Although I’ve been cloth diapering since 2008, I didn’t use them on a newborn until 2012. Why?
Here are the reasons I chose to use disposables for the first few months:
Meconium staining: I was worried about that black newborn “tar” poo staining newborn diapers. But guess what? The meconium isn’t any worse than the yellow poo. None of Erik’s newborn diapers were discolored by meconium; it rinsed out very well and any lingering discoloration was easily sunned out. But if, even after reading this, you’re still not convinced, just use flushable/biodegradable liners or fleece liners, for the first few days. Better yet, buy a yard of fleece from the fabric store and cut it into lots of tiny liners for mere pennies (you don’t have to sew or serge the edges). What a great little project for those last weeks of pregnancy! Another tip from experience: cloth wipes work much better on newborn poo than flimsy disposable ones.
Shower Gifts: A lot of us receive disposable diapers as gifts and the obvious thought is “I’ll use these up, and then switch to cloth.” That’s what I did the first few times. But just because you have them doesn’t mean your baby has to use them. In fact, when one of the reasons you use cloth is to cut down on waste, then using it during the newborn phase makes a LOT of sense. Your baby goes through more diapers at this stage than any other, and that adds up to hundreds of disposables in the trash – even if you use throw-aways for just a few weeks. So donate them to a needy family or a community charity. Give them to a friend or expectant mother who has no interest in cloth diapering. Or save just a few to stick in your diaper bag or keep on hand for caregivers who are not experienced with cloth.
Inconvenience: If you’re going to be at the hospital (or birth center) for more than a day or so, then having to deal with a big bag of dirty newborn diapers can admittedly be inconvenient. The type of delivery and the amount of recovery time you’ll have does matter. In my case, we usually come back home within 24 hours of delivering at the birth center, so I only have a small wet bag of soiled diapers to bring back with me.
Ask your husband or a visiting friend or relative to throw the diapers in the wash for you upon arriving home. Write your laundering instructions on an index card before birth, and tape it to the washing machine.
Pictured above: the AppleCheeks size one envelope-style cover
Time Savings: I felt like disposables would save me a lot of time during the newborn phase, and in some ways, they do. However, I did discover something interesting after cloth diapering two newborns. I spent a lot more time changing diapers than I did washing them! Think about it. You stand over your little newborn for at least a couple of minutes with every change. Multiply that by 8 or even 10 and you’ve got 25-30 minutes per day on changes, whether you’re using cloth or disposables. I did not spend 30 minutes every day washing diapers. It was more like 10 minutes every 3 days, and I didn’t bother to fold them but kept a laundry basket handy to toss them in straight from the dryer.
To save even more time while cloth diapering a newborn, use AIO diapers instead of covers and prefolds.
Pictured above: the Happy Heinys Mini newborn pocket
And now……here are the reasons I chose to use cloth diapers from birth for my last two babies:
Investment: If you choose to buy newborn-sized diapers (as opposed to one-size) they have an excellent re-sale value. So if you’re not expecting another child, or have extras that you don’t want to save, you’ll make a good deal of your money back. The ones that I sold were snatched up within hours, in most cases. Why do newborn diapers sell more easily? It’s not just because they are tiny and cute. Many moms are leary of spending a lot of money on a “newborn only” stash, so they cut corners by buying used rather than new. For a cover you’re planning to use from 10 pounds to toddlerhood, it makes sense to get something brand new; for a cover you’ll use for just a month, used condition is good enough.
Output: The doctor always wants to know how your baby is peeing and pooping. And new mothers worry about how much milk their child is getting. It’s tough to tell how many wet diapers they have when using super-absorbent disposables. Cloth diapers make is super easy to track a newborn’s output.
Sensitive Bottoms: Newborn skin is soft and delicate. Fluffy, cozy little cloth diapers just seem like the perfect thing to pamper a tiny bottom! For some mothers, this might not be a very convincing reason, but for me, it matters. I love the idea of tiny, soft diapers on my newborn, rather than crackly throw-away ones.
Pictured above: Duo Wrap – (Thirsties cloth diapers)
Performance: Diapers with real elastic really make a difference when it comes to fit and performance. As veteran moms know, the better a diaper fits, the better it holds in all the yukky stuff. Newborn blowouts can be epic; cloth diapers are up to the job. With less accidents, cloth will save you from washing baby clothes constantly.
Changing Sizes: I don’t like spending money on disposable diapers and then having them sit on a shelf when my baby starts changing sizes quickly. Luckily, newborn diapers can last past the newborn stage, if you buy brands that offer some growing room, like Thirsties diapers (the Duo line comes in size one and size two). My Sweet Pea covers have 2 rows of rise snaps, and Erik was able to wear them for 4 months. With disposables, I would have had to buy two different sizes.
Pictured above: newborn Sweet Pea cover
Trips to the Store: Finally! The first time we had a newborn in the house and no one had to run to the store in a panic when the diapers ran out!
Cuteness: This factor cannot be denied. A beautiful newborn in a tiny little cloth diaper is simply adorable. Perfect for those first photos, too.
Pictured above: Baby Coon newborn fitted
I’d like to hear your thoughts about using cloth diapers on a baby, right from the start. Do you prefer to wait? Or are you putting together a stash right now for your next baby?
And if you’re really curious about all the different newborn diapers I tried on Erik (yeah….it was at least 30 different kinds LOL) then you might find all my reviews helpful:
Review of 14 Different Newborn Covers
Review of 7 Different Newborn Pocket Diapers
Review of 9 Different Newborn Fitted Diapers
Review of 8 Different Newborn AIO Diapers
