Has anyone who initially hated prefolds changed their mind?

[lizsky]

I wish I liked prefolds...they are cheap and simple and I expected to like them, but I really don't. (DD is almost 2 months old).

I find snappis difficult to use, and just trifolding seems to make everything messier. DD seems very easily bothered by the wetness of prefolds...I try to change her promptly, but she fusses the moment she wets a prefold, and this is ruining some naps.

Maybe I shouldn't worry about it, but I feel silly for preferring the pockets and aios. And especially for preferring the ones with synthetic fibers...something about the wicking of moisture that works better for DD...

Anyone ever start out like me and eventually change their mind? DD is growing and I'm wondering whether to even invest any $ in prefolds and covers or to just buy the pockets that are working well for us...

[skyblufig]

I think you should use whatever you're going to get the most use out of, kwim? We cloth diapered ds1 and with the prefolds, adding some stay-dry doublers made all the difference in the world as far as ease of clean up and ds's comfort, especially overnight. We used these: http://www.diaperware.com/productpag....html#doublers

Good luck!

[suzywan]

I have around $400 worth of prefolds and prefold accessories that basically collect dust cause I hate them so much. I ended up going to disposables almost immediately although I still use cloth wipes 2 years out. I wanted to CD so much, but the prefold hatred just got in the way. I will be buying pocket dipes and AIOs, (as well as some fitted dipes to be economical) for the next kid.

[ExuberantDaffodil]

I really didn't like prefolds at first. I still don't love them. I actually like my flats more -- they are trimmer and easier to get a good fit for us. Tri-folding prefolds never works for us. We get leaks pretty bad and everything bunches up and it is bulky.

That said, not long ago I didn't do laundry soon enough and had to use prefolds for almost a whole day, and by the end of the day prefolds grew on me a little. They were bulky, but they got the job done, and other than my flats, they are the cheapest thing in our stash, so I can see the appeal. Snappied around my lo with jelly-rolled legs held in the poo much better than a flat and similarly to a fitted. Go prefold! My DUO1 barely covered the prefold it was so bulky (it fits fine over my flats), but my child was diapered for the day, and we didn't get leaks, so... while I didn't find the prefold love, I did find the prefold "hey that worked."

[MommaShark]

i prefer them and flats! trifolding works when solids are introduced - snappi until then!

stay dry liner for bed
nak....

[lmbjer]

Prefolds were the very first cloth diapers that I tried.

I actually cried that first week because I felt as though I wasted money and looked like a fool.

I persevered (and purchased a few aio's as rewards!) and a few months later I realized that I had finally mastered a good fit and I really liked prefolds. Even now that I have built an AIO stash, prefolds are my favorite because of trimness.

The wetness bothered me immensely too. I ended up (at the advice of someone on MDC) cutting up liners from a 1/2 yard of felt that I bought at the store.

I suppose it depends on your preference, but I wanted to share my store. Maybe spread a bit of hope!

[Casha'sMommy]

I too struggled to find the right fit for ds when we first started cd'ing with pf's. I have added a handful of aio's as well as some flats since ds was born 4 months ago.
My go to dipe is a prefold or flat sometimes snappied and sometimes pinned in wool longies/shorties, sometimes using a pul cover. I do not trifold and put in a cover. My technique is to trifold as in a standard diaper cover fold, put dipe under ds, pull the front up, then pull the top corners of the back over the front and either snappi or pin. It's like a combination of the diaper cover fold and a traditional prefold diaper fold. I'm sure it has a name somewhere but I figured this out as the best way to fit dipes on ds.

DH reaches for a trifolded prefold everytime, pulls the back corners out a little to make a bit of a poo pocket and uses a pul cover. He'll use wool if he has to but he doesn't care for snappi's and he's nervous about pins.

[Galatea]

I hated PFs at first and we used FB exclusively for years. Now I have learned to love PFs, esp for little babies (under 6 months), but I am a pocket girl at heart.

[rkonomos]

I didn't start cding til my dd was 15 months. She kept picking apart her sposies. I ordered prefolds and covers. After one week, I was so disappointed. She would get red after just one hour. I decided to try some pockets and found some that worked great. After a little while, my dd started leaking out the leg. I couldn't get a good fit anymore. When the flip came out, I decided to try covers again. I liked the idea of just laying an insert in a cover. I'm also able to trifold my prefolds in them. They work amazingly! This time around I bought some fleece liners to keep her dry when I use prefolds. No more redness or rashes.

[Ellien C]

All I can tell you is that I cancelled my diaper service after concluding that prefolds and covers weren't going to work for us. I needed more covers which I had to buy and it was really complicated with 2 different buckets (prefolds for the diaper service, cover bucket for me to wash and disposable wipes in the waste).

