We've had a few questions of late about using the bumGenius Pocket Diapers for newborns and here's what we've been saying. There are pros and there are cons. Let's start with the Pros:
  • This diaper comes bundled with a newborn insert (the absorbent part of the diaper) that is small and trim so it doesn't overwhelm your baby, make his or her bum too huge.
  • This diaper also comes with a one size insert that will grow with your baby.  Usually parents switch out the mini newborn insert for the one size insert at about 10lbs and this will take them right throught.  There may be a point where you'll need a boost of absorbency (toddler naps & nights) at which point you can pull out that mini insert and use it as a booster.
  • It will grow with your baby and you won't need to purchase another size of diapers.  You won't have any "diaper clutter".
  • If you have two in diapers (a newborn and toddler), you can use the same set of diapers for them both.
  • No learning curve for the other diaper-ers in your life, as they only have to learn one style of diaper (and then they get to perfect it by practicing 7000 times!)
Now, let's take a look at the Cons:
  • As with any One-Size Diaper, it needs to have extra material to accomodate for it's growth up to fitting a toddler.  This can make it seem overwhelming to figure out how to put it on a teeny little newborn.
  • They do have a little more "poofiness" to them because of this extra material.  If the inner material is not well approximated to the baby's skin, this can be a cause for leaking (but this can be remedied - see the video for a tip).
  • While we typically recommend a set of 24 diapers, we recommed 30 if you are going with a One-Size to decrease the wear and tear over 2-3 years.  This will be a higher up front cost, but over the course of your diapering days, you'll still be ahead for only having purchased one set of diapers.
Have a look at the Learning Series Video Tips for using a bumGenius Pocket Cloth Diaper with Newborn to learn two specific hacks to make this diaper fit well and decrease the incidence of leaking during the newborn phase.  The video was created before the 4.0's were released but the concepts are transferable and work well on both the 3.0s and 4.0s. Are you a bumGenius fan? Previous: Eucalan No Rinse Wool Wash