If you’re a parent who wants to swaddle your newborn baby in cloth as early as possible in life, and your baby will be born ina hospital, consider taking cloth diapers with you.

There are a few good options for just-born newborns. Preemie-size prefolds paired with newborn Bummis covers are a convenient, easy-to-pack, inexpensive option and is a great option for nearly every newborn. The new TiniFit All-in-One is a great fitting, no-thought-required diaper, so it’s especially easy to use when you may feel a little fuzzy after the labour of labour! There’s also the extra-small Fuzzi Bunz Pocket Eiaper – so cute and especially great for smaller babies, such as preemies and multiples.

We also recommend bringing a few fleece diaper liners or Bio-Soft Liners. Meconium, the tar-like poo of the first couple of days, is quite sticky and it’s just easier to deal with when it’s on a liner. Liners makes clean-up easy.  Meconium will likely stain, just so you know, but the green-ish undertone of the inside of your diapers will disappear with an afternoon in the sun.

You won’t need many wipes, but bring along a few for the small messes you may encounter, maybe a dozen or so. Beyond that, you’ll just need a wetbag to transport the dirties home.

Oh, and one more thing to keep in mind. For the sake of being sanitary, all supplies provided to a patient must be used or disposed of. This applies to the disposable diapers some hospitals provide as well. It may seem odd to espouse disposables as the best environmentally-friendly option, but if the disposable diapers are going to end up in the landfill either way, it seems more practical to USE them first. And if you just can’t stand the thought of a disposable on your baby’s bum, consider taking them home to give them as gifts to someone else or passing them onto a service that provides supplies for families in need.

(As a side note, St. Paul’s in downtown Vancouver provides prefolds for in-hospital use to all maternity ward patients. Talk to your doctor or midwife to see if there’s anything special you need to bring.)

We wish you a safe, healthy delivery and many blessings on your journey with your new babe in arms!

It’s easy to ooh and ahh over a newborn’s cute itty-bitty bum, but those ooh’s and aah’s can quickly subside if your diaper is leaking because it’s too big. What to do for your extra-small little one?

There are some excellent extra-small diapers on the market these days and all are both practical and fashionable.

For an easy, budget-conscience option, use preemie size organic cotton prefolds and lay them inside Newborn-size Bummis Super Brite Diaper Covers. These covers fit babies as small as four pounds, include a notch in the front to fit around the umbilical stump, and have a great reputation for containing every mess. This is an especially nice feature early in life when that gastro-colic reflex that makes your baby poo after every feed is in full swing.

You can also use Organic Bamboo Flat Inserts in your covers in place of prefolds. Bamboo offers greater absorbency than cotton and is extra-soft against your baby’s bum.

As a second variation of the prefold/cover combo, use small hemp-organic cotton Joey Bunz inserts inside a newborn size cover. They will provide ample absorbency for a small bladder, will catch all the messes, and best of all, require no folding. Joey Bunz are very versatile in their uses, so it’s great to have a few on hand for other diapering needs too!

There’s also the new TiniFit All-in-One diaper, and it’s a soft, well-crafted diaper out of Scotland. This diaper is convenient and easy to put on, as well as absorbent and very trim fitting. It features bamboo rayon, which is Oeko-tex certified, and the diaper itself is both ethically and sustainably produced. It fits newborns as small as five pounds. Definitely one of our favourites!

Pockets are a great way to go to get a trim fit as well. Extra-small FuzziBunz fit babies down to four pounds and offer the trimness and flexibility for which pockets are known. These are great diapers to use if you want the convenience of a diaper that goes on in one step, but want a diaper with variable levels of absorbency. This can be especially welcome if you have twins who pee differently – one who tinkles through the day and one who floods every few hours, for example.

Here’s to all the parents whose extra-small babies take up an extra-big place in their hearts!  What has your best solution been?  How did you figure out what would work well?

