Itty Bitty Baby Bottoms

If you're researching all of the different types of modern cloth diapers, you might be a little overwhelmed.  There are so many different brands and styles.  Some are sized and some are "one size" (they will allegedly fit a baby from birth through potty training). 

I did a little bit of research before we got started and learned that even though some babies can wear "one size" diapers from the beginning, many little newborns just don't have the build for them yet.  If you have a petite baby, you may find that you can't size the diapers down far enough to keep leaks at bay.

For that reason, we started out with prefold diapers.  Prefolds are sized, so they're not going to fit forever, but they're inexpensive, absorbant, and very adjustable.

The Baby Fish was 7lb 15oz at birth and is now 14lb 3oz at 4 months.  He is still in size 1 prefolds and size 1 covers.  In fact, we just recently adjusted the snaps on the covers to make them larger, so he still has a little bit of room to grow.  The prefolds are starting to get a little snug, so we are testing other styles, but all in all, I am pleased with the amount of use we've gotten out of them.

These have been our go-to diapers since he was a couple of weeks old.  The links go to our favorite diaper and organic baby goods store, Franklin Goose.  They are located in Richmond, but you can order online if you don't have a diaper store near you.  They have $5 flat rate shipping! They are great about answering cloth questions, too.

Osocozy Cotton Prefolds (6 diapers for $12- Prefolds are the least expensive way to do cloth)
Thirsties Duo Dry Covers 
Snappi (Gone are the days of having to safety pin diapers on a squirming infant!)

I think we started with 4 packs of prefolds and about 7 covers.  We have 3 covers with snaps and the rest have Aplix (Velcro) closures.  There are pros and cons to each type.  You can't beat Aplix for ease of use, especially for bleary-eyed nighttime diaper changes.  The downside to Aplix is that it tends to wear out more quickly than the snap version of the covers.  Also, if you have an older baby who is an exhibitionist...well, they're going to enjoy Aplix, you are not.  The only time I reach for the snap ones is if all of the Aplix ones are in the wash.  That's just my personal preference.

We bought a two pack of Snappis and I had never taken the second one out of the package until a few weeks ago when the first one broke.  You don't technically have to use a Snappi to hold the diaper closed if you're using a cover, but we were advised that they reduce leaks by keeping the diaper from shifting around inside the cover.  We always use one.

Here's The Baby Fish sporting one of his prefolds, sans cover.  They are very trim.