Cloth Diapering: The Newborn Stash--Prefolds and Covers

Right, so, I've been meaning to write a post for awhile on the cloth diaper stash that I have built for the newborn phase.  Newborns are tricky.  You don't know what size they're going to be and all but the biggest are too small to fit into one-size cloth diapers.  There's also the fact that they apparently excrete constantly.  "They" say that you should plan to use 12-18 diapers a day for a newborn.  Whoa.  That's a lot of dipes.  Because of this, although I said that I wouldn't ever go there, I decided to build a stash that is at least half prefold diapers with covers to go over them.  Why?  Because they're cheaper!  And apparently work really well at containing the newborn runny poos.  Yay. 

What's a prefold, you ask?  They are squares of fabric, typically cotton and/or gauze that are sewn in such a way that the middle third contains multiple layers of the fabric while the outer two thirds are thinner.  When you fold them around your baby's bottom, the middle layers are there to add extra absorbancy, while the outer layers allow for easy manipulation around baby.  When you purchase prefolds they look completely unimpressive--kind of like a tea towel, thin, not very absorbent.  It's in the wash that they magic happens.  Yes, you must wash prefolds (like most other cloth diapers) before use.  Prefolds require 4-5 washes to quilt up properly and will become even more absorbent with subsequent washes.  With each wash, they get quiltier and fluffier.  Don't believe me?  Here's a great blog post that illustrates just how much prefolds fluff up.  These are actually the same brand that I purchased from Green Mountain Diapers.  I now have 1 dozen newborn and 1 dozen small prefolds prepped and ready to go.



There are a ton of ways to fold these things.  Youtube is actually a great resource for learning how to fold prefolds.  Most people use a closure system of either old-school pin or a snappi.  A snappi is a plastic device with 3 "arms" that have little teeth on them to grab the prefold material.   We went with snappis because pins scare me.  Here's the little beast now:



And a quick image to show you how it's used:



The thing about prefolds is that one their own they are not waterproof.  That's where the diaper covers come in!  They provide a waterproof layer so baby doesn't pee all over you, or worse.  There are a TON of different companies that make diaper covers.  I did some research to find the ones that would be most likely to fit newborns, with a little bit of room to grow since I'm really only planning on using them for a couple months. 

Covers...  I have seven of them right now.  This should be more than enough since they are reusable and do not require washing after every use because (hopefully) the dirty stuff only gets on the prefold!  

I have 1 Mommy's Touch Adjustable Newborn Cover, which I mostly purchased to round out my order from Green Mountain with the prefolds.  :)  It's the only snap cover that I have, the velcro is supposed to be better for the newborn phase because it's more adjustable (and the babes aren't strong enough to rip them off yet either).  It's supposed to fit from 4-10 pounds.  On the plus side it does snap-down to avoid irritating a newborn's healing umbilical stump (as seen in the picture on the yellow cover).  On the minus side, these covers don't have leg gussets, which you'll see soon and help contain the dirty stuff.



I have 3 Rumparooz Newborn Size Diaper Covers, in aplix (velcro!).  These are supposed to fit from 4-12 pounds.  They're cute, cheap and the newborn size have the dip for the umbilical cord as well.  They also have the highly-desired leg gussets!  *gasp*  See that extra bit of material peeking out of the leg opening in the picture?  That's another layer of fabric with elastic that is there to prevent leaks.  Leaks=bad.



I have 2 Thirsties Diaper Covers in size Extra Small.  Again, in aplix.  They're supposed to fit from 6-12 pounds.  These also have gussets and a cut out for the umbilical cord.



Finally, I have 1 of the much-loved among cloth-diapering mommies Bummis Super Brite Wraps in the newborn size.  I only bought one of these because the newborn size is supposed to fit from 4-9 pounds.  Heck, at that rate I'm not sure I'll be able to use it at all!  We shall see.  These have gussets and the waterproof material on the inside is exposed, which makes them really wipe-able in between uses. 



