Prepping for Baby #2- Lessons Learned

As the weeks creep closer to the arrival of Baby #2, and it becomes more of a reality that the precarious routine we've settled into as a family of three is about to be thrown on its head, I've actually started to think about what we'll need to keep everyone from baby to big sister, and mama sane.

Some of the items are obvious and simple, while others involve me second guessing everything we did the first time around. Let's be honest, there are also things I don't even remember about the first time around, so I'm reaching way back in my sleep deprived brain to try and make this list .

1) Mama Cloth- Yes, I'm starting with mama on this one. Forget that new screaming infant for a minute. I had no idea what to prepare for after birth last time around. Nobody warned me. Well here I am warning you. I will not endure the surfboard sized disposable pads and itchy disposable underwear again. I even ended up using some of my husband's old boxer shorts after my first delivery because I was out of hospital supplied mesh panties, but not ready to open my own underwear drawer yet.

Pink Lemonade makes a variety of reusable cloth pads in minky, bamboo velour, and cotton velour. They even have a 13 inch postpartum pad that I'm going for along with a few overnights and smaller pads for when things eventually taper off (and I promise they will...eventually).

Party In My Pants also makes an awesome queen sized option in flannel and cotton although I have no interest in "partying in my pants" at that point in time, the soft material will be very welcome.

2) Nursing Pads- I already started with mama, might as well stick with it right? Again, naive first time mama version of me didn't know what to expect in this category either. I had a pack of disposable nursing pads that a friend had passed on to me, but I also endured several nights of waking up to a wet pool of sour smelling breastmilk on the bed. Reusable nursing pads are so much more absorbent, comfortable, and cost effective. The Nicki's Diapers Stay Dry Nursing Pads are my favorite and come in a set of three pairs.

3) Newborn Cloth Diapers- Like many new cloth families, we didn't get brave with the cloth right away. We waited until the umbilical cord stump fell off and she had grown a bit to dive into the cloth world. Little did we know how addicted we'd be and never want to touch a disposable diaper again.

We're excited to try the Imagine Newborn Stay-Dry All in One since we know the fleece will keep baby feeling dry so that they hopefully sleep a bit longer (please baby sleep!). While we are snap lovers with our older daughter, hook and loop is a perfect option for quick changes with a squirmy newborn.

The Nicki's Diapers Bamboo newborn diapers are also making heir way into our stash. Bamboo is so absorbent so that when baby starts to sleep a few longer stretches at night, we know they'll keep her dry.

4) Diaper Bag - Yes, we already have one (or thirteen) of these, but two children in cloth diapers means we need more space! I tend to be an over packer, planning for the worst even when we're making a quick trip to the grocery store. 

The Ju-Ju-Be Prepared is the ultimate over packers dream! The inner pockets are even color coded for multiple children, which feeds right into my obsessive organizational needs. I also love that they come in cute prints so that I can pretend I'm a stylish millennial rather than an overtired mama. 

5) Baby Carrier- Baby carriers are another item that we only came to appreciate a few months after our first was born. There were days when she needed the close touch of mama and the only way anyone else in the house was going to eat dinner was if I was wearing her. With baby #2 on the way, we know that walks for a while will consist of wearing one child while the other is in the stroller and many play dates with our firstborn will include the newborn snuggled on my chest. 

For the tiniest of babies, a wrap is the perfect option for keeping baby securely snuggled in so you can be hands free. The Boba wrap is a great example of this since its designed for babies 7-35 pounds and there are no buckles, straps, or buttons to mess with. The learning curve of tying it on is easy and you'll become a pro quickly. 

Once the baby is a little older and has a little more head control, a soft structured carrier is perfect for baby wearing. Most options like the Tula or Lillebaby can be used for both front and back carry. Some brands also have an infant insert so you can start using them even younger. They distribute the weight evenly over the parents shoulders and hips enabling you to wear them for long periods of time with no discomfort. 

 

6) Bamboo Swaddling Blanket- Yes, we already have lots of blankets and could probably get away without a new one. But have you felt these?! They've all already been claimed in our house because they are so soft and snuggly. Just like I think every new baby deserves a special coming home outfit, Imagine Bamboo Swaddling blankets have been added to my list of new baby must haves. They are light, breathable, adorable, and did I mention soft? Whether you use it to actually swaddle baby or not, cuddling with this blanket will keep everyone happy.

