Since the birth of our new son, Sterling, I have quickly found my favorite newborn diaper.
Before I get to my favorite here are 2 things I learned right away:
1) I can’t imagine putting a one-sized diaper on a newborn! Sterling was born 8lbs 9oz and 22″ long. His legs are so skinny! A newborn diaper is the perfect fit, a one-sized diaper would swallow him. If you want to use one-sized diapers I’d suggest waiting until your baby is near 12 lbs before making the switch.
2) Boys and girls have different parts! Okay, yes we all *know* that but you forget it until you’re trying to cloth diaper a newborn baby boy. Girls are easy. Different parts also means different coverage needs. Cloth diapers with a sewn-in soaker are not ideal for my boy. A snap-in or lay-in soaker is perfect for folding at the top and catching any spray out the top of the diaper.
Early on in my pregnancy I built up a nice cloth diaper stash that consisted of Muttaqin Baby, Nanipoos, Kindhearted Woman and Righteous Baby fitteds. I had heard great things about Mutts and especially Nanipoos for newborns.
The first cloth diaper I put on Sterling was a Mutt. I was in love. Mutts are fantastic, amazing, perfect…get the picture? Without a doubt Muttaqin Baby is the best newborn diaper available. They stretch easy and have just one snap per side to worry about.
The Nanipoos I have, although cute and tiny, are not a good newborn diaper for boys. The built-in notch is great for missing the umbilical cord but allows the little pee-pee to come right out! For a baby girl this would not be a problem. Also, the Nanipoos have a thigh and waist snap on each side. This makes diaper changes on an already unhappy newborn even more cumbersome.
Righteous Baby and Kindhearted Woman(KHW) fitteds are great as well. They both have a similar design to the Mutts but neither is as absorbent. KHW diapers are not being made new at this time but Righteous Baby diapers have a few instock and I’d recommend them to anyone looking for newborn cloth diapers.
Here are a few pictures of Sterling in a Mutt (green/brown stripes), KHW (purple) and his wool covers (a NB Luxe soaker and knit shorties w/ embellishment by Nissi of Sapo Verde).
And because he’s so darn cute, here is our new prince Sterling Marshall:
{ 49 comments }
For our newborn (due early next year) I am thinking of doing an indian prefold diaper with a Thirsties cover. Couple questions…
1. Which of the Thirsties covers (Duo Wrap or Diaper cover) would you recommend for a newborn?
2. Any other recommendations you would have instead of these for a newborn?
**I’d prefer to stay away from buying 20+ fitted or of one kind just for a newborn (I will be switching to the Flip, Kawaii, and BumGenius once he is big enough for a OS) and try to save some money by buying just covers and prefolds.
Proraps are the cover I recommend most for the newborn stage.
Autumn, I’m so glad that I found your site to soak up some CD’ing wisdom! As a mom-to-be, pregnant with my first, a little boy to be born this winter, CDs seem like an economical and environmentally friendly way to go. I’m looking at using Green Mountain Organic prefolds with a cover during the newborn stage. What is your experience with the Imse Vimspe organic or wool covers, Little Beetle covers or Polar Bummis? Also, can newborn diapers such as Kissaluvs or Swaddlebees and Imse Vimpses be used without a cover or with a prefold inside?
Thanks.
1) Imse Vimse is a good cover. Not used Little Beetle. Didn’t like Polar Bummis. I wanted to like Polar Bummis but the fit was off on Paisley.
2) There isn’t room inside a nb diaper to put a prefold.
3) I wouldn’t go without a cover. I wouldn’t want to take the chance of getting wet when it wasn’t necessary. As babies grow and are walking then going coverless becomes something that I feel more comfortable doing. You could always try it out and see how it works for you
You’ve given very good input on fitteds to use on a newborn, but what covers do you use over the fitteds for a newborn? I’m expecting my second and wanting to try the cd route from here on out. I used disposables only on my first baby, so this is all new to me. My first baby was very small, 6lbs 13 oz, 20.5″ long. I don’t know if this next baby will be as small, but don’t expect it to be much bigger. I don’t want a huge bulky butt on little baby. Want to use fitteds, but not sure which covers you recommend for a trim fit on a tiny baby. I LOVE your site and consider you the goddess of cding. Thank you thank you for all your wonderful advice, insight, and information. You’re wonderful Autumn!