Once diaper changes become less frequent and baby gets big enough to fit into our one-size stash, I do plan to retire the diaper covers.  The prefolds however, can remain useful as they can be used to add absorbency to other kinds of diapers.  Just tri-fold the prefold and shove it in a pocket, or lay it right inside a diaper to add a bit more oomph without adding too much bulkiness.

This has gotten really long, so I will save the other types of newborn dipes that I've purchased for another post.  Technically, between the covers and the prefolds that I have, that should be enough to go a day and a half between washes already.  But I just could not resist purchasing some of the super-easy (and super-cute) all-in-one diapers.  I figured these would also be easier for the grandparents to use so hopefully I can convince them to give it a try. 

Full disclosure: third trimester

I know, I know, I'm still *in* my third trimester.  Like I need reminding.  But I plan on doing a Full Disclosure of the labor and delivery as well, so I figured I should get this one out of the way while it's all good and fresh.  

Third trimester.  Also known as the time when you'll wonder how you could possibly get any bigger.  Babies really pack on the pounds at this stage.  As much as half a pound a week!  Your own weight gain can vary... mine has mostly leveled off for right now.  I think because I'm eating smaller more frequent snacks/meals.  That's because giant babies don't leave much room for your stomach and digestive tract.

Which means that I have had my first run-ins with acid reflux.  Eating anything a few hours before bed means I'll wake up at some point with a burning throat.  Gross.  But I need to eat!  I'm hungry...  :(  Stock up on the Tums now.

While we're talking about digestion, let me once again mention: Constipation.  Still, again, whatever.  My advice to you is this: if you feel the urge, go!  I don't care where you are; work, shopping, whatever, just go.  You'll feel better.  Be forewarned though, you may also be dealing with gas.  Like old lady, I fart every time I pee without even knowing that it's coming, gas.  So much fun!

Giant babies also don't leave a lot of room for your lungs.  You'll probably learn what it feels like to have asthma at this point.  I did.  Walking up the stairs is a huge challenge at 34 weeks.  Leaning too far back in a chair or sofa is also uncomfortable.

Other side effects of getting bigger...

~Shoes with laces are no longer your friends.  Socks are tricky too.
~Good luck shaving.
~Stretch marks.  I made it to nearly 32 weeks until I discovered my first ones.  It's true what they say, they itch.  A lot.  :(
~RBS.  Restless body syndrome.  I think this is just because it's so darn hard to get comfortable, but every night around 7 pm or so, I just start getting stir crazy and start pacing the house looking for stuff to do.  I mostly just feel the need to move around because sitting uncomfortable, but walking is tiring, so...  yeah.
~Sleep becomes a luxury.  I'm a girl that LOVES my sleep.  I would choose sleep over a lot of things in life.  Sleeping sucks right now.  Again, it's hard to get comfortable.  Turning over is not only difficult, but also somewhat painful as your belly crushes you for a moment before flopping to the other side.  And despite the fact that you're completely exhausted, you may find yourself wide awake.  At least several nights a week, I find myself awake from 1 am to 3 am.  Either tossing and turning.  Or reading a book.  Or watching TV.  Or painting plaster cast figures for the upcoming holidays.  I needed something to do with my time, okay?!

If you're like me, you always wondered why pregnant women rub their bellies so damn much.  Well, you'll do it too.  I am doing it constantly.  It's not to try to bond with baby though, at least not in my case.  In my case it's mostly to push those little hands/feet/knees/elbows back in when they jab me unexpectedly. 


Other fun things:
~your boobies may start leaking colostrum now.  Mine haven't yet... but I hear they could.
~you may be dealing with swelling in your hands and feet or everywhere!  I've had a few bouts of minor swelling in my feet after particularly long work days, but nothing serious yet.  And my wedding ring still fits!
~if this is your first, you'll probably have a baby shower or two at this point and fair warning again... 
your family and/or friends and/or family's friends will make stupid comments.  You'd think they'd know better, but they don't.  They may go on about how huge you are.  Or how terrible their child's birth was.  Or, gee, you are going to stop working, aren't you?!  Ignore them.  Smile.  Say you're undecided or thank them for sharing.  And then use your faulty bladder as an excuse to escape. 

