How many covers for a newborn?

I'm sure this has been asked a number of times but how many covers do you really need for a newborn to go over a prefold which is snappied? I understand you don't need a new cover at every nappy change unless it's dirty or wet around the edges so having said that how many covers would you go through in a day and are newborn wees and poops that big that they would be exploding and or soaking through the prefold? I currently have 3 newborn size covers, 2 x BBH & 1 x bummis. I don't want to be washing every day and TBH I have enough prefolds to last about 4 days (yes instead of a cleaning nesting frenzy, I've gone crazy and bought loads more prefolds) :D and now I've moved onto covers hehehehhe but I'm also not sure how long a NB cover will really fit bubs for so if I can get away with less covers that would be great and then if I stick with cloth I can buy more small covers rather than buying more NB size now when they might not be needed, hence all these questions. OK I'm turning this into a crazy rant by a woman who is about to have a baby, at least you BB girls will understand... not sure dh does, he thinks we are totally prepared ;)

I had quite a big baby - 4.36kg. I only one one prefold & cover (bambino mio brand) for him. I stopped using it at about 3 months even though it still fit him when we mainly used BBH Magicalls in Medium. I stopped using it before he outgrew it as he started weeing a lot more and it didn't last as long as his other nappies.

I'm not sure how many covers you would need. I would like to know too as I intend to use prefolds & covers for this bub. I think I have read 4 somewhere. Hopefully one of the other ladies will be able to answer for us.

I reccon 6 - 8 :) It also depends on how often you want to wash too. I am an every 2nd day washer so that many covers suited my habits because at any one time there would be a couple in the bucket and a couple drying as well as the ones either on bub or ready to put on. There is nothing worse than stressing over not having enough stuff dry or resorting to using the dryer all the time.

You can get away with rotating them if they are just wet and don't get poos on them because they will dry out but you need some backups JIC you have poosplosions.

Thanks girls,

Raven do you think a fleece/wool/minky cover is really necessary for a newborn for over night use? again I tend to think that the wees would be so small and you'd be changing them so often being up for feeds etc that you wouldn't really need that extra protection or the breathability (if that is even a word) kwim. I'm thinking of every 2nd day to wash also, sometime I may even wash every day just to keep on top of it if I don't have any other house work to do but how long do you think you can really go without washing, would every 3 days just be toooo stinky?? we have got 2 plastic containers with do up lids, one will be for dirty and the other wet. Also do you put your prefolds into a dry container or one with water to soak? I am not sure on this, I was thinking the dirty ones could go into water but the wet ones just in the dry container?

Also how long did your NB size covers fit for? and did you still use 6-8 covers when you moved up to the small size covers ohhhh and one more question what brands do you have and like the best? THANKS :)

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Also how long did your NB size covers fit for? and did you still use 6-8 covers when you moved up to the small size covers ohhhh and one more question what brands do you have and like the best? THANKS

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Depends on the brand and how big your bub is. I had bambino mio NB PUL covers that were still fitting at 3 months using a NB fitted nappy. Motherease rikki NB PUL covers still fit my bub at 4 months. I didn't have BBH NB covers, but the small NB covers really only starting to fit now. Maz-a-licious NB covers still fit at 4 months.

Are you going to use prefolds or flats later on, or move on to MCNS? If you are going to try MCNs, don't buy too many covers in the next size up because you might find you like all-in-ones or pockets or another type where you don't need a cover.

6-8 covers is a good start. Some bubs poop often and others poop less. Some splatter and others don't. If you have a poop often, splatter baby you might want more covers. If i am out, it is also easier to take nappy and cover off together so i want a new cover for each nappy change. But 6-8 will get you started til you work out what you like.

I have 2 fleece/minky covers you can have - one only lasted a couple of weeks befrore he grew out of them, the other (Maz) probably 4 mths. Let me know if you want & I'll post or we can meet up one day.

I dry pail both dirty & wet - the dirty bucket is next to the loo, so I little squirt the nappy & drop in the bucket (its a washing powder bucket with a flip-up lid.) I wash approx every day and a half eg wash Mon morning, Tues arvo, Thurs morning, but I may be a bit odd.

thanks Kate, I'm going to use newborn size prefolds done up with a snappi and then pop the cover over that. The newborn bummis one I have seems to be a 'little' bit smaller than the newborn BBH one but I think the BBH's cover is really meant to go over a full nappy for a prefold.

None the less it looks like I should get at least 3 more covers. I might hold off on the small size covers as I do have over a dozen pocket nappies which I am thinking I will start using when bubs grows out of the NB size covers with the prefolds.

Thanks again everyone