When using cloth diapers on a newborn, you’ve got a few different options. You can do it cheaply. You can go simple. You can make it easy for other caregivers. And we are here to help!
Often one-sized diapers don’t fit most newborns. Newborns generally have skinny legs, leading to leaks around the leg holes. For this reason, we generally recommend investing in a newborn stash if you want to cloth diaper from the get-go. The good news is that newborn stashes hold their resale value well, and you can often find them in great condition on a BST group. The bad news is that teeny-tiny diapers often have teeny-tiny levels of absorbency. Many babies outgrow the absorbency of their newborn diapers before they outgrow them in size.
*Remember*
As with any child in diapers, use a liner with synthetic diapers for any petroleum based medicine or cream used in the first few weeks. Any other newborn secretions can be washed away with a normal routine.How many diapers will I need?
I want to wash
1x per day
19 Diapers
In general, a newborn will go through roughly 15 diapers in a 24 hour period. You’ll need 3-4 diapers to hold you over while you wash.
I want to wash
every other day
30 Diapers
In general, a newborn will go through roughly 15 diapers in a 24 hour period. When washing every other day you don't need extra.
*A note on these numbers*
This count refers to the actual diaper – the part that needs to be washed after every use. If you’re using flats, prefolds, or fitteds with covers , you can count on a cover handling 4-5 changes, as long as it isn’t soiled.What kind of diapers should I get?
To help you know which diapers might work for your family, we’ve broken them down into three basic options.
Option 1: Cheap and Simple
Prefolds or flats are the cheapest, simplest way to cloth diaper a newborn. Both flats and prefolds are absorbent fabric that are folded around the baby and secured with a Snappi, Boingo, or old-fashioned diaper pins. They require an extra step of folding, but provide good absorbency.
This option requires a cover to keep it waterproof.
Option 2: Middle Ground
Fitted diapers are made of absorbent material that fits all the way around the baby, providing great leak protection and preventing poop-splosions. They don’t require any folding and sometimes have snaps or velcro, or need a fastener such as a snappi. This option also requires a cover to keep it waterproof.
Option 3: Quick and easy
Pockets and AIO are super easy. They allow quick changes for anyone who may be unfamiliar or uncomfortable with cloth diapers, because they go on just like a disposable. However, once used by the baby, the whole diaper needs washing, unlike with covers.
Sample Stashes
Budget
$3.29
Per Change Total for 17 changes = $66.80Middle
$5.81
Per Change Total for 24 changes = $139.55All Out
$13.52
Per ChangeTotal for 28 changes = $378.69