A to Z Challenge: F is for Fitteds

I never knew the love I would have for fitteds. In preparing a newborn stash for W, I was all gung-ho about prefolds as they sounded like the most economical option. But I picked up some fitteds as I found good sales and read about what other mothers had for their newborn stash. I cannot even begin to tell you how often I saw other mothers mention Kissaluvs Size 0 (KL0) as part of their newborn stash. This alone made me want to have a few! I was lucky to pick up some gently used KL0s from Jillian’s Drawers. (I highly recommend checking out Jillian's Drawers if you're looking for some gently used diapers!) I was also able to get some Thirsties Fab Fitteds as they were put on clearance last year. It is a good thing I got these fitteds because they became our go-to diapers throughout the newborn stage.

We ended up with a total of 7 KL0s (We started with 3 and I ordered 4 more gently used after W was born) and 3 Fab Fitteds size XS. We primarily used Thirsties Duo Wraps in size 1 to cover our fitteds. This was more than enough for our stash as we also had a number of pockets and AIOs that worked for the newborn stage. As I mentioned before, my 2 dozen prefolds never got used as they proved to be too much of a mystery to me during those crazy first two weeks of having my first child!

Moving on from that and getting back to my love of fitteds... I was concerned about the fitteds as they required a cover and I wasn’t sure how J would handle having some diapers that needed covers and some that did not. I was worried W would get put in a fitted without a cover and then everything would be wet. I got over that quickly though as I saw how eager J was to learn which diapers were which and what each one needed. I also got over it when I realized that W would survive if he was in wet clothes. If babies couldn’t survive that then we would have a much smaller population!

We used our KL0s and Fab Fitted XS from the very beginning with W. He did come from the birthing center in a disposable, but we used a combination of cloth and disposables through the first few days and then we were on to full-time cloth. We didn’t have any issues with meconium which was one of my concerns. It washed off just as easily as anything else and didn’t leave any stains behind. Both types of fitteds fit him well from the beginning as well. But we began using the KL0s a few days before the Fab Fitteds because of the snap down for the umbilical cord. Unfortunately I do not have any photos of him just wearing the fitteds.

Kissaluvs Size 0 with umblical cord snap down

Thirsties Fab Fitted

According to the Kissaluvs website, the KL0s fit from 5 - 15 lbs. W was born at 7 pounds, 13 ounces so he fell perfectly into that range! Some of the features mentioned by Kissaluvs that I found particulary beneficial in our case were:

* Stretchy elastic and fabrics for a snug fit without binding
* Elastic at leg and back openings to contain messes and floods
* Unique fit with low-rise front and full coverage in back
* The tag goes outside, in the back to avoid irritating delicate skin.

We never had a leak with our KL0s when paired with a Thirsties Dup Wrap size 1. W’s cord was not irritated in any way and once his cord fell off we simply unsnapped the middle snap and the KL0s continued to fit him. Snaps were difficult to master at first but we got them working on the KL0s. Plus, snaps mean no diaper train to worry about in the laundry!

Despite the lack of a diaper train, I already knew that we preferred the aplix that we had on the covers. It was so much easier to get a good fit on our skinny little guy (yes, he was once a skinny mini!).

I also need to mention that while I appreciate that the tag goes on the outside so it doesn’t irritate the baby, it can make for some confusion when you are sleep deprived! Yes, I tried to put the diaper on inside-out a few times! Another drawback is the lack of exciting colors or prints in the KL0s but considering they go under a cover, this isn’t too much of a negative!

After W’s umblical cord fell off, we also started using our Fab Fitteds in XS and the deal was sealed. We are definitely an aplix family at this point! Until W can start taking off his diapers, I think we will continue to lean towards our hook and loop. It was easier to get a good fit back when he was a newborn and it’s even easier now that he’s a chunky 4 month old!

I tracked down the sizing information for the old Fab Fitteds. The weight range for XS is 6-12 pounds and for S it is 12-18 pounds. Once again, based on his weight, W fit right into the weight range for the x-smalls.

As with the KL0s we never had a leak or blowout with our Fab Fitteds until W was too big for them. We had one leak with a Fab Fitted and that’s when I realized it was time to move up to the smalls. By that time though he was also able to fit into our one-size pockets so we didn’t have such a need for the fitteds any longer.

Besides the obvious lack of leaks and the aplix, another thing I loved about our Fab Fitteds were the great, bright colors.. I love all of the colors and am glad the new Duo Fab Fitteds are being made in the bright colors as well. I only purchased boyish or gender neutral colors because I didn’t know I was having a boy yet when I bought them but I love the bright pink and purple too! The Fab Fitteds worked well with the Thirsties Duo Wraps (as one would expect since they are made by the same company) and it was a successful combination for us. The laundry tabs also worked well and we rarely had a laundry diaper chain once we remember to start using the laundry tabs!

Overall, our experience with our fitteds throughout the newborn stage was a positive one. W has been sleeping through the night since he was 6 weeks old and he was still wearing his KL0s and Fab Fitteds at that point. We never had troubles with leaks until he was about 8 weeks old. Then the only leaks with our fitteds and covers were when we used them overnight.

At about 3 months and 1 week, W could still fit into the size small Fab Fitteds and use a Duo Wrap size 1 on the largest setting although it was a tight fit. A Duo Wrap size 2 was a bit big but also worked. The following are some photos of him wearing a size small at 3 months and 1 week.

I did not have the opportunity to try a Fab Fitted Duo with W as a newborn nor did I try any of the old Fab Fitteds in any size larger than the small so I can’t speak as to how they might work. I also have not tried any Kissaluv fitteds beyond the size 0.

I am looking forward to an opportunity I have received to try a Thirsties Duo Fab Fitted in size 2 and a size 2 Duo Wrap with W! We currently have one Duo Wrap size 2 (in blackbird!) that I purchased after he grew out of the biggest setting on his size 1s. We have been using it over a disposable at night for some extra protection in case of a leak. I’m hoping the new Duo Fab Fitted might work as a night time solution since it has a pocket that can be stuffed for additional absorbancy! Stay tuned for that review and also a giveaway featuring a chance to win your own Thirsties Duo Fab Fitted and Duo Wrap Cover!

Disclosure: I was not compensated in any way for this review and all opinions are my own. FormulaMom’s full disclosure can be found here.