Another newbie: stash recommendations!

[BeachBaby]

Hi ladies,

I've been reading this board obsessively for the past few weeks and think I'm ready to jump in. I'm trying to keep this very simple (and inexpensive, since that's one of the reasons I'm avoiding disposables, after all), so here's what I'm thinking for a newborn (due early July):

FITTEDS:
12 Kissaluvs seconds, size 0
12 Kissaluvs seconds doublers

PFs:
12 Preemie UBCPFs (do I need these; how long will they last size-wise?)
24 Infant UBCPFs (do I need more?)

COVERS:
Bummis Industrial Super Whisper Wrap
Bumpy Day
Bumpy Wool (for night? naps? too much for a newborn?)
Prorap (just to try)
LiteWrap
Green Earth (2 of these)

ACCESSORIES:
Sterilite pail
Bummis pail liner, large (2 of these)
Snappis (3 of these)
Darling Diaper wipes (24, likely to order more)

Do I have enough covers? I didn't want to order too many of one kind, since I don't know what I will like. Right now, my main concern is bulkiness (and obviously holding in BF poo).

Am I missing anything else? Do I have too few dipes?

My other question is what size covers to get? Do any of these run bigger or smaller? I was thinking of the Wool in a small so it might last longer.

TIA for your help!!

[papal]

Hi BeachBaby! Welcome to the cutthroat world of CDing! (Just kidding!!).
Your stash sounds pretty good to me. A few comments:
1. You may not need the Kissaluv doublers. KLs don't fit most babies for too long (i have a teeny baby and even for her they stopped fitting at 2 months) and in the beginning you have to change dipes every hour or so.. so I don't think there is any point. Thats just my opinion though.
2. You might want to bypass the preemie CPFs. The infant size might look huge in the beginning but they work and they last for WAY longer.
3. The Bumpy Wool Small is HUGE!!!! It will overpower a small baby.. if they have a size smaller, you might want to get that.
4. I would agree that you need more wipes.

Also, instead of all KLs, you might want to get a couple of dipes from Kindhearted Women instead. They will last you way longer and will fit a newborn.
Here is the link:
http://www.kindheartedwomen.com/

Welcome once again..and if you have any further questions.. let us know!!

[tarahsolazy]

I have a 3 week old DS that we've been CDing since hospital discharge. It is really easy, and we have not had one poop leak onto clothes yet, and only a couple leaks onto covers. Your stash is almost identical to mine at the beginning. I have mostly Green Earth covers, which I love, and we have some "backup" covers that are pull on pants, made by BRU (Especially for Baby), and some Bummis whisper pants. I put backup in quotes because these are great over snappi'd cpfs or KL 0s, quicker than a wrap style and trim under clothes. They are also cheap, so you may want to get a couple. My son was 9lb 11oz at birth, and is likely about 11lb now, and the newborn sizes still fit him, but are getting snug. I think he's only got a few weeks left in his Kissaluvs, too, he's on the second to biggest snap size! I'd also agree that 36 wipes might be nicer. I just have cheap BRU washcloths. I do have a wipe warmer, to dip the wipes in and wring them out before use. I like it, but a small rubbermaid container would work too, the wipes would just be chillier. Anyway, congrats on the little one, and the decision to CD. I am enjoying it greatly.

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/3824.jpg

[Momof3Labs]

I didn't CD a newborn, but would skip the Kissaluvs doublers - they are soooo bulky and not terribly absorbent. If you need doublers for a newborn (I'd be surprised if you did), there are WAHMs who do custom sizes that would work better for you, I think.