As part of our Earth Day 2010 Contest, Rachel M (our winner in the Mom-to-Be category) shares her thoughts on why cloth diapers are right for her family:

Our first baby is due June 25th and we’ve decided to cloth diaper.  Both my husband and I are concerned about environmental issues, particularly climate change and the impact of our ’carbon footprints’.  We decided that cloth diapering was something we could do that would actually make a difference - start putting our money where our mouth is so to speak (although we are in fact saving money in the long run, BONUS!).

My mum cloth diapered all five of her children but my husband was “disposable” or “single use” diapered. It may sound a bit silly but he wishes he’d had the choice to not pollute landfills with 2-3 years worth of his dirty diapers! And that’s the choice that we are making for our baby, our children are the ones inheriting this planet, I’d like their early years to be as environmentally-consequence free as possible. We can hope they make the right decision later in life…but at least we can make the right ones before they start making them for themselves. Change begins at home, one diaper at a time!

We understand it’s perhaps not going to be as “convenient” to start out with – we live in an apartment with a front loading high efficiency washing machine and of course no clothes line in the backyard, so there will be challenges.  But we are committed and I am confident we will get into the swing of things with a system that works for us in no time!

We have met with a bit of opposition in the form of the odd disparaging comment from relatives or colleagues at work.  Of course this just makes us more determined!  I have found online resources really helpful in looking at various types of diapering as well as getting feedback from other cloth diapering parents! I love the kinds of options that are available to us now – cloth diapering has come a long way from large cotton squares and safety pins!  It’s encouraging as a mum-to-be knowing that there is support and advice out there and we’re looking forward to being part of that community!

All the best with meeting your little one Rachel!

*The opinions expressed in this blog post are those of the contest entrant and do not necessarily reflect that of New & Green Baby Co.  We wish to thank all of our contest entrants who graciously shared their stories to help further the education and support of families wishing to cloth diaper their children.  Read more about our Earth Day 2010 Contest.

One of the questions we are asked most often at our popular Cloth Diaper 101 Workshops is “How many diapers will I really need?” And what surprises most new parents is that they’ll need to count on using about ten diapers a day in the early newborn days. Yes – newborns pee and poo that many times each day! The old adage about “what goes in must come out” really holds true…

So, what do diaper changes look like in those early days?

Since you’ll be changing your baby often – including when you’re groggy in the middle of the night – it’s important to have plenty of diapers and covers on hand so that you don’t have to spend time scrounging up what you need right at diaper changing time or run short just before laundry time. It’s really a pain to have to hand-wash a cover in the middle of the night or have to dig through the diaper bag to find that one last clean diaper while your baby is crying on the change pad. Have everything ready and at hand and the experience will be a downright pleasant one.

Also, your midwife, family doctor, or pediatrician will likely want to know how many times a day your baby is peeing and pooing. These are indications of how your baby’s system is settling into life outside the womb and can be important indicators of how well your baby is feeding. Since disposable diapers absorb and wick away your baby’s pees, it can often be difficult to tell when your baby has voided, but with cloth it is much easier to know, so one could even argue that cloth diapers contribute to the health and well-being of your infant!

We also recommend (read: highly recommend) using liners for your newborn, especially in the first few weeks of life. Newborn poo, as well as meconium, can really stain like the dickens, so in order to keep stains to a minimum, just line your diapers with fleece or silk (or even an extra cloth wipe if you’re in a pinch).  And if you do have some staining after your routine washing, remember that the sun will do wonders at removing bio-stains!

We hope your journey through the early days of babyhood is a joyful one – and even more, we hope your choice to cloth diaper makes the experience even more satisfying. Let us know if there are any ways we can help you through this time of change and discovery!

For more tips on diapering your newborn, check out what we used with our first child.

Some may say that cloth diapering twins or multiples must be too much work. But never fear! It’s easier than you think – it’s just a bigger load of laundry.

All the same “rules” apply to cloth diapering twins that apply to singletons:
-count on about 24-30 diapers per child (+ 6 covers if needed),
-use a pail with a liner so you can just dump them in the washing machine without any other work involved,
-and wash every 2-3 days.

