Let's chat about newborn dipes

I have about 6 weeks until baby #3 arrives, and I’m starting to think about what kind of cloth diapers I am going to use. When BW was born, he was 9 lbs. and 23 in. Big boy! And I didn’t start cloth diapering him until he was a month old. We didn’t have a baby shower for him until then, and that is when I was gifted with my first cloth diapers. With this baby, I’m not planning on using newborn diapers for very long, but I do want to use them to have experience with them. Newborn diapers are the only thing I do not have personal experience using. While I take great pride in insuring that Green Baby Elephant sells high quality diapers that have been tested on my boys, my sister took over and cloth diapered her newborn boy. She did a great job using different diapers on my nephew, and you can read about her experiences in the archives{May 2011}. My sister also had to put up with me asking her a billion questions so that I could make sure that Green Baby Elephant carries great newborn diapers. And now that it’s my turn to try out newborn diapers, I have lots of ideas of what I’m going to try. Thanks to my sister and her baby, the following brands are all carried  and highly recommended in the Green Baby Elephant shop.

• Thirsties size 1: Duo Wraps, Hemp Prefolds, Stay Dry Inserts, Fab Fitteds, Duo All-In-Ones, & Duo Diapers
• GroVia Newborn All-In-Ones: the new style with hemp & stay dry liners
• BabyKicks OneSize Basic
• FuzziBunz X-Small
• bumGenius Newborn All-In-Ones
• Knickernappies Infant Prefolds {with Snappis & Thirsties Duo Wraps}

And I should also mention that I do feel that newborn diapers have their place. Not everyone makes big babies, and most one size diapers really don’t start to fit until 10 lbs. Even once one size diapers begin to fit, they are rather large and bulky on newborns. Size/bulk is the biggest complaint I get from parents that cloth diaper their newborns with one size diapers. The next most common complaint is leaking from the legs. Often newborns have the skinniest little chicken legs, and it’s difficult to get a good fit with a one size diaper on chicken legged babes. To get a nice trim fit, a newborn diaper is great. They also allow for all of those cute onesies to be worn by your baby, which is nice to not have to go out and get new clothes.

My little chicken legged nephew wearing a GroVia Newborn AIO. <3 him to bits.

If you are concerned about spending money on newborn diapers in addition to a one size stash, I should mention from personal experience that you go through many, many, many diapers that are aren’t even used. My boys were notorious for peeing on diapers before they were even worn. And I can’t even count the number of times a fresh diaper was poo’ed in before even leaving the changing table. Now that I look back, we went through many bags of newborn and size 1 disposable diapers that weren’t worn for more than 2 minutes. And 2 minutes may be an exaggeration. It was probably more like 45 seconds. So, so wasteful on my part {and theirs as well! Little stinkers!}. Because newborn diapers are used for a limited time, the wear and tear on them are minimal. This means that they’ll be in great condition for multiple babies, either your own, nephews, nieces, cousins or to sell to other families.

Tell me what other brands do you think I should try? What brands have you used successfully? Since I may only have a short window of time to use a newborn diaper, I’m looking for suggestions now. I do a lot of research before adding products to Green Baby Elephant, and now is the time for and updated look at different newborn diapers that are available. Let me know either here on the blog or on the Facebook page what you think I should try that could be potentially added to the shop or what brands Green Baby Elephant already carries that you are anxious for me to try. I’ll do my best to accommodate requests, and answer any questions you may have. And be sure to let your expecting friends know about Green Baby Elephant. This is going to be a great time to learn about newborn diapers as I’ll be blogging and documenting my experiences.

BW's 1st CD. It was a one-size GroBaby. He was also a little over 1 month. No chicken legs here! When CW looked at this pic, he told me that BW looks so little with a BIG orange diaper. :)

The Perfect Cloth Diaper

Is there a perfect diaper? Yes. There is a perfect diaper for your baby and you. There is not a perfect diaper for every baby and for every family. It has taken me a long time to figure that out. I was on a quest for the perfect diaper, and during my search I came to this conclusion. Every review you read and every mom will tell you that ‘X’ is THE BEST diaper ever. And they are right. It is the best diaper ever. Will it be the perfect diaper for you is what you should be asking yourself. Chances are that what I like and consider the best diaper for me and BW may not be the best for your little one. But to be sure I have the best diaper for you and your little one in my shop, I’ve tried out a lot of diapers. And I currently use a lot of diapers. Together, we can find what will work for you and your baby.