7) Cozy Plush- Remember, I still have an older child that needs love and attention during the transition, so this one is for her. I now cringe when I think of the times I went to friend's houses to visit a new baby, gift in hand for the new little, completely forgetting the older child. A cozy plush is a stuffed animal that can be warmed up in the microwave for extra comfort on these cold winter nights and smells like soothing lavender. We plan on giving this as a gift from our new baby to our older one when she comes to the hospital to meet her. 

What else am I forgetting? I'm sure there's plenty that I've forgotten about those first few sleep deprived weeks and many of you have already gone through this transition. Help a mama out and leave us a comment with your tips and advice!

Cloth Diapering From Day 1: One-Size Diapers

Hands down the most popular modern cloth diapers on the market right now are one-size diapers. There are many benefits to using one-size diapers!

• They are incredibly economical since they grow with your baby
• They are a great option for families who have more than 1 child in cloth diapers since children can "share" diapers
• They allow you to change settings on the diaper to accommodate change in baby's body shape as well as extra bulk for overnight diapers

There can also be a few cons to one-size diapers, especially when it comes to using them on a newborn.

• Most one-size diapers don't start fitting till 8-10 pounds (depending on baby's shape) so you will have to use a "newborn" diaper in the mean time, or some families choose to use disposable diapers till their little one fits into their one-size diapers.
• Since the diapers have to last through toddler hood, there will be some extra bulk on a smaller baby.

The good news is, I believe the pros certainly outweigh the cons! Since cloth diapers have such an awesome resale value (try your local craigslist or a cloth diaper resale website like undermycrib.com), you can start with a newborn stash for the first couple months and easily get a good amount back from re-selling!

When you are first trying one-size diapers on your little one, keep a few things in mind.

• They're going to look HUGE! But remember your baby is going to grow SO fast and they don't move around much as a newborn anyhow.
• Check the common spots for leaks do to poor fit. Lift their legs up and make sure you don't see any gaps. Make sure wings are tucked in and there is no gapping around the front.
• Try a few different brands. Something that fits your baby at 3 weeks might fit completely different at 3 months. I generally do not suggest people build their entire stash out of the same brand if they haven't tried other brands yet.
• Use a sized insert! Many one-size diapers come with 2 inserts, one of them usually termed a "newborn" or "small" insert. Take advantage of these as they will reduce bulk. Another great option is a system like the Best Bottom Diaper with the sized inserts that keep the diaper fitting nice and trim!

I've chosen some of the most popular brands of one-size diapers to show you on Emmett.

The BumGenius 4.0 One-Size Pocket Diaper is stuffed with 2 newborn inserts. It adjusts with a snap up rise and the stretchy tabs allow for a really custom fit around the waist. These started fitting Emmett (who has very skinny chicken legs) right around 10 pounds. These are also available in a hook & loop closure.

The Fuzzi Bunz One-Size Pocket Diaper is stuffed with the "small" insert. It adjusts with elastic in the back and legs to get a great fit! I did find these to have a little more bulk to them when the legs are cinched very tight but they fit closer to 9 pounds.

This Best Bottom One-Size Diaper has a small hemp/organic cotton insert snapped in it. These adjust with a snap up rise and close with either snaps or hook & loop around the waist. The extra leg gussets hold even the messiest of messes. These started fitting Emmett at about 9 pounds.

This Blueberry Coverall has a small Imagine Smart Fit Prefold under it. These generously sized covers fit suprisingly well on a small baby. The extra leg gussets also contain messes well! And just a sidenote, this particular cover was originally purchased for my now 4 year old when he was 1 1/2! This is the third child to wear it! :)

This Imagine One Size Pocket Diaper is stuffed with a small Nicki's Microfiber insert. The inner fleece of this pocket is so incredibly soft and the PUL has a really nice stretch to it. This diaper started fitting Emmett when he was about 10 pounds.



Cloth Diapering From Day 1: Diapering More Than One Child

One of the greatest benefits of using cloth diapers is the amount of money that it can save you. That amount is multiplied when you use them for multiple children! If you're like me, you may find that you have more than 1 child in cloth diapers at a time! Now that Emmett has joined our family, I'm finding myself with 2 in diapers for the second time. My middle son is 2 1/2 and although he's partially potty trained (when he chooses to be!), I'm still doing cloth diaper laundry for two!

