Newborn Stash help (hopefully for the last time!)

brownmouse

So I posted a while back about my BG NB AIO and looking for my other options. I just got a box of used diapers in the mail from a friend (for free! Woo!) who was done using them, and I was surprised at what she sent me! I think between the AIOs and these diapers, I am set for the NB stage, but looking for,opinions. So here is what I have:

19 Bum Genius NB AIO (I am sewing some flannel doublers to add absorbancy to these as well)

10 Yellow Edge Workhorses

5 newborn prefolds

5 small home-converted workhorses (sewn from prefolds with an extra doubler for each that isn't sewn in)

1 Thirsties Duo pocket diaper Size 1

1 Snappi

I plan on getting 4 Blueberry Mini Coveralls for covers, and plan to wash every other day, or every third day if I can get away with it. We have coin-op laundry so I am trying to stretch as far as I reasonably can between washing. I just bought about 8 yards of 100% cotton flannel on sale (at two bucks a yard!) that I can get about 16 flats out of, and I was planning to just make these flats as the rest of my stash before my surprise delivery this morning. Do you think I could maybe squeeze every third day washing out of the AIO, workhorses and prefolds without sewing any flats? Or should I just sew them up anyways? I have other things I would love to use the flannel for (because the prints are SOOOO cute!) so if I can do that, I would be super happy. I am guessing though that in order to wash every third day, I will need at least SOME flats.... How many changes for every third day washing is recommended? I know 36 for EOD is commonly suggested here...

Also, a random off the wall question... If I end up sewing the flats, after we outgrow the NB stage, would it be weird to use the fabric for other projects? I mean, I know it's not going to be dirty, since I'll be washing them, and people sell/buy used diapers, but my husband seems to think that it would be weird to reclaim the fabric and sew things with it........ Thoughts?

unaveragejane

We went through a minimum of 12 diapers per day in the early days, usually more. You might get away with washing every 3rd day.

IME flannel doesn't stay all that cute after the heavy and frequent wash cycles needed for diapers. I wouldn't anticipate wanting to up cycle it into anything after they're used as flats for a while, unless you wanted to use it for wipes.

brownmouse

unaveragejane said:

We went through a minimum of 12 diapers per day in the early days, usually more. You might get away with washing every 3rd day. IME flannel doesn't stay all that cute after the heavy and frequent wash cycles needed for diapers. I wouldn't anticipate wanting to up cycle it into anything after they're used as flats for a while, unless you wanted to use it for wipes.

Oh true, I didn't even think of this. Maybe I'll just make like  or 7 and see how that gets us as far as washing every day. We have a bunch of Honest and Seventh Generation diapers in NB and Size 1 that people have given us as gifts, so in a pinch I could use those if all my diapers are going in the wash on the third day... Then I can keep half the flannel to make other things now.  Win win!

Good idea about making wipes out of the used flannel too. I have about 40 that I've made now, but wouldn't hurt to have more later, and I could always make more doublers too!

brownmouse

AFwifelife said:

Well flats are cut as a one size option usually so you can use them throughout the whole diapering days (unless you are planning to make a special small size). I wouldn't use it for clothes or something after they've been used as diapers but we will use our prefolds and flats as cleaning cloths and wipes after both kids are out of diapers.

The flannel I have is 42 inches wide, so I was going to cut them a bit different than regular flats. The plan was to make them 21in by 27in, so they wouldn't really be that much smaller than regular flats, and I'll have a bunch of doublers from the NB AIO so I could always add those if the loss in inches affected absorbency. Though if I plan to use them past the weight limit of the Blueberry covers (Mini, so like 15lbs?) I'd have to get a few covers.... I guess we will see when I get that far.

Brandiewine11

You may want more variety in covers? And definitely get the 3 pack of snappis. I kept losing then finding them stuck to something else.