First of all, fit plays an important role. Every diaper fits every baby differently. BW is a string bean. He’s been wearing the same size diapers for over almost 18 months now. He has crazy, skinny legs. The rise on his diapers is bikini style, but the fit on his legs is what’s most important. If your baby is a chunky monkey, the size of the diaper may be larger than what you think it should be. Meaning, at 9 months, all the rise snaps may be undone on certain one size diapers, but don’t worry. As your little one grows, he’ll stretch out and you’ll find that you’ll size your diaper down at times. If you’re looking for a good fit and buying before baby is born, look for a diaper that will adjust easily in the waist. Hook & loop diapers are perfect for giving a good adjustable fit every time. If you’re not into hook & loop, FuzziBunz, even with the snaps, gives a great fit, since the waist is adjustable with elastic inside the diaper. GroVia’s OS AIO’s snaps are on a stretchy panel to ensure a more custom fit. Think of what you’re looking for in a diaper for adjustability. There is a diaper that will fit your baby perfectly.

You will also need a diaper that will fit in your lifestyle. Do you mind taking time and folding diapers? If you don’t, then prefolds paired with covers will be perfect. {Bummis, Thirsties} Do you mind taking a sec and stuffing inserts in a diaper? If not, then you’ll find pockets to be a perfect diaper for you. {Thirsties Duo Diaper, FuzziBunz, BabyKicks} Would you like to snap in an insert and reuse a cover? Then, your perfect diaper is an All-in-Two {AI2}. {GroVia OS Shell & Soaker Pads} Or maybe you want the diaper all ready to go. No stuffing, no folding, no snapping. If that’s the case, an All-in-One {AIO} is your perfect diaper. {GroVia AIO} Take the time to assess what you’re looking for in a diaper, and start making your diapering decisions from that point. Don’t overwhelm yourself in the quest for the perfect diaper.

What if you like more than one diapering system? I’m going to take a stand here and tell you to pick no more than 2 diapering systems. This is from experience. I have a crazy mish-mosh stash. It’s complicated. At this point, I’ve committed myself to using a variety of diapers for 2 reasons. First, it is because I’ve invested money in them. And secondly, so I know the in’s & outs of each diaper I sell in order to help you, my client. If you’re having an issue with them, which unfortunately may happen, I can help you work it out. Also, if you’re in the decision making process of what diapering system to use, I can help since I know all the pro’s & con’s to that particular system. I’m committed to helping my clients, so I have a lot of different diapers. But for simplicity’s sake, I recommend 1 or 2 systems to be used. Cloth diapers are easy. Don’t make them complicated by having too many different kinds. Instead of pursing ‘THE MOST PERFECT-EST DIAPER EVER IN THE WHOLE ENTIRE UNIVERSE,” find the perfect diaper for you and your baby. You’ll be glad you did.

What's the deal with pocket diapers?

Recently I had a client ask me, “Why use pockets?” For a moment I thought, “Yes, why use pockets?” At first glance, it does seem like the most difficult option compared to an All-in-Two {AI2} system, and All-in-One {AIO} system or even prefolds. With pocket diapers, you have to stuff the pocket and then pull out the insert before putting in the pail. Seems like a lot of extra work doesn’t it? Have I turned you off from using pocket diapers? I hope not. Here are a few reasons why I like pocket diapers…

o   Easy to clean. The absorbent part of the diaper washes separately from the PUL or TPU cover, which helps to ensure a good deep cleaning of both parts of the diaper.

o   Dries fast. The insert dries separately from the cover, so both parts of the diaper can dry thoroughly without being attached. The covers can air dry quickly, and the inserts can be thrown in the dryer if need be. I air dry pretty much anything, especially pocket inserts since it doesn’t matter if it stays soft or not because it doesn’t touch skin. But in a pinch, it’s nice to have the option to use the dryer.

