Experience with Newborn AIO

[darkaural]

I wanted to share my experience with newborn AIO and cloth diapering from birth (well 2nd day of life when we got home from the hospital), these are my first impressions after a relatively short time. I can write an update as my LO begins to grow into and outgrow all her newborn diapers.

My baby is a little girl, weighed 6 lbs 7 oz (2900 g) and 49 cm at birth.

This is my NB stash:

8 Rumparooz Lil Joey NB (4 grey, 4 Marble)

9 Blueberry Simplex AIO NB

3 Mother-ease duo wizard Covers NB/XS

3 Smart bottoms AIO v 2.0

There have been some complaints from others about how the newborn AIO diapers fit when the baby has skinny legs, our LO has a proportionately sized belly so maybe that’s why we still had a really good fit with some NB AIOs, as long as the leg holes could be made right enough! (Actually a WAY better fit than the disposies we were given to use at the hospital).

Rumparooz Lil Joeys fit our scrawny lil baby, thin legs but with a small belly. These are really small and fit so well. BUT all the gutters and such mean that I turn them inside out and snapped to stay open to make sure there won’t be any poop traces somewhere in a seam. My husband apparently doesn’t do that and I haven’t noticed so, maybe I’m a little extra cautious. Saw poop traces in gutters after washing once or twice with the meconium diapers, which the stains came out of nicely! Then I had to hand wash them after they get out of the laundry. I bought these really cheap and they dry pretty fast so while waiting for her to grow into her other diapers I’m getting by on using the 8 I have, together with the 3 smart bottoms, and disposies if we are out. We are doing laundry daily though. I read so many bad reviews of these I was expecting not to like them and was regretting the purchase before even using them, so I really required convincing to like these!

Born smart v 2.0 by smart bottoms are amazing!!! They have the little cutout for the umbilical stump and they fit so well! They feel pretty absorbant, she pees them and they can get really heavy without a leak. They have an average drying time. These are great if you have a scrawny legged baby! I really wish I had bought more of these! The patterns are adorable, I will be ordering more of these.

The blueberry simplex NB are fast drying, but we haven’t been able to use them since the leg holes are so big on her. When I was holding LO the pee just ran out the leg hole! I will have to get back to you on these

We haven’t tried the MotherEase yet since there is no way they will fit! I really like how the material feels and the patterns though.

 

[afmtv]

@darkaural I loved NB blueberry simplex!!! Unfortunately I was almost done using them when I found out you didn’t HAVE to insert the tongue into the tunnel. Haha.

 

[dwtest]

@darkaural Thanks so much for posting!! My LO is due in two weeks and we plan to do cloth from birth.

Our stash is 6 Thirsties Duo Wrap covers (size 1), 24 cotton prefolds, 6 Kawaii bamboo pockets (newborn), and about 12 makeshift flats from thrifted t-shirts or receiving blankets. Neither our covers nor the pockets have an umbilical cord cut out (or fold down), so I made two newborn Woolies just in case. I just used a free pattern I found online and put a little bit of thread through the front under, then loosely toed around the waistband to cinch tight if our baby needs it. I also made 6 8-layer cotton flannel inserts, because I had the fabric lying around!

Glad to hear the meconium just washes out! My partner is worried about staining our lovely stash, which is why I grabbed the thrifted t-shirts and receiving blankets. He wants to use disposables the first few days and I'm just not feeling it.

I made plain jersey cotton liners, thinking they'd be good for diaper cream and maybe make meconium clean up easier? It's a shot in the dark, since this is my first kid - no experience at all. Any thoughts?

 

[darkaural]

@dwtest We didn’t have any problem with the meconium, but the jersey liners probably would be an extra guarantee! Also, I think it would come out even easier if you are doing flats and covers!

 

[dwtest]

@darkaural So great! One less thing on the new mom list of things to worry about!! Congrats by the way on your little one. Wishing you all the best!

 

[darkaural]

@dwtest Based on what I was reading online I went into it thinking I was going to wreck my Rumparooz with the meconium and had accepted that. I figured since they were SO small and I would only be able to use them for such a short period of time it wouldn’t matter if they were stained for the next baby, but it came right out. The meconium looks grosser, but I think the yellow and green stuff (EBF) that comes later stains more!

 

[sendo]

@darkaural This was my experience as well. And anytime someone posts about meconium staining being an issue or something to avoid it's usually someone who didn't try.

 

[dwtest]

@darkaural That's the impression I keep getting, but everybody freaks out about the meconium!! What gives?!

 

[sendo]

@dwtest It's really a ridiculous fear that keeps being perpetuated. Meconium washes out just fine.

 

[jpresha]

@darkaural Where did you get the Smart Bottoms from? I’m trying to see if there’s somewhere that sells them a little cheaper. If not, are they worth the $20 a piece I’ve seen them for?

 

[darkaural]

@jpresha I’m living in Sweden and bought them online from a danish website for less than $20, not much though. I think they are likely to work for you right away and are my favorite of the newborn diapers, so I would go for it.

Is your baby already born? If so, you may have more options than I do since she is so little. How much are the Blueberry Simplex NB or Thirsties Natural NB AIOs where you shop? I believe they would be comparable, I have seen some really good reviews of the Thirsties (I have bought them in OS instead). I have the NB Blueberry’s (as I said they don’t fit my baby yet), but I like how quick drying they are and that they are trim and easy to boost. Also, you can fold the attached insert into a pocket making it easy to deal with!

 

[jpresha]

@darkaural Yea you’re right, that is about the price of the Thirsties Natural NB. I’ve started out with Alva NB because they were cheap and have decent reviews. I’ve started looking at the pricier ones lately and AIO diapers instead of just Pockets. Trying to decide which way to go. Due April 20th

 

[darkaural]

@jpresha I just think the Blueberry’s or Thirsties will last longer, but that’s also because they aren’t as small as the Smart bottoms so you can’t use them as early/as low a birth weight.

 

[lorrainekat]

@darkaural I loved the blueberry simplex AIO NB, they fit the longest. I also loved Thirsties NB natural AIO, super absorbent and it fit for a long time. Our daughter was 6lb6oz at birth and then put weight on pretty steadily.

 

[darkaural]

@lorrainekat I am not crazy about with the Blueberry’s prints, which is obviously dumb and secondary, but I just think they are too cartoonish and cutesy. The only print I actually like is one with lamas on it. I really wish I had bought some of the Thirsties in NB! I have the Natural AIO in OS so I will be using them a lot later though!

 

[lorrainekat]

@darkaural Completely agree about their prints. I liked Sedona

 

[darkaural]

@lorrainekat Oh yeah! I forgot I had that one, that’s nice too.

 

[christian122]

@darkaural I loved our little Joey AIOs at first but he out peed those after a month. Still they fit perfectly and my babe was about the size as yours to start. He had chicken legs but most newborn stash fit right away except for sweet pea, imagine, and some random brand that never actually fit him.

 

[chrisc]

@darkaural Smart bottoms were one of our favorite newborn diapers! They were the first she outgrew though!