Cloth Diapering Newbie: AIOs or Prefolds?

[Amarantha]

As a shower gift, my father and stepmother have offered to pay for a diaper service for an entire year! The service offers either all prefolds or half AIOs/half prefolds. I've been doing a bit of research, and it says that AIOs are good for first-timers and are quicker (This is my first baby and I've never changed a diaper before) but prefolds are more absorbant.

My question is, is it not worth it to pay the extra $15 to have half AIO/half prefolds? Can anyone give me a breakdown of the difference between the two?

Thank you so much!

[lifeguard]

A lot of the difficulties people have with aio's are to do with washing & durability but with a diaper service you wouldn't need to worry about that.

With prefolds there is a bit of a learning curve but you figure it out quickly - newborns need a LOT of diaper changes! I find prefolds more adaptable 'cause there are so many different ways of folding so you can adapt how you fold them to work with your baby's build or current stage. And although there are different sizes available with prefolds it is not necessary to use them (I've used a one-size cover & one size of prefold I made since birth with no problems) - with aio's my understanding is you need to buy multiple sizes as dc grows.

I use prefolds exclusively but with a diaper service I might consider the aio's as I wouldn't have to worry about washing them "right" & I wouldn't have to buy multiple sizes. The aio's are easier for changes.

[octobermom]

I'd go for both if its an option.

Deanna

[Michigan Mama]

It might depend on what brand or style of aio it is. Some diapers fit certain babies better than others. If it were me, I'd probably try doing the combo pack, becuase they are convenient. But I'd want to know if the company would let me change to all prefolds if I found the aio's were leaking or not fitting well. kwim?

[sunshynbaby]

The AIOs I tried leaked on DS, but it depends on the brand and the baby. If I could have a diaper service, I would go with the AIO option and switch to all prefolds if they leak.