o   Customizable absorbency. You can stuff anything inside a pocket. Hemp, microfiber, prefolds, or anything else you can think of that is absorbent that you wouldn’t mind your little one making a mess on. You can add as many inserts as you’d like or as little as one. {This is my fave reason for using pockets. And not to mention a great way to turn any pocket into the perfect nighttime diaper.}

o   Deep cleaning. If the inserts, whatever you may be using, have a funk, it’s very easy to wash/soak the inserts without having to worry about damaging the PUL or TPU cover. {Prolonged soaking of covers isn’t recommended and may damage them. Also, keep in mind that frequent soaking of cotton is harsh on the fabric.}

o   Some don’t even require stuffing. WHAT?! It’s true. BabyKicks 3g diapers don’t need to be stuffed. The hemp/cotton insert can be placed right on top and be used without stuffing. {I’m traditional when it comes to pockets, so I stuff my 3gs. Don’t ask me why.}

o   Some don’t even require unstuffing. HUH?! You heard right. Thirsties Duo Diaper is a sleeve diaper. There is a pocket opening at the front and back of the diaper. The insert comes out in the wash. Really, it does! {I do that all the time now. So easy.}

Does all the talk of stuffing and unstuffing still seems like a hassle? What about all the time spent organizing and stuffing the diapers? Isn’t that a waste of time? Nope. Even if you have one system, {I so wish I could pick one & stick with it} you still have to fold or organize your stash. Prefolds require folding ahead of time. AIOs still need to be folded neatly together before putting away. AI2s need the inserts snapped in covers to prepare them for use. So with any system there is organizing of the stash on laundry day. Now the question you may be asking is, “Doesn’t this take a lot of time? Shouldn’t using cloth be fast & easy?” My answer is this…it doesn’t take a lot of time, and it is easy. Maybe not fast, but it is easy. My time organizing my eclectic {sounds so much better than random} stash takes place on the floor in the play area. I sit and work while the boys play. Sometimes I’ll even read stories or sing songs while I work. I enjoy the time I get to sit and watch the boys play. And right now I’m using the diapers to help teach BW his colors. CW even gets involved in the process by doing a big boy chore of taking the diapers off the drying rack and bringing them to me in the play area. It teaches him how we work together to do our chores, and we can still have fun in the process. The fun part for him comes when he throws the diapers on my head while I sit and wait for them. Makes me wish that every day is laundry day!

CW is my happy helper!

Looking to increase your stash and want to save some $$? From now until Sept. 30, 2011, FuzziBunz are buy 6 get 2 free. As an ex-math teacher and a full time bargain hunter, this is an awesome deal. You can mix and match One-Size FBs and Perfect Size FBs. The 2 free diapers will be mailed to you after filling out a rebate form. 1 free diaper will be a solid color and the other free diaper will be a mystery print. For more details go to the online store http://www.greenbabyelephant.com/ Hurry for the best selection of colors and sizes!!

Cloth Wipes

This week I started to use Thirsties cloth wipes. I never thought that I would be a big fan of them, but I am! I absolutely LOVE them!!! I even made my own wipe solution and have 2 spray bottles full of it. The wipes are so soft, it's amazing! EB's skin seems to be really sensitive and once I made the switch I noticed he didn't cry anymore when I changed his diaper. Two major benefits that I have noticed are the fact that I can just toss them in with the cloth diapers to wash and the other is that the wipes are so large and absorbent that I can spray half of it with the solution and use the other half to dry him off. I normally use 1 wipe per diaper change. This has already been saving us money!  I know that all of this cloth diaper/wipe talk can make a Momma nervous...especially a new Momma, or one that has never considered using cloth until now.  I was a nervous Momma, then I tried it, and I am so glad I did!

~Nina~

One major reason that I made the switch to cloth wipes was that EB and I have had the misfortune of dealing with thrush...yuck! The disposable wipes were seriously irritating to his raw bum, and made his skin super wet. Then I would have to have a towel nearby to dry him off {excess moisture makes yeast grow}. Within 2 diaper changes with using the cloth wipes his bum went from fire red to light pink!!! Such a relief for us both! Also in making my own wipe solution I was able to customize it to his needs. For thrush it is advised to use grapefruit seed extract. So along with Dr. Bonner's soap, grape seed oil and water I added several drops of grapefruit seed extract, as an antifungal. It has worked miracles around here for EB! As for me, not as much, I ended up having to use the medicine prescribed. You win some you lose some. I am just relieved that it has worked for EB. Also, the Dr. advised using disposable diapers for a couple of days during treatment. I now know why I love the cloth. It actually got worse with paper diapers. The day we switched back to cloth it got so much better. For those of you wondering, the cloth diapers did not cause the yeast rash. It is caused by the thrush in the baby's mouth. Apparently during our first week of breastfeeding I got it and passed it onto him, and it got into his poo, causing the rash. Major pain, but we’re getting better every day!

