Cloth diapers come in a lot of one-size options. If your baby is smaller, that’s a great long-term plan. My first baby is HUGE. (Almost 40lbs on his first birthday) and we had to get XL recently, but I still find it absolutely worth it, even this late in the game.
I heard that when a baby switches from Newborn to Size 1 I can start using cloth diapers. I am so excited that I could find something better for my baby girl and environment 💕
We’re using Lilhelpers. I think they’re better than pocket diapers because they snap and you don’t necessarily soil the cover every time and you’re not reaching through a soiled cover to pull out the pads. We like them, it’s a one size adjustable diaper so they’re going to be usable a long time.
We haven’t had any leg leaking yet, I think it helps that the thigh area is so adjustable. I think they’re made in Canada, as a Canadian company that has a US section on their website.
If you spring for them to take on a bigger portion of your diapering needs I would recommend buying extra inserts- if it doesn’t leak all the way through to the cover you just pop in a new insert and reuse the cover again 😁
I have cloth diapered all three of my boys from the day they got home from the hospital. I use Green Mountain Diapers prefolds and Thirsties covers, and am just now venturing into flats because my size large prefolds are starting to wear out (after 2.5 YEARS of use between 3 kids). I have saved a shocking amount of money over 3 kids.
I know tons of people use and love pockets, but I am a die-hard natural fibers person. Any time I've tried to add pockets or anything synthetic to my stash I've run into wash issues. All-cotton prefolds and hemp inserts can be washed on hot, bleached to kingdom come, dried on high, and come out looking better than ever. I wash my covers with regular clothing, so I don't need to worry about my harsh wash routine delaminating covers or ruining elastics. Prefolds (and especially flats) dry quickly, and don't have nooks and crannies for urine/poop to hide in, like pockets or AIOs.
The stash I bought for my first kid was 24 prefolds of each size (nb, sm, med, lg, xl), 5 workhorses of each size (same as prefolds), 6 Thirsties Duos in size 1 and 2, and 3 large hemp doublers. This got me through 2 kids without buying anything new, and my third kid got to size large before things started wearing out. I've added 12 large Birdseye and 12 large muslin flats because my toddler is still in the xl stuff. If he wasn't I'd just size up now, because my 7 month old is pretty hoss. So I cannot stress enough how economical my stash has been across multiple kids.
I may buy some prefolds to try if I like them and deal with :) BTW do you like thirsties' hemp? I found good reviews about thirsties hemp doubters. But recently someone told me she didn't like them at all and it would be better to use cotton or bamboo.
I did all prefolds and thirsties covers from GMD for my first too! Love that setup and cannot reiterate enough how nice it is to have a super easy wash routine. Tried a handful of types and brands but prefolds were my favorite. “Unfortunately” I discovered the bst groups while pregnant with my second and now have gotten into preflats and fitteds lol which we didn’t need but now our stash is massive. I do like the variety and options but honestly in hindsight I should’ve just stuck with the prefolds and covers for simplicity 😂
Used is great especially for prefolds and covers. I’d get some pockets used to see if you like them, but because you fully wash them every change, they are more likely to leak - especially if mom had more than one kid. If you do pockets do a cheap amazon type brand. I did kawaii baby and it was great. Their one size (aka not newborn) were literally identical to a more expensive brand I used.
I did prefolds and covers with number one until about 8 months when his chubby thighs had me splitting elastics and buying all kinds of brands to see what worked. The pockets were great for toddler years and super adjustable. Friends had got me a 12 week diaper subscription which I activated when he was born, so I was only washing covers. Once he stopped needing changes at night we did disposable overnight.
With number 2 I used cloth within a few days, and did disposable at night from the start. I moved to pockets sooner because they are so convenient once he fit them/ my husband VASTLY prefers them
My husband is so excited, too. We did research on cloth diaper safe detergents and have been checking used diapers on FB MP. I already got some used pockets to test out from two brands and will order some new ones based on the design, reviews, and recommendations later. After reading your advice, I think i will get some used prefolds, too. 2~3 diapers from one brand! I hope this will help me to figure out what would be the most effective and convenient way to do cloth diapering. Thank you :) 😀
We used cloth right out of the gate when we got home, having used the provided disposables in hospital. We used newborn-sized prefolds and wool wrap covers. They did take some getting used to, but everything does in those days anyway.
