Hi! So maybe you’ve read my post on the benefits of cloth diapers and maybe you’ve even read about my most frequently asked questions about cloth diapers! Now, let’s delve into the world of newborn-sized cloth diapers.
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What are newborn-sized diapers?
Newborn-sized cloth diapers are specifically for just that: newborns! They differ from one-sized cloth diapers because they fit smaller bums, fit those skinny legs, and sometimes have adjustments for the umbilical cord stump.
Do you need newborn-sized diapers?
Not necessarily! After all, most of the cloth diapers are marketed as one size fits all - from birth to potty! However, depending on the size of your newborn, you may actually use your newborn stash for about 3 months before transitioning to one-size. You can also use this phase as a way to figure out what types of diaper will fit with your lifestyle.
How many newborn diapers do you need?
With a new baby, everything is so new, but I was not prepared for how often they pee! Expect to change your newborn’s diaper, cloth or disposable, 12-15 times a day! Yes, TWELVE TO FIFTEEN TIMES in 24 hours! Thus, if you want to wash every 2-3 days, you’ll need about 30-45 diapers to get you in between wash days.
Is it worth getting a newborn stash?
Like I mentioned before, you may use your newborn stash for about 3 months, depending on the size of your little one. A disposable diaper costs about $0.25, on average. Assuming about 12 diaper changes a day, you would spend about $270 for the entire newborn phase on disposable diapers. You can spend far less than that on newborn cloth diapers. And you can even reuse it for your next child or resell it since it has such amazing resale value! Read below to see what we spent on our stash!
Getting the bang for your buck
Because newborns pee SO often, you want to consider getting a lot of diapers for as cheaply as possible. An economic option is using prefolds/flats with waterproof covers. This way, you only need 10-12 covers and 30-45 actual diapers, spending only about $200! Of course, your actual cost may be higher or lower depending on the brand and style you get. Check out the resources below for more info and where to shop!
TIP: If your baby is sensitive to wetness, consider making fleece liners that you can lay on top of your diaper. This allows the pee to go through, but keeps baby’s skin nice and dry! Also, poo washes off very easy and prevents stains on your diapers. Toss in the wash as normal with your other diapers!
Our newborn cloth diaper stash
When we started researching cloth diapers, we weren’t sure if we also needed to have a newborn stash as well. However, we considered having a newborn stash because our OB estimated that Remy was going to be on the smaller side, about 6 lbs when he was born. Thus, we had the choice of waiting until Remy was big enough for one-size diapers or get a newborn stash. We wanted to fully dive into the world of cloth diapers, so a newborn stash it was! Our newborn stash consisted of:
- 24 Green Mountain Diaper prefolds
- 4 Sweet Pea Covers
- 2 Nicki’s Diapers Covers
- 5 Simplex Blueberry All-in-Ones (AIOs)
Grand total: $201.55!
This is the cost we would’ve spent if we got everything ourselves. Luckily, we added some of the covers and AIOs to our baby registry so our total was actually less!
Our newborn cloth diaper experience
We actually used our newborn stash until Remy was 4 months old! So we definitely got the bang for our buck since he’s on the smaller side. Using newborn diapers helped ease us into the world of cloth diapers and we loved it! Diaper changes were no different than disposables and he NEVER got diaper rash (still hasn’t at 9.5 months!)! We mostly used the prefolds and covers at home and saved the AIO for when we were out and about. We like the fact that you can reuse a cover for multiple changes, as long as there is no poo. Just wipe the cover clean and air dry while alternating covers!
Because we’ve used the newborn cloth diapers for the first 4 months, we already saved money over disposables. And even though we have transitioned to one-sized diapers, this newborn stash is STILL saving the environment and money as we are lending it to family and friends for their newborns!
Did you have a newborn cloth diaper stash or are considering one? I would love to hear about your experiences or thoughts below!
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