Here are a few tricks I've picked up along the way:

1. One-size diapers are the most convenient, particularly diapers that have a snap up/down rise to make changing the diaper size between children a snap (haha)! It's also convenient when you're on the go, bring any 2 diapers with you and you're covered for both kids! 
2. Don't go too long between washing! When you're filling your pail up with diapers for two kids, you may not realize just how many diapers are in there. You don't want your loads to get so big that your washer isn't able to get them clean enough. I would suggest not washing more than 18-24 diapers at a time. If you're using a system like Best Bottom Diapers, you can push that a bit more since they take up less space in your machine.
3. Relax! Go into each day knowing you're going to be changing a lot of diapers and ENJOY it! Savor those couple one-on-one minutes with that child! Make goofy faces and sing silly songs. Embrace the fact that every cloth diaper you are changing that day is going to be reused over and over again.

Before you know it, you'll have one in diapers, then none! If you're like me, you'll have to get a new hobby :) 

Cloth Diapering From Day 1: Flats

When we got our last shipment in of Imagine Prefold and Flat Diapers and I helped count dozens upon dozens of them, I had a lot of time to think :) Think about how I had tried just about every cloth diaper type out there and why I liked each one for different reasons. As I stacked up the pile of Imagine Flats, I realized that was one type of diaper I had never tried. Flats certainly aren't a "modern" cloth diaper, but we still sell quite a lot of them at Nicki's Diapers and I like to be able to share my experiences with diapers when customers ask! So that solved it, I was bringing home a dozen Imagine Organic Flats that night!

You should have seen the look on my husband's face. "These are... diapers?", he asked. I showed him several ways to put them on our 2 year old, and he still didn't understand what makes these better than prefolds (by the way, he is a prefold guru). Here are some of the reasons that I gave him for why people might chose flats:

• They are one-size. Meaning, we could use those same flats that we were trying on my 2 year old with the baby I was pregnant with at the time. Extremely economical, especially when paired with a one-size diaper cover!
• They are very easy to clean. When flats are completely open, they are just a single layer of birdseye. When washing this allows lots of water and detergent to get the diapers VERY clean!
• They are versatile. There are a variety of folds you can do to suit you and your baby's needs. They can also be used as doublers and to stuff pocket diapers.
• They are useful after cloth diapering! After your little ones are out of diapers, use your flats to wash your car, as a dusting cloth or general cleaning rag, or to get your mirrors and glass surfaces clean without lint!

Now that our little guy has arrived, I've tried flats on him multiple times. They are so much easier than I had anticipated! Can you imagine how much money you'd save (especially over the course of multiple children) if you used flats and covers exclusively?!

There are quite a few ways to fold flats, probably even more than prefolds. I've found 2 folds that I prefer on my 6 week old. The first is called a pad fold. Basically you just fold it several times till I lays nicely in your cover. Below is a picture of a pad fold in a Thirsties Duo Wrap size 1. The pad fold is nice because it's quick and puts lots of absorbency where you need it.

The other fold that I found to work great on Emmett is the Origami Fold. I would love to provide you with detailed pictures on this fold, but I find it more helpful to look at a video. If you search Origami Flat Folds on Youtube, you'll get lots of great results :) Since Emmett is a heavy wetter, I trifold an XS Imagine Smart Fit Prefold and lay it in the wetzone. I also fold in the wings since he's still pretty tiny around the waist.


In the picture below, I held the flat on with a Snappi before putting the Thirsties Duo Wrap Size 1 over it, but I've also found it nice to just wrap the wings around him and put the cover over the top. I like the Origami fold because it's a little bit more trim between the legs, and it also prevents the newborn poop from getting on the inside of the cover.


Are you wondering just how economical using flats and one-size covers exclusively could be?

• 3 Dozen Imagine Flat Diapers: 3 x $14.99 = $44.97
• 8 Imagine One-Size Diapers Covers: 8 x $7.95 = $63.60

That's just over $100! Can you IMAGINE saving that much money?! And you can use those diapers for future children, too!

And just because my little guy's bottom half has been getting so much publicity... here's his sweet face. Can you believe how much he's chunked up?! WUB!