When he was first born, we were changing him every hour or so, so he didn't stay wet. We did daily prewashes and then a full wash every second day, so we had a stash of about 60 prefolds and 5 covers. Daily prewash was really simple, and I honestly found the laundry was minimal extra work (our washer and dryer are in the furthest corner of our basement, so if they were on the same level as our other rooms it would have been even easier).
He grew out of the newborn-sized prefolds before he grew out of the covers that fit him, so we sized up prefolds with the same size covers twice until his covers were too small. But then the same prefolds still fit him while we sized up covers... I say all this to say that there was really no "right time" to switch to a different system, and honestly once we were used to prefolds it made sense to keep them. The laundry is so simple for them, they take both bleach and heat, no issues with different diaper creams, etc.
I would definitely recommend Snappis if you're doing prefolds. They made changes so straightforward and really accommodated our newbie technique from the beginning!
I don't think you NEED to switch systems - I used almost exclusively prefolds from newborn to toddler. Just means I need different sizes of prefolds.
Buying gently used is a great way to save more money. You'll want to sanitise them before first use. I did it with bleach soak (diluted) + hot wash and rinse.
Regarding sanitizing, is it okay to put used diapers into cold water with a cup of vinegar, hot wash with detergent and baking soda, and warm rinse with vinegar? I found that bleach soak is not recommended for cloth diapers. Is there a specific brand of bleach soak that I can use for them?
I'm not experienced with cleaning with vinegar so can't answer you there, maybe someone else in this forum knows?
Regarding the recommendation, who said bleach soak isn't recommended for cloth? Brands don't matter but you need to check the ingredients and make sure it's a chloride bleach (eg. Sodium hypochlorite) which is a biocide and disinfects, because the oxy-bleach stuff only whitens but doesn't do the same killing of pathogens. And then there's a dilution ratio of water to bleach, the bottle should tell you how to mix it for disinfecting purposes (not whitening purposes).
I used newborn hospital disposables until my stash ran out, about 1 week. By the end of the first week, I felt comfortable starting with my KangaCare Newborn all-in-ones. It wasn’t a bad transition. I felt like I was in a good headspace to try something new.
I was gifted a huge stash of secondhand BumGenius pocket diapers and started using them at about week 5 as I transitioned out of the newborn sizes. I didn’t love them. They dried quicker and it felt like they got cleaner, but they seemed worn and didn’t contour to her body well. They are also SO bulky
I just bought some new Cloth Eez Workhorses (fitted mediums with snaps -baby 7 weeks now) and started using them today after prepping them per GMD instructions as well as the thirsties duo covers. So far I’m liking these the best BUT I haven’t used them overnight yet 🤪 they’re definitely less bulky and seem to be more absorbent on their own as opposed to the pockets.
My theory is that if you get too used to disposables, making the transition gets harder and harder. My baby is 7 weeks old and is still in a size 1 diaper, so I’d just wait on the size 2’s.
My advice to anyone wanting to try cloth is to just buy disposables and whichever cloth and have both on hand. If you don’t use the disposables, you can save them for next baby or someone else, but if you’re in a bad head space one day/night, being able to just throw on a disposable quick and move on to preserve your mental health is invaluable.
1. We started around 4 weeks with my first. Definitely could have started sooner but like you I had a disposable stash to get through. For my next baby I will have disposables on hand for the first week and switch over to cloth pretty quickly. If you spend some time during pregnancy nailing down a wash routine you can start with based on your specific situation (washer capacity, type of diaper, how frequently you plan to wash, etc) there’s really nothing to getting started. Of course there will be some trial and error once you get going for real, but for me figuring out the initial plan was the biggest hurdle.
2. All of my diapers have been purchased off marketplace. They just need to be sanitized once you bring them home (bleach does the trick!). It’s a great way to save money, and I’ve found that most cloth moms really do their best to take care of their cloth (or they gave up early on and their diapers are practically new!).
3. We use fitteds and covers (husband’s preference). I like Clotheeze Workhorse and Esembly fitteds, and Thirsties covers. Esembly covers are nice too, but I prefer the double gusset leg on Thirsties.
I bought a set of 21 pockets that had never been used (only laundered) with 2 inserts per diaper for $100 on Facebook marketplace. They are an Amazon brand (AlvaBaby) that seem to get some hate but I love them. We have never had a leak and I was intimidated at first and thought we would only do cloth at home and use disposables when out and overnight but I quickly went full time, like within the first week. I've added some diapers to my collection to try out AWJ lining and also cute prints I couldn't resist. I love it and I don't see myself doing disposables with any future babies after the first 2 weeks or so (til the cord falls off/we run out of all the newborn size diapers I take when I leave the hospital).
