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Wednesday, March 25, 2009

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I LOVE prefolds

They are not the only diapers I use on my daughter, but they are an essential part of our stash. I know that some people don't like prefolds, but personally I think that everyone should have at least a dozen prefolds if only as backup.

The first prefolds I bought were the Gerber ones they sell at Walmart. I was not impressed, but I found ways to use them. They are very adequate as a stuffer in a FuzziBunz. They work as a good doubler inside a Kissaluv fitted. Two in a fleece cover worked well for overnight diapering. They are great for cleaning up spit up. There have been several times when all my preferred diapers have been dirty or in the wash and I've had to rely on the prefolds.

Over time I realized that they really aren't that difficult. They are definitely better than resorting to disposables. They wash easily and dry quickly. Over time using prefolds has grown on me. Recently I bought a dozen unbleached premium size Chinese prefolds. WOW, the difference between these and the Gerber prefolds is amazing. When I first bought them they were flat and stiff, but after a few washes they were soft and fluffy.


They are so thick that I don't think I could put two on her at one time. I recently discovered the How to Fold a Prefold Diaper section on Kelly's closet the diagram was very helpful, but I haven't quite gotten the hang of step 4. This is how I fold my diapers.

A friend demonstrated how to use a snappi, but I have found that I prefer the old fashioned pin method.

I bring the wing around from the back, place my hand between the front flap and my baby and then pin through the wing and the first layer of the flap, then repeat on the other side. With a little practice this is very quick & easy. I find that pins allow me to get a tight secure fit. Around the house, I don't always put a cover on, this allows my daughter to get lots of air to her bottom.

My favorite cover to use with prefolds is the Thirsties diaper cover.

They can be put on over a pinned diaper, but they fit so securely that you can just lay the prefold inside the cover, then fasten the velcro.

I really like that using prefolds gives me the option to use a variety of covers.

By incorporating prefolds into our stash, I was able to accumulate a large quantity of diapers at a fraction of the cost of pocket diapers. I've saved a lot of money and I never run out of diapers. I would highly recommend that anyone who is still using disposables part-time or washing diapers every night for the next day, buy at least a dozen prefolds.



- By Denise C.

45 comments:

MuchAfraid said...

Scary!! Real diaper pins!! I'm always so afraid I'm going to poke my son! I use the Snappi and it works so well and is much less scary!

Jess said...

I have snappis but found when I HAVE to use a prefold (im so not a prefold girl) I prefer to just lay it in the cover like you showed :) thanks for the post

Upstatemamma said...

We mostly use prefolds. Although right now weare having trouble because my daughter is out growing the infant ones but the next size up are so huge in comparison to her. Yours are folded down pretty far in the front so I guess I am going to try that in the morning. :)

Kristin said...

I agree with pretty much everything you said about prefolds! Well, I prefer the snappi, but whatever :) I have 32 diapers total and it seems like a lot... but it's because I have a dozen prefolds! I LOVE them and, if we're going to be home or are only going on a short outing, they are ALWAYS the diaper I reach for first. Plus, they're so soft :)

Stacy said...

Very cool post, I am soaking all this in as we will try the pre-folds when our son is born in a couple months. Is it necessary to have different size prefolds? or do they have a "one size fits most"?

Knit Wit said...

I love, love my chinese prefolds. They are the best. We have some Indian Cotton ones but the Chinese ones are my favorite by far. I am to scared to use pins so always a snappi with either a Bummis cover or a homemade knitted Wool Soaker.

Sara said...

Prefolds are my thing. Pins scare me. My husband was okay using them until DD starting rolling all over, but that is okay. He can just reach for another diaper in the stash (He likes SoftBums). I always resort back to my trusty old prefolds...they have NEVER EVER let me down.

lsnellings said...

I haven't tried prefolds with my older child other than as inserts. I plan on trying them with the new baby coming in just 37 days!!!

gibsonfam said...

I'm curious to know if Thirsties covers are better than others for not pinning or "snappi-ing" and just laying the prefold inside. I really want to like prefolds, but I haven't yet found the love since I don't like the snappi and I'm afraid of pins.

Montana Mama said...

I love reading about prefolds! I still am scared of pins, but maybe I'll have to get some just to have on hand. :)

angelina said...

great article. i used diaper pins, toweling nappies and woolen pilchers in tasmania on my first child --- they ( australians) are still well into cloth there ( like in denmark) and do not offer anything but cloth in the hospitals, how great!!!

