Prefolds and Cloth Diapering

So I admit. When I was first looking at doing cloth diapers, I was terrified of the traditional prefolds with covers. You know..the ones where you wrapped the cloth around the baby, pinned, and put on rubber pants?

And so I went with pocket diapers. We had a good relationship even though it took a while for me to figure out how to correctly stuff and snap on the diaper without leaks - as well as figuring out a good wash routine. I started using cloth diapers on Rilynn when she was just over a year old. Once I figured it out, I wished I would have started sooner!

I knew I wanted to use cloth diapers when Kaylee was born but I held off until she was about 2 1/2 months old. But when I tried to put her in my pocket diapers, I realized they weren't fitting her well. Perhaps part of it was because of the snaps (velcro gives a better fit - simliar to a disposable but it also wears faster). Perhaps it was the brand. But I found I no longer liked my pocket diapers.

After doing research, I decided to try prefolds. *GASP!* Yes, I know. But turns out, they're actually not as scary as I originally thought. And they're A LOT cheaper!!

Here's what I'm doing now:

There are different sizes of prefolds -therefore giving a better fit depending on the size and age of your baby. I use "small" prefolds and simply fold over into thirds, place in a Thirsties Duo cover, and you're good to go!

At this point, you would just put the diaper on like you would a disposable. They do have the covers with snaps but like I said before, I feel velcro gives the best fit because you don't have to rely on where the snaps are located to fasten the diaper.

This is great for smaller babies that aren't moving around much or crawling. Once they get a little mobile, the prefold may move around too much inside the cover so then it's good to do some types of folds and fasten with a Snappi (no more safety pins!).

Currently, I am practicing the angel wing fold. It does take some practice but I haven't had any leaks even while learning.

Now I feel like prefolds and covers are actually easier than my pocket diapers!
With Cotton Babies' Econobum system, you can buy enough covers and prefolds to use from newborn to potty training for just under $100! Their covers have snaps which aren't my preference, but one of my friends let me borrow one of the covers and I found there were more snaps so I was able to get a good fit on Kaylee.

So then what else would you need if you used the prefold system? If you're really trying to save on cost, the only other thing you'd need is some type of wetbag. You could get a 13 gallon trashcan with a lid and line it with a pail liner like this one. Also, to save on the cost of wipes, just buy some baby washcloths and either run under warm water before changing or you can make your own solution with some baby soap and water, pour over a stack in an empty wipes case, and they're already ready to go. This way, everything goes in the pail liner instead of having to separate disposable wipes from your cloth diaper laundry.

Everybody always seems to ask - with disgusted looks on their faces - "But what do you do with the, ya know, poop?" :) The great part about cloth diapering a newborn who is breastfed is that there is no rinsing needed. It's water soluable so everything comes out fine in the rinse cycle. Once the child is on solids, you can dunk the old fashioned way or use a diaper sprayer (I have the Mini-Shower Spray Wand and love it). For me, a diaper sprayer was well worth the investment. If you have a bathroom set up where the toilet is near the tub, you can just get an extra long, detachable shower head.

Of course, any of these expenses could be a baby shower gift - so keep that in mind. And also remember, cloth diapering is a business and like anything - especially having to do with babies - you can get a little carried away. There are luxuries and there are necessities.

I absolutely LOVE cloth diapering and I honestly haven't met anyone who does it who doesn't love it; which is what made me curious enough to try it. It's really not scary and icky and difficult. There might be a learning curve, but I think it's well worth it! So c'mon, just give it a try!!