Prefolds :: A “Not So Scary” Solution for the Early Days
The early days of babyhood are often full of wonderment… and diapers. Newborns can easily go through 10-12 diapers a day, which means you may feel like you’re changing your baby A LOT.
That’s why prefolds are such a great solution for the first few months of life. They are the most inexpensive way to cloth diaper, they don’t have to be pinned or fastened in any fancy way, they ensure natural fibres are up against your baby’s newborn skin, and they’re easy to have ready to go for anytime you need to do a change, including those bleary-eyed, middle-of-the-night changes.
Let’s talk about cost first. Prefolds are a very economical way to cloth diaper, especially in the early days when you go through so many diapers per day and when you don’t typically need lots and lots of absorbency. And even if your baby does pee copiously, prefolds are layered in such a way that they absorb quickly and effectively.
Second, they no longer require pins, and in some cases, not even a Snappi. When you pair prefolds with a simple wrap-style diaper cover that has Velcro closures, you can just lay a prefold in the cover, fasten the cover onto your baby snugly and the elastic and the Velcro on the cover will keep everything contained and trim-fitting. Check our tutorial and learn to do the “poo pocket” fold and fasten your prefold snugly with a Snappi.
Third, prefolds are the ultimate in flexibility. Because you can fold them in a myriad of ways, they offer great flexibility in putting absorbency where you need it AND they offer great versatility because they fold to fit your baby without a predetermined fit. The preemie size is good for bigger newborns too and fits perfectly in a newborn cover.
Fourth, they have no synthetic fibres as part of the construction of the diaper – no elastic, no snaps, no fleece or velour or microfibre – so they offer the most natural layer next to your baby’s skin. Choosing a wool diaper cover ensures a completely natural experience.
Currently the prefolds we have (and love!) are made from 100% certified organic materials. The most economic prefold choice is an organic cotton prefold but if you are looking for premium absorbency and trimness, check out BabyKicks Organic Hemp Prefolds. If keeping a tight budget is your primary goal, the Bummis Organic Cotton Diaper Kit is a great way to get all the basics you’ll need for a very economical price.
So, what’s keeping you from trying prefolds?
March 16th, 2010 at 9:02 am
Love, love, love the Bummis prefold kit. We have been using them on our newborn (who is now 9 weeks old) since Day 3, and they are wonderful. We even used one inside a Large Bummis cover on our toddler after swimming, because we forgot to bring an extra diaper for her!
March 16th, 2010 at 8:48 pm
Alison, were you able to use the prefolds and small Bummis covers when your newborn still had his/her umbilical stump? How were you using the prefolds – folded in three like a pad or snappi’d on?
Nice MacGyver move at the swimming pool. Prefolds are so versatile!
And don’t you love that Fabulous Wet Bag! The large size only come in the prefold kits. It’s almost reason enough to pick up the kit!!
April 1st, 2010 at 9:29 am
Oops… just stumbled across these comments, and saw that I needed to respond.
We folded down the small covers to accomodate Gwen’s umbilical stump. It wasn’t ideal, because sometimes the velcro rubbed the skin on her belly and scratched a bit. But we made do. She was a big baby, so it probably worked better than it would on a smaller baby. (She was 9 pounds, 9 ounces… surprise!)
We’ve been using the fan fold most of the time… I tried the snappi once, and found it awkward. Just folding it seemed to be fine.