Finally, Sex.  I won't lie, the frequency of your escapades is likely decreasing by now...  Sad, but true.  Because you're too damn exhausted and you probably feel like a blimp.  And your partner is too busy trying to pick up your slack around the house AND get everything ready for the baby's arrival on top of working a full day.  But, if you can get it, it's still good, so go for it.  :)

And that, friends, is the third trimester.  See all that you have to look forward to?!

Week 32.

Dear navel orange (times 4), jicama...  Andre...

9/30  We had our latest doctor's appointment--the one where we got to have an extra ultrasound to see how you are growing!  As usual, the ultrasound was amazing.  We saw you wiggling around and possibly sucking your thumb.  We definitely confirmed that you're a boy.  You're not shy about showing those parts, but were shy (again) about showing your face to us.  Stinker.  We did see that you have some nice plump cheeks--your dad blames me for that.  Everything looked good.  Your heartbeat was 171 beats per minute.  The technician took a bunch of measurements; your head, your belly, your femur.  Then we met with the doctor, who measured my belly.  At almost 32 weeks, I was measuring 38 weeks.  38 weeks!  I only gained a pound since my last appointment, but my belly went from 33 to 38 centimeters in 3 weeks.  Yowza.  Doc then looked over the measurements from the ultrasound and said that it was no surprise that my belly was so big since you were already measuring 6 1/2 pounds.  Now ultrasound measurements can be off as much as a pound in either direction, but even at 5 1/2 pounds, you're a pretty big boy already!!!  Average sizes at around 32 are typically 3-3 1/2 pounds.  Doc was not concerned at this point, said to just keep doing what I'm doing and we'll watch and wait. 

In the aftermath, your dad and I cracked a lot of jokes.  Calling you a linebacker in the making and Andre the Giant.  And wondering just where this giant baby came from?!  Your dad and I were in the 7 pound range at birth and you're practically there already!

But then... then the realization hit me.  The Doc is warning that you could be big.  And that freaked me out a little only because to some extent in our society these days big = c-section a lot of the time.  Surgery is the last thing I want.  We've spent so much time taking Bradley classes hoping to have a natural birth because I know that it's the best thing for both of us.  The good news is that these classes have educated both your dad and I an awful lot.  I'm most worried about the Doctors encouraging that I schedule a c-section.  They'd have to fight with me for that, unless there's a reason to keep YOU safe.  Otherwise, I'm sticking with our plan...  wait for your to announce that you're ready to join us and then do what we need to do to get both of us through this safely.  If that means the end result is a c-section, so be it.  But I don't want to go down that road until it is determined that it's medically necessary.

So, that's that.  For now, we wait.  Your job is to stay strong, keep growing and stay right where you are for as long as you can.

In lighter news, the day after our Doctor's appointment, we had another appointment.  This time, your dad and I dressed up and met with an awesome photographer at Didier Farms nearby to take maternity pictures.  We had a blast and got some really great shots to remind us of this time.  I think I'm going to get one framed for your room.



We also had our second (and last) Baby Shower, which was thrown by Gramma Hen and Nona Ludwig.  It was small, but very nice.  Every detail was coordinated, which is to be expected when your Gramma is involved.  You, of course, got some fantastic gifts.

Things to remember:
~yummy, yummy Italian food for lunch
~all the little decorated animal cakes!
~the games, especially the one with the candy bars
~receiving your cowmooflage carseat from Nona and G'pa
~receiving a music box containing your dad's baby ring from Gramma
~your first Bears outfit!
~G'pa shopped for you too
~Oma came also and got you a toy to teach you words in English and Spanish

We had a really nice time.

In the coming weeks we have a lot to do still to prepare for your arrival.  Your bedroom furniture should be here soon.  We still have lots of details to figure out though.  And I still have all your clothes and diapers to wash!  Thankfully, I know that early on you will need very little.  We'll be as ready as we can be...

Keep growing, baby.  Just not too much.