When you’re expecting, there is so much to think about. What will your baby wear? Where will it sleep? Will it be happy? Cranky? Will it sleep through the night? Well, if you’re cloth diapering, that may raise a whole other set of questions. How you’re going to wrangle it into a cloth diaper? When are you going to do all that wash and what kind of diapers to use? Things can seem overwhelming. Well, not to worry; here are some helpful tips and tricks to cloth diapering your newborn.

What Kind of Diaper Will I Use?

One of the first things you want to think about is what kind of diapers you will use on your newborn. Some suggest you start with disposables as these will be more convenient for hospital births. Also, newborn’s meconium poops are dark and sticky and difficult to clean out of a cloth diaper. Finally, during the first few weeks, you may want to pay attention to your baby instead of spending a good amount of that time doing laundry.

Once you have grown comfortable with your newborn’s routine, it is time to focus on the types of diapers you will be using. Here are some options:

• Velcro: These are easy to fit around a baby’s tiny waist but can also cause irritation to its soft skin.
• Snaps: Snaps are more durable than Velcro and harder for a baby to take off themselves. However, they can be difficult to put on a tiny, squirming baby.
• All in Ones: These diapers can come with Velcro or snaps. They are easy to put on and simple to wash but they can be expensive and the drying process can be tricky.
• Fitted: Fitted diapers may be the best choice for newborns. They are absorbent and often made from natural materials. On the downside, the fact these diapers need a cover make them bulky and they can take a long time to dry.

It may be a matter of trial and error before you find a diaper that works for you. While you are working that out, here are some other sage words of advice.

Go for Newborn Sized Diapers

Although this may be an unnecessary expense because your baby will grow out of them quickly, the convenience of having diapers that really fit will be worth it. To save money, see if there is a friend whose baby has just grown out of their newborns.

Work Out a Laundry Routine

Start by finding a detergent that is safe on cloth diapers. You should only need about ½ of the regular amount of detergent to clean your diapers as the detergent build-up can cause diapers to smell and lose their effectiveness.

Start with a pre-rinse then follow up with heavy duty wash with hot water.

It is up to you how many times a week you want to do your laundry and will also depend on what your load is like. However, 2-3 times a week is a good average. Try to establish a routine where you set aside a couple of days a week to do your wash to keep organized and minimize stress.

A new baby marks an exciting time in a parent’s life. If you are cloth diapering, there are a few important decisions to make but being informed will be helpful. Hopefully, this article has provided you with valuable information that will make the early days with your cloth diapered newborn as stress-free and enjoyable as possible.  

Inspired by dirtydiaperlaundry.com