# Prefolds for older baby/toddler?



## Birdie B. (Jan 14, 2008)

I am pregnant with my 2nd, and considering using prefolds with this baby. With my daughter I had an expensive stash of pocket diapers, which have been really disappointing, from the synthetic fabrics to the delaminated covers. I have had so many problems with pockets that I gave up! I am attracted to the idea of a simpler diaper, in a natural fabric. But I have a hard time visualizing using prefolds on a mobile baby. If you can share your experience with me, tell me about which folds work best once the baby is crawling/walking/climbing. Do they make different sizes of prefolds? Are they easy to use? Are the wool covers hot (I live in Florida, so it's hot almost year round)? I appreciate your input!


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## emilysmama (Jun 22, 2005)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Birdie B.*
> 
> I am pregnant with my 2nd, and considering using prefolds with this baby. With my daughter I had an expensive stash of pocket diapers, which have been really disappointing, from the synthetic fabrics to the delaminated covers. I have had so many problems with pockets that I gave up! I am attracted to the idea of a simpler diaper, in a natural fabric. But I have a hard time visualizing using prefolds on a mobile baby. If you can share your experience with me, tell me about which folds work best once the baby is crawling/walking/climbing. Do they make different sizes of prefolds? Are they easy to use? Are the wool covers hot (I live in Florida, so it's hot almost year round)? I appreciate your input!


I used prefolds with my dd right from the start as a newborn, all the way until (three or four years old?) she graduated to cloth trainers for potty training. All throughout that time, we did only one fold, the angel fold. That was it. I remember printing out all of those different fancy folds from the internet and vowing that I'd learn them all, because they seem to serve different purposes, but there was never a need for me to do so, and I never did learn any other fold.

The fold is called the standard fold in this link.

Secured with a Snappi, the prefold with this type of fold, and maybe a cover, are all you really need. Can't get any cheaper than that.

Yes, they make all kinds of sizes of prefolds.

I never bothered with the premie size.

I bought the infant size.

When my dd got to be bigger (about 15 pounds or so),

I bought the premium size, which is the same size as the regular, but more absorbancy.

When my daughter got to be bigger (toddler size, i think)

I bought the toddler size. At that point, I used the outgrown infant size diapers as a liner for dd for extra absorbancy.

I have also been known to "double diaper" the baby for extra abosorbancy, too.

I live in Michigan, where it doesn't get hot like it does in Florida. My friends here use wool year-round, even in the summer. The wool breathes and keeps the child cooler than with synthetics.

My daughter used these instead, which are plastic, but are puffy and have holes that let the air circulate. It doesn't make sense, I know to have big gaping holes in a diaper cover, but we never had a leak in the 3-4 years that we used them.

Yes, prefolds are very easy to use.

If you wish, borrow a pre fold and a snappi from a friend, and practice it on a stuffed animal to try.


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## RthyCrunchyMama (Dec 7, 2010)

I just trifold my prefolds and lay them in the cover with my son. I will also fan out the back to catch poop and try to prevent it from getting on the cover. I honestly can say that I hate snappis and don't like how other folds fit.

EarthyCrunchMama

Natural Living for the Modern Family

earthycrunchymama.com


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## Birdie B. (Jan 14, 2008)

Thanks mamas! I just wasn't sure how well the prefolds stay in place once the baby gets active. I think I will try it out.


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## handmade mama (Feb 2, 2011)

I have been useing prefolds since my baby was 3 months old. I live in an area where not many ppl care to cloth diaper....so there wasnt anywhere for me to get them. I didnt want to pay out the yang online for something I had never seen or heard about, so gerber prefolds from walmart were what I had to resort to. I expiremented with making my own cloth diapers with lots of different materials and patterns. I tried AIOs, pocket diapers and everything else I saw online or could think up myself. It took about about 2 months before I got the perfect shape, placement of elastic and velcro, and materials. I use PUL on the inside and a fun cotton print for the outside. Everywhere I go I get compliments on them....so if you have a sewing machine, or can borrow a friends for a day......you should try making your own....soooo worth it. Covers with a prefold inside are DEFINIGHTLY the way to go for a busy on the go mom. I LOVE THEM! It dosent get much easier or simpler. You can just wipe out the inside ane put another prefold in and go....way less stuff to haul arround and less laundry than AIOs.

