Trying Out Cloth Diapers, Trouble with Folding

I have loved my Nikky diaper covers the best with the Chinese prefolds - they are super easy to use and have held up. I'm not sure where you are, but I would recommend going into Babyworks in NW Portland or Mother Nature's in SE Portland. The choices were overwhelming and it helped a lot to be able to go someplace and actually see and touch the diapers. You could take your prefolds with you and see which ones fit the best and ask for help with folding.
Happy diapering!

If you are willing to make a trip down to portland, there is a great store in the clinton hood that has been absolutely wonderful for all our cloth diapering needs. It's called Mother Natures Earth Friendly Baby Store on 28th and Clinton. We use the prefold diapers which are about 12inches by 8 and very thick after you wash them a few times and the imse vimse diaper covers. i have loved this system for day time diapering. at night we use the bum genius pocket diapers with some extra inserts to get us all the way through with no leaks. good for you for trying the cloth diapering! it really isn't bad at all!

Check out Babyworks (www.babyworks.com). They are a small, family owned and run business in NW. They are incredibly sweet and helpful. They encourage you to bring baby and actually try on the various diapering options they sell to get the one that is the best fit for your baby. It's a wonderful place- just walking in the place makes you feel good!

And kudos for trying out cloth diapers! I did it with both my girls and was very satisfied with it. And although I can't swear it's what made the difference, they both potty trained of their own accord before they were two and a half. Yeah!!

I really hope you'll keep looking for diaper wraps... it eliminates the need for diaper pins (ouch!).

One more thing, my friend found a line of diapers that actually "grows" with your baby. So although it was an investment up front, she'll never have to buy another diaper. Pretty cool.

Good luck.

J.

reminds me of all the diapers I've folded. My mother made square diapers out of flannel. To fold them, lay flat with one corner towards you. Bring the side corners together so that the width is the width that will fit your baby. Then bring the bottom corner up and the top coarner down. For night time she doubled the diapers. This was before disposable diapers.

I've also folded diapers that have layers sewn in and they're oblong. When the baby is small, turn the outer edges in towards the center. Fold the top and bottom edges towards the center until the diaper is the correct length to fit your baby.

As an adult I made shaped diapers out of flannel. The shape is sort of like a dumb bell shape. We called the soakers. We put extra fabric in the middle. A couple of my friends preferred these. They used an outer covering too and I've seen those at thrift stores. They're fabric with a waterproof lining that breathes.

I don't know about prefolded diapers.

As to cloth covers, I found them on the Internet when my first grandchild was born. We used disposable diapers thinking that they were not only the easiest but also the cheapest. To find that actual price of the cloth diapers you need to count in the cost of laudering them (heating water, detergent, electricity to run washer, wear and tear on washer, bleach, etc.

There are now disposable diapers that break down in the landfill.

Hi N.,

It sounds like you have figured out a lot since you posted this. I am a new mom and have been cloth diapering for 3 months. There are a lot of web videos out that that show folding methods. The one that has been the best for us (containing BF poopies) is a modified "angel wing fold." The back stays flat and wraps around and the front gets folded into thirds. I have modified this fold by then folding the "wings" back onto themselves (about 1 inch). This creates a little gusset that keeps stuff in. We use snappis, even though with most covers you don't need them. I find they help keep the poop in. Our favorite covers are the bummis whistper wraps. I'm also just starting to experiment with wool and have been impressed, but I find they take time to dry in our Oregon dampness.

We have had a lot of success with our washing method. Lots of poopy diapers and not one stain. We use a dry pail, and I spray Bac-Out on the poopy diapers. Before washing, I soak the dipaers (not covers) in our top loading washer with Arm and Hammer washing soda for about 30 minutes. I add a small amount of detergent (We use Mrs. Meyers baby, but I think any would do) and let the cycle finish. I haven't had to do a second cycle yet, but maybe with solid food??

Good luck and have fun!

G.

There is a fabulous little shop here in Portland called Zoom Baby Gear on North Greeley. The owner was very helpful and she answered all of my questions about all the different options, and of folding too.

All in one Kushies have seemed to work the best for me. You don't have to deal with covers or inserts or folding or pins. But I do have a variety as well.

Buying used cloth diapers is always good too. I got most of mine at thrift/consignment stores around town.

Good luck and Blessings,
F.