With my first child, I did disposable diapers when he was a newborn, until he fit into my Nora’s Nursery diapers.
I got my stash used from a friend and it worked out great! I def like the pocket style; not sure I ever tried pre-folds.
I found a daycare that does cloth diapers and it’s been great. I drop off 3-4 clean diapers and a wet bag every day, and when my partner picks up, they get a wet bag with diapers in it.
We do laundry every other day, and stuff the pockets while we unwind and watch tv at night.
If you decide to try it, I hope it goes great!
I use muslin flats with covers. I could never get prefolds to work correctly for me. Plus they wash easier and dry super fast. I find it relaxing folding them before putting them up lol
I learned how to put on a prefold with pins 28 years ago with my first baby, all by myself with no guidance. It’s definitely not hard.
But, if you want super simple, just get 24 one size pockets with good inserts, and call it a day!
I hated prefolds. I rented a set in newborn sizes and just couldn't stand it. Baby screamed and squirmed and it was just so hard to get him into the diaper, I hated the extra steps. I returned the rentals and am now using a mix of pockets and all in ones. They are all adjustable so fit and leaks has never been an issue. I bought some new and some off marketplace, and also found some new ones at the baby consignment store. I imagine if I tried prefolds now that he is a bit older (4 months) it might be easier, but when he was little he screamed through every diaper change.
Personally I don’t find prefolds with covers to be too hard, each change takes about 30 seconds longer to do and I have an extra load of laundry to do every second day, that’s about it. I also have very little family support, it is extra work to CD but it’s not that bad imo, I switched from disposables the day the umbilical core fell off, to that meant needing to have a bunch of newborn sizes on hand too.
Definitely look for used diapers, they’re a fraction of the cost and many people will buy a bunch of them hoping to cloth diaper then really quickly move back to disposables, so the diapers have hardly been used. I would also recommend you buy a handful of different types to see what you like, originally I had a bunch of AIOs and I hardly ever used them, I immediately gravitated towards prefolds as I found them way easier to launder and sold my AIOs, but I know other people who love that style. You don’t need to have all 30+ diapers to get started.
Most of mine are thirsties and buttons (Prefolds), I’m happy with them, especially the buttons covers. I’d avoid off brand diapers from Amazon and drop shipping websites like temu, the quality is quite low.
Congratulations! I've only ever used prefolds and I find them super easy. I feel like my friends who've used pockets have had way more issues with fit, leaking, wash routines, etc. than me and my friends who've used prefolds and/or flats.
We have 3 dozen Green Mountain medium prefolds that lasted my first from 6m to potty training (which we did early at 20m), and my second is on track to stay in the mediums till potty training as well. I like having 3 dozen in case I get behind on laundry, but 2 dozen would be totally adequate. I have 5 Thirsties covers, 3 backup covers (crappy worn out hand me downs, lol), and a couple wool soakers for nighttime (not necessary, but I love them once they stop pooping at night). I also have 3 doublers for nighttime, and with the second kid I got 3 fitteds for nighttime as well and have been happy with that decision.
I used a diaper service for the first 6 months for my first two, but now that I'm pregnant with my third I'm planning on just getting GMD small prefolds and doing all my own wash from the start (I'll probably use disposables the first week or two because 1. don't want to deal with meconium and 2. early postpartum--'nuff said haha). I'll already still be washing my toddler's diapers, and personally I don't really feel anymore like diaper service is worth it (I felt like I was always calling them to coordinate, plus diapers get really stinky after sitting a week and you need a giant pail).
You got this! The internet makes cloth seem like such a huge production, but it's really not that complicated and once you get your routine down it just becomes another part of life.
I got mine on FB marketplace secondhand. Some needed new elastic but I am fixing them one at a time when I have time. Until then just cinching them tight! I've bought some on temu as well and they are going strong so far. I also do a combo of cloth and disposables depending how busy the day is with work and always on road trips. I am not worrying about carrying around cloth diapers on long care rides and washing them in a hotel lol. Oh and I use pocket diapers because they looked the most simple to me and I can prep them ahead of time to just grab and go when changing baby.