Cloth Diapering From Day 1: Using Prefolds on a Newborn

When I first started cloth diapering 4 years ago, I was far too intimidated to use prefolds. I mean a diaper that has the word "fold" in it has to be complicated, right? Wrong! When my oldest son hit about 6 months, I felt like I was in the cloth diapering groove and decided to take on the challenge. I purchased a dozen prefolds and a handful of covers. Two kids later and I'm still hooked! I've found that the only thing easier than using prefolds on a baby is using prefolds on a newborn! Here is why:

1. Newborns go through a LOT of diapers. You'd think since I'm on my 3rd child, I'd remember just how many. I'm still floored as to how often I'm standing at the changing table every day changing a diaper that I feel like I just put on him! Prefolds are incredibly inexpensive, so with all those diaper changes, you're getting a lot more bang for your buck! 
2. Prefolds are easy to clean! In my experience, prefolds and flats are two diapers that you will rarely have stink issues with. The natural fibers don't hold onto odor like some synthetic fibers do, they sun out stains very easily, and my favorite part.. no folding or stuffing when they're dry! Just stack them up!
3. Putting a prefold on a newborn is easy peasy. No newborn I've ever met can pull out the alligator roll and try to jump off the changing table like many toddlers do. So if you're still getting the hang of your favorite fold and getting that Snappi on, don't worry! Your newborn isn't going anywhere!
4. We all have things we look for in a cloth diaper, but when it comes down to it the most important thing is that it contains the poop and pee, and a prefold does this wonderfully! Newborn poop can be runny and explosive, so I love to use a Snappi to contain the mess in the prefold itself. If you prefer to trifold, a snug fitting cover will contain the mess, too. No more poop up the back, out the leg, or anywhere else it manages to get :)

And now onto the part that initially intimidated me... the folding! Google "prefold folds" and you'll find a never ending list of videos and how-tos on a dozen different folds. If you can, try a bunch out and see which suits you and your baby best! I have two folds that I find to be the easiest and I use on a regular basis:

1. Trifold: This is exactly what it sounds like... folding your prefold into thirds! Quick and easy! Then lay your prefold into your cover of choice and wrap onto your baby! This adds a ton of absorbency front to back and even your husband, grandparent or babysitter can do it! There are two small cons to this technique. It can be somewhat bulky to have so many layers, especially in the back of the diaper. Also, the newborn poop can sometimes get on the INSIDE of your diaper cover, meaning you may have to have more covers on hand.
2. Angel Wing Fold: This is the fold I use with prefolds 95% of the time. It's quick, easy, absorbent and very trim in the back. While I use this fold on my 2 1/2 year old, it's my favorite on a newborn because it contains all the poop in the prefold and I'm able to get many uses out of my covers. Below are step-by-step pictures on how to do an angel wing fold on your baby.

 I've found my absolute favorite prefolds are the Imagine Smart Fit! They are cut more square to reduce bulk. Emmett was 7 pounds 12 ounces when he was born. We started with the Imagine Smart Fit Extra Small and they fit beautifully! They were hands down, our trimmest option. My kids like to give me a challenge, though. All 3 of them have been heavy wetters! The Imagine Smart Fit Small were considerably bulkier on him right away, but gave lots of absorbency. Here he is just when we came home from the hospital at a little over 7 pounds, first in an XS size (orange stitching), then a Small size (green stitching):

Now he is just over 10 pounds at 4 weeks old. We're still using both the Imagine Smart Fit XS and Small. I've found the XS size trifolded makes a great doubler in our small pocket diapers, too! I've also been adding one trifolded into the diaper cover when using the XS with the angel wing fold for some extra absorbency. Again, the XS on the left, Small on the right (both with a Best Bottom Diaper Cover).

Hopefully this may help some of you who were nervous about using prefolds and covers! They really are not difficult at all and there is something so simple and natural about a basic cotton prefold on a baby. Here is a quick price breakdown of what using prefolds for the first 3 months may cost:

2 dozen Imagine Smart Fit XS Prefolds: 2 x $15 = $30

2 dozen Imagine Smart Fit X Prefolds: 2 x $18 = $36

8 Diaper Covers (will vary slightly with brand): 8 x $12.25 = $98

2 Snappi Diaper Fasteners: $5.75

Total: $169.75

In rough estimate, you'd spend about $270 using your typical disposable diaper in the first 3 months of diapering. You can see how much using prefolds and covers will save you, and don't forget that cloth diapers have an amazing resale value (or you can use them on your next children), saving you even MORE money!

Cloth Diapering From Day 1: Washing Newborn Diapers

Anyone who has ever had a new baby knows just how much laundry they produce. It still amazes me after 3 children, just how many tiny pieces of clothing a tiny little person dirties! You might be overwhelmed at the thought of adding in cloth diaper laundry. Here is the good news: Washing newborn diapers is EASY! And when I say easy, I mean that I'd rather wash the 12-15 diapers/day that my 3 week old is putting out than the 2-3 diapers/day that my almost potty trained 2 1/2 year old is putting out! Here is what makes it so easy:

• The poop! If baby is exclusively breastfed, there is no need to do any spraying, scraping or dunking to get rid of the poop. While the bright yellow poop (or the hot mustard explosion as my husband calls it) may look, well.. disgusting, think of it as the consistency of yogurt. It's water soluble and will rinse away when you do your first rinse or cold wash in your wash routine.
• The smell! Better yet, the lack of smell! I'm not getting all high and mighty by telling you my kid's poop doesn't stink. I'm telling you that newborn poop doesn't stink! Breastfed poop is generally void of a foul odor, which means you are less likely to have to deal with stinky diapers!

