Day two of CDing and have few questions...

[TsuaSai]

Well I am starting day two and I am not totally sure if I am doing everything right.

Mostly I am wondering if it is even possible to get a prefold as trim as a disposable diaper? We are using prefolds and cloth and am trifolding which is holding everything in. But poor DD looks like she could be a football player. I tried doing the back flat and folding the fronts in sort of like this http://diaperpages.com/angel_fold.php. But the front is still really bulky. So mainly just wondering if that's just the way it is or if I am doing something wrong?

Second is we hang dry everything weather permitting. Now that my new cloth diapers are here its raining and I didn't want to wait for good weather to get started. So I have followed the drying instructions they came with but I still feel like I am just sucking the live out of them when I see the lint tray. I have tried sticking a dry lint free towel in too. But am I ruining my new diapers do this?

I still feel lost I wish I just knew one person that could show me in person what to do or check my folds. I have tried using the snapi but didn't really get a lot trimmer and I would love to just trifold and go.

[NorthernPixie]

Hi there - don't worry, you're on the right track but there's a learning curve!

Drying -- the dryer will take off a fair bit of lint at first, but it won't be like that forever. If you mostly line dry, you may see a bit of lint in there when you do use the dryer (vs someone who always uses the dryer and will see a tiny bit every load). That's normal. If you find your dipes too stiff after line drying, put them in the dryer for 10 minutes (or put them in before they're quite dry) and they'll soften right up. That's what I usually do.

Folding - you will never get a prefold to be as trim as a disposable. It's just not going to happen. Learn to love the big diaper bum and embrace the bulkiness! Really, it will start to seem cute. Buy pants a size up, in stretchy fabric. I think I would not wing the front out, I think it would cut in at the legs too much. When I fold the prefold onto DD I wing the back out and keep the front narrow. I use a snappi, which you will get the hang of really quickly if you keep up. Try stretching it a few times first before you use it. I hook the left side on, stretch it over to the right, and then yank down the front. I do it in the dark with no problems now. I don't like to trifold but that's personal preference. You will get the hang of it.

Post some pics of the diaper on your daughter, maybe that would help people help you?

[octobermom]

for tri folding without securing you may want to try folding the prefold sidways instead like this http://www.greenmountaindiapers.com/prefolds.htm scroll down to wear it says alternitive method.
For pinning snappi I found front folding towards the outside VS inside made it trimmer less gap between diaper and baby. Overall a cloth diaper will be thicker than a disposable cloth depends on layers to be assorbent a disposble depends on the expansion of assorbent crystals but it will start out paper thin.
Don't let the lint worry you prefolds can hold up to a LOT of abuse. They will actually get more assorbant the more they are washed and dried.

Deanna

[TsuaSai]

Thank you both so much. The thickness dont bother me to much I just noticed her 12m shorts are pretty tight but didn't slow her down. For that matter most the the 12m shorts I have she can't wear cause they are to big so maybe time to move up into those before its winter. I LOVE the way she looks in cloth diapers! Something so stinking cute about it, I have had myself pshched for weeks now so probably all the build up on waiting for everything to come in.

I will try that snapi some more we haven't had any leaks trifolding and I have tried both ways. I just need more practice and probably just need to stop second guessing everything.

Mostly didn't want to ruin my investment doing laundy on a rainy day. But sometimes it rains for weeks so I knew there had to be a way.

Thanks again.

[TsuaSai]

Ok here is a picture of my snappi used. Not the best snapi or photo DD was trying to jump up. But I am wondering if my prefold is to small to use a snappi? Seems perfect for the trifold but do I need some larges?

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2670/...bcc8739a1d.jpg

[octobermom]

It looks big enough can you fan out the front more?

Deanna

[TsuaSai]

Yeah I am guessing fan means spread out? If so yes I can I wasn't sure if I should or not..

[paintingmom]

If you can sew a straight line and have a sewing machine you can also trim your prefolds so you don't have to fold down in the front. My DS is 2 and super tall and we are still using our premium size indian prefolds after doing this. Just cut off between 3 and 4 inches on the long end--zig-zag both cut ends and then sew it up the middle--where you need the absorbency anyways! I also just recommend attaching on the short ends so that your drying time is less--in other words don't sew all the way around--I think that makes sense.