[azmomtoone]

I did.
Didn't buy any prefolds initially because they looked too difficult - well my DS outgrew other dipes faster than we could buy them (15.5 lbs at 2 mos and 19.8 lbs at 4 mos!) so I got prefolds and couldn't get them on tight enough at first. By the time he was a year old, I preferred the prefolds to everything else though. True "1-size" diaper - no need to stuff - easy to care for...

[camprunner]

When my first was born I had only prefolds and a onesize cloth velcro diaper with prorap covers. I have since tried a lot of other diapers with the second one. If we have another we will probably go back to prefolds because I did like them so much.

Have you tried using the twist fold? To me that's almost like putting a sposie on. You just twist once as you bring the diaper through the babe's legs and then snappy at the top. I have only had girls but did not like the trifold because was was just awkward fitting for my babes. I did not like the traditional fold because I couldn't figure out how to get it to come all the way around in order to snappy.

[octobermom]

I wasn't a fan at first. I first tried them with my oldest and back then it was basically Infant to Premium I at around 3 months old started with premium so thee I was trying to stick a HUGE premium prefold on a 10lb little one I had to fold down a ton the snappi intimdated me and trifolding was pretty much unheard of and forget pinning... I ended up getting other diapers and using those less and less till not at all.. Then we needed more (out grew size) and money was super tight so I pulled out the prefolds again and this time sat with stuffed animals and practiced... and whacha know? I liked them.. Part was she was just old enough they weren't super duper bulky but more I just figured out that the snappi was super easy that I could do difrent folds.. I then learned I loved how they washed up loved how they stored...
Today prefolds are by far my favorite diaper. Flats come a close second.. But with the added avaiblity of proper sized prefolds there for me the perfect CD.

Deanna

[HeatherB]

We only used PFs for stuffing pockets, or occasionally I'd try snappi'ing or pinning them, just for fun. We didn't really find the PF love until our 2nd CD's babe was 1.5yo and we took a road trip. I bought some Little Lions 2nds and some Thirsties Duo Wraps, and that's all we took on our trip (with some liners to make poo clean up easier). Now, we have two dozen PFs that are in our regular rotation. We either trifold with the Thirsties or stuff in FB. Either way, they are super absorbent, super easy, and work really well for our now-2.5-yo.

It is definitely true that it is messier with trifolding, though. We don't really ever reuse covers with PFs anymore. We did on our trip, as much as possible, but I'd occasionally be handwashing poo off of a cover in a hotel bathroom. I do think I'd need to budget no more than 1-2 changes per cover with trifolding for a newborn and the super runny poos.

[lizsky]

Thanks for all the encouragement. I'm getting by right now with 18 pockets and doing laundry almost every day. But perhaps I'll give prefolds and covers another try- at the least, it would give me enough diapers to go to every other day laundering.

I still don't really understand how to use prefolds effectively so that its actually an inexpensive system. Supposedly people can use them with only a few covers. However, even if its only a wet diaper, I find that DD soaks through the prefold enough that the cover needs a good wash. And if I need to stuff the prefolds with all kinds of extra liners/doublers, the cost adds up and it seems like I might be better off just buying more pocket diapers. What do you think?

[lunita1]

Originally Posted by lizsky

Thanks for all the encouragement. I'm getting by right now with 18 pockets and doing laundry almost every day. But perhaps I'll give prefolds and covers another try- at the least, it would give me enough diapers to go to every other day laundering.

I still don't really understand how to use prefolds effectively so that its actually an inexpensive system. Supposedly people can use them with only a few covers. However, even if its only a wet diaper, I find that DD soaks through the prefold enough that the cover needs a good wash. And if I need to stuff the prefolds with all kinds of extra liners/doublers, the cost adds up and it seems like I might be better off just buying more pocket diapers. What do you think?

I feel like I'm missing something. I'm not sure how prefolds could be anywhere near as expensive as pockets. I'm going to venture to guess that you're using infant prefolds and some kind of cover with sandwich PUL, like bummi sww?

If the prefolds are getting really soaked all of the time, she's probably ready to move to the next size up. My 2 month old soaks through the infant size now, so he is using little lions capri size prefolds. The red or brown edge from GMD or premium or regular size from anywhere else would work too. If you're bothered by the way the sandwhich PUL covers feel damp (if that's what you're using) try a cover like thirsties, proraps or flip that have exposed PUL.

Preemie prefolds make good cheap doublers (but like I said, I think the soaking problem is just a sign that the diapers are getting too small). I've never done anything to make diapers feel dry, but you can cut up fleece (no hemming required) to make cheap liners if you feel like they're necessary.

You can buy a dozen prefolds from Little Lions for about the same price as one pocket diaper...

