So you are thinking about cloth diapering? Before my son was born (2 years ago) I entered into the world of cloth diapering and felt a bit overwhelmed.
There were so many different points of view on what diapers were the best and what to do when diaper rash hits.
In this complete beginner’s guide to cloth diapering you will find everything you need to know!
When diving into cloth diapering people are going to have different opinions and share what worked for them.
You may try some kinds and not like them….you may wreck a diaper in the wash. Part of it is trial and error.
In this beginner’s guide to cloth diapers I have included what I bought to get started as well as where to buy cloth diapers.
When I purchased everything I needed it costed a little over $300.
I was looking to save money by doing this so I chose options I could afford at the time (and they have worked well for us in the long run.)
I feel confident to share this information with you as everything that we bought has lasted through our first child and we will now be using it for our second.
There really is no need for us to even buy any replacements!
However…our first child was a boy..this one is a girl…so we will be adding some girly ones to the collection just because they are too cute to pass up!
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Complete Beginner’s Guide to Cloth Diapering
Newborn Cloth Diapering
We started cloth diapering my son when he was two weeks old and just over 8lbs.
I bought everything BEFORE he was born and did NOT purchase any newborn cloth diapers.
I went with one size fits all for all of our diapers and decided that I would use disposables until my son was big enough for cloth.
What Type of Cloth Diaper Should You Use For Newborns?
Prefolds: Prefolds are what I like to call “old school” diapers. They are what my mom used on me when I was a baby. However, back then they had plastic pants that went over them and they were held together by diaper pins. You will want to start with about 24.
I love prefolds for newborns because they are cheap so you can get a lot of them for those frequent newborn diapers (here is what they look like.) They are easy to wash with breastfeeding (you just throw them right in!) Now they have fun covers to put over the top.
Covers: Diaper covers are what you put over the prefold diaper to keep everything else dry and contained. You don’t have to change the cover with every diaper change if it doesn’t get dirty. I would recommend starting with at least 6-9 covers (these are the ones we used.)
You can buy covers that either use velcro or snaps. I have used a mixture of both and each are great for different reasons. I feel like snap diapers seem to hold up better. My velcro ones are starting to wear out. However, velcro is nice for squirmy babies as they are quick to get on. Get some of both to see which ones you like better.
Snappies: Remember those scary diaper pins we were just talking about? There is no longer a need for them when you use a snappy! Now there are stretchy rubber hooks that hold your prefold in place (you can buy them here.) I would recommend starting out with 6 in case you lose one or have multiple places where you do change diapers.
Cloth Wipes: I prefer using cloth wipes to disposable wipes when cloth diapering because they are easier. You can just throw them in with everything else so you don’t need to make a trip to the trash. If you like to sew they are easy to make, if not you can pick some up here.
I took a foamy hand soap pump (like this) and filled it with mostly water and a dash of baby soap. Make sure to shake it up well. We used this to wet the baby wipes. It works well for us and is gentle on your baby’s skin.
Wet Bags: These are what you use to store your dirty diapers until you wash them. Make sure to have two of them so that when one is in the wash you have one to use. This is the one that we use.
Newborn Cloth Diapers: There are special cloth diapers made for small newborns.
They usually are made for babies that are between 5-12 lbs.
I chose not to use them because I didn’t think it would be worth the money for us.
If you know you will be having a smaller baby then you may want to invest in some.
You can look at some newborn cloth diapers HERE.
What Type of Cloth Diaper Works Best For Infants and Toddlers?
After the newborn stage you could keep doing prefolds and covers as they are a great option.
We decided to switch to pocket diapers, mainly because our son was going to be attending daycare.
In my opinion, pocket diapers are the closer to disposals then the prefolds and covers because they are very easy to put on and take off.
What is a pocket diaper?
Pocket diapers contain two pieces. An insert and a cover. You simply stuff the insert inside the pocket and then you are ready to go!
Once again we went with a one size option.
They have fit our son from the newborn stage (weighing about 8lbs) and he is still in them at almost 2 1/2 (weighing about 25lbs).
We had the best luck with Alva diapers (you can check them out here). They come with a micro-fleece insert but I highly recommended picking up some of the bamboo inserts instead (you can grab some here.) They have are more absorbent.
I did try out a few of the more expensive brands like Bum Genius but the Alva diapers ended up being our favorite. They still look brand new after 2 1/2 years of use and not one of them has fallen part!
How Do You Handle Diaper Rash in Cloth Diapers?
There are a couple of different ways to handle diaper rash in cloth diapering. Always check with your doctor as to how to treat your infant or toddler’s rash.
Diaper rash cream is typically bad for cloth diapers so you need to be a little careful. There are certain creams that are safe to use for cloth diapering (this is one that we used.)
If your doctor recommends a diaper cream that isn’t meant for cloth diapers then you can either put your baby in disposables for a few days or use a liner (like these) to protect your cloth diapers.
RELATED POST: How to Wash Your Cloth Diapers in 3 Easy Steps
Some people recommend making liners out of fleece and using those to protect your diapers.
We tried this and made the mistake of washing the diapers with our fleece liners.
This caused a problem because the diaper cream managed to get on the diapers while in the wash.
If you go with fleece liners. Make sure you wash them in a separate load.
How to Dress a Baby in Cloth Diapers
One thing I did not think about while I was buying all my cloth diapers was how clothing would fit differently, especially in the infant stage.
Regular clothes are not designed for fluffy butts…they are designed for disposables.
My one month old baby is already wearing 3 month pants…I think she could maybe even pull off 6 months if we rolled them up a bit.
The cloth diaper can add some extra bulk depending on which ones you get. Something to keep in mind when shopping.
There is a company which I LOVE that actually makes a product to solve this exact problem.
Project Pomana makes pants for babies in cloth. I have used this with my son and they were amazing as I had such trouble finding pants to fit him well.
What makes them so great? They have snaps on the waist for easy diaper changes and they actually fit 3 sizes to one pair of pants. You can check out this very stylish and practical option HERE.
Where Can I Buy Cloth Diapers?
The internet is the best bet for most of your cloth diapering needs. Depending on where you live you may be able to find some in stores or at baby boutiques.
Amazon has many of the brands out there which is nice because with Prime you can get them fast. Make sure there is FREE RETURNS if you are just wanting to compare some of the different brands. You can also add them to your baby registry HERE. This is a great option because then you can spend even less money on diapering your baby!
Kelly’s Closet is where I bought some of my diapers as well. If you are looking to save money they have some good promotions. They also have a rewards program that you can sign up for.
Diaper Junction is another option as they have a rewards program as well.
You can also check out different brands by their site such as Grovia which also offers rewards.
Grab your FREE Milestone Guide HERE.
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Kayla O’Neill has a master’s degree in education as well as a bachelor’s degree in special education with an emphasis in early childhood education. She has been working as a developmental therapist with babies and toddlers in early intervention since 2012. She is also a mom with two young children.