It's Diapert Duty Tuesday again! This week's topic is cloth diapering for newborns. Newborns don't have much of a bottom and their legs are on the spindly side so it can be tricky finding the right diaper to fit properly without leaks and blowouts. As previously mentioned in my other diapering posts, the best way to cloth diaper for the first 1-2 months are to use a separate diaper and cover to achieve the right fit for the newborn baby shape. I primarily used prefolds, which are the most economical choice, but I also had a few homemade contour diapers that I still use. If you can afford them, fitted newborn diapers are great because they're specially designed to sit low on the belly as to not irritate the umbilical chord and you can easily adjust them to create a custom fit for your baby. I personally couldn't justify spending that much money on a lot of diapers that I would only use for 2-6 weeks, and I folded down the tops of the prefolds and contours to achieve a similar effect.
As I've been looking at cloth diapers to get ideas for my little boy who is on the cusp of moving to the toddler size diapers, I've seen a lot of great options for newborns that I'm definitely keeping in mind for any future children. New companies are popping up with innovative, less cumbersome one-size designs, and established cloth diaper makers are revamping their diapers to stay competitive. It's a win win for all of us tree hugging, planet saving, green living, cloth diapering moms! Here are two of the one-size choices that interest me the most in terms of durability and sizing options.
Sprout Change One Size Diaper from
The Willow Store
This diaper boasts a 5-40 pound weight range, making it the closest to a truly one size fits all diaper that I've ever seen and the only one that should fit just about all newborns even most preemies. The cover is also reversible with two colors, so it's actually two covers in one. The sleeves are made of your choice of microfleece or organic cotton and the inserts are made of organic hemp/cotton blend. All this and made in the USA!
How it works: The cover uses a series of snaps for the waist and adjustable elastic for the legs to create the right fit for your child. You put the insert (basically a prefold) into the sleeve and lay it in the cover. Looks very simple. The sleeve helps wick moisture to keep baby feeling dry, is supposed to be easy to wash off, and keeps poop off the actual diaper. You can double up on inserts for extra absorbing power.
These are on the pricey side at $24.95 for a complete 1 diaper system (1 reversible cover, 1 sleeve, 1 insert). But you can customize your own package because all components of the diaper system are available for individual sale. Individual covers are $16.95 for those who already have diapers but are looking to try a new cover or like the idea of a reversible. Extra sleeves are $4.95 and may be used with your own diaper covers if you are excited by the thought of an easy rinsing layer that keeps poop off your diapers or allows you to use ointments and creams without diminishing absorbency. The organic hemp inserts are $6.95 and may be used alone as prefolds or doublers with your existing diaper system.
Save 10% at checkout with the code
CHANGE
FuzziBunz® One size Diapers
FuzziBunz is the company started by Tereson Dupuy, who is considered to be the mother of modern cloth diapering with her invention of the pocket diaper. She has done some exciting new things to her one size diapers. Gone are the unsightly rows of snaps that used to be the system for changing the size of one sizes--just one set of snaps for the waist and adjustable elastic in the legs for up to 8 different size settings!
FuzziBunz fits from 7-35 pounds, so it should fit most newborns right away or as soon as the umbilical chord falls off (usually within 2 weeks, about 10 days for my son). The fleece lining is highly absorbent even during night time use and for older babies according to most users. The adjustable elastic will give a better fit for your new baby than the snap adjustments in older styles of one size diapers. The elastic is also easily replaceable without sewing or ripping out any seems. The durable snaps, ease of elastic replacement, and high quality of materials means that these diapers will last for 3+ years even with heavy use and frequent washing. If you plan to cloth diaper through multiple children, this is a solid and long lasting investment!
Individual diapers are about $19.95 though I've seen them for a little less at some places. FuzziBunz diaper packs start at $59.95 for 3 at stores like
Kelly's Closet, and Amazon has a
9-pack that includes a breast milk alcohol test kit for $175.
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