Cloth Nappies From Birth: What You Need to Know

Starting cloth from the very beginning, rather than easing in a few months down the track, is completely possible. It just helps to know what's different about the newborn stage before you dive in.

Do you need a special newborn nappy?

Not necessarily. Our nappies are an All-In-Two style with three rise settings, designed to fit most babies from newborn right through to toilet training on the same nappy. In the early weeks, it usually works best to use only the snap-in insert, adding the anchor insert once your baby grows and output increases. One nappy, adjusting with your baby, rather than buying and rebuying as they grow.

When a dedicated newborn nappy makes more sense

Some babies, particularly those born premature, are simply too small for the newborn setting on a one-size-fits-most nappy. That's where our Little range comes in, designed to fit babies from 1.5 to 5kg. They're trimmer through the newborn stage and include a front snap to leave room for the umbilical cord, which makes those very first weeks more comfortable.

If your baby arrives right on the smaller end of typical newborn size, it's worth having a couple of Little nappies on hand even if you're planning to move into one-size-fits-most shortly after.

The first few days

Meconium, your baby's first stools, is sticky and can be trickier to manage than what comes after. Some people reach for a disposable liner to make this easier, but we don't recommend it. It's another disposable item added into a routine you're trying to move away from, it isn't necessary for your wash routine to handle it, and it can hold moisture against your baby's skin, which isn't what you want in those first delicate weeks. After scraping the solids into the toilet, the pre-wash and main wash handles meconium just fine on its own.

Do you have to decide before your baby arrives?

Not at all. Some families go all in on cloth from day one. Others start with disposables through the newborn haze and switch once things settle, up to 6 to 8 weeks. Both are completely valid starting points, and your existing OSFM nappies will still be waiting whenever you're ready to begin.

Finding the right starting point for your family

Whether you're due any day now or your baby has already arrived, our Nappy Quiz takes a couple of minutes and matches you with the right nappy size and starting stash for exactly where you're at.

Curious about the newborn fit specifically before you commit? Our Little range is worth a look, or start with a Trial Pack to try before building a full stash.