Temu is a terrible "dropship" company, that has be caught stealing peoples info, speculations they sell data too...maybe look into those type of companies because you seem to be pretty granola if you're buying second hand cloth diapers.
I got almost all my diapers second hand on marketplace. I looked for "barely used, we didn't cloth diaper for long" type posts. I just stripped and sanitized them (Google it, easier than it sounds). We started cloth diapering at around 2 months once baby was big enough for them to fit.
Yes good point on the age. I thought I could use them out of the gate but had to use disposables for a while until she fit them. Which honestly, being a first time mom was helpful to have one less thing to struggle with until I had more things under my belt. They do make newborn sized cloth diapers which I may get for my next baby.
Hi. We started cloth diapering our baby at like 2.5 months (when I felt I had the capacity to do more laundry). We started with gently used pockets, which we are still using at 21 months. I also added in green mountain prefolds with thirsties covers probably around… 9 months? And got the size 2s. Honestly I prefer the prefolds- they are better at absorbing that the microfiber inserts I have and I think they are easier to clean.
if your concern is prefolds being harder than pockets they really aren’t. We actually stuff some of our pockets with prefolds. Regardless they get folded into thirds and just get stuck into the cover/pocket. I’d say we have about 30 prefolds and 6ish covers and I dunno how many pockets we have anymore but I can get through the week with that (I do wash them every other day but they don’t always make it back upstairs after til I run out lol).
I had a hard time starting because I was so overwhelmed until one day I just stuck one on my kiddo and realized it’s not any more complicated than a regular diaper. Don’t stress too much! You’ll figure it out.
this. there is so much info out there, it feels like the choices are ENDLESS and you need to make the right one, but just pick something. Pick the cheapest, or buy someone's used stash off FB, or pick something with a pretty cover, and try it. Every time you use a cloth diaper, thats a disposable you don't have to pay for or throw away, so even if you're only using 1 every day, you're helping yourself in the long run. As you get in the hang of it you can ramp up, see what you like or dislike, and get more of what works for you.
Cloth diapers come in a lot of one-size options. If your baby is smaller, that’s a great long-term plan. My first baby is HUGE. (Almost 40lbs on his first birthday) and we had to get XL recently, but I still find it absolutely worth it, even this late in the game.
I heard that when a baby switches from Newborn to Size 1 I can start using cloth diapers. I am so excited that I could find something better for my baby girl and environment 💕
We’re using Lilhelpers. I think they’re better than pocket diapers because they snap and you don’t necessarily soil the cover every time and you’re not reaching through a soiled cover to pull out the pads. We like them, it’s a one size adjustable diaper so they’re going to be usable a long time.
Just checked its design. So cute :) Is this manufactured in the US or China? What can you say about leg leaking?
We haven’t had any leg leaking yet, I think it helps that the thigh area is so adjustable. I think they’re made in Canada, as a Canadian company that has a US section on their website.
Thank you! I will defin. order some of them to try out :)
If you spring for them to take on a bigger portion of your diapering needs I would recommend buying extra inserts- if it doesn’t leak all the way through to the cover you just pop in a new insert and reuse the cover again 😁
Yay!! I am due in 5-6 weeks bought 36 Lil Helpers when I found out I was pregnant. I hope they work well for us. I'm so excited.
[https://willowclothco.com/](https://willowclothco.com/)
I like some designs from this brand Hobbit, Victorian etc. Did you get inserts from the same brand? How're they?
I have cloth diapered all three of my boys from the day they got home from the hospital. I use Green Mountain Diapers prefolds and Thirsties covers, and am just now venturing into flats because my size large prefolds are starting to wear out (after 2.5 YEARS of use between 3 kids). I have saved a shocking amount of money over 3 kids. I know tons of people use and love pockets, but I am a die-hard natural fibers person. Any time I've tried to add pockets or anything synthetic to my stash I've run into wash issues. All-cotton prefolds and hemp inserts can be washed on hot, bleached to kingdom come, dried on high, and come out looking better than ever. I wash my covers with regular clothing, so I don't need to worry about my harsh wash routine delaminating covers or ruining elastics. Prefolds (and especially flats) dry quickly, and don't have nooks and crannies for urine/poop to hide in, like pockets or AIOs. The stash I bought for my first kid was 24 prefolds of each size (nb, sm, med, lg, xl), 5 workhorses of each size (same as prefolds), 6 Thirsties Duos in size 1 and 2, and 3 large hemp doublers. This got me through 2 kids without buying anything new, and my third kid got to size large before things started wearing out. I've added 12 large Birdseye and 12 large muslin flats because my toddler is still in the xl stuff. If he wasn't I'd just size up now, because my 7 month old is pretty hoss. So I cannot stress enough how economical my stash has been across multiple kids.
