Having a baby brings on a multitude of different decisions. Especially if it’s your first. Trying to live a sustainable life, let alone reduce your waste at the same time is a slow and patient journey. Much like new babies. Cloth diapering can be your best friend and your new favorite eco-friendly practice, if you have the determination!
Our first son, I didn’t start cloth diapering until he was a week old. My recovery from natural birth was slow and long because he was HUGE and of course, he was my first one.
Our second I was determined and more experienced so we cloth diaper from birth. Both of my children’s cloth diapering stories are mostly the same but have some differences. Mainly wash routine and nighttime systems. You can read more about that here!
In my opinion, starting anytime is a success! But I will say the sooner the better because practice makes progress!
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New to cloth diapering and want to dive in but don’t know where to start? This comprehensive, in-depth resource guide has EVERYTHING you need to know to get started with reusables!
SIMPLE TIPS- CLOTH DIAPERING DAILY
We did a prefolds and pocket blend. I’ll talk more about that in a different post. But the difference in price of an organic I bleached cotton vs. a regular cotton was about 40 cents so we decided to spend a tiny bit more for the more natural choice. Which leads to my first tip…
Buy organic – their skin is so soft and new I wanted to put the best on both baby bums I worked hard to make.
Bulk is better– seriously. Wholesale is always cheaper. This was what we bought initially from GREEN MOUNTAIN DIAPERS. This just worked out so great because it comes with multiple sizes after newborn so you can try each one out before buying the next size up.
Invest in hemp– these are affordable to buy or make yourself. They can be put directly your baby’s skin and they have a ‘stay dry’ effect so it’s slow absorbing.
Snappis are your friend– I don’t know anyone who has used safety pins. Snappis are genius and will literally change your cloth diapering experience.
Change every hour– just a good rule of thumb. Maybe twice an hour when they’re just born. Depends on if you have a heavy wetter like I did.
Use natural products– for detergent, stain remover, rash cream, powder, etc. it will sustain the life of your diapers. Plus your baby’s bum will thank you!
Wash often– to prevent ammonia build up from all the pee! Like every other day at first then every two or three. Also strip every six months or so. You can read about our laundry routine here!
Use cloth wipes– you might as well. They save you a TON of money too. Just my personal choice.
Reuse covers– PULs and pocket covers can go two or three prefolds before going to the wet bag. Just another time and money saver.
Lastly..give them naked time– in the morning or before bed. Let everything breathe for fifteen, twenty minutes. Just be sure to cover them up with a towel so you don’t get hit in the face! Especially with boys..sometimes it’s such a strong stream they push a lightweight towel right off!!
There’s so much more cloth diapering insight coming soon. I’ve got a whole series coming out for the next few weeks of the new year.
I have absolutely LOVED my cloth diaper journey. It’s something to be proud about because it is not always easy and convenient. Giving yourself a challenge like this on top of having a newborn is something they should give out medals for, seriously.
I’m glad that you found yourself here and are (potentially) going to chose this path for you and your baby. It doesn’t seem like extra work when you love what you’re doing and who you’re doing it for! If you’re still unsure, this post is a great place to start!
Have you decided to make the leap into cloth diapering? Or is it still something you are on the fence about?
[…] all struggle trying to find a good cloth diaper system that works for us and our babies. It’s a balancing act between convenience and functionality. It can be tedious finding the […]