For those who cloth diaper with a budget in mind, prefolds are always a lovely addition to your system. But then comes that day when you grab the Snappi to fasten the diaper and can’t quite reach the sides of the prefold around your baby’s waist…

But no need to put those prefolds into storage quite yet! You can extend your savings by putting your outgrown prefolds to use in other diapering capacities.

Here are 4 great ideas:

1. If you’re someone who uses pocket diapers, consider using your outgrown prefolds to stuff inside your pocket. Prefolds offer substantial absorbency, which is especially welcome as your baby grows (and pees more and more heavily) or for nighttime use. Also, for those wanting to use more natural fibres in your diapering routine, both hemp and organic cotton prefolds add that “natural edge” to your synthetic pockets.
2. Outgrown prefolds can also be tri-folded and laid in a wrap-style cover to extend their life. This is a GREAT way to save money, as covers and prefolds are a very cost effective way to cloth diaper and it most certainly extends the length of time infant prefolds can be used on your baby.
3. Another prefold idea is to lay a tri-folded infant-size prefold on top of your larger sized prefolds to work as a booster. This is definitely a super-absorbent option, but it’s rather bulky and will make your child look like the Weeble-Wobble toys of yore, so it’s an option best utilized at nighttime or on road trips, when a trim bottom end is not a priority.
4. Even once they’re outgrown, having a few infant prefolds on hand as diapering accessories are very handy. They’ll serve you well as change pads on-the-go, big wipes for big messes, or as a protective cover for your boy who tends to pee during diaper changes.

Use your imagination… prefolds have a multitude of uses!

Saving money and being frugal is an art in this day and age – we hope your decision to cloth diaper has helped your family to feel satisfied in knowing you’ve saved significantly through your baby’s diapering years!

One of the most common frustrations for cloth diapering parents and one of the most common reasons we know of why parents decide to quit cloth diapering is leaks.

But leaks are fixable – and often easily so. Read on for a checklist to see how you can keep your baby AND his clothes dry.

Typically, leaks happen because of issues related to fit, size, absorbency, or because bits of the diaper are peeking outside the diaper cover. Also, leaks commonly happen when a baby is “in between” sizes or when a “one-size” diaper is too big on an itty-bitty newborn. Let’s look at each of these scenarios by itself:

FIT: Each baby’s shape and size is different. Some babies are long and lean and some have those lovely rolls of baby fat around their thighs. Thus, even though two babies may be the same weight, the same diaper will fit them differently. Basically, just make sure that once your diaper is on that there are no gaps anywhere around the thighs or back of your baby. Everything should be tight, snug, and secure (and don’t worry – it’s difficult to get a diaper too tight.)

A second, though less common, “fit” issue is with how a diaper is sewn in the legs. On some babies, certain diapers will tend to “roll up” at the thighs and this can cause liquid to wick out. If you see any “inner” part of the diaper showing, such as fleece or cotton, try to roll it or tuck it back into place.

SIZE: It may seem obvious, but make sure you’re using the right size diaper. If the diaper is too big, there will be gaps around the legs or back where pee and poo can escape. (Gaps may be obvious or not. Basically, if you can easily fit more than one finger in between the elastic of the diaper and your baby’s leg, liquids will have no problem getting out.)

Likewise, if the diaper is too small, the elastic around the legs and back may get stretched too much and they can’t do their job of containing everything. Often diapers that are too small also have a very low rise over the crotch. Especially with boys, this can mean there’s just not enough diaper where the liquid wants to go and the leaks will happen at the front.

The fix? Check for gaps, over-stretched elastic, and your diaper’s rise and adjust which size diaper you use accordingly. If you are “in between” sizes, where a “small” is too small and a “medium” is too big, consider adding a bit of bulk, such as a doubler, or changing the brand or type of cover you use, which often fit differently, to get you through those two or three interim weeks.

ABSORBENCY: As a baby goes from a newborn to toddler, the amount and frequency of the baby’s wetting changes. Typically, as a baby grows she will pee less often but with a greater quantity. Thus, make sure you are using a diaper with adequate absorbency for your baby. If you need to increase the absorbency but aren’t ready to switch to a different size, add a doubler or two.  Also, if you use pocket diapers, consider adding an entire flat or prefold for night time leaks.

“TUCKAGE”: This one is especially easy to fix and is incredibly common, even among experienced cloth diaperers. “Tuckage,” while perhaps not even a real word (darn!), merely refers to the times when a bit of the diaper doesn’t get tucked into the cover during the diaper change. Especially when you’ve got a wiggly baby, it can be difficult to remember to check that everything is tucked securely inside the cover, but this one step will make sure everything stays dry!

