Newborn cloth diapers are a much-discussed area of cloth diapering. We began cloth diapering my little one before she was even 24 hours old. She is ...
Newborn cloth diapers are a much-discussed area of cloth diapering. We began cloth diapering my little one before she was even 24 hours old. She is now nearly 2 years old and we still use cloth diapers every day. Newborn cloth diapers are simple – and you can do it!
Some parents are afraid to start cloth diapering at the very beginning. They worry that the fabric may be stained with meconium (the nasty black poops babies have the first few days). Yes, meconium can stain. Using a diaper liner prevent stains and sunlight will take out any stains. Sunlight is a natural whitener and is inexpensive too!
The other major concern new parents have is that using cloth diapers will be so hard they can’t do it while they are adjusting to parenting. There are easy cloth diapers and hard cloth diapers. Choose the easy ones and it will all be simple enough you can do it even in your sleep – and you will feel like you are sleep-walking those first few weeks.
Using cloth diaper wipes is much simpler than using disposables – and gentler on babies skin. Reusable wipes also work as inserts for heavy wetters.
The simplest newborn cloth diapers are all in one diapers. These are one-piece diapers that have a waterproof outer layer so they don’t need a diaper cover. The inside has an absorbent soaker sewn in – so there is no need for stuffing or finding pieces in the wash. All in ones (AIOs) are as simple as cloth diapering gets for little ones of any size. They work just like a disposable except that they can be reused over and over – making your life easier since you never run out of diapers as long as you have access to a washing machine. A few popular AIOs include Lil Joeys and Little for Now all in ones.
The next most popular option is a fitted diaper with a waterproof diaper cover or a wool diaper cover. Popular fitted diapers include Kissaluvs and Little for Now sized fitteds. The most economical choice for newborn cloth diapers is prefolds with covers. Again, you can choose a waterproof cover or a wool diaper cover.
Chinese or Indian prefolds come in a teeny tiny size that will fit up to about 10 pounds and a larger “infant” size that will fit from about 7-15 lbs.. The larger size may be a bit bulky the first couple of weeks, but they will fit much longer. The itty bitty size fits great for most newborns, but is quickly outgrown. Prefolds are very inexpensive, so you can easily buy two or three dozen and only have to wash every 2-3 days. Just be sure to get enough covers. You can get by for a few days with 4 covers, but you’ll be a lot happier with 6-8 covers.
One size diapers may not fit will on a newborn, depending on the brand and the baby. Some brands don’t fit well until close to 10 pounds.
To keep things super simple, we kept a zippered cloth diaper wet bag, a few diapers, washable wipes and a bottle of wipes solution near our bed so midnight (or midday) diaper changes were as easy as possible. No matter which newborn cloth diapers you choose, you’ll quickly adjust to using them.
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Parents today are very worried about the chemicals their babies are exposed to. It is little wonder that parents are now considering every aspect of what their babies wear, sleep in, and drink from. Scary chemicals are showing up everywhere from lead in toys to BPA in bottles. Fortunately, you have more choices than ever about what to put in your baby’s world – and in many cases you can save a lot of money by going with the more natural choices. Parents are left to wonder, what does a baby actually need?
Here are some ideas for protecting your baby and saving money at the same time:
* Baby carrier vs. Stroller. Your little one will of course be happiest in your arms – but that keeps you tied up and unable to do what needs doing. You will be happier, and so will they, if you have a comfortable baby carrier. We did not even use a stroller for the first 6 months after my daughter was born. It was just easier to pop her in the Moby Wrap baby carrier or sling and go.
No messing with getting a heavy stroller in and out of the car trunk. We didn’t even carry her heavy car seat. We just took her out of the car seat and nestled her in the wrap for shopping, hiking, or going to the grocery store. We knew just where she was (and who was touching her!) at every moment.
If you go this route, find a wrap style baby carrier for most comfortable weight distribution or a mei tai baby carrier for babies up to 35 pounds. These carriers are more ergonomic for both of you. Savings are significant and there are very few recalls on these styles. You’ll pay $40-100 rather of hundreds for a stroller.
* Cosleeper vs. Crib. With the many crib recalls, I am even more glad that we chose a cosleeper over a crib. Cosleeping (having your baby in your bed) is safe if you follow proper precautions such as making sure there are no gaps for them to get stuck in or fluffy bedding to restrict ariflow. A large organic cotton in=bed cosleeper will keep your little one safe from rolling out until they are ready for a big bed. You’ll spend about $180 versus hundreds or thousands for a crib and mattress.
* Cloth diapers vs. Disposables. Cleaning cloth diapers is as simple as running the washer a few times a week. I learned that it takes me only 18 minutes weekly to wash three batches of diapers. In return, we have spent only about $500 on diapers that will last until our baby is ready to potty train. Even better, these diapers are still in great shape and will diaper another child – making diapering a younger sibling essentially free. A typical family will save about $1,500 by using cloth diapers.
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I read a little ad on Pampers coupons before I had my first daughter. I had stashed it away at the time, forgot it, and had not really done much about it altogether. Then I realized just why I needed them: I saw the diapers, piled high, little stacks of money filled with my child’s “gifts.” I wondered just how many dollars I had gone through, how much money I had spent on these little things.
I searched everywhere for that article again, for those coupons, just so I could make keeping my girl in soft, comfortable, clean diapers just a bit more affordable for her young mom and dad. Thankfully, I finally found them, and copied them out, and gave them over to the cashier when I was in the store with my next mountain of diapers. I took them home and, even though they were dirty in no time, I felt like I had at least made headway: I could buy the same high quality diapers as normal, but still manage to save money.
I got addicted to it, it turns out! I couldn’t even dream to buy a new package of diapers without my Pampers coupons. I saved enough money to buy myself a little bit of a treat at the end of the month, and no one was the wiser. It was a weight off my back to know that I had kept a little bit of money in my wallet each time, a bit like taking a small part of the heavy duties of a new parents off my shoulders.
So, what’s the cost? Nothing but a few moments – and that can go a long way to keeping you out of the red. Every penny counts – it’s something I’ve learned, seeing how expensive it is to be a parent these days. Those few pennies – or nickles or dimes or dollars – can find their way into that holiday plan you’ve been working on, or into your child’s college fund.
Just remember what those Pampers coupons did for me. It helped me keep my finances in order, to make sure my little child was well taken care of, and to help me do my duty as a father – it is, after all, my job – so those Pampers coupons ended up helping me more than I ever thought possible.
