Please help me figure out what I need!

nilwethien

So we're planning to cloth diaper 'part-time.'  Basically, for us that means using cloth during the day time when we're at home and on short trips in public (cloth on a 3-4 hour excursion, disposable on anything longer).  I know that it's totally possible to cloth diaper at night/while away from home, but we think that this plan will work best for our family.

So anyway, I'm due in at the end of June and I'm trying to figure out how many diapers I need.  To be quite honest, I'm not really sure what I have at this point - I've just been buying diapers when I see them on sale or used in various places.  We are planning to use pockets and all in ones.  I know that prefolds and flats are not for us - I was a nanny for a family that used prefolds and flats for a couple of years and it was not a good fit for me.

Here's what I know about the stash I need (thanks in part to some lurking I've done here...)

-I need Newborn and One size diapers because newborns don't actually fit into one size diapers (usually) for a while

-It's a good idea to get a mix of brands

- I should plan to change a diaper every 2-3 hours

I'd like to plan to wash every 2-3 days.

Here's an idea of what I have (there might be a few more, but like I said, I've kind of gone shopping without keeping a close enough track...)

13 fuzzibunz x-sm

3 Kawaii pure and Natural

2 lil Joey Newborns

4 Little Monsters OS

3 Bum Genius OS 4.0

1 Bum Genius Freetime

4 Sunbaby OS

1 Kawaii OS

So I know I'll need more OS's, but I guess I'm more concerned right now with having enough for the newborn stage.  How many should I have?  Any brand recommendations?  I'm trying to do this on a smaller budget (ideally not paying more than $10-12 per diaper), though I know we picked more expensive styles of diapers...

Thanks!

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nilwethien

I know we'll be home much of the day during the newborn stage...and even when we go out, it probably won't be for for very long... 

 I guess we're planning to cloth diaper pretty much all day during his first 3-4 months and then he'll be in daycare for 6-7 hours a day (they don't do cloth right now, but if I could convince them, then we would do it there too).

fireflygirl12

DS is 3 weeks old, and I have 30 nb aios. This is just about enough to get me through with doing laundry EOD right now, since I usually change him more often than every 3 hours. I also usually end up using 2 diapers at several changes because he likes to poop right after I put a new diaper on him. At least I don't curse like I did with DS1 for wasting another $0.19 when I had to double change him!

We started with a bunch of Lil Joeys and NB THX, but DS was 9lbs at birth and they were leaking from just one pee starting around 1.5 weeks. I've since switched everything out for Blueberry simplex/basix and a few mini deluxes, all which have worked really well for us, but they are a bit more money.

jcwinsto

I think 36 changes for newborns for EOD washing is pretty good.  Also, with NB's you tend to change more diapers over night so you don't really need an overnight solution (or in your case a disposable).  You should be able to use your NB diapers around the clock.  You can also double stuff a pocket diaper and add a doubler to some AIO's and if your baby isn't a heavy wetter at night you might get away with this solution.

As far as types for NB I'm no help.  I used prefolds and covers this time around and found that I didn't like them.  Next time I'll probably use P&N's and flats.  I did have a few Thirsties Size 1 AIO's and he was leaking out of them by 3 weeks old.  Not much absorbancy there.

For OS diapers on a budget I like my Assunta's a lot.  I've only been using them for 4 months so I don't know how they will hold up in the long run but they fit great.  I use ALVA bamboo inserts with them though.  I made my own hemp fleece doublers to save money as well.

CLLDLL

I agree with @jcwinsto that at least in the NB stage, there's really no difference between CD diapering and disposable diapering.  They poop so often you end up changing every 2-3 hours, even overnight.   If you really don't want to CD ON, I guess I'd figure on one disposable every 2-3 hours ON so maybe 4-5 each night and subtract that from your total.  So 26-28 CDs???

As far as the OS stage, when G was first in OS we went through around 9-12 diapers a day, including nights.  At 18 months that number is closer to 7-8 a day.   Only one of those diapers is an ON diaper.  So I'd aim for 16-22 OS diapers to just CD during the days and wash EOD.

Just an FYI, some babies aren't heavy wetters and don't require anything extra for ON diapering.  Others just need a little extra stuffed into their normal daytime diapers.  So, if I were you I wouldn't completly rule out ON diapering until you know your baby.  It might not cost you any extra or add any extra work to do it.

Chichigo

Have you considered GMD fitteds for the newborn stage? Its still a two step system but simpler than folding prefolds or flats.

nilwethien

I guess I didn't realize that not all babies need overnight solutions. Thanks for that I'll just wait and see what he does.

Are there any OS diapers that do generally fit newborns? I noticed that my sun baby is smaller than bum genius, but wasn't sure if that was a quality thing or an actual size thing that will let it fit earlier (it could be both...?)

edited for format

nilwethien

@chichigo are these what you're talking about? https://www.greenmountaindiapers.com/workhorse-white.html

I can't say I considered them. What would I need if I were going to use them?

Chichigo

That's it. If you purchase with snaps, all you would need is a cover. Ecocobum covers are only $9 each and can be used multiple times, unless poop leaks from the fitted. For $27, you can probably get 3 diaper changes (3 fitteds and a single cover).
Since you also have other diapers, you could hand wash a soiled cover and use AIOs or pockets while waiting for it to dry.

freezorburn

Ditto PP re trying workhorse fitteds + covers for the NB stage. You may like them better than prefolds, and if you don't you should be able to sell them and recoup most of your money.

Oh Katy pocket diapers are OS, and they have a NB snap setting, BUT I should say that we didn't get ours until DS was already around 11-12 lbs, and even then we didn't get a great fit with them until he was around 15-16 lbs (around 8 months in his case), mostly because he is a skinny guy and took forever to chunk up enough for OS diapers.

If you can find Thirsties Duo Pockets size 1, they should fit for at least part of the NB/infant phase. I liked them better than the Thirsties AIO.  But I think these are being discontinued so you have to hurry hurry and buy whatever's left in stock or look for them used.

nilwethien

So, given that I have 18ish newborn sized diapers, I should round it out with 9-10 fitteds 3-4 covers, and maybe a a couple of AIOs?

freezorburn

36 changes for NB is a good rule of thumb, if you want to be able to wash every other day. Any combination you like of whatever kind of diapers you want. You need to factor in drying time, especially if you plan to hang dry anything since that will take longer unless you live in the desert.