How soon did you begin CD?

cbrookegrow

Hi everyone! I've been lurking in this board for a while and was hoping for some help. After doing research DH and I decided to cloth diaper our son. A few people have suggested we use disposable the first 6 weeks.  I'm curious what your thoughts on this are. I like the idea in terms of getting a handle on breastfeeding first, and waiting until umbilical cord falls off, etc. But, I'm also concerned that transitioning from disposable to cloth may be more difficult later. 

Did you start CD from birth? Any pros or cons to your decision?

TIA 

michnthecity

We began around 3 weeks with cds at home, still used sposies out. It was a gradual process of getting to use 100% cds regardless of where we are.  We still keep sposies at home for grandparents if they watch him.  It was a little hard to go from sposies at 3 weeks though, they are so darn convenient to just throw away.  But then the routine was established with cloth and the savings is adding up, so it's been wonderful.  We did a trial but after going through the twelve diapers in less than a day, I brought the trial dipes back to the store a week later and started building my stash.  I don't think the trial helped with learning which kinds I liked since I only got one type of each kind, not enough to see any difference.  I ended up stocking up on what seemed most popular-Pockets and all in ones.  We use all one size diapers-mostly fuzzibunz and bgs

 

bunniekrissy

We started CD at 2 weeks old. The first two weeks I was too overwhelmed with recovering from childbirth, dealing with baby blues, etc. to even think about it. I was worried it would be hard to transition once I got used to disposables, and it kind of was, but soon it was easy and I love cloth We did have a newborn stash which we used from roughly 2-6 weeks of age, some lasting longer. For us it was a gradual switch too. We didn't have quite enough newborn diapers to last 2 days, so we would alternate days of cloth and disposable, and we used sposies at night for quite a while before making our way to 100% cloth.

natalie7s19

We started from birth, even in the hospital. I don't regret it at all - yes, being a brand new mom with a newborn was kinda overwhelming, but I didn't feel that cloth diapers added to that at all. However, we did use a diaper service for the first 6 months, so I didn't have laundry to worry about, therefore I can't vouch for that part not being overwhelming. 

sweetMay119

started at about 3 wks, because that is when her belly button was completely healed...our thirsties duo covers would of irritated it. 

kacelle

We started in the hospital.  Pros were that we never got used to disposables (which are nasty anyway), DD was never exposed to the harmful chemicals in sposies, and we saved money on diapers (and have a newborn stash to use later).

erniebufflo

We started as soon as we got home from the hospital. Even with recovering from a CS and twins, I didn't find it that difficult. I did have a stash of NB diapers, instead of trying to use OS diapers from the start--there's no way they would have fit them, as they were 6 lbs. at birth. Now my girls are two months, and they're still in the NB diapers, so it was worth it to me to get the little diapers. The Lil Joeys weren't a problem with the cord stump at all, and it wasn't so hard to fold down the BGs. We had disposables on hand in case we needed them, but we honestly didn't ever need to resort to them.

To me the biggest pro is we never had to run out and buy diapers with 2 little ones. And my daughter who spent time in the NICU had diaper rash while in the disposables they used on her, but hasn't had a rash at all since we got her home in the cloth diapers and cloth wipes.

jennyann28

We started as soon as we got home from the hospital. Honestly, I felt it would be EASIER to just use our NB stash from the get-go, rather than getting used to disposables & then having to transition to cloth. Plus, I didn't want DH to get used to disposables - they're just not an option in our house. The laundry has been incredibly easy to keep up with. To me, cloth is just a normal part of having a newborn & it doesn't interfere with trying to figure out all the other stuff (plus it holds in that newborn poo so well!).

tjkdlhb

I started as soon as we came home from the hospital too... The cord wasn't an issue because the only diapers that fit her were newborn bummis and Grovia newborn AIOs... and they fit below the cord.  DH was a little more aprehensive, so he used sposies the first few times, then he used the AIOs for a while and now that he's more comfortable, he will use the prefolds (if he has to)... since we only had 12 prefolds that fit, I sometimes used disposables to fill in when I did wash... she fits into a few of the other brands we have too now, so it's not an issue anymore.

When we go to visit DH's parents in a few weeks, we will probably use the sposies we were gifted so that we don't have to carry around the wetbag and use their washing machine.

I think it was easier to start with cd, because that's really all I am used to now... I don't think it is anymore difficult to go downstairs to throw on a load of laundry or to bring a bag of disposables to the curb...plus there are no late night runs to the store to get more diapers...

ps... went to the nurse to get her weighed on Monday, and the nurse commented on how the CD babies she sees always have no rashes!

dairygirl19

I started the second we got home from the hospital.

It was honestly no big deal. I just did it and never looked back. It's not as big of a deal as people make it out to be. AT ALL. I quickly found the people that told me not to start with it/thought I was out of my mind were the ones that never CDd at all.

I actually didn't mind the laundry. I had a hip injury as a result of a traumatic L*D but the laundry made me feel accomplished. It was something quick and easy I could do. It made me get up and feel like me again.

I just told myself I have to keep doing laundry anyways to function as a household so what's one more load.

I do keep sposies in the house for laundry emergencies or new sitters, but I've never been tempted to use them myself. I do use them if we're gone more than one night. I don't want to drag my cloth along or worry about laundry on my break!

pixy_stix

We started just before we left the hospital. We would have started IN the hospital, but I went into labor early and wasn't quite ready for the baby. We had a week where the washer was broken, but after that she's been cloth.

Doing diaper laundry kept me sane during the newborn months. 

talitha712

We started just before 3 weeks.  For us it was nice to use disposables the first couple weeks while we adjusted and those blue lines made it easy to count wet/dirty diapers . We started with a mix of PFs and AIOs and we dove right in on e we were completely out of disposables.