Tara K. said...

Very well written!!

Suzy said...

I have gerber prefolds too. Thought I was the only one using them as actual cloth diapers. I use pins too.

Katrina said...

I started out a pocket girl and added a few prefolds and flats to my stash for the money savings too. (Also to lessen the wear on my pockets so that they last through potty training.) I too forgo the pins or snappy and just lay the diaper in a cover.

MaineMomma said...

I'm going to be trying prefolds for the first time with our DD#3 when she arrives (sometime in the next week or so!) and I am so excited I think it's kind of ridiculous! When I showed my husband that we could just lay the prefold right in the cover and not have to use a snappi or pins at all he agreed to give it a try- and thought he might even like it! He has a preference for our fuzzi bunz... which I just learned recently. I had assumed he preferred the BG bc of the velcro, but he actually has a hard time getting the velcro off the laundry tabs and would rather use the snap diapers.

hosiewosie said...

Glad to see you use prefolds on a bigger baby (can't tell how old she really is). Seems like lots of people convert as their babes grow. My LO is 7 months, but we plan to stick with prefolds. That is if the vinegar helps to soften them (thanks for the help in the last post comments).

JoMama said...

I love prefolds as well, but because I have a small baby, I use the gerber ones and we are very satisfied with them. The prefolds sold by diaper shops are so bulky, I detest them. However... the baby is finally weighing in at 14 lbs (she's 8 months, what a midget!) and we are going to have to switch to the bulk.

I have a few wahmies, bumgenius, and goodmamas but I always reach for a prefold first! They are so simple. Yeah for Thirsties covers. THanks for the post.

Minnie said...

Wow! All this prefold talk is really making me want to try it out. Which ones are the softest and most absorbant? Amanda G.

Meghan said...

Okay, even though I'm not really a prefold girl, all this talk of prefolds has me wondering if I should buy some to round out my stash. I still use disposables part time and I'm waiting to save up some money to buy more fitteds and pockets. Using prefolds would be better, but I guess I've been afraid that if I had enough diapers with the prefolds, my husband wouldn't see the point in buying anything else! I keep hoping that I'll just win some pocket diapers! ;)

Dani said...

A dozen prefolds are a must for cloth diapering! We use ours as diapers, as a changing pad on the floor, clean up rag for accidents (never fails, he still wets the floor during naked time), and back up burp cloth when out and about. The well made prefolds are cheap too - $2-3 each - they'll last through several children, worth every penny in my opinion.

EdenSky said...

I like doing the prefolds in the cover with no fastener too. I've found I still prefer the smallest infant prefolds even though my daughter is a toddler. They fit so nicely when tri-folded in a cover so you don't have to fold down the front.

Happy 2 Be Me said...

I would have never thought prefolds would be so easy...thanks for this post

AScott said...

Alot of prefolds love this week! My baby squirms and flops around so much at diaper changes I'd probably end up stabbing her with a pin! I see alot of people who use alot of prefolds, I wonder if I am in the minority in that I have never used them! I have all OS.

Kristen said...

After reading your post, I just bought some DSQ prefolds! Thanks for sharing your opinion and tips!

Liz said...

Denise, great post! I love the pics, esp the one showing how you lay the prefold in! I would literally fold mine in thirds (equally)and sometimes the cover would get soiled because the prefold wouldn't cover the whole cover. If that makes any sense!I agree with having a dozen prefolds, I just need to buy some in the next size!

Sara in Seattle said...

I totally second the idea that everyone should have at least a dozen prefolds in their stash.

maresi said...

I just put up a post the other day about how we use prefolds and covers! I, too, was really surprised at how much I don't mind using them.

Brittany said...

It is so good to see posts about how best to use a prefold!! I am planning to mostly use pockets/AIOs but am going to get a back up stash of prefolds....just in case!

Kelly said...

I also have to agree with Denise. I truely loved my prefolds when I used them. They were the only diapers I had for my first son. My second son became a little squirmy on the changing table that I finally converted to pockets. I still have 3 dozen infant and 2 dozen premiums and I am sure I will go ban to using them with #3 when he/she arrives in 8 weeks

Katie said...

Impressed that you use real pins... I need to get back into the swing of using prefolds to give the rest of my stash (and my wallet!!) a break.

Thanks for the post!

Lindsay Anne said...

I LOVE prefolds too! I don't mind folding them and putting them in the cover at all. I don't use a snappi or pins, I just fold them and place in the cover.

Kristin said...