I have 2 places I store dirty diapers. I have a dry pail with a Planet Wise Pail Liner in Emmett's nursery and a Planet Wise Hanging Wet/Dry Bag in our bathroom. My 2 1/2 year old's diapers get thrown into the bag in the bathroom (convenient after spraying off a #2) and my newborn's diapers are in the pail (poop and all!). On wash day, I empty both of these into my washer and throw in the liner and bag. I do a cold rapid wash followed by a hot wash with detergent and an extra rinse. All covers and pocket shells go on a folding drying rack and inserts, prefolds and fitteds get tumble dried.

Special Considerations

• Stains- It's true that the bright yellow poop does seem to stain cloth diapers. The good new is that even with a stain, they are clean. The other good new is that breastmilk poop stains fade over washing and sun out easily!
• Meconium- I've had quite a few people ask me about meconium poop and how it washes out. This was honestly one of my biggest concerns before embarking on this journey! Emmett passed most of his meconium while we were still in the hospital. I didn't use any liners with the cloth diapers during that time. All of those diapers were stored for 2 days in our wetbag before being washed and all came perfectly clean!
• Detergent Sensitivities- I don't have to tell you just have sensitive a newborn's skin may be! If you find that your little one is getting a rash or reaction only where their diaper touches, they may be sensitive to the detergent you are using. Make sure you are using something free of additives and free of fabric softener. Although specially advertised to be for babies, Dreft detergent is not a good option for cloth diapers. Also make sure you are rinsing your diapers well after the wash to ensure all detergent it out!

Cloth Diapering From Day 1: Using Cloth Diapers at the Hospital

It's hard to believe it's been more than 2 weeks since my little guy came flying into the world! At just over 38 weeks, he surprised us by coming earlier than we expected. He also surprised us by being the smallest of our children, weighing in at 7 pounds 12 ounces! He was 2 pounds lighter than my first born and 1/2 pound lighter than our second born! I'm proud to officially present to you, Emmett McIntyre, born at 1:48pm on November 22nd! Here is he in his first cloth diaper ever at not quite an hour old.

We had an incredibly positive experience using cloth diapers at the hospital that we delivered at. In fact, before we were even admitted to the hospital, we were getting great feedback! While in triage, one of the nurses asked me if I worked at Nicki's Diapers. She was a blog and facebook follower :) This brought up the topic of cloth diapers with another nurse and she was very interested to hear about modern cloth diapers and wished she had tried them on her children. While in labor, we told our nurse that we wanted to use cloth, gave her the first diaper for him and showed her how to put it on. As you can see from the above picture, after nearly an hour of loving on our new baby, the first diaper on his bottom was a GroVia Newborn All-In-One.

After we were transferred to our family suite, I set up the "bassinett" drawers with everything we would need to use cloth diapers for the next 2 days. I hung our Planet Wise Large Wet Bag from the handle for easy storage of dirty diapers. All-In-Ones, pockets and fitteds went into one storage slot. Prefolds, Snappis and covers went into another storage slot. Liners, CJ's BUTT-er and my Planet Wise Small Wet Bag filled with Imagine Flannel Wipes went into another slot along with the provided disposable diapers. The picture below is actually taken just before discharge so many of the diapers have already been used.

I think the most important thing to do when trying to have a good experience with cloth diapering at the hospital is to have good communication with anyone providing care for you or your baby. Everytime a new nurse came on shift, we let her know that we preferred the cloth diapers and showed her how they worked (this was the main reason we brought some "easy" diapers like the pockets and all-in-ones). We also let her know that we were ok with a disposable diaper being used on the baby. While it was mainly my husband and I who changed Emmett's diapers, there were a couple times he was brought to the nursery for exams/tests and he returned in a disposable diaper. I'm happy to report they put the dirty cloth diaper in the correct place, though :)

We came home with a nearly full wetbag, and just emptied them into the washer along with the diapers left from my middle son's pail. One load of laundry is a drop in the bucket to the laundry that newborns produce, and in all honestly cloth diaper laundry is my favorite because no folding is necessary :) I highly suggest anyone who is interested in trying cloth from birth bring their diapers to the hospital. I'm so glad we did!

