I think I am settling on prefolds - Thoughts?

[e&tsmom]

So, I have been researching lie crazy and I think that while all the differnt designs are super cute for fitted diapers, I think i may just go with prefolds and a cover. This way, i can afford to get organic cotton prefolds, organic or hemp doublers and covers without breaking the bank. Only problem is that when baby is 6 months old he will be a his grandma's for some afternoons (she wont worry about doing prefolds) and he'll be at a babysitter 4 mornings and a few afternoons a week. So, is this doable for a babysitter (in home daycare with 4 kids to care for total). I mean, it seems I;ll need a cover, prefolds, doublers, and those little linking things (cant remember what they are called). Wil be my babysitter hate me? If so, would it be better to get a one size from the beginning? I am trying to get the best quality for the least amount of money, while taking into account the fact that i dont want it to be so bad for the babysitter. I feel very strongly about getting organic cotton and the organic fitteds are just too spendy. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated!! I REALLY want this to be the best idea, but having never been in tis sitaution before (cloth), I'll defer to all you experts!! TIA!!

[Mal85]

I'd talk to your daycare provider about it. We mostly use prefolds and covers here and I do in home daycare, so I can say it can be done (and I'd be willing to do it with my daycare kiddos if their parents used cloth) but it's totally up to the baby sitter. You'll find that you're probably going to end up with a hodge podge of different kinds of dipes for different occasions (I don't think I know anyone who just uses one kind of diaper), so it might not be a bad idea to buy a few pockets or AIOs strictly for daycare use to make her job a little easier. You can get just a few and wash the daycare diapers every night to save money.

[jimblejamble]

Warning, this may get long! :)

I don't like prefolds for the newborn stage. I got 4 dozen of them all ready to go for Jude and then they ended up being too bulky (they came down past his knees without a cover on...with a cover he looked like a butternut squash with limbs!) for him plus I don't like the fact that he was sitting on wetness. With pocket diapers you get the moisture-wicking layer between so if for some reason you can't change your baby as soon as they're wet your baby will feel more dry than with a prefold. Sooo...I ended up ordering 3 days' worth of one-size diapers and love them but FYI the velcro wears out pretty quickly. I used those until May and now I mostly use prefolds, but still use pockets at night and when we're out and about. I'd say have some pockets for the newborn stage then once your baby stops peeing and pooping constantly, switch to prefolds. I'm going to do this when we have another baby...start with pockets then switch.

(hope that helps! sorry for rambling)

[Juliacat]

I would get prefolds and covers for home and AIO's (possibly with organic cotton inners) for the baby-sitter.

[Marissamom]

I would talk to the babysitter to see if she's ever CDed a kid in her care before and what she's comfortable with. If she isn't comfortable with prefolds, I would at least get fitteds, but if the prefolds can be tri-folded, that's easy enough for most.

[blizzard_babe]

You can just tri-fold a prefold into a cover (most have a nice convenient flap at the front to hold the prefold in place) and have a bunch "preloaded" for the sitter. Makes them no more difficult to put on/take off than a pocket or AIO. They just take off the whole shebang with each changing.

We bought like six pockets (that we stuffed with prefolds; inserts are kind of a racket if you have prefolds or flats around the house) for our babysitter, but would send preloaded covers in this manner and it wasn't an issue. Our sitter had NO experience with cloth and was kind of set in her ways (she was wonderful with DS, though, which is what matters), so if she could handle it, anyone can .