I'm an (extreme variety) of Type A personality. I like organization. I like lists. I like a plan. I
love being ahead of the game. So it was no surprise to me that I got the itch to start shopping for newborn cloth diapers well before G2 was even a glimmer in my eye. We didn't start cloth diapering Sweets until he was 10 months old, so I didn't have anything in the way of newbie fluff. After doing some research (again with the Type A shining through), I decided I didn't want to commit to one single brand or system for our newborn stash, because there is a huge variation in the way babies are sized and shaped when they are born, and as a result, a huge variation in the way newborn cloth fits and functions.
Before I go on, here's a brief crash course in our cloth diapering choices so far: with Sweets we opted for one-size diapers, which are intended to fit from birth to potty training, due to their adjustable settings. However, the odds of a one-size diaper that can fit a 35 pound toddler also fitting a 7 pound newborn are pretty slim. We will definitely go the one-size route again with Baby #2, but I wanted to have a small stash of diapers specifically sized for itty-bitties until he or she grows into the one-size system. The thing about newborn diapers is that depending on your baby's size at birth and rate of growth, you may get to use them for a good couple of months, or maybe just a week or two! So the other factor at play is how much you are willing to spend on newborn cloth. I fell somewhere in the middle - I didn't want to spend a fortune, but neither did I want to feel totally constrained by price. Since they see such a limited amount of use, newborn dipes are often in excellent condition, and you can get great deals on them by shopping second-hand, which is what I opted to do. Over the course of several months, I browsed my favorite diaper swap site for diapers I was interested in at good prices. And the result is this newborn stash, which I am super excited to try out!
Newborn Pocket (stuffable) diapers:
Group C - 3 Alva baby newborn diapers
Group G - 3 Thirsties Duo pockets, size 1
Group A - The sage green diaper is a Blueberry mini deluxe, the ocean blue is a Fuzzibunz newborn, and the leopard print is a Happy Heiny mini
All-in-One diapers (as easy as a disposable - all one piece):
Group B - 6 THX newborn diapers
Group D - 2 Bumgenius newborn
Group E - 1 Imagine newborn
Group F - 2 work-at-home mom made diapers
Group A - the red diaper is a Tots Bots tiny fit, and the brown one is a Thirsties duo all-in-one, size 1
Prefolds and Covers (the classic cloth diaper choice!):
Group H - 1 dozen Osocozy stay-dry infant prefolds. So excited about these, since they include a layer of microfleece to wick away moisture, unlike traditional prefolds. 2 Thirsties covers, size newborn.
Group I - 1 dozen Green Mountain Diapers newborn prefolds (100% cotton). 2 Bummis super brite newborn covers.
All of these were purchased gently used, with the exception of the Imagine Newborn all-in-one, which was new, but on sale ;) The most cost-effective option are easily the prefolds, at about $12 a dozen - you can't beat $1 per diaper! I plan to mostly use those at home, and the pockets and all-in-ones, which tend to keep baby drier for longer, and are less bulky, for out and about and nighttime. The most expensive diaper was the Blueberry Mini Deluxe, coming in at $12. If I didn't really want to try that one, I would have passed it up, but considering that they go for around $20 apiece new, it was still a good deal. Imagine buying an entire stash of those!
You will also notice that the variety of colors and patterns is less than stellar. There are some positively adorable colors and prints for boys and girls, but, as we are not going to find out the sex of this baby, I was going for gender neutral. If it ends up being a little lady, you can best believe our one-size stash will get an infusion of pink and flowers!
