Cloth diapering a newborn

Cloth diapering has been going really well! Since some people have asked, here are the details of how it's working for us.


Isn't it a pain to wash them?
Washing the diapers hasn't been bad at all. We hang a wet bag on the dresser next to the changing table and just dump the bag and its contents into the washer when it's time. We do use a specific cloth diaper detergent. We don't have to do anything special with the poop since she's breastfed and not into solids yet, and Miss Miriam only poops once a day on average, so there's not a lot of poopy diapers anyway.

The only downside is that we only got 18 diapers (the minimum amount recommended) and that's not enough to get us through a full 48 hours and therefore allow us to have a more set washing schedule. So right now we just throw them in the wash whenever I notice there are only 3 left. We have a full 24 in the next size up (plus a few other random one-size), so I do hope to get into more of a routine once we've transitioned into them.

Any problems with leaks?
So far our only leaks have happened at night when we tend to go longer between changes. I'm pretty sure they also only happen when she's on her back. I could put an extra liner in, but since they're infrequent and haven't really bothered her or us, I haven't actually done anything about it.


Do you use cloth wipes, too?
Yup. I never would have thought to do it myself; we only do because my savvy friend Brooke made us some and gave me a spray bottle and everything. We find them quite easy (just throw them in the same bag as the dirty diapers and wash them all together) and cheaper than the disposable wipes. We do have some disposables on hand and sometimes use those for really messy ones, though.

Did you use cloth from the very beginning?
We used disposables for almost the first full week, because a friend had warned me the meconium stained. But so many people asked how the cloth were going, with something of a smirk on their faces, that we hurriedly switched so we could answer them!


What kind of cloth diapers do you use?
We're using all-in-one (AIO) diapers. A bit more expensive, but super easy. Definitely just as easy as disposable diapers. My husband loves them! In fact, he brags on them more than I do!


Can you use those on a newborn?
We got two types of AIO diapers that were specifically sized for newborns. (We figured it was worth the extra cost to go ahead and get a whole set in this size since we could use them for multiple children.) They were also lower cut so that they didn't rub against the umbilical cord stump. This was the main reason I wanted to get them, so you can imagine how disappointed I was when both types of diapers rubbed right on her belly button! It still healed fine, but I was rather perturbed by it. Although I haven't tried them, it seems that using something else that you can easily fold down, like Kissaluvs size 0 (fitted rather than AIO), might be a better option.

Since her belly button has healed, however, we've been quite pleased with these diapers. Here's a bit more about them:

Bum Genius 3.0, XS
My husband really likes the sized Bum Genius diapers. (They just announced they're discontinuing the S, M, L, but keeping the XS, so perhaps reviewing the larger sizes in the future would be irrelevant.) They're super easy and I really like the colors. The only downsides are that they take longer to dry and I'm only so-so on the velcro. (Our velcro issues could just be our fault from not fastening them well enough before washing and/or washing them with the flannel wipes, though.)

The extra small size fits babies from 6-12 lbs. However, they're awful tight on our 6 week old at a fairly lean 10 lbs, so we are now transitioning her to the small size (which fit 8-16 lbs).

Tots Bots, Tiny Fit
Natalie mentioned these in her cloth diaper reviews and I was really excited to try them. They're a cross between a pocket diaper and an AIO because you do stuff them, but the liner is attached. That means they dry quickly and you don't have to try to figure out which liner goes with which diaper if you have a lot of different kinds.

My husband is less of a fan of these because you do have to stuff the liner. I actually really like them, though, because the velcro (a) is still in great shape and (b) doesn't hurt when it rubs me when I'm holding her skin-to-skin.

And there you have it - our cloth diaper experience thus far! I totally understand that full-time cloth diapering isn't for everyone, but we've been really pleased with it.

How do you diaper your baby? If you've written your own post(s) on the topic, feel free to link to them! I'm still open to trying different types and brands and would love to hear your reviews!