Before I delivered I had all the intentions to use cloth. I got everything I needed. I was planning on using Prefolds and fitteds with a mix off wool and regular covers. I ended up having some very severe complications postpartum and was in and out of the icu for the first 6 weeks. My baby is now 9 weeks old. We’re first time parents. My husband was so overwhelmed having to do most of the care himself the first 2 months and resorted to disposables. Last week we tried to use our cloth diapers. Our baby is 9+lbs but still wears newborn clothes. We tried the GMD newborn Prefold with wool…soaked through everything, tried GMD newborn Prefold with essembly cover…soaked, tried GMD small Prefold with size 0 clotheez cover…soaked. My husband wants to give up and just use the disposables. I really want cloth to work for us. I’m having two surgeries coming up in mid-late July and I’m just trying to get this established so he feels confident while I’m in the hospital. Any advice would be appreciated!
Advice needed
- Thread starter jwin
- Start date
edfuchsmusic
New member
@jwin Pick up some all in ones second hand - so much easier when you’re just starting out and short on time. Would recommend baby beehinds velcro small size which will fit newborn to about 7kgs. Then when life settles down you can go back to your prefolds and try get your absorbency right. Sounds really rough for you. X
@jwin I just washed/ lanolized my wool covers. I find to really make them water resistant, I really smear the whole wet zone with lanolin and then wash with my euclan wool wash, so it’s not sticky.
I’m a flats user and love our Birdseye half flats as boosters.
Sending love to you and your family! Having a newborn in general is overwhelming and you have had so much to deal with on top of that.
I’m a flats user and love our Birdseye half flats as boosters.
Sending love to you and your family! Having a newborn in general is overwhelming and you have had so much to deal with on top of that.
@jwin Don't stress yourself, you need to heal and recover! I didn't start until 2 or 3 months after, and even now I do part-time sometimes if the laundry gets too much or the weather isn't co-operating. It does get rather annoying to change so often, and the risk of leaks is higher so more clothing changes too.
kate_spencer
New member
@jwin Another vote for grabbing some boosters. We have a 9wk old heavy wetter. I use our Alvababy bamboo inserts as boosters with our prefolds and essembly inners (booster between diaper and cover). I try to change him by 2.5 to 3hrs. But I've timed it poorly a few times with naps and he's gone to 3.5hrs without leaks.
marriedajew
New member
@jwin Omg you were in the ICU? Can’t believe you’re already ready to try cloth diapering. You are so resilient!
Talk to me about the wool — did you lanolize the covers before you first used them?
For the small prefold, was it completely saturated? How long was it on baby? (Benchmark is 2 hours between changes)
Talk to me about the wool — did you lanolize the covers before you first used them?
For the small prefold, was it completely saturated? How long was it on baby? (Benchmark is 2 hours between changes)
@cees I had a bad hemorrhage and ended up intubated and need a few surgical repairs to my uterus and then 3 weeks later hemorrhages again and needed surgery again and now I’m looking at another repair and my gallbladder removed. It’s been a mess. Thankfully my baby is knock on wood a super chill babe who eats and sleeps well lol
I did lanolize. I used a small blob dissolved in warm water and let my 2 covers soak overnight and then wrapped them in a towel and then dried on a cookie cooling rack. I’m thinking maybe I didn’t change the diaper soon enough? It was probably three hours. Should I be waking her up for a diaper change if a nap is longer than two hours?
I did lanolize. I used a small blob dissolved in warm water and let my 2 covers soak overnight and then wrapped them in a towel and then dried on a cookie cooling rack. I’m thinking maybe I didn’t change the diaper soon enough? It was probably three hours. Should I be waking her up for a diaper change if a nap is longer than two hours?
@jwin 
damn that is a lot of complications
I personally have found that one little lanolization isn’t enough for new wool covers. I needed a biiiig glob and to do it twice until the cover was almost sticky. Depends on the specific covers I think. After that first time, the small glob has been adequate for routine maintenance.
Let the baby sleep. You may want to start adding hemp boosters before naps. Put the booster between the prefold and the cover.
During wakeful times try to keep as close to 2 hours as possible.
damn that is a lot of complications I personally have found that one little lanolization isn’t enough for new wool covers. I needed a biiiig glob and to do it twice until the cover was almost sticky. Depends on the specific covers I think. After that first time, the small glob has been adequate for routine maintenance.
Let the baby sleep. You may want to start adding hemp boosters before naps. Put the booster between the prefold and the cover.
During wakeful times try to keep as close to 2 hours as possible.
@jwin How did you prep the prefolds? Did you purchase them new? Can you share photos of the fit you’re achieving? Sounds like they might not have been washed enough to be sufficiently absorbent yet.
Aside from that… I’m so sorry your recovery has been rough & will continue for so long. Mine was nowhere near as bad, but it definitely took a LOT longer than I anticipated to even feel halfway human again, and through that, my little had some horrific rashes (non-cloth related) and diaper area eczema (again, non-cloth related) and we had to make due with what we could.
It is absolutely ok to rely on disposables for as long as you need. Cloth is one tool in our toolbox. You can start again anytime, whenever it feels right for both parents.
Aside from that… I’m so sorry your recovery has been rough & will continue for so long. Mine was nowhere near as bad, but it definitely took a LOT longer than I anticipated to even feel halfway human again, and through that, my little had some horrific rashes (non-cloth related) and diaper area eczema (again, non-cloth related) and we had to make due with what we could.
It is absolutely ok to rely on disposables for as long as you need. Cloth is one tool in our toolbox. You can start again anytime, whenever it feels right for both parents.
@44sunset Thank you! I’m hopeful my body will be on the upswing once July is over lol
As for the diapers…I bought them new from GMD and prepped them per their instructions. I think it was a cold rinse and then wash dry wash dry times a million or when water no longer rolled off. When I prepped them I made sure I checked them for absorption and water absorbed right away. I use tide liquid free. I will also add that one of the times I did put aquaphor on her bum but then did not put it on the other times. She pees a lot, is exclusively breastfed. How often should I change her? For a 9 week old she has an amazing sleep schedule. I hate to wake her up to change her but during the day we usually go 2-3 hours between feeds and when she gets changed and overnight she usually sleeps 6-8 hours and we don’t get up to change her. We have not tried the cloth overnight and I think since she does sleep so well that we would continue using disposables at night just because I know the cloth needs changed more frequently. I can upload fit pics later as I just laid her down for a nap.
As for the diapers…I bought them new from GMD and prepped them per their instructions. I think it was a cold rinse and then wash dry wash dry times a million or when water no longer rolled off. When I prepped them I made sure I checked them for absorption and water absorbed right away. I use tide liquid free. I will also add that one of the times I did put aquaphor on her bum but then did not put it on the other times. She pees a lot, is exclusively breastfed. How often should I change her? For a 9 week old she has an amazing sleep schedule. I hate to wake her up to change her but during the day we usually go 2-3 hours between feeds and when she gets changed and overnight she usually sleeps 6-8 hours and we don’t get up to change her. We have not tried the cloth overnight and I think since she does sleep so well that we would continue using disposables at night just because I know the cloth needs changed more frequently. I can upload fit pics later as I just laid her down for a nap.