Well, it finally happened, EB has outgrown his adorable little newborn diapers. I was still in denial when I could barely pull the front up far enough and I had to use the last snap. It was only after he peed out of 3 of them that I knew it was time to say goodbye and pass them on to another newborn.  It was a sad day at our house. My son is growing at an incredible rate. He somehow managed to gain 7 ounces in 2 days!!! This is unheard of for most newborns, but mine is apparently the exception. I remember at his 2 week appointment, the Dr. told me that normally it takes 2 weeks for a baby to get back to their birth weight, but somehow EB had gained almost a pound over his birth weight! We call him our chubby lil' duck. : ) Even though we didn't use the newborn diapers for long, I have to say that they were SO worth it!!!! I loved how there was almost no bulk and they fit his tiny little legs so perfectly.

Right now we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of BW's old diapers! Until then I have been using the Thirsties Duo Diapers, and love them! Not only are they easy to use, but I have not had a leak yet! They are bulkier than NB diapers, but that’s to be expected with a OS system. I have also been using Thirsties prefolds, fitteds, and wraps. I love using the Thirsties products. While bulky, it’s a diaper that works without leaks, and EB has plenty of room to grow in them. You can read more of my Thirsties review when diapering newborns here. And even though, EB had outgrown his newborn diapers I will still be reviewing the newborn diapers that I used on him. Those blog posts will be coming soon.

Upcycle Masterpiece

When BW was born, my mom passed along to me the prefolds that she used on me as a baby. I tucked them away in BW’s closet and forgot about them. While cleaning out the closet come springtime, I rediscovered them. They are soooooooo soft. Unbelievably soft. And virtually stain free. Then it hit me. I can repurpose these into burp cloths for baby EB!



washed and ready for sewing



I had to do hardly any prep to get the old prefolds ready to transform into stylish burp cloths. My first step was to do a long soak in Rockin’ Green. I did this for two reasons. 1. When held up to the light, the center was slightly yellowed. I wanted to try to get rid of any urine stains. 2. I wanted to remove any detergent residue, and have them washed up in a gentle soap for my nephew. After the soak and washings, they looked great. There was hardly a stain left. And sunning helped clear it up. Rockin’ Green really helped get out those old stains! The next step was to find a fabric to sew down the middle. That was easy. Nina has loved monkeys since she was little. CW had the final say between the two monkey prints, and he picked out the better of the two. And the last step was to sew the flannel down the center of the prefolds. I was able to do that while the boys napped one afternoon. {For some odd reason, I find it relaxing to sew.}



my upcycle masterpiece! Ta-Da



I was able to repurpose and add some pizzazz to my prefolds. So now they’ve become super cute burp cloths. Plus if Nina needs to use them as a diaper for EB, she can do that in a pinch. Yay for upcycling for a baby gift!

~Tonya~

Thirsties Newborn Review

My favorite diaper to use at nighttime so far is the thirsties duo diaper. Since EB is less than two weeks we are still on a very loose schedule and I usually put him in one of these around 11pm. He will typically wear these for anywhere from about 3-4 hours during the night. I started using the Duo Diaper size 1 when EB was around 1 week old and I noticed he was eating more and therefore "going" more. He weighed about 8lbs 8oz when we began using them.  I make sure that I have them stuffed and ready to go before bedtime each evening.  So far, I only have two of them, and am in the process of acquiring more of them ASAP! I have to say, I love them and I haven't had to worry about leakage, yet (hopefully not ever). The Duo Diaper insert consists of a thin microfiber insert and a hemp insert. It is a breeze to stuff! By far the easiest pocket diaper to stuff! Especially if you do not have tiny hands that some of them seem to require I like that the inserts snap together because it makes my life a little easier when stuffing the diaper. I don't have to make sure that one of the liners isn't bunched up on the other. I have the diaper snapped on the smallest setting, and it seems perfect size for right now. Once his umbilical cord finally falls out I will probably move it to the first snap. I find it to be bulky on him which is why for now it is a nighttime diaper only. I think that if you have a small newborn you may want to wait until they are at least 8lbs. to use it. Also, it does rub on his little umbilical cord a little.  He doesn't seem bothered. However, if you are squeamish you may want to wait until it falls out to begin using these diapers. I think that so far the only con would be how much more bulky it is than a newborn diaper, and that is because it is more of a OS diaper instead of a true newborn diaper. It is nice that this diaper will grow with EB, as it has 3 rise settings.

