Please help a prefold flunkie

[Ethelpea]

I've used fuzzibunz in the past and was, apparently, spoiled. I recently had a little girl and decided to be economical and get unbleached prefolds. I can.not.get.these.things.to.work. She wets through every single time - and she wets up the backside of them...the front is dry. I am using them under a bummis whisper wrap either with or without pins. Pins, by the way, are another thing I'm scared of...I've poked myself bad every time I've used them on her over the past few weeks. I've gone online to try to get folding directions. There are, I understand, three main ways to fold these things. I've used two of them (not the bikini one) with zero success. Help! I want this to work.

If anyone has any advice, please advise!
ON the positive side, someone is bequeathing me their very generous Bum Genius stash in a few weeks So I only have to deal with the prefolds for another month or so.

Thanks.

[lunita1]

not sure if i understand... the pee is leaking out of the covers? Were they new to begin with? Are they diaper-service-quality prefolds, or something you got at Target or Walmart? Were they prepped correctly? Have you tried a snappi? Do you have good dritz pins or gerber pins? It's easier to pin safely with a very sharp, good quality pin that glides through the fabric.

The pee is, of course, supposed to go straight through the actual diapers... the trick is to have a waterproof cover paired with an absorbent enough prefold so that it doesn't leave the cover.

[Ethelpea]

They are diaper service quality 4x8x4. Purchased new. I use the dritz pins. For some reason, the pee is coming out the back of the diaper...not leaking through the cover, which are new. I just can't get them to fold properly...it looks like they are folded correctly but there is never any pee at all in the front part where the fabric is folded up.

[CanBoo]

For a little girls. Bikini twist with a snappi all the way.

[Chamomile Girl]

I am confused by your description as well. Why is the fabric only folded up in the front? Thats counterintutive for a girl baby as they tend to get the back of the diaper wet (whereas boys are the opposite). Can you do an angel fold with the back of the diaper folded down? This is what I usually use as that way nothing can come up the back of the diaper. Plus if you are getting leakage up the back of the diaper it seems like your covers are not tight enough. They should be preventing any leakage around the top as well as around the legs.

[Ethelpea]

Ok, I thought there would be more chance for a boy to pee out the back then a girl... Little embarrassed here.

I'll try the bikini fold - of course it is the only one I haven't tried. I don't have any snappis, so I'll have to brave the pins.

thank you

[Ethelpea]

Originally Posted by Chamomile Girl

I am confused by your description as well. Why is the fabric only folded up in the front? Thats counterintutive for a girl baby as they tend to get the back of the diaper wet (whereas boys are the opposite). Can you do an angel fold with the back of the diaper folded down? This is what I usually use as that way nothing can come up the back of the diaper. Plus if you are getting leakage up the back of the diaper it seems like your covers are not tight enough. They should be preventing any leakage around the top as well as around the legs.

How do I fold the back of the diaper down?

[Chamomile Girl]

Originally Posted by Ethelpea

How do I fold the back of the diaper down?

Diaper

Back folded down

Sides

Angel Wing With Back Down

On Baby (well...toddler)

Front with Snappi

[Ethelpea]

Originally Posted by Chamomile Girl

Diaper

Back folded down

Sides

Angel Wing With Back Down

On Baby (well...toddler)

Front with Snappi

thanks so much for the pictures!

I don't think my diapers are long enough for that...maybe I should order a bigger size (and maybe that is my problem), I ordered "newborn" size for up to a 15 lb baby. My baby is probably 9-10 lbs now.

I had good luck with the bikini twist yesterday, we'll see how today goes.

Again, thanks to everyone who responded.

[ContentMama]

I always use diaper doublers with my prefolds. They then hold a good bit.

[orange_mommy]

I shouldn't even be talking because I haven't used them yet ... my baby is due in March 2011 and it will be my first cloth diapering experience, but just thought I would ask: Did you wash them enough times before using them? I think you have to wash most prefolds at least 6 times before the first use in order for them to absorb properly? It sounds almost like the pee is perhaps "rolling" off the brand new prefolds and exiting out back. Just a thought!

[Juvysen]

The "newborn" sized prefolds didn't fit my 9 1/2 lb baby at birth... I'd check into sizing up.

[Chamomile Girl]

Originally Posted by Juvysen

The "newborn" sized prefolds didn't fit my 9 1/2 lb baby at birth... I'd check into sizing up.

Agree. Newborn only fit my guy for two weeks. I think its time for the next size as extra cloth=extra absorbency.

Curious: Any specific reason you are using pins over snappis? Snappis are easier, although now that DS is bigger I wish I had some pins (he can take off the snappi).

[ChocolateNummies]

Also, to help your pins glide through the fabric easily you can run the tips through a bar of soap. I, however, prefer my mom's old technique where I run the tip of the pin through my hair close to my scalp. My body oil lubricates it. Works fabulously.

[Ethelpea]

Thanks all.

I ordered the "regular size" today in addition to some snappis.

Do I really need to pre-wash the diapers six (6!) times before use? Wow, I washed them twice.

[Naturallove]

Yes, everywhere I have read says to wash at least 6 times for maximum absorbency.

[donutmolly]

Wash those dipes as directed (and dry!) -- and definitely try a snappi (they're cheap! worth their weight in gold, imo!)

I don't know the proper name for the fold I do, but I fold down the back of the dipe to get the right rise (the regular size are an inch too long for my 20lb 14mo), fold it into 3rds through her legs, and then pull the back sides around and snappi. Ah, and you really ought to change more often than you might get away with in FB/BG. I LOVE my prefolds!

[Kuba'sMama]

I've been using the unbleached prefolds and bummis super brites (among others, but mostly bummis) for about 4 months now and hardly ever have a leak! Usually when I do it's actually because I don't adjust it snugly enough at the legs and it leaks a bit on the side.

I guess I'm going to point out the obvious, but doesn't anybody just use the tri-fold method with the covers? Seriously, I did use the pins, the bikini fold, etc, but found that for ease, convenience, speed of assembly, etc it's just the best! My 5 month old is chubby to say the least (about 18lbs), we are using the medium sized dipers and covers, it doesn't take any longer to assemble than a disposable really... am I really the only one?

Oh and I'm not sure if someone mentioned it already (I'm a bit sleepy, sorry) but to have no leaks, NO diaper fabric whatsoever can be sticking outside the cover. So no diaper hanging out the back, etc.

[Juvysen]

I trifold, too.

[coffeegirl]

NAK...

I use the simple trifold method, too. This was after trying the angel fold, the jelly roll, etc. with the snappis. I went back to the trifold method simply because I found that when my daughter wet in a fancy-folded prefold, the wetness had a tendency to spread through the entire diaper. With the trifold method, you pretty much only have the diaper directly under the parts that are gonna leak, so the wetness is still gonna touch her skin, but it's a smaller section of skin. And more frequent diaper changes helped with this as well. Only drawback I see is sometimes the cover is more apt to get stained if there's a blowout or something. But for me, the benefits outweigh that negative.