I use proraps mainly. I find them to be the best. I have used thirsties and blueberry as well. For wool soakers I love woollybottoms, sbish and luxe baby.
Dear Autum, I have found 3 types of diapers in the Muttaqin website: fitted,AOI, and custom made, which type would you suggest as the very first diaper for a newborn? Thank you in advance for your help
fitted, but she doesn’t have much if any in stock. Other brands you might look into: Goodmama, Little Boppers, Kissaluvs size 0, clovers.
i have written a review for softbums
sarah is an awesome wahm!
http://allaboutclothdiapers.com/softbums-cloth-…
http://allaboutclothdiapers.com/want-to-know-ho…
I am pregnant with my first and my husband and I do absolutely everything we can to do the 'right thing' for our environment so it only made sense that we take the cloth diaper plunge. I must say that it is easier said than done! Your site has been very helpful in deciphering the enigma that is the world of cloth diapers.
I am wondering what your opinion is on SoftBums Perfect Fit All-In-2s. Have you tried this diaper? The company claims that you, not a company or seamstress in a shop, tailor fit this diaper according to your baby's needs and that you can use the same diaper from birth to PT.
I would really like to get your opinion because I value the honesty that is evident in all of your posts. I love that you won't write a 'fluff' piece for a product! Thank you!
I have not ever used any PB&E products. I usually stick to diapers that are easily obtainable for my readers. They are super cute though!
Have you ever looked into these:
http://hyenacart.com/pbellie/index.php
she is another crunchy mama that I have followed for years because she made the cutest clothes and sold them on ebay…
sonja(austin, TX)
Have you tried swaddlebees newborn diapers I am thinking about getting some but would like some feed back if you know anything about the brand.
Thanks
I used Swaddlebees briefly with Paisley (2006) but found the elastic too tight.
I wanted to let you know that I found a NB AIO that works great! It’s a Angelbum and the WAHM is on etsy. I can see how it wouldn’t fit a super big NB though. She makes it so it fits a small baby perfect! I love mine! And I did find a OS that fits well and it’s a BumJoy and she’s on etsy also. These are pockets and they are my all time favorite. They are a bit bigger, but my baby was almost 8 lbs a few days ago and they fit fine. And they are very high quality and super great price ($12). Just wanted to pass that on. I went and bought a couple mutts after reading this, I just HAD to try them! And I like how they fit, but I think I still like my pockets better as I like the moisture wicked away (BumJoy does this VERY well, it doesn’t feel wet AT ALL, I had to pull the insert out to tell if he was wet).
You did it – again! “I ordered my – really – LAST newborn baby diaper today. I had to order a newborn Muttaqin, because Autumn just had her baby boy and she said that one-size Soft Bums might not be the thing to do right off the bat!” My hubby just rolled his eyes!
- Just FYI: I mentioned on my orders that I got the i-dears from your site! Thanks for valuable input.
Our first is due in mid-June and I am the first of anyone I know who is doing this, so these blog sites are ultra-valuable to me!
Congrats!!! He is sooo cute!!
Congratulations! He is darling. Where do you find the time?!
Congratulations, and cute name!
Yes, cloth diapering a newborn boy is different than a newborn girl. WIth my first DS (who didn’t use cloth till he was a toddler), i just had to make sure and point his boy part down (don’t know if I can say the p-word here!) so he didn’t urinate out the diaper leg. But with DS 2, CD’ed since birth, I notice the bulk of cloth – even a prefold – tends to force the boy part up! Tummies get soaked this way, so I have to make a conscience effort to push it down.