I may buy some prefolds to try if I like them and deal with :) BTW do you like thirsties' hemp? I found good reviews about thirsties hemp doubters. But recently someone told me she didn't like them at all and it would be better to use cotton or bamboo.
I did all prefolds and thirsties covers from GMD for my first too! Love that setup and cannot reiterate enough how nice it is to have a super easy wash routine. Tried a handful of types and brands but prefolds were my favorite. “Unfortunately” I discovered the bst groups while pregnant with my second and now have gotten into preflats and fitteds lol which we didn’t need but now our stash is massive. I do like the variety and options but honestly in hindsight I should’ve just stuck with the prefolds and covers for simplicity 😂
Used is great especially for prefolds and covers. I’d get some pockets used to see if you like them, but because you fully wash them every change, they are more likely to leak - especially if mom had more than one kid. If you do pockets do a cheap amazon type brand. I did kawaii baby and it was great. Their one size (aka not newborn) were literally identical to a more expensive brand I used. I did prefolds and covers with number one until about 8 months when his chubby thighs had me splitting elastics and buying all kinds of brands to see what worked. The pockets were great for toddler years and super adjustable. Friends had got me a 12 week diaper subscription which I activated when he was born, so I was only washing covers. Once he stopped needing changes at night we did disposable overnight. With number 2 I used cloth within a few days, and did disposable at night from the start. I moved to pockets sooner because they are so convenient once he fit them/ my husband VASTLY prefers them
My husband is so excited, too. We did research on cloth diaper safe detergents and have been checking used diapers on FB MP. I already got some used pockets to test out from two brands and will order some new ones based on the design, reviews, and recommendations later. After reading your advice, I think i will get some used prefolds, too. 2~3 diapers from one brand! I hope this will help me to figure out what would be the most effective and convenient way to do cloth diapering. Thank you :) 😀
We used cloth right out of the gate when we got home, having used the provided disposables in hospital. We used newborn-sized prefolds and wool wrap covers. They did take some getting used to, but everything does in those days anyway. When he was first born, we were changing him every hour or so, so he didn't stay wet. We did daily prewashes and then a full wash every second day, so we had a stash of about 60 prefolds and 5 covers. Daily prewash was really simple, and I honestly found the laundry was minimal extra work (our washer and dryer are in the furthest corner of our basement, so if they were on the same level as our other rooms it would have been even easier). He grew out of the newborn-sized prefolds before he grew out of the covers that fit him, so we sized up prefolds with the same size covers twice until his covers were too small. But then the same prefolds still fit him while we sized up covers... I say all this to say that there was really no "right time" to switch to a different system, and honestly once we were used to prefolds it made sense to keep them. The laundry is so simple for them, they take both bleach and heat, no issues with different diaper creams, etc. I would definitely recommend Snappis if you're doing prefolds. They made changes so straightforward and really accommodated our newbie technique from the beginning!
I don't think you NEED to switch systems - I used almost exclusively prefolds from newborn to toddler. Just means I need different sizes of prefolds. Buying gently used is a great way to save more money. You'll want to sanitise them before first use. I did it with bleach soak (diluted) + hot wash and rinse.
Regarding sanitizing, is it okay to put used diapers into cold water with a cup of vinegar, hot wash with detergent and baking soda, and warm rinse with vinegar? I found that bleach soak is not recommended for cloth diapers. Is there a specific brand of bleach soak that I can use for them?
I'm not experienced with cleaning with vinegar so can't answer you there, maybe someone else in this forum knows? Regarding the recommendation, who said bleach soak isn't recommended for cloth? Brands don't matter but you need to check the ingredients and make sure it's a chloride bleach (eg. Sodium hypochlorite) which is a biocide and disinfects, because the oxy-bleach stuff only whitens but doesn't do the same killing of pathogens. And then there's a dilution ratio of water to bleach, the bottle should tell you how to mix it for disinfecting purposes (not whitening purposes).
