Birth To Potty Pack, Newborn to Toddler

Customer Reviews

The best covers, so the best system! Review by Colleen (brand new mom of 6 week old son)

I've had the Birth to Potty pack for a couple weeks now and I highly recommend it.

Before I bought the pack I tried out a couple different prefolds and the Real Nappies system was far and beyond the best. Their diapers are slightly bigger than the average diapers, so I can fold them better for more absorbency (and my little guy needs that).

Even more importantly, their covers are the best! Many of the other covers out there are made from material that will leak over time (I tried some that my friend had used on her son), but the Real Nappies do not. The Real Nappies covers also offer more flexibility to size the diaper cover correctly to fit your baby best and to cover up the diaper itself.

I love that I don't have to count dollars every time my son soils a diaper; he's gone through three diapers on the changing table (probably because we didn't wait long enough for him to be ready for the changing), but I don't get frustrated because we're not using expensive disposables. Plus, when we used disposables in the early days after his birth, they leaked at least once a day. The Real Nappies have rarely leaked and then only when he made it very, very wet (could be avoided with some booster pads - the only thing I think I'll need that's not included in the box).

I recommend getting the top-up pack or some extra covers for your newborn if you're breastfeeding. We go through eight covers in two days. (I wash the covers if he gets them dirty, super wet, or by the 3rd/4th change.) I also recommend cutting the diaper liners in half (across the width of the liner) because you don't need the full liner for a newborn.

(Posted on 7/26/10)

I love these diapers! Review by E. Ngo

I knew that I wanted to try to use cloth diapers with my baby. I was doing all my cloth diapering research when my water broke 5 weeks early! So right before heading to the hospital I ordered the birth to potty pack because this system had the best reviews. The diapers arrived soon after we came home from the hospital. Since I was in a rush to use them, I only did two hot water cycles before putting them into circulation. Even with just two hot washes, the diapers were absorbent and had quilted up nicely. I hated the idea of wasting so much hot water for just 1 stage of diaper inserts, so I washed the Newborn and Infant stages together. Good thing too, because my full-sized preemie outgrew the newborn size in about a month. I went to pack away the newborn diapers, when I realized I can use the smaller diapers as a "catch pad"/bib for breastfeeding. I'm currently on the Infant size and I'm using the Crawlers and Toddler sizes as tummy-time drool mats, drool mats for naptime, lap pads, and as changing pad liners. The use as changing pad liner was an epiphany after reading so many bad reviews for changing pad systems that required special liners that ultimately end up rolling and bunching in the wash. I received some name-brand washable lap pads as a gift, and they were really small and only lasted two washes before falling apart because they're just two pieces of felt glued together; what a waste! These Real Nappies have turned into so much more than just diapers, and this set really is everything you need to diaper your baby!

Every 2 days I use Charlie's Soap and the tiniest amount of the Nappy Fresh to wash soiled diapers on a cold water+extra rinse cycle, and then I add all of baby's clothes and other laundry for a second warm water+extra rinse cycle. Haven't had any staining or odor issues yet. I only wash the diaper covers if they get pooped on, and air dry the other covers by building and rotating thru all 6 covers in a day.

My baby hates wet diapers, and will cry the instant his is wet. When you feel the diaper, there's never any question if it's wet, versus with disposables we're always poking the diaper over and over again to figure out if that's the reason baby's crying. People have told me the cloth diapers will make potty training easier because baby will know when the diaper is wet, versus with super absorbent diapers, babies tend to sit around in them for longer periods of time. When my baby was sick and having diarrhea, we went 48 hours in disposables, and in that short amount of time he got diaper rash. When we switched back to the nappies, the rash went away. We've never had to use diaper cream (why add more chemicals to your baby's life?).

