Should You Take Your Cloth Diapers To The Hospital When Baby Is Born?

For many new parents wanting to cloth diaper a newborn, the question of whether or not to take cloth diapers to the hospital or birth centre might come up.

It's a wonderful notion to have a cloth diaper be the first soft diaper on the bum of your fresh newborn, but remember to be flexible. Lots will be happening during labour, birth and immediate postpartum. Keep in mind that some hospitals might not allow you to bring your own diapers while in the hospital, so check with your OBGYN or Midwife about hospital policies so you aren't disappointed.

If your hospital does allow cloth diapers, then there are a few other factors that should be considered before packing them in your hospital bag.

First, know that there are no washing facilities so make sure to bring a wet bag for storage and enough diapers for the length of time you will likely be there. 24 hours might be a standard stay for a normal delivery (during which time baby might use about 10 diapers), but a 2-3 day stay might be more realistic if you have a c-section or other complications.

You should also consider what type of diapers will work best for your baby when they are very small and you are recovering from birth. Choosing something easy to use that fits a very small newborn will be important. Newborn prefolds with a Snappi and a waterproof cover are a great choice. Or opt for a newborn/preemie size AIO for ease of use that you know for sure will fit a tiny newborn. The Lil Joey Newborn AIO for example works really well in this instance because they fit as small as 4lbs.

Also remember that if baby needs some extra care after birth, the NICU may have different diaper policies than the main maternity ward. For me, for example, our baby ended up in the NICU shortly after birth and in the NICU they had to use disposables. This is because nurses in the NICU weight baby's wet diapers to keep track of how much they pee and standardized preemie disposable diapers make this possible.

So if you're on the fence, or you want to have less to worry about packing, you could alway wait until you're discharged from the hospital and then put on baby's special 'going home' outfit along with their very first cloth diaper to mark the occasion. This way you still get that newborn fluff on the bum, but you don't have to pack too many.

It's also okay to skip the cloth until you get home or until you're feeling up to it. Birth and postpartum are no joke, recovery and rest are important and it's alright to use disposables until you've adjusted to having a newborn before you start cloth diapering too. Do what works for you and your family, there's no judgement here.

In the end it's really up to personal preference whether or not you choose to pack cloth diapers in your hospital bag when it's time for baby to arrive. And whatever decision you make, it will be the right one for you. I hope these tips have made you feel more confident in making your decision. If you need additional support about caring for your newborn in cloth diapers feel free to contact us.

Wondering which newborn cloth diapers are most popular? Browse here.