Everything You Need to Know Start Using Newborn Cloth Diapers

This post is about everything you need to know the start using newborn cloth diapers.

When I was pregnant, as a first time mom, I was so excited to have my bundle of joy with me. This led to daydreaming and thinking how I would raise my future daughter.

Around when I was 3 months pregnant, I began learning more and more about cloth diapers and I was immediately convinced that this was what I wanted to do.

Throughout the months I began to build my cloth diaper stash. (You will see below which cloth diaper method I used for cloth diapering a newborn that worked for my family and was cost-efficient.)

Once we learned a routine with our newborn, we added on the cloth diapers to our routine.

I remember being so excited to put them on her. I even remember the pictures I took of the first time I put on a diaper on her. She was so small! The newborn cloth diaper looked huge on her!

There were so many different ways to cloth diaper a newborn, that I was so overwhelmed! So I choose a method that aligned with my preference, budget, and longevity on the diapers.

In this article you will find how to cloth diaper a newborn in the hospital, 6 different cloth diaper systems you can choose from, recommended newborn cloth diapers, and frequently asked questions.

Cloth Diapering a Newborn in the Hospital

Cloth diapering a newborn in the hospital is a totally doable thing to do. You’d be surprised at how many people choose to cloth diaper from Day 1!

If you are worried about your hospital letting you cloth diaper your newborn, you can give them a call a week or so before your due date to confirm. Most likely, the answer will be a yes.

Though keep in mind that if, unfortunately, things do go as planned and your newborn needs to stay at the NICU, you may have to readjust your plans on using your newborn cloth diapers until your little one is out of the NICU.

READ MORE: Nursing Cart Essentials

How to Clean Meconium in Cloth Diapers?

Whether you are a first time mom or not, meconium is something that we only encounter a handful of times, so we may not always feel prepared when the time comes.

I remember in my 5-day hospital stay, for some reason, my daughter pooped only whenever she was not wearing a diaper. It went right on my sheets and/or hospital gown. Luckily for me, I didn’t have to worry about cleaning and/or washing off the meconium in those situations.

If, unlike me, your newborn uses their newborn cloth diapers for what they are designed for, you may ask yourself, “Will meconium ruin cloth diapers?”

The answer is no.

With meconium, the biggest worry is stains. So once your little one has used their newborn cloth diapers, you don’t even have to rinse it off the diaper- it can go straight into the washer as usual.

Once the diaper has been washed, it is recommended to let it line-dry outside in a sunny day. This method is called sun bleaching, where the sun will take care of any stains your cloth diapers may have.

Newborn Cloth Diaper Systems

Flats/Flour Sack Towels

Flats, depending on how you fold them, can truly last you a long time.

One of the worries some parents may have when using flats is that kids are very wiggly.

But if you start using flats and covers from the get-go, by the time your newborn become more active and begins wiggling out of every diaper change, you will have enough practice to fold the flat as needed before they get away!

Price:	Least expensive. You can find Flour Sack Towels as cheap at $15 for 20 at your local Walmart. The ones at Amazon are a little more expensive, at $36 for 24.
Pros:	You can reuse covers with a new flat/FST, cheap, easy to find in stores, can adjust and fold as needed for boy/girl.
Cons:	You need to invest in cover diapers, learn different folds, and know which works best for your family can be overwhelming and/or difficult.

OsoCozy Unbleached Birdseye Flat Cloth Diapers (6 Pack) – 27 x 27 Inches, One-Layer Flat Cloth Baby Nappies Made of Soft, Durable 100% Birdseye Weave Cotton

Utopia Kitchen [24 Pack Flour Sack Tea Towels, 28″ x 28″ Ring Spun 100% Cotton Dish Cloths – Machine Washable – for Cleaning & Drying – White

Preflats

Preflats are perfect for the parents that like the idea of flats, but may feel intimidated and/or struggling with the fact that there’s different folds.

The Preflats make the folding process easy and are considered to be the least bulky type of cloth diaper system.

Price:	Medium price point (about $10-20 per preflat)
Pros:	No need to worry about folding it (like you do with Flats/FST), you don’t have to worry about leaks due to the nature of how much absorbency they have.
Cons:	You need to invest in cover diapers.

Newborn Fitted Diapers

Fitted diapers are used with cover diapers, same as with flats/FST and prefolds. Fitteds are the perfect overnight cloth diaper because they hold so much liquids, as well as it’s easy to add even more absorbency.

Fitted diapers, you will find, come in different sizes, each one differing to how much your little one weighs. So as your child grows, the size of the fitted diaper will change. As a newborn, it’ll be either size 1 or newborn size, and once they outgrow one size, you will have to reinvest in your cloth diapers and buy the next size up.

Price:	Medium price point (about $10-20 per fitted diaper) (But keep in mind that you will need to repurchase fitted diapers when it’s time to size up)
Pros:	No need to worry about folding it (like you do with Flats/FST), you don’t have to worry about leaks due to the nature of how much absorbency they have.
Cons:	You need to invest in cover diapers.

