Advice needed - narrow prefolds?

[Carhootel]

I assume I'm just doing something wrong here so hopefully one of you can set me straight. I have a 5 week old son and we're using yellow edge GMD prefolds with a snappi. I have used prefolds on other kids before but always just laying it in the cover - never with a snappi or pins. I feel like my prefolds are too narrow to get around him and I'm pulling them really really tight. Looking at the dimensions of other prefolds it seems like when the size goes up the width stays the same and it's the length that increases for age so what am I doing wrong that at 5 weeks they seem too narrow?

I'm leaving them open at the back and then trifolding the front as I bring it up through his legs, then trying to pull the corners around to the front to snappi. I can usually get them around enough but not when he gets bigger, especially if the next size up is the same width.

So what am I doing wrong? I think I'll just have to go back to laying the prefold in the cover if I don't figure something else out.

[Talula Fairie]

That yellow size is for preemies. Likely, your son has outgrown them. You can still use them as burp cloths or you can tri fold them into the cover. Pins generally give you more leeway than a snappi for a baby with wide hips where you don't have quite enough diaper to get it snappi'd.

check out http://www.diaperpages.com/ it's how I learned to use prefolds. Lots of step by step pics

[Carhootel]

Thanks for the reply. I don't think this yellow is for preemies. The orange edge is for newborns and this is the one bigger than the orange edge. The GMD site shows this same prefold on a 3 month 18lb baby and other babies that are the same size or bigger than my son (5 weeks, ~11lb). Is it possible that mine shrunk more than others? Looking at the pictures I don't feel like my guy has big hips or that i'm doing anything drastically wrong. I don't know what it is...

[celestialdreamer]

Actually GMD yellows are the "infant" size after newborns. I think it sounds like you need to fan the front out a little after bringing it through his legs before fastening, possibly? If he is on the chunky side, you might prefer the GMD reds (the next size up) and just fold them down a little to fit. HTH!

[Talula Fairie]

Originally Posted by Carhootel

Thanks for the reply. I don't think this yellow is for preemies. The orange edge is for newborns and this is the one bigger than the orange edge. The GMD site shows this same prefold on a 3 month 18lb baby and other babies that are the same size or bigger than my son (5 weeks, ~11lb). Is it possible that mine shrunk more than others? Looking at the pictures I don't feel like my guy has big hips or that i'm doing anything drastically wrong. I don't know what it is...

Ah ok, the yellow is the small size. It should fit your baby fine. Can you take photos of the problem? It's hard to know what you're doing without being there. The only thing I can think of is that you are putting the diaper on sideways. When you lay the baby onto the diaper, the stitched edges should be at their waist, under their butt, and past their feet, like this: http://diaperpages.com/stepbystep/angel_fold1a.jpg (she is using a diaper without colored stitching, but you can still see where the stitching basically is).

You could also not be realizing how tight it has to be? Maybe your folding is too loose? Take a picture and I'll try and see what the issue is.

And when in doubt, just tri-fold

[Llyra]

Are you fanning out the front of the prefold? That's something you can try. Ack, I'm trying to think of words to explain what I mean. Okay, here goes: In the front, the prefold won't REMAIN trifolded, I think is what I mean. It'll stay folded up between baby's legs, but then you just fan out the edges in front, then they're long enough to overlap with the back edges. Kind of like the front would be fanned out with a bikini twist, but you're not doing a bikini twist.

I tried like heck to find a picture, but I can't. But I hope you'll be able to understand...

[Talula Fairie]

I can take a picture of the fanning out method if needed.

[sahm]

Yep, it sounds like you need to unfold the front after you pull it up and around baby.