Cloth Diapering From Day 1 Series: Packing for the Hospital

38 weeks pregnant with baby #3 sounds like a good time to get packed for the hospital... right?! :) My other 2 boys both came at 39 weeks so I guess I can't be putting if off any longer! The good news is I've had my regular hospital bag packed for a week now, I just needed to decide which cloth diapers and accessories to bring!

I'm planning for about 48 hours in the hospital. I know some people like to get home as soon as possible after birth, but my hospital is incredibly baby and mama friendly and it's really like a vacation being there! I openly admit that I milk it for all it's worth :) My first son was 9 pounds 11 ounces and my second was 8 pounds 5 ounces. That makes it somewhat difficult to guess the size of this baby, so I'm bringing a few options with.


It will primarily be my husband and I changing the baby and since we've already cloth diapered 2 kids, we are  very comfortable using prefolds and covers for the bulk of our newborn diapers. I do realize that on occasion a nurse or a visiting grandparent may change the baby's diaper so I'm bringing along a few easier options for them, just in case!

Here is what I have stuffed into a Large Planet Wise Wet Bag:

• 18 XS Imagine Smart Fit Prefolds
• 6 XS Diaper Covers in a variety of brands
• 4 XS Fitted Diapers in a variety of brands
• 6 XS All-In-One Diapers in a variety of brands
• A Small Planet Wise Wetbag stuffed with Imagine Flannel Wipes (which I will wet at the hospital)
• 2 Snappi Diaper Fasteners 
• 12 fleece liners since I'm still unsure about the meconium on the diapers and circumcism care with diapers
• 1 small stick of CJ's BUTTer again, not sure if this will help with the meconium

My plan is to bring this bag  up after the baby is born with his bag of clothing, etc. I have 2 diapers packed into my labor/delivery bag so that the first diaper to go on his tush is cloth! I had my husband decide which ones would be first, since I'm *hoping* he will be the one to put it on him! I'll post more about that with my "Cloth Diapering at the Hopsital" post at a to-be-determined date!

Even the best laid plans can sometimes fall through. I do have 2 dozen Imagine Smart Fit Size Small prefolds prepped and ready to go that any of the grandparents can bring when they visit if they little guy turns out to be not-so-little! 

Did you bring your own cloth diapers to the hospital? How does my list sound? I'd love to hear about your experiences!

Cloth Diapering From Day 1 Series: Prepping Newborn Diapers

Some expectant moms like to have everything ready for their baby months before they arrive. Others are running around making sure clothes and diapers are ready for baby just days before their arrival! No matter what type of "preparerer" you are, having your newborn's cloth diapers prepped and ready to go is a piece of cake!


Just like any cloth diaper, there are different prepping techniques for different types of newborn diapers. If you are using a diaper with a synthetic material like microfiber, fleece or PUL, it will need just one wash and dry before use. You may also want to wash any wetbags or cloth wipes with your load of diapers. 


We suggest prepping your synthetic materials like this:

1. Warm or hot (not sanitize) wash with CD safe detergent
2. Extra rinse (any temperature)
3. Hang dry covers and pockets, tumble dry medium inserts

If you are using a natural fiber diaper like cotton, hemp, or bamboo, you will need to do a little more prep. These fibers have a natural oil on them that needs to be washed off and the fibers need to be broken up to reach maximum absorbency. You will want to wash and dry them 4-5 times before use. They will continue to become more absorbent even after these initial washes, though! If you're due tomorrow and you're trying to figure out how you're going to wash your diapers 5 times, along with 2 loads of baby clothes, your bath towels, and your sheets, no worries! Your cloth diaper friendly detergent is also clothes friendly! I would do your first wash with the diapers on their own, but after that you can mix the diapers with your regular laundry. You do want to avoid using any fabric softeners with your diapers, though. 

We suggest prepping natural materials like this:

1. Warm or hot (not sanitize) wash with CD safe detergent
2. Extra rinse (any temperature)
3. Tumble dry medium- your diapers do not have to be 100% dry before your next wash, slightly damp is ok!
4. Repeat 3-4 more times till your diapers are nice and fluffy!

It's that easy! Once your diapers are ready to go, decide which you'd like to take to the hospital (if you decide to go that route) or get them stacked and ready for baby! Now comes the hard part... waiting for him or her to arrive! :)