The Best Way to Cloth Diaper a Newborn

Have you ever used cloth diapers on a newborn baby? Are you nervous about the extra work or wondering if it's worth it? Check out some advice from cloth diapering families who have been there and done that!

"One tip I would give is to just jump in. It isn’t as scary as it seems!" - Samantha S.

My biggest advice would be to just go for it! We didn't even have disposables at the house and I never felt like I needed or wanted them. We used disposables for the first several months with my first before switching to cloth and had SO many blowouts straight up the back and out the legs. This time, ZERO blowouts. There was one diaper that leaked a tiny bit at the leg because there was SO much poop in there that nothing could have contained it but I don't even want to imagine the mess we would have had if she had been in a disposable." -Stephanie M.

Rumparooz Lil Joey 2-packs are an easy to use AIO newborn cloth diaper option. The double gussets contain newborn messes and the diaper snaps down to protect the umbilical cord stump.

"Buy a variety of brands and styles. I know some families use only certain brands, but I loved trying anything I could get my hands on." - Bianca N.

"We loved having hook and loop AIO for the middle of the night (or day if your baby is really confused like ours was :)) sleepy diaper changes. If you EBF cloth diapers are literally the same as using a disposable if they’re H & L and AIO because there’s no need to rinse! What’s one extra load of laundry every couple days? You’re doing it anyways with a newborn around. We also bought a few different styles and brands just to test the waters and see what worked for us- each baby is so different!" - Katie B.

Thirsties Newborn Natural AIOs are a great all-in-one option with natural fibers for absorbency.

"I have to say prefolds with a jelly roll and covers offered the best leak protection during the day and at night, especially with EBF poop. I also love that with prefolds and covers it is super easy to add an extra layer of absorbency when needed." -Jaime S.

"Prefolds and covers worked best, but what I wasn't ready for was wetness sensitivity so that's maybe something to keep in mind with that sensitive newborn skin. In hindsight I should've had fleece liners on hand ready for the situation." -Kelley T.

"All the prefolds and covers. They pee so much anyway and the poop is contained pretty well in the prefold that you can get several uses of the covers between washes. I would fold the extra length down in the front for my boys to help with front leaks. I also love newborn fitteds, but the prefolds dry so much faster." -Anna M.

"I had several different styles, but found myself reaching for the prefolds and covers more often. I just trifolded the prefolds into the cover and put it on the baby. The covers were aplix, which made changes quick and easy." -Krista T.

Size 1 Thirsties Duo Wraps combined with Bummis prefolds are an incredibly affordable way to cloth diaper a newborn, particularly since you can reuse the covers for multiple diaper changes before washing!

"One more piece of advice- join a local cloth diaper group on Facebook, or follow along with your favorite cloth diaper brand or realtor for fit checks tips and new friends among so many other fun things. The support and encouragement the women show within the entire cloth diaper community is incredible. " -Erin K.

Join Spray Pal's The Cloth Diaper Experiment group on Facebook for more information and support!