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Cloth Diaper Basics: Cloth Diapering a Newborn
June 8, 2014 1:48 pm | by

babylegs-newborn-1Using cloth diapers may seem overwhelming if you’ve never done it before. But cloth diapering a newborn, especially if you’re a first time parent, can be even more terrifying.

With every rite of passage in life, like riding a bike or learning how to drive a car, you just need some practice to master the skill. The same can be said about cloth diapering a newborn. Once you get the hang of it, you will become a seasoned vet in no time.

The good news about cloth diapering a newborn is that these tiny widdol babies don’t move around that much. They can’t undo hook and loop closures, pull on snaps, or take off their diapers. You can look forward to that in a year or so. Newborns will need to be changed A LOT. So since they’re not undoing their diapers, know that you will be. All new babies will go through eight to 10 cloth diapers a day, so we recommend having at least 12-18 on hand. You choose the style. Once your child grows into one-size systems like the bumGenius Freetime or Flip, you will want to have at east 24 diapers in your stash and wash every other day.

Let’s take a step back, though. If you’re unsure about the cloth diapers you should use on a newborn, we suggest bumGenius Newborn Cloth Diapers or Econobum. These ultra-sensitive diapers were created for babies  6-12 pounds. They each have hook and loop closures for ease of use and fit low below the navel to keep the umbilical area dry. bumGenius Newborn Cloth Diapers have built-in inserts, which means no stuffing, and Econobum Newborn Covers fit perfectly over the Econobum organic cotton prefolds and newborn stay-dry liners, which can be found in the Econobum Newborn Kit

Now that you know which cloth diapers to put on a newborn, let’s actually focus on diapering your baby. Here are a few things to remember:

  • Cloth diapering a newborn is a learning experience. You may have a desire to change your baby more frequently than necessary, but that’s okay! Do what you think is best or what seems right. That’s the only way you will learn about your baby and know when it’s time for a new diaper.
  • Your baby will pass Meconium in the early days and you CAN still use cloth diapers!  Just toss your diapers in the wash, meconium poo and all, and it will come right out. The same goes for BF poo. You can opt to use flushable or fleece liners during this time if you desire.
  • Leaks might happen, which is all part of the game. Just make sure you have a good fit around your baby’s legs.
  • You don’t HAVE to use bumGenius or Econobum diapers to cloth diaper your baby. You can try prefolds and wraps/covers. Just be sure to know how to fold your prefolds and have other accessories like diaper pins and Snappis available.
  • We are here to help. Our customer service team WANTS you to use your cloth diapers correctly and find a routine that works for you. Give us a call if you have any questions at 1-314-892-1855.

To learn more about how to get started with cloth diapers, click here.

 

 

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About the Author

Brittney is a social media coordinator for Cotton Babies. She has three sisters, loves pizza and enjoys listening to obscure bands no one has heard of. Outside of posting on the Cotton Babies Facebook and Instagram pages, she babysits a few cloth diaper-wearing kids and likes playing with her dogs.

Comments

2 Comments

  • Veronica said...
    June 13, 2014 at 10:23 pm

    Good advice! I cloth diapered my 2 older kids starting around 12 weeks & decided to start from day 1 with my 3rd (& will be again with my 4th). The 2 best tips I got when it came to cloth diapering tiny ones is 1: get a variety. You don’t need to be loyal to any 1 brand or style. You may find that some work better for different times (ex: night time vs day time, outings, fussy time) and just like grown up people, some fit better on different body types/sizes than others. Variety is the spice of life; even when talking diapers. ;). 2: get a few AIOs for night changes. There is nothing worse than being a walking zombie at 3AM, trying to fold & snappi a prefold right, find a cover (if the other 1 is poopy) & do this with a screaming 1 week old in front if you. Not fun & not worth having a new-mommy-melt-down over.

  • Priyanka Kamble said...
    June 13, 2014 at 3:49 am

    Hey Britteney,
    Good to read this. I am soon to be a mom and I have been researching a lot about cloth diapers, their benefits and things like that. What I am really worried about the diaper rashes. Also, I have come across things where they spoke to about charcoal cloth diapers, which is good to protect the child from diaper rashes. Any idea on this will be appreciated. Thanks