These cloth diapers have far better workmanship than other prefolds out there. I wanted a few extra inserts so I bought some prefolds and covers from other companies for comparison. I found that the Real Nappies are a little narrower in the crotch so baby's legs can be closer together (how is baby supposed to crawl with a huge diaper in the way?) so I joke that they are European cut. The sewing is tidier and doesn't unravel. For the diaper covers, I love that the fabric is soft and there's no exposed PUL (other companies have an exposed polyurethane liner, almost like pizza parlor tablecloth, and it tends to get sweatier). We've had some close calls, but have not yet had any blow outs (#1 nor #2) even though there are no gussets. The edges of the velcro can be sharp, but aren't nearly as sharp as other wraps I've tried. Keeping the diaper insert pulled all the way to the top edge will help keep the diaper cover from rolling inward and cutting into baby's belly.

The one thing I didn't figure out until later: Since you're doing cloth diapers, why not do cloth wipes too! They can fit into a diaper warmer or tupperware. Just add water and a few drops of natural wipes solution!

I'm a first time mom and I'm no crunchy-granola-hippie, I'm really more of a consumer. But I wanted to provide my baby with the healthiest options I could afford. I never planned to "go green" but after trying these diapers, I can see how easy it is to make my household healthier by reducing the amount of chemicals and trying to choose greener products. While the initial investment is upfront, in the long run, I will spend less on diapering my baby.

I love these diapers.

(Posted on 6/22/10)

great Review by Crown of Jewels

I'll share what I was looking for, so you can better get what you need out of this review. Having used other cloth diapers with all sorts of bells and whistles, I was looking for plain, simple and straight forward. No finnicky wicking material, no special washing instructions, no need to strip, or handle carefully. I wanted the old fashioned, very economically priced, get the job done sort of a diaper. When I read that they were used at maternity wards in New Zealand, I figured I'd probably found what I was looking for, and I have.

I was initially concerned at the lack of leg gussets, but have been pleased and relieved to find that they function perfectly without them. I think perhaps with some of the thinner inserts out there, the leg gussets become more necessary. But, as these are meant to fit firmly against baby, that doesn't pose a problem with these and I have not had leaking issues apart from my occasional lapses by leaving the diaper on too long between changes. You do have to make sure you've got the diaper snugly fastened. I pull up and out towards baby's side with the front of the diaper as I cross the tab over to fasten which nicely snugs down the legs and waist at the same time.

I have had the whole gamut of issues with previous diapers that I have tried, and these are far superior in function, at a fraction of the cost. Add to that a two child use guarantee out of your diapers and you really can't go wrong.

We've used the first two sizes so far. I did find that they were easier to use and fit better as my baby got a little bigger - the second size was easier, but the first size worked too. The liquid poo fold works like a charm.

As pps stated, you need to make sure the insert is fully stuffed into the leg gussets and isn't sticking out anywhere around the legs or waist.

I also noted that the velcro tabs were stiff and kind of sharp. I have solved this problem by making sure the insert is completely forward in the cover, so it doesn't fold over and tuck in at the waist, thereby preventing the tabs from coming into contact with skin. I line the insert up with the very edge of the front of the diaper and then stretch the back out so that when the diaper is put on, the insert stays close to the front and not the back.

They seem pretty sturdy and have held up well. The writing on the labels has come off, but the cover itself seems virtually unchanged by multiple washings.

We have a essential pack and a top up pack for this size, yielding 5 covers and loads of inserts. I never make it through all the inserts but I do occassionally run out of covers and have to use a disposable while I do the wash. I think if I were more on top of my laundry, that wouldn't pose a problem, but I think to essential packs instead, with 6 covers is how I'll go for the next size.

It really seems like you can't beat the price. If you're doing cloth diapers to be economical and functional, then this is a good match. If you want the latest bells and whistles, flashy colors, and don't mind spending a pretty penny for what could turn out to be a flop, then this wouldn't be your best match. I kind of wanted a sure thing without much that can go wrong, and not much of a financial investment in my experiment. It worked out great!

(Posted on 6/21/10)

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