Cloth Diapers - Part Two

How to actually use cloth diapers...

Once you buy your cloth diapers you are only half way there. Often you will need to pre-wash them up to 3 times to remove the natural oils. Just enjoy the fun nesting season while you do it! There is nothing more precious then to see a line of newborn diapers drying in the sun!

The next thing you need to do is figure out how to use them! The following is some ways that I have used my cloth diapers as well as some little tips! We have found that the best way to figure this out is to try different combinations for different times! For example, I use a different diaper during the day than what I use at night.

Inserts and Liners:

To make sure that your little one stays comfortable at night I recommend that you get soaker pads to add to their nighttime diaper. We did not need to do this until Hadassah was about 6-7 months old. At that point she was taking in more milk and therefore needed a diaper that could hold more. They come in 2 different sizes. The one above is made by Kissaluv so it fits perfect in the Kissaluv diaper but can be used in any diaper.
Often when people hear that we are using cloth diapers they always ask if we have more diaper rashes. I am pleased to say that we do not. In fact we have had more issues with disposable diapers (when we are out of town). However, at night we add a fleece insert that helps to keep Haddie's little bum dry. It allows the moisture to go through but stays dry on top. I bought these from Jillian's Drawers and they are made by bum Genius. For about $10 I was able to get six stay dry liners. These can also be used for keeping ointments off of your cloth diapers.
Over Christmas I was making a blanket and had some left over fleece. I cut out the above fleece and did a simple stitch to keep it in one piece. It works just as well as the others! In the future I will just make my own liners as it is much cheaper.
On that same trip we decided to take cloth diapers with us. As a result we bought these flushable liners. They are placed on top of the diaper. When you get a dirty diaper you are able to pick up the mess and just flush it down the toilet. These work great for on the go. No stinky mess to carry around with you! They are about $6.00 for 100 sheets.

How to fold Prefold diapers:

When you look at the prefold diaper it can be a bit challenging to know where to begin. After several searches I found three basic folds to work best at different times.

Twist Fold:
Start with a flat diaper (shorter side under the bum). While holding the top down, twist the diaper at the center so that it removes the bulk from the middle.
Pull up the diaper so that the twist is between the legs.
You can use pins if you like. Or I recommend using a Snappi. If you are using a Snappi, hook right and left...

then pull down the center and hook. This makes sure that the diaper will stay on the baby!
Next you need a cover. Like I said in the last post, I use the Thirsties Diaper cover. Place under baby's bum...
pull up and fasten like you would a disposable diaper.
IMPORTANT!!!!! Make sure you check the sides of the diaper. If you have any diaper sticking out of the cover you need to tuck it in or you will get wet!
The legs should look like this (above). I often pull the cover in to make sure that it is not resting mid-thigh. This will be more comfortable for your baby.
As you can see this is a very trim option for cloth diapers. It is also a good option for when your little one is learning to crawl. It increases the mobility with prefolds.

Wide Fold:
Another option with prefolds is to lay the diaper with the long side under the baby's bum.
Fold in the the right side to the center
Then bring the left over to the edge.
Lay the folded diaper in the cover.
With the Thirsties cover (and many others) there is a pocket that you can tuck the diaper into. This helps the diaper to stay in place.
Place the diaper on like you would a regular disposable diaper.
As you can see in the pictures above, this option adds a bit more bulk, but with that it holds more pee! This is a great option at night or for little boys as it has the most protection in the middle. You may also notice that I did not use a pin or Snappi with this fold. It is not needed when you use the cover. Make sure you use a cover that has a snug fit on your baby. You may also choose to fold your diapers in advance so that you have little to do at the time of changing. We used this fold as well as the one below a lot when Haddie was little. The smaller prefold diapers worked really well with this fold. I found it just as easy as a disposable.

Long Fold:
Another option is to do the same fold but the opposite way. Put the short side under the baby's bottom.
Again fold the right...
and left!
Depending on the size of the diaper and your baby you may want to fold the top down so that you get more protection in the front. This is really good for little girls but does add more bulk in the front.
Again, lay it on the cover...
tuck it into the pocket and put on like a diaper. I must say that the last two ways of folding worked well with the right size diapers. However, we hit a point where these just had too much bulk in the middle of Haddie's legs. Out of frustration (and when there was a big sale going on) we got the size 2 Kissaluvs. Maybe when we have another baby we will get the size 1 so that we have a complete set!

Kissaluvs:
While I don't mind using the prefolds, the Kissaluvs are very easy to use! You lay it under your baby...
pull up between the legs...
fasten the first set of snaps (which have a lifetime guarentee) depending on the size of your baby...
and then the second set of snaps!
This is Haddie wearing the size 2 in the smallest size. She is currently 14 months, 21 pounds, and still uses the smallest setting on these diapers. They should fit her until she is potty trained! I must mention that babies who use cloth diapers do tend to get potty trained faster than babies who use disposable. They know what it feels like to be wet and they don't like it! Hadassah has been going to the bathroom on the toilet on and off for the past few months! I would not be surprised if she is potty trained at 18 months!
Then place the cover over the diaper!
Fasten as you have done before and make sure to check the legs!

These diapers are a bit more trim than the prefold folded. I think the twisted prefold and the Kissaluv have about the same amount of bulk.
These do not seem to keep Haddie from moving in all ways - and fast I might add!
Now...I do have one issue with cloth diapers, or should I say clothing companies??!! It can be a bit hard to buy clothes for Haddie in cloth diapers. Without cloth diapers she is very true to size, if not a bit on the small size. However, with cloth diapers she needs much larger bottoms and normal size tops. This can be hard when you are buying sets. Once I find some pants that fit around the cloth diaper they are too long in the leg! I think some of it is the fitted look that girls pants have. I have found that dresses work well for little girls. Also the basic pants from Gap work well. Gymboree clothes seem to fit really well. I am always shopping sales to find good deals. Maybe this is not as much of an issue with little boys as they tend to not have curvy cuts! This also was not as much of an issue when Haddie was under 6 months. The bottom line is that you will need to try out different stores to see what brands fit your baby with cloth diapers. I am always trying on clothes before we buy them! I can't just shop by size.
While I find these options to be very easy to use...not all would agree with me. For example, it can be hard to explain to nursery staff at church or to a babysitter. Everyone is ALWAYS willing to try but I have found that it is usually a challenge for them. As a result we decided to buy 3 bum Genius one size diapers for these occasions. I will write more about these diapers next week! I will also go over how many diapers to buy! Please let me know your tips and feel free to ask any questions!