DIAPERS AND COVERS:

• There are two things to be concerned about with a newborn. Cord cutout and meconium. Lots of people use flats or prefolds until the meconium is gone, but I'd also recommend using a rectangle of fleece (just buy remnant fleece at the fabric store and cut it up) as a liner inside the fitted diaper for two reasons - protects the babe from wet (baby stays dry) and protects the diaper from meconium. You could also use disposable liners those first few days. Completely OT, but recommend that they use NOTHING on the cord - it will fall off in DAYS vs weeks.

Ok, fitted diapers for a newborn - Kissaluvs size 0 (get on Melanie's onelist and when she makes an announcement, order.) They run $8.50 each and are SO worth each and every penny. They completely contain all BM blowouts - I've NEVER had a leak onto a cover with these diapers. These diapers will fit from 6lb or so (and fit WELL) to about 15lb. If you don't get any other diaper, get these. SAHM and Sweet Peas are also good newborn diapers and are about $2 cheaper than Kissaluvs. They don't hold a blowout though. They come in pretty prints and are flannel. I think Brenda (Sweet Peas) only does velcro but I believe that Anthea (SAHM) does both velcro and snaps. For the newborn, I'd suggest velcro. The fit of both SAHM and Sweet Peas is very similar to a sposie.

Ok, for nighttime and the cloth diapered baby, during the very newborn period, I'd use one of Elke's diapers and covers and once the baby is a couple months (and you're not changing them at night anymore) I'd move up to a Bear Bottom Soaker. I wouldn't use the soaker at night when you're changing diapers because it can be a little cumbersome getting it off when you're half asleep. If you're partial to wool, use an Aristocrat insead. Elke makes GREAT diapers and covers.

I don't use covers anymore, but if you are going to use them, get Biobottoms wool covers. You can get them direct from Biobottoms and (much cheaper) at Carrot Top resale. Cottombottoms are the cotton version of the wool cover - same great fit.

• I have a ton of nikky newborn and small covers. I have a bunch of those chunky monkey fleece doublers and am going to use those for the first few weeks, I also have some cheap prefolds.  I am going to order some small kissaluvs to use, just a few, since expense is a factor for me.

• I have a couple of size o kissaluvs that I just know I'll adore but the rest of the time in the newborn phase I'll be using flatfolds with pins and wool covers. When the flatfolds aren't enough as a single diaper anymore I switch to prefolds (and I would LOVE to try some of the hiphemp prefolds!!!) and pull on wool covers. I find that these give me the best fit over a very long period of time,my only extra expense is more covers as they grow and washing prefolds - at the laundrymat - is much more pleasant than fitted diapers or all in ones.

• Personally I think Kushies suck, they are not WAHM either. I really like chinese prefolds for newborns, I used them with bummies covers ( the velcro originals were my fav) which I liked, but of course the best covers EVER are Aristocrats. Personally I went with Bummies covers until she fit in Large Aristocrats. Once you go to aristocrats you have to buy fitted or the diaper will sag, I used poochies, Mother Ease, Baby moons, puddlers, and a few other WAHM diapers. The terry ones are the only way to go, they are ultra absorbant. I got most of mine by trading at Amity, it is cheaper and fun too!

• I prefer flats for prefolds for tiny babies. I think three wool covers (maybe two imse vimse and an aristocrat) are plenty. I didn't buy fitteds until she moved out of smalls (at three months) since they are so expensive and they can't be worn for very long. I recommend terry, sherpa or fleece diapers, avoid flannel. I do like knit diapers but I am finding they do not hold up very long.

• Although I like prefolds/flats for the newborn stage, I really like to have a few newborn fitteds too. The fit is so nice and trim and they really do help contain blowouts. nice for out and about. I like small fitteds that are pinnable, that way the front can be folded down and fit well for newborn, then flipped up to fit up to about 20lbs. Aplix or snaps could always be added later. wahm diapers are best but there are manufactured fitteds that are good, some are even inexpensive! They don't hold up as well over the long haul, but can be an economical way to start off. Especially if you are supplimenting prefolds/flats.

• After much consultation, I ended up buying 2 dozen ME diapers -- one dozen pops and one dozen sandies. But then after the fiasco with ME trying to sue those WAHMs, I stopped buying ME products. Also, now that my child is walking and is on the second to third set of snaps (depending whether we're talking Sandies or pops), the other snaps that are not closed rub against his skin and leave nasty red marks. So, all that to make three points: 1) I don't recommend ME diapers and 2) two dozen diapers has generally been enough (and I wash every 2-3 days). However, I also have some back-up flats and contours I got by auction that I have used on occasion, and 3) when choosing fitted diapers, make sure there are no parts of snaps, corners of velcro, etc. to rub against babies skin whether it is on the tightest or loosest fitting.

• After spending waaay too much money on quite a few different fitteds (mostly WAHMs), I have come to the conclusion that I'm only going to buy prefolds from now on. Most of my fitted dipes (except the Kissaluvs) have really fallen apart. I've been using them for a little over a year, full-time for about 9 months, and none have held up very well. I was really disappointed in the Jenny-Ohs especially, because I paid so much for them and had hoped that they would last thru two kids.. didn't even make it through one.  So, I'm sticking to prefolds, although I still like the 6 small kissaluvs and the 3 size 1 kissaluv fleece. They've held up well. I just don't think they were worth the money, in retrospect. The prefolds are much more absorbent.  Covers: I use Bummis Super Whisper Wrap or Fleece for day and Aristocrat for nite.

• I use Biobottoms bikini wool covers with either chinese NB prefolds, or birdseye NB plushie prefolds, or plushie contours. We have around 3 dozen dipes (in the NB size) and 4 covers.

HOW TO WASH:

• As for washing, I put all diapers (poop and pee) in the same container (a 5 gal empty laundry soap bucket) and throw it all in the washer. One cold wash and one warm wash later they are all clean. To completely sanitize, hang in the sun to dry.

• I would put wet in one pail, poopy in the other. It could of just been my washer but it seemed like when I put them all together, no matter how many times I cycled it, they just didn't get all the poop out. So, I seperated them

• My washing system is during te newborn period I use a single pail, when the poops get more sticky and less watery I use a pail for the wet and a pail for the dirty. I soak my dirty diapers in water with washing soda added and my pail is lined with a mesh laundry bag (from the dollar store) so I don't have to pour it off on laundry day. i just pull it up, they drain, and I throw that bag in on top of my wet diapers in their waterprood sack.  When I get to the laundry I wash the dirty diapers on cold with washing soda and soap, then throw in the wets and run the entire thing on hot with only vinegar added. Then I alternate between drying in the sun and using the machines to dry them.

  For my wool covers I hand wash them if they're dirty and just hang them between wettings - they never smell. I add a bit of liquid lanolin to the rinse water and swish em around whenever they seem to be losing their waterproofing.  I LOVE wool covers because they breathe so well but people either love them or hate them. If someone was going to help me with diapers I'd rather get basic prefold diapers and some great different covers to try out...or size o kissaluvs...my gawds are they cute!!!!