The only difference is that it might be a good idea to have a few extra diapers on hand to give yourself more wiggle room between washes – say closer to the 30 mark per baby. You might also want to make sure you have an extra-large diaper pail to accommodate the extra diapers (or two pails in two different locations…. feel free to be creative.)  From talking to parents of multiples, we’ve learned that often twins (or more) are more on a routine schedule and may eat more regularly (ie every three hours) which helps to predict diaper changes more easily.

We also recommend choosing diapers that are easy-to-use and easy to have ready for diaper changes, just to keep life extra easy and to be extra nice to those who are giving you a hand with the extra baby care!

If you want a diaper that goes on in one step and doesn’t need a separate cover, check out Fuzzi Bunz diapers. The Fuzzi Bunz XS pocket diaper or the TiniFit All-in-Ones are extra appropriate choice because they both fit smaller babies – as multiples tend to be – all the way down to four-five pounds. (And talk about a cute diaper on a tiny little bum – oh my goodness.)  The big difference with these two:  Fuzzi Bunz are a tad smaller and have snaps.  Tini Fits have a velcro closure and pack a lot of absorbency with a relatively trim fit.

If, on the other hand, you’d like the most budget-conscious choice or you want to have as many natural fibres up against your babies’ skin, consider preemie-size organic prefolds and newborn-size Super Brite covers. These will make your life easy if you have a few preloaded ready for diaper changes. Merely fold the prefold in thirds and lay it in the cover. The diaper is then ready to use.  Having 6 covers per baby will allow you to “pre-load” several covers so they are ready to go when needed.

Oh, and don’t forget, if you want to use prefolds, the best way to stock up on them is with the Bummis Organic Cotton Diaper Kit. It has everything you need and offers great savings.  Note:  The Bummis Kit comes with prefolds that we find work best on babies at 8lbs+).

Both pocket diapers and the prefold/cover combo are great for adapting to large wash loads, as well. These types of diapers wash thoroughly and dry quickly, hopefully only requiring you to do two or three loads of laundry a week – the same as if you were cloth diapering only one child!

Cloth diapering twins is completely doable. We hope the rest of your adventure with your multiples is just as marvelous!

So, perhaps you’re new to cloth diapering or even just starting to consider it, or perhaps you’ve been using cloth for years but want some new ideas for your washing routine. Either way, washing isn’t what it used to be – it’s fast, it’s easy, and in most situations you never even have to touch the dirties. (Unlike the grandmother in our picture, who undoubtedly spent hours with her hands in the wash bin to get her diapers clean and white…)

There are just three steps to getting clean, ready-to-use diapers:

First, get yourself a big pail with a lid – you don’t need any specially-designed “diaper pail,” just anything with a lid will do. In many of the New & Green mamas’ homes, all you’ll find is a standard garbage bin with handles that flip up to keep the lid in place. You see, nothing special. Inside that pail, place a waterproof pail liner – this is what makes the process especially easy. Now your diaper pail is set up and waiting.

The second step is the diaper change itself. If there’s only pee on a diaper, there’s no need to do anything special – just toss that diaper in your pail. If there are any solids, simply knock them off into the toilet and then toss the soiled diaper into the pail.  Note:  Poop from a breastmilk fed baby is not considered “solids” and does not need any special treatment. Just throw it in the pail with the peed on diapers!

After two or three days, it’s laundry day!

Take the liner with all the dirty diapers in it to the washing machine. Dump everything into the machine, followed by the bag, then do a rinse on cold, a wash on hot (with detergent), then toss everything in the dryer or hang them up to dry – and you’re done! There need not be anything more to a regular washing routine than that. And you didn’t have to touch the dirty diapers since the time they were taken off the bum of your wee one!

Beyond routine, the only other considerations when it comes to diaper laundry are detergents and the added cost on your utility bill due to the increased energy usage.

Regarding detergents, there are a few detergents recommended by diaper manufacturers, which you can read more about on our “Diaper Care” page. And while there are a few no-no’s when it comes to which detergents to use, don’t let the decision stress you out. You won’t ruin your diapers by using the “wrong” detergent – the worst that can happen is that residue from some detergents will stay behind on your diapers and cause them to leak. In that case, throw some vinegar in a Downy ball, add it to your next few loads to strip off the residue (the diapers won’t smell like vinegar – we promise), then switch detergents and your diapers should be good as new.

