't need a lot because as long as poo doesn't get on it you can wipe it down and reuse it a couple of times before washing.
These require a little bit more of a learning curve to use but since newborns go through diapers so quickly it really can help those on a budget. They are also really fast to dry, flats being faster than prefolds.
Then there are All-In-Ones, or AIOs, which have the absorbent layers and waterproof cover all together - no pinning, stuffing of inserts, or anything. These are the closest to a disposable you can get. Very quick, easy to use and great to have on hand.
However, they are a little more expensive and as your newborn gets older and starts to pee more you can't add absorbency to them (Unless you have a style called All In Two, or AI2, which you have a pocket to add inserts to) AIOs also take longer to dry due to the fact all the layers are sewn in together.
The final common type is Fitted diapers. These are kind of like a mix between the two previous types - they're a diaper with the absorbent layers already sewn in but are not waterproof so they require a cover. These are typically the more expensive option. However, since they don't have a sewn on waterproof layer they are great for what cloth diaperers call "air time" or letting air get to your baby's bottom to help fend of rashes.
There are also pocket diapers, but from what I have seen they aren't common for newborns. Personally, for older babies, I love pocket diapers because you can adjust the absorbency by adding more inserts as needed.
Now which type of diaper is the best you may ask? Well, that all depends on you and how much work you are willing to do.
Personally I think a mix between the three is a great combination.
What we are doing is mainly pre-folds (I have already purchased 24 Green Mountain Diaper newborn/orange edge prefolds) and covers (I bought 5 Prowrap covers) with fitteds for nighttime (Planning to buy 5-6 Green Mountain Diaper newborn/orange edge workhorses) and a few AIOs thrown in for convenience while not at home.
The amount of diapers all depends on how often you want to wash. With my planned stash I will have to wash every 1-2 days, which is fine with me. However, if you want to go 2-3 days you should buy more diapers (I don't recommend going more that 3 days due to staining & stink issues).
But don't go crazy with newborn diapers!!
Most babies are only in their newborn diapers for around a month before they either outgrow the size or the absorbency so you don't need 30-40 diapers! Have a small newborn stash, then make a bigger stash out of One Size diapers (or larger sizes if you don't like One Sized ones) I'm trying not to spend more than $100 on my newborn stash so I have more money to buy larger diapers that the baby will be in for longer.
We have about 20 some odd diapers for Kayleigh right now, which is enough to wash every 1.5-2 days (I can sometimes squeeze by washing every 3 days if I want to have only 1-2 clean diapers left over) so I am planning on buying another 20-ish diapers for Baby. Hopefully Kay won't be in diapers for too much longer after Baby comes so I can use a larger stash but the great thing about cloth diapers is that I won't have to buy anymore for future children.
If you want a quick guide to buying used cloth diapers, head over to my YouTube channel and check out my video!
