Cloth Diapering From The Start - Easy Tips
My experience with Marta
Cloth diapering Marta from hospital came natural to us since we've been cloth diapering for 3 years now. I must say by now we are quite confident using them.
The first and best tip is to keep it simple and do not get overwhelmed with so many options. Hence that is why I am sharing these easy tips with you
Which style I decided to go for?
Marta was born 2.8kg, she was a very tiny baby. I decided to go with only 2 brands that have the newborn nappy option. The best option I found was the Baba and Boo newborn pocket nappy, as it is ideal for day and night and can be worn from 2.5kg till the baby is 6 months. I love these nappies, as they close off easily with velcro and have 2 very absorbent inserts, which basically is all you need. I have also a couple of ecobebe all in two which we use the for during daytime for practical use.
How many nappies do I have?
I am not the type of having a very huge stash especially for the newborn phase as babies grow up very fast and normally after 2 months or less you switch to onesize nappies. Hence, I have around 10 newborn Baba and boo pocket nappies which gives me time to wash every other day. Marta uses around 6 nappies a day and she poops a lot, almost after every feed!
Try to be organized.
This is not something I got quite easily right with my first born but now I can tell you that I got better at it.
With my third child, I invested in 3 medium sized wet bags and this is what is working for me :
one is attached to the baby’s cot. I make sure it has 2 cloth nappies and some wipes to use before night time and in the morning;
another wet bag with 3/4 cloth nappies and wipes to use during the day. This will help you carry it around especially if you have a mobile nappy changer. The bag is easily carried around with you with all the necessary items.
And the last wetbag clipped to the staircase for any dirty nappies/clothes or wipes.
All the wet bags are emptied in the evening for later washing and refilled for the next day.
I also recommend wetting the wipes from beforehand so they are ready to use with every nappy change. Also if you choose to go for the pocket nappies like me, try to find time to prestuff them so they are ready to go.
Wet bags are essentially needed as they can be carried also when out and about, waterproof and no nasty smell will come out!
Get the essentials ready from the start and have fun!
Apart from your reusable nappies, I suggest you have some very basic essentials that will make your cloth diapering journey easier from the start. The most three very basic essentials are:
A roll of disposable liner which is a kind of biodegradable tissue made from bamboo or cornstarch that is placed on top of the inside of the nappy. I suggest you start using them from the very start so when the baby poops, you just throw away this liner for a less messy nappy change. Having said that, exclusively breastfed poop is almost like pee so the mess will be less and the nappy most of the time doesn't need rinsing out.
1 to 2 medium sized wet bags to store the nappies in before washing or when out and about. These wet bags are super convenient as they can be attached to the nappy changer/push-chair and no smell or pee will leak out of the bag. They can be washed with the rest of the nappies once a week.
Choose a NON-BIO detergent and read the washing instructions. Reusable nappies are made from delicate and sustainable material such as bamboo that needs to be taken care of. For more info read the blog “How to take care of cloth nappies”
The last and most important tip is to have fun! During nappy change try to create a bond with your baby, especially newborns. A smile or just talking with your baby can be very beneficial. It also can be a very special way for daddies to bond with their baby too.
Hope you have found these tips beneficial and of great value.
Much love,
