Reusable Nappies for Newborns - what do I need to consider?
Whether you need newborn specific nappies is very similar to whether you need newborn specific baby grows - it depends on the size of your baby. You may have a baby who is born at a weight of 9lbs+, in which case you can probably get away with going straight into regular BTP one size nappies, without the need for a specific newborn nappy sizes first.
But if your baby is expected to be, or is born on the smaller side and you want to use cloth nappies from day one, you will need to have newborn specific sized nappies. If you are expecting a small baby, multiples or if you have a premature baby, you will almost certainly need some newborn size nappies.
Cloth Nappy Sizes Explained
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Birth to Potty or One size nappies typically fit from 8-9lbs right up to potty training - so you can see the attraction of these, you only buy one set of nappies for the babies entire nappy journey!
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Newborn nappies are specially designed to fit from 4-5lbs up to 18lbs.
You'll need around 25-30 nappies for the newborn stage if you're planning to wash every other day. Remember, you're going to be changing nappies twice as often at newborn stage, so theres a lot more nappies needed for a newborn stash.
Newborn stage cloth nappies don't need to have huge amounts of absorbency in them, because of how frequently you will change them, even over-night. This is a good thing though because it means that as the nappies aren't made up of lots of layers or absorbency, they will take less time to dry, so your nappy rotation in terms if use, wash, dry, is very quick.
Newborn nappy options
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Flats or Muslin Nappies These are the most common, and the easiest to manage. You will need some good small size waterproof wraps - 12 would be ideal as you will get more than one use of out each wrap before needing to wash it. Inside the wrap you can then use a prefold, flat nappy, muslin or any form of small newborn size insert (approximately 24). At this stage you don't need a lot of absorbency due to the frequency you will be changing nappies. |
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Fitted Nappies These provide great absorbency and they are good for nighttime and longer naps. Once your baby starts to sleep for 3 hours or more at a time, these nappies are ideal. You will need a waterproof wrap on the outside of a fitted nappy. You can use the same wrap as you would use with flats. |
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Newborn Sized AIO / Pocket Nappies These are nappies shaped specifically for tiny legs and waists - some of the cutest! They come in "All in one" versions which have the absorbency built in. Or in pocket versions where you can add absorbency - you can use the same inserts that you would use above with the wraps. |
As you can see there are some overlap between the various newborn options. A good starting stash of newborn nappies would include a variety of:
- Wraps
- Flats / Inserts
- Fitted Nappies
- Shaped Nappies
The good news is, newborn nappies are ideal to buy second hand or rent as they are only used for 2-3 months on any one baby.