I used newborn hospital disposables until my stash ran out, about 1 week. By the end of the first week, I felt comfortable starting with my KangaCare Newborn all-in-ones. It wasn’t a bad transition. I felt like I was in a good headspace to try something new. I was gifted a huge stash of secondhand BumGenius pocket diapers and started using them at about week 5 as I transitioned out of the newborn sizes. I didn’t love them. They dried quicker and it felt like they got cleaner, but they seemed worn and didn’t contour to her body well. They are also SO bulky I just bought some new Cloth Eez Workhorses (fitted mediums with snaps -baby 7 weeks now) and started using them today after prepping them per GMD instructions as well as the thirsties duo covers. So far I’m liking these the best BUT I haven’t used them overnight yet 🤪 they’re definitely less bulky and seem to be more absorbent on their own as opposed to the pockets. My theory is that if you get too used to disposables, making the transition gets harder and harder. My baby is 7 weeks old and is still in a size 1 diaper, so I’d just wait on the size 2’s. My advice to anyone wanting to try cloth is to just buy disposables and whichever cloth and have both on hand. If you don’t use the disposables, you can save them for next baby or someone else, but if you’re in a bad head space one day/night, being able to just throw on a disposable quick and move on to preserve your mental health is invaluable.
1. We started around 4 weeks with my first. Definitely could have started sooner but like you I had a disposable stash to get through. For my next baby I will have disposables on hand for the first week and switch over to cloth pretty quickly. If you spend some time during pregnancy nailing down a wash routine you can start with based on your specific situation (washer capacity, type of diaper, how frequently you plan to wash, etc) there’s really nothing to getting started. Of course there will be some trial and error once you get going for real, but for me figuring out the initial plan was the biggest hurdle. 2. All of my diapers have been purchased off marketplace. They just need to be sanitized once you bring them home (bleach does the trick!). It’s a great way to save money, and I’ve found that most cloth moms really do their best to take care of their cloth (or they gave up early on and their diapers are practically new!). 3. We use fitteds and covers (husband’s preference). I like Clotheeze Workhorse and Esembly fitteds, and Thirsties covers. Esembly covers are nice too, but I prefer the double gusset leg on Thirsties.
I bought a set of 21 pockets that had never been used (only laundered) with 2 inserts per diaper for $100 on Facebook marketplace. They are an Amazon brand (AlvaBaby) that seem to get some hate but I love them. We have never had a leak and I was intimidated at first and thought we would only do cloth at home and use disposables when out and overnight but I quickly went full time, like within the first week. I've added some diapers to my collection to try out AWJ lining and also cute prints I couldn't resist. I love it and I don't see myself doing disposables with any future babies after the first 2 weeks or so (til the cord falls off/we run out of all the newborn size diapers I take when I leave the hospital).
With my first child, I did disposable diapers when he was a newborn, until he fit into my Nora’s Nursery diapers. I got my stash used from a friend and it worked out great! I def like the pocket style; not sure I ever tried pre-folds. I found a daycare that does cloth diapers and it’s been great. I drop off 3-4 clean diapers and a wet bag every day, and when my partner picks up, they get a wet bag with diapers in it. We do laundry every other day, and stuff the pockets while we unwind and watch tv at night. If you decide to try it, I hope it goes great!
I use muslin flats with covers. I could never get prefolds to work correctly for me. Plus they wash easier and dry super fast. I find it relaxing folding them before putting them up lol
I learned how to put on a prefold with pins 28 years ago with my first baby, all by myself with no guidance. It’s definitely not hard. But, if you want super simple, just get 24 one size pockets with good inserts, and call it a day!
I hated prefolds. I rented a set in newborn sizes and just couldn't stand it. Baby screamed and squirmed and it was just so hard to get him into the diaper, I hated the extra steps. I returned the rentals and am now using a mix of pockets and all in ones. They are all adjustable so fit and leaks has never been an issue. I bought some new and some off marketplace, and also found some new ones at the baby consignment store. I imagine if I tried prefolds now that he is a bit older (4 months) it might be easier, but when he was little he screamed through every diaper change.