LMDenver

We started at 7 months because I heard about it and researched it after I had my son. Wish I would have started sooner. With the next one I will probably want to start as soon as were home from the hospital. Transitioning at 7 months wasn't an issue I was ready for the challenge even being a working mom. It was worth it to me. My family/friends thought I was crazy. But it was important to me. And Im happy to say weve got zero disposables in this house and have for a while. :-)

leapgirl8

We just started today (3+ weeks), but I wish we had done it starting when we got home from the hospital. It's no big deal compared to the enormous overall change of being first-time-moms of twins I hated throwing so many diapers away and decided I couldn't wait until they grew into the one-size diapers we already have. I rented a NB stash to use in the interim.

MrsGreen620

We started at birth with prefolds, covers, lil joey's, anf cloth wipes. LO hasn't had a rash in her first 4 weeks of life, laundry has been easy to keep up with, and I'm glad it shows my family that sposies aren't an option (they are mostly supportive, but previously thought "oh, baby will use sposies at grandma's house").

kris_kelsey

We started around 3 weeks old.  I would have started a week or two sooner but my DD had major feeding issues, then blood in her stool with a terrible allergy rash and I had to use a messy, special ointment.  I really did not want to ruin the dipes with the ointment so I waited.  We used CD at home and sposies on the go the first week (I had sposies leftover) and now we 100% cloth diaper.  My husband even put on a prefold yesterday which blew my mind because I was SURE he couldn't figure it out. 

epona3

We started right away (we used PFs and covers)

It was not a big deal at all. In the NB stage, cloth and sposies seem like about the same amount of work to me: you take it off, put it in the pail, put a new diaper on.

Since you don't have to spray poop off of diapers or anything, the only difference is that instead of taking diapers out to the trash, you put them in the washing machine.

hispenguin

We started cloth when DD was 5wks old. I honestly wish that I had have started earlier, at least after the first week. I would have saved so much money! We only had a stash of OS pockets and AIO's at the beginning so we had to wait till DD was at least 10lbs before we could get started with them.

veruca5839

We started when DD was 4 weeks old.  I had planned to start sooner, and had a small NB stash to use, but I had a tough c/s recovery and just wasn't up to starting something new. 

Leinistar

We had been given a few disposables for gifts and had a bunch given to us by the hopsital so we used them until we ran out, which was about 3-4 weeks. I was glad to use them then because there we SOOO many poos and I was in no shape to be doing laundry every day. Plus, the first week or so of poo is pretty heinous and I was glad to not have to deal with stains for them.

We didn't have any issues transitioning from our point of view. We ran out so we didn't really have a choice lol. DS actually seemed happier in the cloth diapers and his stump was never an issue, we just folded the fronts down a bit.

cookinitup

We used up what the hospital gave us and cloth diapered within the first week.  I kept a small stash of sposies for travelling.  I found cloth to be just as easy as sposies.

We've used a service b/c we only have coin op washer - but we're switching to our own stash soon - even if it means handwashing.  Having the service for the first few months made everything very stress free.

Froggy76

We started about an hour after getting home from the hospital.  I have no regrets and we didn't find it overwhelming (of course, my DH did most of the diaper laundry at first because I was usually nursing.)  I think PFs and covers are the easiest in terms of laundry, because you can just throw the PFs in the dryer on high and they're dry fast and you can just stack them up to put them away.  They are also the cheapest, so you're not spending a ton on a NB stash that only gets used for a couple months.  When you're done with them, the PFs can still be used as burp cloths, pocket inserts or changing pad covers.

I can also see the benefits of waiting until OS diapers fit.  Buying a NB stash probably won't save you money over disposables and we did irritate DD's umbilical cord stump a bit with the CDs (although it was no big deal.)  Also, once you've dealt with constant blowouts from disposables, you'll appreciate CD's even more when you start!

Alliebooberz

Started at 24 hours old. It was seriously no big deal to do it from birth and the EBF poop stains WAY worse than meconium. 

bugandbibs

We started the day we left the hospital.  It was NBD.  I focused on nursing and healing while MH did all the diaper changes and laundry.  It was nice starting the laundry routine early because MH still does 90% of the CD washing.

I did the math.  Our NB stash cost $60 (a baby shower gift).  Based on how many changes we did per day after 3 weeks we were saving money (versus the cost of disposables).  Our LO was in her NB stash until about 10 weeks.  That means we saved 7 weeks worth of dispsoables or roughly $140.

Honestly, changing a diaper is changing a diaper.  It's the same amount of work and clean up during the pre-solids stage.  Throw it away or put it in a pail and dump it in the washer.  Lots of times during the NB stage, we just took diapers out of the laundry basket because they didn't get put away.  It was really easy, and we never had to change the sheets in the middle of the night or deal with blowouts all over her clothes. 

L0L0

We started when we got home from the hospital and she hasn't worn a sposie since, even when we have traveled. Getting used to cd was nothing compared to learning how to breast feed, and I feel really proud that we have been able to reduce her environmental impact so much by choosing cloth!

ournaturaljourney

I wanted to CD our son from birth, but he was only 5 lbs. 8 oz. at birth and less than 5 lbs. when we brought him home from the hospital. He didn't fit in any of our cloth diapers, so we had to use disposable preemie diapers for the first month.

I wouldn't think it would be difficult to transition to cloth at 6 weeks, but I'm not sure why you would want to wait.

Do the people who are suggesting you wait 6 weeks have any (recent) experience using cloth diapers? My guess is not.

You could always try cloth to start and if it seems to difficult to you, take a break and switch to sposies until you are ready to give it a go again.