[octobermom]

I still don't really understand how to use prefolds effectively so that its actually an inexpensive system. Supposedly people can use them with only a few covers. However, even if its only a wet diaper, I find that DD soaks through the prefold enough that the cover needs a good wash. And if I need to stuff the prefolds with all kinds of extra liners/doublers, the cost adds up and it seems like I might be better off just buying more pocket diapers. What do you think?

How long are you trying to go between changes. We change as wet here which is why I love prefolds I can go through 15-20 barely wet diapers a day or I could change a pretty wet diaper every 1.5 hours. Even on the days I use a cover all day I can get away with 2 maybe 3 covers tops. I just rotate 2 covers let the other air dry and switch to a new one if she poos and it actually gets onto the cover. Shes still totaly BF so we get so VERY wet very messy diapers but it jsut hasn't been an issue nor was it with my first. My guess is...
1 you need larger prefolds
2) better covers
3) change more often

BUt as for cost
2 dozen prefolds in each size small/medium large (using Nicki diapers)
6 thirstie DUo size 1 and 6 size 2 covers
12 doublers (kissaluvs)
will run around $300
18 BG pockets will run around the same...
but....
BG wont fit a small NB while the NB prefolds will
BG wont always fit larger toddlers not ready to PT yet...
at the same time..
for soem it will and there are pockets out there that cost less *kwani* for example..
I honestly think if pockets work for you use them don't try to make what works well for others be what you must use.
If I wanted to go as cheep as possible I'd do flats and pull on covers...

[lunita1]

Originally Posted by octobermom

BUt as for cost
2 dozen prefolds in each size small/medium large (using Nicki diapers)
6 thirstie DUo size 1 and 6 size 2 covers
12 doublers (kissaluvs)
will run around $300
18 BG pockets will run around the same...
but....

OR
you could buy 3 dozen premium prefolds (which will fit a two month old fine, with a little folding), a dozen preemie prefolds for doublers and 6 one-size flip covers for a total of about $165. (less if you buy seconds from Little Lions.)
(equivalent to 9-10 pockets)
OR
3 econobum kits (total of 3 dozen prefolds, 9 one-size covers) for $150 (8-9 pocket diapers)

or 3 dozen stay-dry flip inserts and 6 flip covers for $260 (19 pocket diapers, and with this option you get that stay-dry feeling you like)


prefolds aren't as nice or convenient, but they're easy to wash, durable, and a whole lot cheaper than pockets.

[treeoflife3]

I didn't like prefolds until my daughter was about 12 months old and even then I still wasn't so enthused as I LOVE going coverless but I didn't want to with the snappi but couldn't do pins. I can FINALLY do pins now when she holds still so I love prefolds now. I still prefer OS snappiable fitteds but I'm in the process of getting rid of all of my pockets now that I figured prefolds out.

I find that doing the jelly roll works the BEST but it takes a long time to learn how to do it without the first roll falling apart while you do the second roll (I have to hold my baby with one hand because she is so squirmy haha) and I also use flats for more absorbency and microfleece on top for the stay dry feel. I also find that PUL covers really aren't my favorite.. fleece and wool both seem to work better for me in terms of how many times I can reuse them.

I also honestly don't like premium size prefolds on smaller babies. It just makes it too bulky and weird... I like prefolds that fit just right.

but yeah, it took me a long time with a lot of practice and trying all sorts of different things before I figured out what was best for us.

[octobermom]

Originally Posted by lunita1

OR
you could buy 3 dozen premium prefolds (which will fit a two month old fine, with a little folding), a dozen preemie prefolds for doublers and 6 one-size flip covers for a total of about $165. (less if you buy seconds from Little Lions.)
(equivalent to 9-10 pockets)
OR
3 econobum kits (total of 3 dozen prefolds, 9 one-size covers) for $150 (8-9 pocket diapers)

or 3 dozen stay-dry flip inserts and 6 flip covers for $260 (19 pocket diapers, and with this option you get that stay-dry feeling you like)


prefolds aren't as nice or convenient, but they're easy to wash, durable, and a whole lot cheaper than pockets.

Oh yea I know, with my first the choices were infant or premium and "indian" prefolds were the newest thing to hit the market I used premium on my LO from around 3 months (when I got brave enough to try prefolds) through PT and she was a late trainer at 4 year.. I also use for the most part Dappi pull on diaper covers and basically did smalls and Mediums through out. My cost was what I find more people using prefolds tend to do..
I was also considering the fact that few will successfully use say the flip cover from birth to PT.. I know the flip didn't fit my LO till she was 9 weeks old and they still gap some in the legs... And the flip is too small for some toddlers not quite PT yet. So I was pricing at least a 2 size system for me personally its more since I needed preemie as well...
I would have had to do the same with pockets though...
but I LOVE my prefolds way too much

Deanna