[lizajane]

yay!! another member of our elite cd gang...

looks good. i skipped fitteds and used only prefolds, so it can be done. if you skip the doublers, you can always use a wipe as a doubler. really. they are velour and flannel, yes? i think i would skip the preemie cpfs. and 3 dozen is a GREAT number to start with. i would DEFINITELY have AT LEAST 6 covers. but i would actually recommend 8 or 10. poop leaks out onto the covers (with prefolds) so you may need to switch covers several times/day. of course, i didn't snappi... so maybe that will keep it in a lot more often. (and it rarely leaks onto clothes, by the way. JUST the cover.) i think i might start with 2 proraps, 2 litewraps and 2 green earth, plus the others. sine they are cheap. you could get a newborn and a small of each. small proraps say 9-15 lbs. my son was born 9lbs 9oz. you don't NEED a pail liner, but i am sure they would be handy. and i would get a pack of sposies for the meconium days and a pack of sposie wipes for the road. oh! and a big box of large ziploc bags for wet diapers when you are out. you can use them over and over again...

good luck!!

[pritchettzoo]

Welcome to the cult! :)

I'd skip the preemie sized prefolds. And I can't believe Rashmi didn't push the Indian prefolds on you--she and others rave about them. I believe they are unbleached cotton, so that may be what you're talking about. They sound really soft, absorbent, and yummy!24 sounds like a good number of infant-sized prefolds. Even if you decide you like fitteds or pockets better later on, they're a very useful size--they work for burp cloths and to stuff pocket diapers. Granitesmith is the ebay id of the Indian prefolds that everyone is raving about lately. They're really well priced too!

Covers--I'd skip the wool for now. With a newborn, you are going to want something that washes and goes. BF newborn poop is explosive! I used proraps until the explosiveness slowed, and they keep EVERYTHING in. I've never had a blow-out in a prorap. I had a Bummis froggy print (not the super industrial but I don't know if the design is different) and it did not hold in the poop. I think the Green Earth wraps are supposed to be very much like the proraps but softer. You'll want covers with gussets to hold in the poop. Because you said you're trying to conserve money, I'd stick to proraps and Green Earth for covers for your newborn. They're as cheap as it gets and work fantastically. You can get "cooler" covers later on when they a) won't be pooped on as much and b) will last longer.

As far as the size goes, I had a few newborn covers. DD was 10 lbs, so these didn't fit for very long but were great for the umbilical stump. If you know you're having a giganto baby, you could skip the newborn size. Small proraps fit her at 10 lbs, but I don't know how they would fit on a smaller baby. I think the size range is 7-15 lbs??

The only other thing I can think of is some CD-friendly diaper cream. Aquaphor is fabulous. I think other moms love Burt's Bees, but I've never tried it.

Good luck!

Anna
Mama to Gracie (9/16/03)

[papal]

ACK!!! Thanks for reminding me Anna!!! BeachBaby.... you got to get some INDIAN prefolds!!!! Maybe half indian and half chinese??? The indians are WAY softer and more absorbant. LOVE my Indians!!!!!

[liya]

All indian!! LOL

[BeachBaby]

Wow! You ladies are so awesome; thank you all for your recommendations so far!

I will definitely skip the KL doublers, skip the preemie CPFs, and get more wipes. I ordered 2 doz; I don't know why I didn't just order 12 more!? Baby brain strikes again . . .

I have been reading here about the Indian PFs, so I'm glad to know where to get them now!

Liza, thanks for the rec for the Ziploc bags! That is a great tip and my husband will love it b/c it will be cheaper than something made *specifically* for baby! :)

I think I might wait a bit to order my covers, at least. After I posted yesterday, I went to a dr appt where they referred me for a second ultrasound. At my 24 wk appt, I measured 26 cm, which was a 6cm jump from week 20. Yesterday I was 25w4d and measured almost 30cm. So they are wondering if I might be having a large baby! Eeek. I should mention that I'm only 5'2", so it could be that the baby has no where to go but out, hence the growth. But I think I'm going to hold off on ordering a bunch of newborn sizes when I might be ready for smalls from the start! My husband is 6'4" (what was I thinking??), but his mother assures me that he was a normal sized baby (in the 7# range). Did this happen to any of you?

Yikes, sorry for the semi-panicked novella! Anyway, thanks again for your suggestions! More are always welcome!!