As for the added energy costs, we find that the average for Vancouver and the Lower Mainland is an additional $15 on your utility bill each month if you use both the washer and the dryer for each load, assuming you wash every two days. If you don’t use the dryer, the you’ll drop your cost per month closer to $5-6.

Do you have a routine that works for you?

AMP Duos are a relatively new diaper to the market and very innovative.  These are one of the only pocket diapers that we have found that can work on a newborn baby and will fit them well right up until 18lbs.  There is a trick we have found that will make the fit perfect on a tiny newborn (watch for an upcoming post to see this in action).

We love this diaper with BabyKicks Hemp as the insert as it provides a lovely, trim fit and the option of laying the insert inside the shell or stuffing it inside.  The video discusses why you may choose one method or the other.

Enjoy and do let us know if you have been using this system.  We love to get reviews from our families about how their diapers are working for them.

And just a little aside – JoeyBunz Hemp Inserts are truly fabulous and families are beginning to take notice of this.  They are absolutely flying off the shelves!

One of the most common frustrations for cloth diapering parents and one of the most common reasons we know of why parents decide to quit cloth diapering is leaks.

But leaks are fixable – and often easily so. Read on for a checklist to see how you can keep your baby AND his clothes dry.

Typically, leaks happen because of issues related to fit, size, absorbency, or because bits of the diaper are peeking outside the diaper cover. Also, leaks commonly happen when a baby is “in between” sizes or when a “one-size” diaper is too big on an itty-bitty newborn. Let’s look at each of these scenarios by itself:

FIT: Each baby’s shape and size is different. Some babies are long and lean and some have those lovely rolls of baby fat around their thighs. Thus, even though two babies may be the same weight, the same diaper will fit them differently. Basically, just make sure that once your diaper is on that there are no gaps anywhere around the thighs or back of your baby. Everything should be tight, snug, and secure (and don’t worry – it’s difficult to get a diaper too tight.)

A second, though less common, “fit” issue is with how a diaper is sewn in the legs. On some babies, certain diapers will tend to “roll up” at the thighs and this can cause liquid to wick out. If you see any “inner” part of the diaper showing, such as fleece or cotton, try to roll it or tuck it back into place.

SIZE: It may seem obvious, but make sure you’re using the right size diaper. If the diaper is too big, there will be gaps around the legs or back where pee and poo can escape. (Gaps may be obvious or not. Basically, if you can easily fit more than one finger in between the elastic of the diaper and your baby’s leg, liquids will have no problem getting out.)

Likewise, if the diaper is too small, the elastic around the legs and back may get stretched too much and they can’t do their job of containing everything. Often diapers that are too small also have a very low rise over the crotch. Especially with boys, this can mean there’s just not enough diaper where the liquid wants to go and the leaks will happen at the front.

The fix? Check for gaps, over-stretched elastic, and your diaper’s rise and adjust which size diaper you use accordingly. If you are “in between” sizes, where a “small” is too small and a “medium” is too big, consider adding a bit of bulk, such as a doubler, or changing the brand or type of cover you use, which often fit differently, to get you through those two or three interim weeks.

ABSORBENCY: As a baby goes from a newborn to toddler, the amount and frequency of the baby’s wetting changes. Typically, as a baby grows she will pee less often but with a greater quantity. Thus, make sure you are using a diaper with adequate absorbency for your baby. If you need to increase the absorbency but aren’t ready to switch to a different size, add a doubler or two.  Also, if you use pocket diapers, consider adding an entire flat or prefold for night time leaks.

“TUCKAGE”: This one is especially easy to fix and is incredibly common, even among experienced cloth diaperers. “Tuckage,” while perhaps not even a real word (darn!), merely refers to the times when a bit of the diaper doesn’t get tucked into the cover during the diaper change. Especially when you’ve got a wiggly baby, it can be difficult to remember to check that everything is tucked securely inside the cover, but this one step will make sure everything stays dry!

