How do I know what size reusable cloth diaper my baby needs?
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Time to read 5 min
Kinder cloth diapers are designed to fit most babies from birth to toddlerhood. But what does that mean?
Choosing the right size cloth diaper for your baby is crucial for comfort, effectiveness, and preventing leaks. We has simplified this process with our innovative one-size pocket diapers, designed to fit most babies from birth to potty training.
Our modern pocket diapers feature more rise settings, ensuring that our diapers will fit your baby both sooner, and longer than the leading competitor. Let's explore how to determine the perfect fit for your little one using Kinder's versatile diapering system.
Need help fitting the diaper on your baby? Check out this blog post for our best cloth diaper fit tips and tricks.
Why So Many Snaps?
Our pocket diapers feature multiple rows of snaps on the front of the diaper. These snaps allow you to customize the fit of your cloth diaper in two primary ways:
Rise Adjustment: The vertical rows of snaps on the front of the cloth diaper adjust the overall length or "rise" of the diaper. The Kinder diaper features a 3 by 5 rise that allows for five different length adjustments — making our diaper both smaller and longer than the leading competitors reusable one size diaper.
Waist Adjustment: The horizontal row of snaps at the top of the cloth diaper adjusts the fit around your baby's waist. Adjusting the wings to wider settings will make the waist of the diaper larger — leading to a more customizable fit.
Sizing Guide for Different Stages
Let's break down how to use the snap system for different stages of your baby's growth:
Newborn Disposable (7-10 lbs), Rise 5
If your baby is wearing newborn a sized diaper, we recommend starting your cloth diaper on our lowest rise setting, rise 5. This rise setting will offer the smallest leg opening for the tiniest of newborn babies. To set your cloth diaper up in rise 5, snap the top row of male rise snaps into the very bottom row on female rise snaps.
- Utilize the lowest rows of rise snaps to create the shortest length.
- The diaper should sit just below the belly button.
- Ensure leg elastics are snug but not too tight.
- For very small newborns, you may need to use the crossover snaps for an even snugger fit.
- For newborns with attached umbilical cord stump, snap the middle rise snap into the top row of waist snaps to create a gap at the belly.
While Kinder's one-size diapers are designed to fit from birth, some parents find that very small newborns may need a specialized newborn diaper for the first few weeks. However, many families successfully use Kinder's one-size diapers from day one by utilizing all the rise snaps and potentially the crossover snaps for the smallest setting.
Size 1 Disposable (8-14 lbs), Rise 4 & 5
Once baby reaches approximately eight to ten pounds they may be ready to move up to our rise 4 setting on their cloth diaper. Every baby carries their weight a little differently, so your baby may be ready to move up into this setting as soon as eight or as late as fourteen or more pounds. These weight ranges are estimates and may not be true for every baby.
- Snap the rise into the second row of rise snaps, this creates a slightly longer diaper to accommodate your growing baby.
- Adjust waist snaps for a secure fit around the tummy.
Size 2 Disposable (12-18 lbs), Rise 4
At around 12 pounds, it's likely that baby will be ready to rock our 4th rise setting full time. The fourth rise of the cloth diaper is going to fit similarly to the smallest rise on most of our competitors one size cloth diapers that fit up to 30 pounds or more. To set the 4th rise setting, snap the first row of male rise snaps into the second lowest row of female rise snaps.
- The diaper should sit just below the belly button.
- Ensure leg elastics are snug but not too tight.
Size 3 Disposable (16-28lbs): Rise 3 and 2
Near 16 pounds, your baby may be fitting into our 3rd rise setting. As you may have noticed, there is a lot of overlap in sizing for disposables as baby grows — the same can be said for their cloth diaper. This is because every baby carries their weight a little bit differently. So a size 3 disposable may fit very differently on a chunky 16lb baby vs a skinny 18lb baby.
- Snap the rise into the second third of rise snaps, this creates a slightly longer diaper to accommodate your growing baby.
- Adjust waist snaps for a secure fit around the tummy.
Size 4 Disposable (22-37lbs): Rise 2
Around 22 pounds, your soon to be tot might be ready for our 2nd rise setting. Much like the range for rise 3, babies in these larger cloth diaper sizes tend to carry their weight in very different ways. For this reason, the weight ranges overlap quite a bit. Rise 2 works well for babies and toddlers in the 22-37 pound range.
- Snap the rise into the top row of rise snaps, this creates a slightly longer diaper to accommodate your growing baby.
- Adjust waist snaps for a secure fit around the tummy.
Size 5 Disposable (27+lbs): Rise 2 and Open Rise
Open rise is how we describe a cloth diaper that does not utilize any rise snaps. These diapers are fully extended to the largest length. Our diapers are designed to accommodate some babies until 60 pounds or more.
- Snap the rise into the top row of rise snaps, this creates a slightly longer diaper to accommodate your growing baby.
- Adjust waist snaps for a secure fit around the tummy.
Size 6 Disposable (35+lbs): Open Rise
Open rise is how we describe a cloth diaper that does not utilize any rise snaps. These cloth diapers are fully extended to the largest length. Our diapers are designed to accommodate some babies until 60 pounds or more.
- Adjust waist snaps for a secure fit around the tummy.
Signs of a Good Cloth Diaper Fit
Regardless of your baby's stage, here are some key indicators that your Kinder cloth diaper fits correctly:
- No gaps: The diaper should fit snugly around the legs and waist without any noticeable gaps.
- Comfortable waistline: The top of the diaper should sit just below the belly button.
- Finger test: You should be able to fit one or two fingers comfortably between the diaper and your baby's skin at the legs and waist.
- No red marks: While the diaper should be snug, it shouldn't leave deep red marks on your baby's skin. Light pink, sock like indentation marks are okay.
- No leaks: A properly fitted diaper should contain messes effectively.
Determining the right size for your baby's cloth diaper doesn't have to be complicated. With Kinder Cloth Diaper Co.'s one-size pocket cloth diapers, you have a versatile solution that grows with your child from infancy to toddlerhood.
By understanding how to use the snap system effectively and recognizing the signs of a good fit, you can ensure your baby stays comfortable and dry throughout their cloth diaper wearing years.
Remember, every baby is unique, and it may take some trial and error to find the perfect fit. Don't be afraid to make small adjustments and experiment with different snap configurations. With a little patience and practice, you'll become an expert at fitting your Kinder cloth diapers, providing your baby with comfort and leak protection from newborn to potty training.