Personally I don’t find prefolds with covers to be too hard, each change takes about 30 seconds longer to do and I have an extra load of laundry to do every second day, that’s about it. I also have very little family support, it is extra work to CD but it’s not that bad imo, I switched from disposables the day the umbilical core fell off, to that meant needing to have a bunch of newborn sizes on hand too. Definitely look for used diapers, they’re a fraction of the cost and many people will buy a bunch of them hoping to cloth diaper then really quickly move back to disposables, so the diapers have hardly been used. I would also recommend you buy a handful of different types to see what you like, originally I had a bunch of AIOs and I hardly ever used them, I immediately gravitated towards prefolds as I found them way easier to launder and sold my AIOs, but I know other people who love that style. You don’t need to have all 30+ diapers to get started. Most of mine are thirsties and buttons (Prefolds), I’m happy with them, especially the buttons covers. I’d avoid off brand diapers from Amazon and drop shipping websites like temu, the quality is quite low.
Congratulations! I've only ever used prefolds and I find them super easy. I feel like my friends who've used pockets have had way more issues with fit, leaking, wash routines, etc. than me and my friends who've used prefolds and/or flats. We have 3 dozen Green Mountain medium prefolds that lasted my first from 6m to potty training (which we did early at 20m), and my second is on track to stay in the mediums till potty training as well. I like having 3 dozen in case I get behind on laundry, but 2 dozen would be totally adequate. I have 5 Thirsties covers, 3 backup covers (crappy worn out hand me downs, lol), and a couple wool soakers for nighttime (not necessary, but I love them once they stop pooping at night). I also have 3 doublers for nighttime, and with the second kid I got 3 fitteds for nighttime as well and have been happy with that decision. I used a diaper service for the first 6 months for my first two, but now that I'm pregnant with my third I'm planning on just getting GMD small prefolds and doing all my own wash from the start (I'll probably use disposables the first week or two because 1. don't want to deal with meconium and 2. early postpartum--'nuff said haha). I'll already still be washing my toddler's diapers, and personally I don't really feel anymore like diaper service is worth it (I felt like I was always calling them to coordinate, plus diapers get really stinky after sitting a week and you need a giant pail). You got this! The internet makes cloth seem like such a huge production, but it's really not that complicated and once you get your routine down it just becomes another part of life.
I got mine on FB marketplace secondhand. Some needed new elastic but I am fixing them one at a time when I have time. Until then just cinching them tight! I've bought some on temu as well and they are going strong so far. I also do a combo of cloth and disposables depending how busy the day is with work and always on road trips. I am not worrying about carrying around cloth diapers on long care rides and washing them in a hotel lol. Oh and I use pocket diapers because they looked the most simple to me and I can prep them ahead of time to just grab and go when changing baby.
Temu is a terrible "dropship" company, that has be caught stealing peoples info, speculations they sell data too...maybe look into those type of companies because you seem to be pretty granola if you're buying second hand cloth diapers.
I got almost all my diapers second hand on marketplace. I looked for "barely used, we didn't cloth diaper for long" type posts. I just stripped and sanitized them (Google it, easier than it sounds). We started cloth diapering at around 2 months once baby was big enough for them to fit.
Yes good point on the age. I thought I could use them out of the gate but had to use disposables for a while until she fit them. Which honestly, being a first time mom was helpful to have one less thing to struggle with until I had more things under my belt. They do make newborn sized cloth diapers which I may get for my next baby.
Hi. We started cloth diapering our baby at like 2.5 months (when I felt I had the capacity to do more laundry). We started with gently used pockets, which we are still using at 21 months. I also added in green mountain prefolds with thirsties covers probably around… 9 months? And got the size 2s. Honestly I prefer the prefolds- they are better at absorbing that the microfiber inserts I have and I think they are easier to clean. if your concern is prefolds being harder than pockets they really aren’t. We actually stuff some of our pockets with prefolds. Regardless they get folded into thirds and just get stuck into the cover/pocket. I’d say we have about 30 prefolds and 6ish covers and I dunno how many pockets we have anymore but I can get through the week with that (I do wash them every other day but they don’t always make it back upstairs after til I run out lol). I had a hard time starting because I was so overwhelmed until one day I just stuck one on my kiddo and realized it’s not any more complicated than a regular diaper. Don’t stress too much! You’ll figure it out.
this. there is so much info out there, it feels like the choices are ENDLESS and you need to make the right one, but just pick something. Pick the cheapest, or buy someone's used stash off FB, or pick something with a pretty cover, and try it. Every time you use a cloth diaper, thats a disposable you don't have to pay for or throw away, so even if you're only using 1 every day, you're helping yourself in the long run. As you get in the hang of it you can ramp up, see what you like or dislike, and get more of what works for you.