Now on to the pros of the thirsties duo.: )  The fact that it has openings on both sides makes it easy to push the insert in one side and pull it through the other side and really easy to make sure that it is even and not twisted anywhere. I also really like the hook and loop. It is easy for my husband to use and best resembles a disposable for the caretakers that are new to cloth. The biggest bonus of the hook and loop is its ease of use in the middle of the night when sleep deprived and without ample lighting. I have not paid attention to the noise it makes, and it hasn't seemed to affect EB so it must be quiet enough.
I really like the leg gussets and it makes me feel good knowing that there is that extra layer of protection. I don't have to worry about him getting wet in the middle of the night. Newborns legs are so skinny that the gussets really help to prevent leakage! I don't know about you, but I want to avoid having to change a baby's clothes in the middle of the night and risk waking them up too much!

Last night I used the hemp prefold for the first time, and it held a lot and his skin was still pretty dry. I haven’t had any poo go to the wrap, and was then able to use the wrap a few more times. The wrap also fits nicely over the fitteds. And I love the fitteds. They are so soft, and never a leak!!

As for washing the Duo Diaper and the rest of the Thirsties products, it is easy. I do pull the liner out of the Duo Diaper even though the directions specifically state that it is unnecessary.  I am just in the habit of it and don't mind doing it. But know that it is not required before you throw it in the washing machine. I am currently using the Rockin Green detergent and have a top loading HE machine with no agitator. This is a great combination for my diapers.  The diaper and wrap both dry in no time at all and the microfiber insert dries in a flash as well.  The hemp insert, stay-dry insert, fitteds, and prefolds take a little bit longer. The prefolds and hemp inserts do not get very stiff with only air drying. A few good shakes takes out the little bit of stiffness. It is like having a t-shirt air dry. While soft, it will be a little crunchy, but not rough.  I have been drying everything on my drying rack outside, thanks to the awesome weather! I have also used the dryer and that works great too.  However, I love to save money and it makes me happy to dry them outside naturally and FREE of cost!!
Also, I feel that this is worth repeating over and over again...The sun is a miracle stain remover!!!!! I can honestly say that my serious fear of yucky stained diapers is so over and done with! It is amazing! After less than an hour in full sun, my diapers look brand spankin' new! Since I don't get out much lately this has become the highlight of my day. Putting stained dipes in the sun and watching the stains literally disappear before my eyes with no extra effort or expense on my part is so exciting to a sleep deprived new momma, like myself!
I truly hope that my cloth diapering adventures help convert some of you curious mommas or mommas- to-be out there. Let me assure you that I can be a nervous nelly about lots of things and using cloth diapers from day 1 with my 2nd baby was a major decision while I was pregnant.  I am SO happy that I put my nerves on the back burner and allowed myself to have a different experience. I have been all about trying new things with this baby. I have more confidence in myself and my ability to be a great Momma this time around and am so much more relaxed.
So far I really love using cloth diapers and I have to say my husband is way more supportive than I thought he would be. He does complain that I have to wash them every day....so I recommend having a bigger stash than I currently do. I have 12 newborn Grovia AIO, 2 x-small Fuzzibunz, 2 Thirsties fitted size 1, 1 Thirsties Duo Wrap size 1, 2 Thirsties prefolds and 2 Thirsties Duo Diapers size 1. If your baby is like mine, then nearly every diaper you change will have a "skid mark", and you will be changing frequently. I don’t feel as if I am changing more often than if I were using disposables. It is just the poo that keeps me changing diapers very often!
I know that I have not answered all of your questions, I still have some myself.  So, I will continue to be the guinea pig Momma and EB the guinea pig baby.  We are still experimenting and learning about all that cloth has to offer.  At least I can honestly say that I am not nervous and anxious about laundering cloth diapers anymore.
So, more to come on different diapers and tricks and tips learned by trial and error.

~Nina~