Esembly Cloth Diaper Inner, Trim-Fit, Certified Organic Cotton, Reusable and Absorbent Leak-Proof Diapers with Snap Closure for Eco-Friendly Diapers, 3-Pack, Size 1 (7-17lbs)

Prefolds

This is the method I choose for my family when I was pregnant. I bought 15 prefolds from Green Mountain Diapers for about $50.

Once we got acclimated to having a newborn, I began using the prefolds with cover diapers. About the time my daughter was 3 months old, I began stuffing the pocket diapers with the prefold.

This system worked until my daughter was 15 months old. Just the one prefold did not provide enough absorbency for my 15 month old, so I then added a booster for added absorbency.

Price:	Inexpensive and affordable. (about $2-6 per prefold)
Pros:	Can grow with your child. Newborn-sized prefolds are the perfect size for pocket diaper inserts.
Cons:	You need to invest in cover diapers.

Humble Bebe Prefold Cloth Diapers – 12 Pack – Unbleached Premium Cotton, 4x8x4, Pre-Washed, Fits Newborn Babies to Toddlers (10-30 lbs), Multi-Use

Newborn Pocket Diapers

Buying newborn pocket diapers feels like a tricky thing to me. Like fitted diapers, newborn pocket diapers will be used only for the time your newborn will fit them.

For this reason, to me, it seems like with newborn cloth diapers, you need to repurchase your pocket diaper stash once your little one doesn’t fit the newborn cloth diapers.

Price:	Medium price point (about $7-12 per pocket diaper) (But keep in mind that you will need to repurchase pocket diapers when it’s time to size up)
Pros:	You can customize absorbency, reuse inserts when upgrading pocket diapers, easy to put on baby – very similar to disposable diapers.
Cons:	You need to size up, can be hard to stuff.

Newborn Baby Cloth Diaper Cover Nappy Hook and Loop (Wolf Rabbit)

Newborn All-In-One (AIO)

AIOs are most simplified version of cloth diapers. An AIO is the equivalent of a fitted diaper and cover diaper sewed together.

Price:	Most expensive option (about $20+ per AIO)
Pros:	Most similar to disposable diapers in its simplicity.
Cons:	Absorbency can be tricky. It’s hard to add absorbency to AIOs. Need to size up as kid grows.

Thirsties Natural Newborn All in One Reusable Cloth Diaper, Snap Closure, Seafoam (5-14 lbs)

Recommended Newborn Cloth Diaper Brands

1. BumGenius

2. Thirsties

3. GroVia

4. Kangacare

5. Smart Bottoms

6. Imagine Baby Products

7. Green Mountain Diapers

How Many Newborn Cloth Diapers Do I Need?

The number of newborn cloth diapers you will need can vary depending on several factors, such as how often you plan to do laundry and how frequently your baby needs diaper changes.

On average, newborns tend to go through 8-12 diaper changes per day.

If you plan to do laundry every 1-2 days, having around 24-36 cloth diapers should be sufficient. However, it is always a good idea to have a few extra diapers on hand in case of emergencies or unexpected circumstances.

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Conclusion

Cloth diapering a newborn can certainly feel overwhelming because it becomes just one more (complicated) thing for you to learn in preparation for motherhood. I created this guide to help you feel even a little less overwhelmed as you learn about what options you have to cloth diaper your newborn.

Be sure to reference back to this article to see which cloth diaper system best suits your family and preference.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it worth it to cloth diaper a newborn?

The decision on cloth diapering a newborn is a personal one and depends on various factors. Cloth diapers offer some benefits, such as being more environmentally friendly, cost-effective in the long run, and potentially reducing the risk of diaper rash. However, they do require more upfront investment, regular washing, and may require more frequent diaper changes compared to disposable diapers. Additionally, some parents find cloth diapers to be bulkier and less convenient when traveling or using childcare services.

What age should you start cloth diapers?

It is never too late to start cloth diapering. Cloth diapers can be used from birth, so you can start using them as soon as your baby is born. As your baby grows, you may need to adjust the size or style of the cloth diapers to ensure a proper fit. You can even start cloth diapering your 2 year old toddler. Depending on the area where you live, you can find a cloth diaper stash for as cheap at $100 on FB marketplace, or other secondhand apps, such as Mercari. You can also invest in flour sack towels and cover diapers, which will also cost about $100 – this is the cost of 2.5 months of disposable diapers.

What are cloth diaper-friendly diaper creams?

When using cloth diapers, it is important to choose diaper creams that are compatible with them to avoid potential damage or buildup. Some common cloth diaper-friendly diaper creams are those that are water-based, petroleum-free, and free of zinc oxide. Examples of cloth diaper-friendly diaper creams include coconut oil, shea butter, lanolin-based creams, and certain brands specifically labeled as cloth diaper-safe.

How do you prep newborn cloth diapers?

Prepping newborn cloth diapers is the same as prepping regular cloth diapers. You need to run them on the washer once with cloth diaper-friendly detergent, and then 2-4 more times without detergent. This helps the cloth diapers increase their absorbency. Another method is to throw them in the washer with dirty laundry. This way you can save water and kill two birds with one stone. Note that you don’t need to wash cover diapers multiple times, since they don’t have absorbency.

Everything You Need to Know Start Using Newborn Cloth Diapers