I want to shout it from the mountain tops. I want to share the benefits with every parent out there who has ever suffered massive poo-splosion blowouts that destroy outfits. I want to tell every person I meet about the wonders of a massive poo-splosion that didn't even make it to my son's clothing.
Okay, that last one makes it sound like I have a problem.
Edgar started off, for the first 6 months of his life, in disposable diapers. Now, because he's massive and growing like a weed (albeit a very cute weed), he would outgrow a diaper size about once a month to month-and-a-half. Whenever I tried to buy more than one box of diapers at a time, he'd outgrow that size within the next week or so, wasting money. We were subjected to daily poo leaks that would destroy my favourites of Edgar's outfits without discrimination. When moms from Edgar's birth class group mentioned they did not have a single blowout after they started cloth diapering, my ears perked up.
Like many moms, I had my doubts about cloth diapering, many of which were myths. The more I looked into it and the more reviews I had read that were written by real parents, the more I began to feel that it might work for us. It was so confusing, though, with all the new terminology. AIO, AI2, pockets, prefolds, flats, Snappis, diaper sprayers, wet bags, doublers, inserts... the list went on and on. On a night when I just couldn't fall asleep anyway, I spent hours researching and learned as much as I could about cloth diapers without seeing one in person.
One slushy April day, K and I made a trip down to Babes in Arms to check out the diapers and make my first purchase. I walked into that store fully intending to go the route of the AIO (all-in-one) diaper, but seeing the diapers in person made me question my choice. After a lovely demonstration by one of the employees and weighing the pros and cons, I decided to go with prefolds and covers. Because it’s the one I have the most experience with now, I’ll discuss prefolds and covers. If you want information about AIO, AI2 (all-in-two), or pocket diapers, try this video as a starting point.
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| An organic cotton overnight prefold by Flip (left) and a generic organic Indian cotton prefold (right). |
Prefolds look more like a traditional cloth diaper (flats), but have seams sewn in to allow for easier folding. They are much less expensive than the AIOs ($20+ a piece for AIO over $4.75 a piece for a prefold), so if they are accidentally ruined it's not too much of a loss. That, and prefolds last longer than other options and can take more abuse. They do take more work to fasten, and they don't come with covers, but it's a decent trade-off. Learning how to fold them was a bit of a learning curve, but I’ll get into that later.
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| From top left to bottom right: Blueberry, Best Bottom, Blueberry again, and Rumparooz |
Speaking of covers, aren’t these the cutest?
Covers, in the sense of prefolds and flats, are meant to
keep everything from coming in contact with the outside world. There are many
brands and styles. I prefer the ones with gussets in the leg-holes because they
add an extra layer of protection, especially since Edgar has massive thunder
thighs. Covers will run anywhere between $5 all the way up to $22, and
different styles work better for different babies. Covers (and some brands of
AIO, AI2, and pockets) come in two main options: sized or OS (one-size). One
size can be used from about 8lbs all the way up to 30-40lbs depending on the
brand, meaning they can be used again and again for baby after baby. With
Edgar, I’ve liked one-size Rumparooz the best so far.
The one-size diapers use systems of snaps that can be adjusted to fit all sorts of sizes of babies; whether long and thing, or short and chunky... or long and chunky like Edgar.
“How then, do you fold these mystical prefolds?” you ask?
Like this.
This is an “Angel Wing” fold. I’ve found it works best with
Edgar’s tendency to hold onto poo until it’s a massive poo-splosion. There's all sorts of different folds, and here's a selection of them in demontration videos.
I start
off by laying out my prefold as best I can with a squirmy baby and folding it
into what is called a “trifold”... yes, folding into three. Sometimes, if I’m
lazy and know that Edgar’s already pooped for the day, I’ll stop here and stuff
that into a cover. In this case, I’ve recruited a semi-willing, pedophile-free teddy to
demonstrate.
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| A length-wise trifold. |
Next, I open up the sides about half-way up and tuck down
the top of the prefold.
It’s at this point that I slide the prefold under Edgar’s
bum. If I wanted to add an insert or doubler at this point to increase
absorbency, I would do so at this point; I’d just lay it inside the middle of
the prefold underneath baby. We aren’t doing that today, so I’ll continue to
the next step.
Now, I bring up the front part of the prefold. This is
sometimes easier said than done with a squirming baby, but it gets done
eventually.
Flare out the sides of the front and bring up the back sides
so that they overlap.
It’s now that the diaper needs to be pinned. This wonderful
invention, called a Snappi, is a safer alternative that takes no time at all to
attach. Once it’s on, the diaper is ready for a cover.
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| My new best friend, the Snappi. They come in many colours, but I stuck with white and mint. The teeth grip the diaper without the need to use pins! |
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| Held, and then Snappi'd |
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| All covered up! |
All done! Easy... well, sort of easy. It’s definitely easier
to do on a teddy than on a rolling, squirming baby that wants to grab the
curtains beside the changing table.
Edgar sure looks adorable in them, though, and that helps!
Helpful Resources:
Caterpillar Baby (Where I buy my diapers/supplies)
Types of Cloth Diapers and How to Use Them (Video)
FAQ Cloth Diapering (by Bummis, a cloth diaper brand)