I appreciate the picture of how you fold your prefolds...I am still figuring them out. Covers seem to make a real difference - my Thirsties covers never leak while the others I have do.

{ Mom of 3 Dolls } said...

I haven't really thought about prefolds. The post gave great insights that I might have to start looking at prefolds. Thanks for the info! I'm not even sure how to use Snappi.

Serena Michelle said...

Denise: Great post - I just love the color of the Thirsties covers - they work really well too!

I *LOVE* using diaper pins! Initially, as with the prefolds, I was hesitant about using pins... but I preferred the more tailored look of the prefold with pins (also ensured I got a good snug fit)!


Stacy: No, it's not necessary to buy "sized" prefolds. Typically the infant and premium sized prefolds work for everyone - it's just that the premium prefolds will add a little bulk until baby grows into them. However, that additional fabric can easily be folded in and adds to the absorbency - so it's a hand off. There are places who specialize in sized prefolds... I had originally purchased the bulk of my prefolds second hand and they were the sized variety. While they work great at providing a nice trim fit and look - my little guy grew out of the first couple sizes very quickly.

Amanda: The "softer" prefolds are typically considered the Indian cotton prefolds. However, the trade-off is they don't generally hold up as long and as nicely as the Chinese cotton prefolds (complaints that are common with Indian cotton prefolds are the serging coming undone over time as well as the twill cotton thinning out) - I noticed this with my secondhand/used Indian cotton infant prefolds -they were just really worn out! Whereas I have some used Chinese prefolds and those held up beautifully.

The difference isn't too noticeable.

We have some Swaddlebees prefolds on the site that are great and very comparable to other prefold prices:
http://www.kellyscloset.com/Swaddlebees-Unbleached-Prefold-Diapers-6-pack_p_3573.html

And Bummis makes lovely prefolds too: http://www.kellyscloset.com/Bummis-Organic-Cotton-Unbleached-Pre-fold-Diapers-6-pack_p_3563.html
(although these are currently out of stock - you can sign up for the wait list)

-Serena

K said...

I LOVE PREFOLDS TOO!!! :) I sometimes fold them and use a snappi. Other times I just trifold them (fold them in thirds) and stick them in a Thirsties cover (no pins or snappis needed). I like the Thirsties covers with my prefolds because I've found the gussets to be a lifesaver! For us, the gussets on the Thirsties help keep everything in when the prefold isn't held tight by a snappi. DH likes BGs, but I like prefolds best of all! :)

Jenn said...

great pinning job :) i am so afraid of pins too .. i love snappis tho !

SarahMcD said...

When I first got into cloth diapering I was really hesitant about fitteds or prefolds, so I went with all pocket diapers. Now that I know more about the other options, I'm really kicking myself that I didn't get some prefolds and covers and some fitteds and a wool cover for night time. It would have saved a lot of money, and I think I would have liked the versatility. Some of my pocket diapers are not holding up, and it's such a waste!

Shanaka @ Mama Bee Does said...

Great post! I am waiting on 6 dyed PFs to get here. Now I just need a snappi and a Thristies cover or 2 and the $ to buy it all with LOL.

A Psych Mommy said...

Thirsties diaper covers are my fave too! I haven't tried diaper pins yet though since i love my snappi!

WiseMama said...

You saved me w/this post!! I had just run out of dipes & went back to PF's for the day after seeing this. I can't seem to get a Snappi on my very wiggly 3 MO w/out fearing I would snag her skin... and I am certainly not going to try pins!! LOL

So after reading this, I laid a PF in a cover the way shown here & would ya know, it worked?!?!? I have been trying to figure it out since CDing #2, but never got the trifolding to work well.. poop always gooshed all over the cover & in every nook & cranny of the PF.

My DD only peed, so I can't tell if I am able to do your variation well enough to keep breastmilk poop in, but it did great for pee!!

Thank you for this post!!

Michelle - Blessed Mom of 5 said...

I am just starting with cloth and thought that I would NEVER use the prefolds, but after reading this they don't seem so hard. Now I am thinking that I should get some to have on hand.

Sally Michelle said...

I love them too! I use diaper pins and haven't poked anyone yet.

Desiree said...

I keep learning more and more on your blog!
Thank you so much!

The Chapman's said...

This was super helpful! I have bought a couple of prefold to try ad haven't yet. I think I will try now!

prefold diaper lover said...

hi there, can you give me some idea on how to remove the smell that still on it even though have been rinse under the hot sun..