I totally wanted NB mutts, but DH didn’t think they were necessary (says he, “What about all those supposed “one size” goodmama things…won’t they fit him?” Um…no, hun. Not yet.) Prefolds were a great fit for us, though, and i would certainly recommend them to anyone wanting an economical stash. Good to hear yet another rave about the mutts for NBs, however. Perhaps if there’s a # 4 in our future!
Congrats again!
Congratulations Autumn! I am glad he is here!! Hope things are going great- thanks for the info.
Congratulations! He is so adorable. Blessings!
Congratulations on the birth of your little one!
Congratulations! What a cute baby boy in the sweetest newborn diapers
Wish you the best
Congratulation!! He is sooooo cute. How many cuties do you have now…All the best.
Yanira
Congrats on your gorgeous baby boy!!!
Congrats on your gorgeous baby boy!!!
He is beautiful. What a blessing. Congratulations. I have a skinny one too. 5 lb. 19″ at birth. He still outgrows the rise and length of everything before he gets close to filling out the waist.
He’s gorgeous, I’m so glad you took a few minutes to post some pics!! Congratulations
Oh….this makes me want another baby. Alas, I’ve got to wait another year. I’m happy to watch your trials and tribulations with the Boy vs Girl stashes. It surely isn’t something I would have thought about!!
I had Mutts and Nanipoo’s for my second son and loved them as well! The squishy softness was wonderful too, lol. Unfortunately, I can’t see your pictures.
He’s beautiful!!! Congratulations!
What a cutie!! Congratulations!
Congratulations. He is so stinking cute.
Congratulations! He’s beautiful.
Awww..your son is adorable, congratulations!!!
He is SO cute! Congratulations! I had a baby boy two weeks ago (tomorrow) and have not found a diaper (that I own) that fits him well. The first week, until the umbilical cord fell off I had to use disposables. Everything rubbed. Now its off and the only thing that seems to fit him fairly well (not perfect though) is my pockets (fuzzy bunz particularly as I prefer snaps). I have a few fitteds that are okay as well but I’m not loving anything. This makes me want to rush to buy mutts! My ds was 6 lbs 12 oz at birth, so a bit smaller then your Sterling.
God Bless you and your precious baby boy! I don’t know how you even have time to blog for us with a newborn, but diapering a newborn is not a time I would want to play hit or miss — thanks so much!
Congratulations (again) ~ I love Sterling’s knit shorties!
Your right Autumn he is adorable. Now it it going to make waiting for my little one even harder.
Congats.
I’m glad all went well for you and baby.
Racheal
Congrats Autumn!
He’s so adorable and tiny
We want to see him in a PerfectFit!!!
They’re in the dryer! Tomorrow I’ll get some pics YEAH!!
What a HANDSOME boy!!! Congrats! Makes me wanna buy muttigans even though I swore to make all my own nb diapers! In your opinion do you think AIO (built in soaker sewn in for boy custom-made) or AI2 (snap insert) better for nb boy?
What a HANDSOME boy!!! Congrats! Makes me wanna buy muttigans even though I swore to make all my own nb diapers! In your opinion do you think AIO (built in soaker sewn in for boy custom-made) or AI2 (snap insert) better for nb boy?
I’d go with AI2 snap in.
CONGRATS!!! He is adorable! I agree boys and girls are different…I learned early on to make sure he was pointing down…helped a lot!
What a beautiful baby! Thanks for taking the time to write up reviews on these diapers. We started cding at 6 weeks, so newborn diaps will be new to us next time around (hopefully in the near future)! Enjoy this precious stage, as you know it seems to go so fast!
Congratulations, Autumn! Thanks for the info on newborn diapers. (P.S. Love his name. Our babe is Marshall Leif.)
Congrats on your new little boy! Hope you had a nice and relaxing birth! He is a cutie, and I will definitely file this info away for future use!
Congratulations Autumn! He’s beautiful!
Thank you for the newborn diaper review. It’s always good to hear (read) what works and what doesn’t for different people.
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