Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Newborn Cloth Diapering--What Didn't Work

My cloth diapering journey (read: addiction) started when we were desperate to find an overnight solution for Charlie when he was on TPN and tube feeds. That led me to "resort" to cloth diapering and, very quickly thereafter, using cloth on Teddy too. He was probably 6 mos or so at the time I started him in cloth. So, it was a no brainer to cloth diaper our newest addition (an opportunity to try out new fluff!), though newborn diapering was new to me.

As I am prone to do, I did a lot of research and confidently bought the following: Kissaluv size 0 fitteds and Sweet Pea and Rumparooz newborn covers and the following all-in-ones (AIOs): Bitty Bee Changed, Sweet Pea, Diaper Rite, Tots Bots, and Blueberry Simplex. I later added Tidy Tots Newborn AI2, Ragababe NB AIO, Lil Helper one size AI2, and Softbums one size AI2 to my stash. I'm going to share what DIDN'T work for me in this post.

A little background: my test subject for this was a petite, skinny legged 18 in, 6.5 lbs newborn when we brought him home from the hospital. At 2 mos, he was still petite at 10 lbs, still skinny legged.

FITTEDS
Kissaluv Fitteds Size 0 v4: I used Kissaluv fitteds for overnight diapering with Charlie and they were great and I had read great reviews about their size 0 newborn fitteds and I honestly thought these would be my go-to newborn diaper. I only wound up using my two dozen of these one or two times--mostly because they were so dang fluffy on. There was nothing trim about this diaper, especially once you add a cover over them, which is a necessity with fitteds. If you don't mind the really, really fluffy bum look, these perform well. They are very absorbent and might fit better on a taller baby. I personally prefer a trimmer fit.
Pros: Very soft, fleecy material. Umbilical cord snap-down and adjustable rise. Fits a pretty wide range of weights and probably not quickly outgrown, especially given the superior absorbency. Would be good for a heavy wetter. No performance (leaking) issues.
Cons: Very, very fluffy and bulky. I wasn't easily able to fit any clothes over these and they just looked pretty silly because they were so bulky and the baby couldn't easily move his legs in them. Company, sadly, is no longer in business, so these are no longer easy to find new. Requires a cover, which further adds bulk. Although they are advertised to fit a wide weight range, and will technically fit from 5-15 lbs, the bulkiness results in a very, very fluffy, bubble bum. Available only in snaps--no hook and loop.

COVERS
Rumparooz NB Covers: I read so many great reviews of these but ultimately, I really didn't like these. I used these in combination with the Kissaluv fitteds and a couple times alone with an insert laid inside.
Pros: Nice, sticky hook and loop closures, makes it easy to adjust the waist fit. They did not come loose in the wash. Dries quickly and can be wiped clean between changes, which means they don't require washing between each change. Double gussets are great for containing messes. No performance issues. Adjustable rise, generous weight range.
Cons: These have a very boxy shape and thus, had a lot of bulk between the legs. This added significant bulk to an otherwise already-bulky fitted diaper but was bulky even by itself. I think they would have fit more trimly if they had some hourglass shaping to them. No performance issues, but didn't like the fit on my petite baby. I found other covers provided a much nicer fit.

AIOs
Bitty Bee Changed: I really, really wanted to love these diapers. They are itty-bitty, make your ovaries ache cute. Sadly, despite trying them again and again, these had performance (leak) issues every time.
Pros: Adorable. They are cute and tiny and come in super cute prints. They have an umbilical snap-down. These are a true newborn diaper and would fit a teeny baby. Trim fit, available in both a stay dry and a bamboo. The stay dry dried relatively quickly in the dryer. For every diaper purchased, the company gives a diaper to an orphan--I like the social consciousness of the company. Packaging had great presentation, as well, without being wasteful.
Cons: They leak. These were the first diapers I felt fit my fairly small baby but within an hour or two, they would leak. This was true of both the stay dry and the bamboo. Only available in snaps, which I find difficult on a newborn. The bamboo takes FOREVER to dry and is very nubby and rough feeling to the touch. Very small weight range for fitting. They claim these go to 12 lbs but I doubt I could fit my currently 11 lb 3 mo old in them. And certainly not without leaking. I think these are a first two week of life diaper. On the high price side for a diaper with such a limited fit.

Here is a picture of my test subject at 2 weeks old in a Bitty Bee:
Bitty Bees can be purchased here: https://www.thelittlebeeco.com/product-category/bitty-bee-diapers/

Diaper Rite:

Pros: Very affordable. These are an exclusive of Diaper Junction and are a very affordable option for newborn AIOs. They ethically made in China. They have a generous weight range. Performed okay, with some leaks. They have a good range of colors and prints. Snap down rise for adjustable fit.
Cons: These weren't bullet proof--we did have some leaks. I found the snaps difficult to get a good fit with and wonder if I would have had better performance with a hook and loop closure. These had a boxy shape to them, which made them not fit well between the legs and added quite a bit of bulk in that regard. These also would have benefited from some hourglass shaping. I could tell the difference in quality (PUL and microfiber) as compared some of the pricier diapers I bought.
Diaper Rite can be purchased here: http://www.diaperjunction.com/diaper-rite-newborn-all-in-one-diaper.html

Next up...what did work!