BAGGY ONE-SIZE DIAPERS ON NEWBORNS: One-size diapers can be real budget-savers and a great way to only have to buy diapers once in your baby’s diapering lifetime. However, they can be too baggy in the newborn days. In this case, we recommend adding a hemp/cotton cloth wipe folded in half. This will add some bulk, but it will improve the fit until your baby fills out the diaper a bit more.

Here are a few products that seem to excel at keeping frustrating leaks at bay:
Fuzzi Bunz NEW and UNIQUE one-size diaper
Bummis Super Brite covers and Bummis Polar Fleece covers
AMP Duo Pocket diapers

Have you solved your leaking problems in a creative way? Please let us know! We’d love to pass your advice on to other parents.

The early days of babyhood are often full of wonderment… and diapers. Newborns can easily go through 10-12 diapers a day, which means you may feel like you’re changing your baby A LOT.

That’s why prefolds are such a great solution for the first few months of life. They are the most inexpensive way to cloth diaper, they don’t have to be pinned or fastened in any fancy way, they ensure natural fibres are up against your baby’s newborn skin, and they’re easy to have ready to go for anytime you need to do a change, including those bleary-eyed, middle-of-the-night changes.

Let’s talk about cost first. Prefolds are a very economical way to cloth diaper, especially in the early days when you go through so many diapers per day and when you don’t typically need lots and lots of absorbency.  And even if your baby does pee copiously, prefolds are layered in such a way that they absorb quickly and effectively.

Second, they no longer require pins, and in some cases, not even a Snappi. When you pair prefolds with a simple wrap-style diaper cover that has Velcro closures, you can just lay a prefold in the cover, fasten the cover onto your baby snugly and the elastic and the Velcro on the cover will keep everything contained and trim-fitting.  Check our tutorial and learn to do the “poo pocket” fold and fasten your prefold snugly with a Snappi.

Third, prefolds are the ultimate in flexibility.  Because you can fold them in a myriad of ways, they offer great flexibility in putting absorbency where you need it AND they offer great versatility because they fold to fit your baby without a predetermined fit. The preemie size is good for bigger newborns too and fits perfectly in a newborn cover.

Fourth, they have no synthetic fibres as part of the construction of the diaper – no elastic, no snaps, no fleece or velour or microfibre – so they offer the most natural layer next to your baby’s skin. Choosing a wool diaper cover ensures a completely natural experience.

Currently the prefolds we have (and love!) are made from 100% certified organic materials.  The most economic prefold choice is an organic cotton prefold but if you are looking for premium absorbency and trimness, check out BabyKicks Organic Hemp Prefolds.  If keeping a tight budget is your primary goal, the Bummis Organic Cotton Diaper Kit is a great way to get all the basics you’ll need for a very economical price.

So, what’s keeping you from trying prefolds?

We often get asked if it’s possible to start cloth diapering from day one or if it’s possible to cloth diaper a smaller newborn.  In short, the answer is….YES!

The biggest consideration for diapering a newborn is containment.  This is key to success (meaning no leaks and the ability to confidently say to nay-sayers that it IS working out for you!).  In the newborn phase, your baby is changed often and their bladders are not all that big, so super absorbency is as high on the priority.

So how to you achieve great containment?  A good fit, particularly around the legs and waist, the ability for the fabric to absorb readily and the two barriers that a fitted diaper (like a Kissaluv Size 0) and a Diaper Cover (like a Bummis Super Brite) go a long way in extra insurance!

And if you want to start from day one, you’ll need to consider having a diaper that allows your baby’s umbilical stump to be open to the air to heal.  Once it’s healed (usually 1 – 1.5 weeks), having a diaper with a higher rise that covers the umbilical stump is absolutely fine.

Top rated on consumer sites like TheDiaperPin.com, the Kissaluvs Size 0 paired with a Bummis Super Brite is our first recommendation for parents wanting a functional and easy to use system for their brand new babies.

Have a look at the video (caution – I can speak very very fast) and let us know what you think.  If you have any questions about your newborn diapering choices, email customercare@newandgreen.com for further direction.