BAGGY ONE-SIZE DIAPERS ON NEWBORNS: One-size diapers can be real budget-savers and a great way to only have to buy diapers once in your baby’s diapering lifetime. However, they can be too baggy in the newborn days. In this case, we recommend adding a hemp/cotton cloth wipe folded in half. This will add some bulk, but it will improve the fit until your baby fills out the diaper a bit more.

Here are a few products that seem to excel at keeping frustrating leaks at bay:
Fuzzi Bunz NEW and UNIQUE one-size diaper
Bummis Super Brite covers and Bummis Polar Fleece covers
AMP Duo Pocket diapers

Have you solved your leaking problems in a creative way? Please let us know! We’d love to pass your advice on to other parents.

In a recent post, we explained why wool is such a viable and popular cover for night-times. But what about the diaper that goes underneath? After all, the cover just keeps things contained. The diaper itself does the bulk of the work (no pun intended – honest.)

Obviously, the more hours the diapers needs to last, the more absorbency the diaper needs to have. So, what are a few good options? Here are just a few:

Use a fitted diaper with lots of layers (for maximum ability to put absorbency where you need it and for ease of washing later).

Many parents love bamboo for its softness and its staying power over long periods of time. Hemp is also a popular choice due to its incredible absorbency and its durability over time. The Bamboozle is one of our favourite bamboo options and the BabyKicks Organic Hemp One Size Fitted offers a soft, snug, leak-proof fit that has great ability to adjust it’s absorbency potential and grow with your baby.

Use a pocket diaper with extra stuffing.

Many pocket diapers come pre-stuffed with an über-absorbent microfibre insert. If this isn’t enough for your babe to last the night, consider adding to it or replacing it with a hemp prefold or insert or bamboo flat – or even two! Your baby may look like a Weeble-Wobble, but he’ll sleep comfortably and wake up without leaks.  Along with a dry bed, pocket diapers often offer a layer of stay dry fabric next to baby’s skin which some baby’s find very comfortable all night long.

Add a doubler or two.

Doublers increase a diaper’s absorbency by adding a few layers right where extra absorbency is needed. They come in various sizes for different needs and sizes.  What doubler or extra insert would work for your night-time needs.

Here’s to a long and restful good night’s sleep!

(And don’t forget to check out the cloth diapering archives for more nighttime ideas…)

In the early days of babyhood and diaper changes, having reliable night-time diapers isn’t so much of a challenge. Young infants tend to be changed often due to their waking and sleeping cycles that have no awareness of night and day, and so having diapers that can last for hours and hours overnight isn’t much of a concern.

When babies start sleeping through the night, however, or when parents are in the process of teaching a sleep routine to their older infants, having reliable nighttime solutions become much more of an issue.

This is when wool can become your best friend!

Here’s a run-down of why we at N&G heart wool for night-times:

Coupled with an absorbent diaper, wool has natural properties to keep your baby dry, comfortable, and free of diaper rash.

Due to the natural lanolin found in wool, it is a naturally water-resistant material and will repel liquid for hours. Then, even when it has reached its saturation point and starts absorbing liquid (like any good fabric will do), it still can absorb up to 30% of its own weight in liquid before it even feels damp! And THEN, even then, it won’t actually leak, but will just feel, well…. damp.

Also, due to the breathability of natural fibres, air easily passes through the wool cover to help the pee next to your baby’s skin evaporate, leaving your baby dry for much longer periods of time. This not only helps prevent and treat diaper rash, but helps regulate your baby’s body temperature, keeping him or her warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

It’s easy to keep clean, naturally antibacterial, and provides an easy solution for families who want to use as many natural-fibre products as possible.

Wool’s natural antibacterial properties mean you only have to wash the cover once every 1-2 weeks. After a quick swish in the sink with some yummy smelling wool wash followed by a line dry, you’re good to go for another couple of weeks.

All the wool options at New & Green are made right here in BC, so you can feel good about buying local!

Aristocrats double-layer wool soaker covers (great for nighttime) come to us from the Kootenays and Luxe single-layer wool diaper covers make their start right here in the Lower Mainland in Langley.  One of the New & Green Mamas Bonnie has a particular love for Luxe Wool Diaper Covers.  So much so, she wrote a love letter to her Luxe.

Wool may feel like a stretch to think of as a cloth diapering must have, but ask families who have used wool.  They’ll tell you they wake up feeling great in the morning because their baby has been dry and comfortable all night long!

PS – Other wool to keep your little one happier at night: a wool puddle pad, often used as a mattress pad and a wool doubler to boost the functionality of your single layer wool diaper cover.