Newborn Cloth Diapering: Fitteds

I posted a couple of months ago about the cloth diapers I was planning to use with Esther. Now that I've tried them all out, here are some pictures and my thoughts on the different kinds. I'm going to do this in a couple of parts - fitteds and prefolds, covers, and then pocket diapers. Hopefully this is helpful. Let me know if you have further questions about the diapers and I'll try and answer them for you.

Kissaluvs Size 0 - These are a very popular newborn diaper. I don't get it. At four weeks (11 lbs), I put them away because they didn't fit Esther anymore. They are cute, but extremely small. From the first time we used them, they've been on the last snap setting. The front kind of poofs out, but the legs are too tight. We didn't use them right away because we were waiting for the meconium to be gone and then with my mastitis we just used disposables for the first two weeks. I use a doubler in them each time which makes them pretty absorbent. They do hold in the poop explosions too; we haven't had any leaks. Kissaluvs are cute and have a snap down part for the umbilical cord. I just don't like the fit.

Note: These are Kissaluvs version 1. I've since learned that they have a version 2 that is much more absorbent.

Happy Heiny - This is a size small. Its a bit bigger than the Kissaluvs, but still on the small side. It definitely needs a doubler to make it absorbent enough and we're on some of the last snaps already with this one too.

Mother-Ease Small Sandy's Bamboo - This diaper has a much better range of fit. I love that the bamboo is so soft and nice. I actually received this diaper for review, and have another diaper and cover set to give away. Look for that coming up soon! This diaper is bigger than the Kissaluvs and Happy Heiny, but it does still fit snugly around the legs. Because its so soft and squishy, it doesn't seem too bulky on Esther. I think it will fit her for quite a while yet. The absorbency is okay, not great. I have a doubler that I put in this one as well. That seems to be the case with all fitteds though, if they are absorbent, they are too thick and don't dry well. I do like this diaper and wish I had more than one of them.

So that you can see the difference in size, here are the three diapers together. Mother-Ease, Happy Heiny, and then the Kissaluvs:

Prefolds:

Orange Edge Prefolds - These are a special newborn size prefold from Green Mountain Diapers. I didn't try them on Esther until about four or five weeks and they were already too small. I do like them, they are nice and wide which makes them easy to snappi on. They are also very soft and seem absorbent enough. I may get rid of my Kissaluvs and just keep these for newborn use. Although I'm still not sold on whether or not prefolds keep in that explosive poop well enough.

Yellow Edge Prefolds - This is what we are using now that the Kissaluvs are outgrown (well, sometimes, Ross doesn't like using prefolds). They are nice and wide, but not too long like a regular prefold would be. These are also a special size from Green Mountain Diapers. Prefolds are the most inexpensive diapering option and they last the longest as well. These are working well for us right now, although I don't think they hold poop in quite as well as fitteds. I like that they are organic cotton and are nice and soft.

Check back soon for posts comparing covers, another on pocket diapers, and the Mother-ease giveaway!