It is very important to have the right cover and right prefold however. All babies are shaped different, so you need the right cover for your babies shape. Some brands are more suited for a slimmer baby and some are better for chunkier baby. My sister in law loves thirsties for her baby. He is very slim and not too energetic. They were not so good for my bigger on the go baby. The velcro tabs rubbed against her tummy and made a rash, and the elastic in the legs was too tight. After about a year of heavy use, my gerber prefolds just didnt cut it anymore. I got 36 Diaper Service Quality prefolds from ebay for $32. WAY WAY different than the cheapy gerber ones. They are a cloth diapering mamas dream come true! I use my old gerber prefolds as doublers for night time, longer car rides, shopping trips, and when we go out to eat.

In all....I think Ive spent less than $100 on all my babies diapering stuff. I could have saved half of that if I had just gotten the chinese prefolds in the first place and skipped the gerber ones. oh....and I use diaper pins to secure the diaper. You can find them anywhere. I think they look vintage and cute...and the snappies really damaged the cotton of my covers.


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## Marissamom (Dec 17, 2009)

I just started using prefolds with my 20 month old a few weeks ago. she's a very active climber, dancer, and runner. we haven't had any issues with them staying put. I use the bikini twist fold and a snappi. she's in premium prefolds from little lions, I use the bikini twist because if I use and angel wing fold the front isn't quite wide enough, and the bikini twist means it isn't bulky between her legs.

there are different sizes of prefolds. some have infant, regular, and toddler. diaper rite and GreenMountain Diapers have even more sizes. I've found them pretty easy to use, and so far a lot easier to wash. I haven't used wool covers yet (almost finished knitting my first, so hopefully in the next few days) but they seem more breathable than PUL, though I also use Bummis whisper pants, which are nylon and super breathable, though just for at home.


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## cristeen (Jan 20, 2007)

Wool s far better in the heat than pul for keeping cool. My guy's butt would be sweaty and read in a pocket during the summer (CA), but not in his wool. But, you cannot trifold a pf in a wool cover. Nor would you want to. You want it fastened because it minimizes the poop on the wool. Wool has to be handwashed, and depending on the weather can take 3 days to dry.

As for the fold, we used angel wings when he was a nb/infant, but now that hes mobile, jelly roll works far better for us. Never did quite get the hang of the bikini twist.


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## dayiscoming2006 (Jun 12, 2007)

I've been a prefold user in the past. I've trifolded and used the angel wing fold. I prefer to use a snappi since I use thirsties covers which are extra roomie and if you just shove a prefold in there, the prefold will shift around sometimes. The negative with prefolds for me is that they bunch up in the middle rather often. The diapers still function fine but it was still annoying.

I like my contour diapers a lot. That would be another idea. I like OS(one size) contours or 2 size wouldn't be bad either. I have imse vimse OS flannelette and terry contours but saw some neat new style kissaluvs contours with elastic that I would try if I didn't already have a full stash. With the imse vimses, I ended up needing some nice absorbent doublers to shove in on tops of the contours once baby was 5 or 6 months old. But, it's been my favorite style of diaper for sure. The imse vimse ones should fit a 7 or 8 lb newbie just fine. The flannel ones are trimmer than the terry ones. The imse vimse ones still work but started to get a bit small on my 2 year old. I have dream eze AIO's and fitteds that I use for him as well as some of the old Thirsties aio/pocket hybrids.

I guess I could say that fitteds are my other favorite. The dream-eze AIO's are really great but you can't really put a doubler in them. You can put a doubler in the fitteds.

HTH


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