I first started cloth diapering when my second child was 8 months old (first was 2)I started out with 1dz prefolds and 2 covers each. That is the bare minimum anyone can get away with. Cloth diapering can be overwhelming when you first consider it. I looked for months before settling with the cheapest way I could go. My husband wasn't on board and we didn't have a lot of funds to spend all at once. I made it for a few months while I got the hang of getting a good fit and trying to keep an 8mo and toddler still when they aren't used to doing so for a diaper change. I later ventured in to using a Bumgenius Onesize diaper, mostly for my husband, but have never liked those. I even sewed a few of my own diapers from various patterns, (Chloe's Toes, Rita's Rump Pockets, Very Baby) just to name a few but I have always come back to prefolds and here are the reasons why.
1. They are cheap cheap cheap.
2. They are dyeable.
3. You can sew a cute fabric down the middle.
4. Easy to wash, disinfect, get stains out.
5. Are quick to line dry or in the dryer.
6. Easy and quick to fold and put away. (No matching up parts, stuffing etc.)
7. I find them easier/quicker to put on than diapers with snaps and get a good fit (takes practice) and I can't stand velcro because it pills, gets caught on things, and chaffs budda belly tummies.
8. Green Mountain Diapers makes them in the perfect rise better than traditional prefolds for less bulk.
9. They make great stuffers for pocket diapers after the rise has been grown out of.
I have used the 24 GMD yellow edge prefolds I bought for Kailey for Tyler's pocket diapers for almost a year now. He used them before she was born and still now after she has grown out of them!
10. They have many uses even after they've been through several kids, and yes they will last that long! I still have the very first ones I purchased. You can use them as dust rags, cleaning rags, drying off your car after you have washed it so you don't scratch it, and I am sure there are more!
11. You can even make a fitted diaper out of them with a little sewing. :)
Cloth diapering a newborn: We have gone from 1dz NB orange and 24 newborn fitteds I made from flannel and birdseye, to 2dz Yellow edge, to 1dz red edge (I think I could have skipped these) with 4 brown edge, and will soon be in the Brown edge only. I tend to get them a tad big since I use wool covers and don't just lay them in a PUL wrap but if you use a PUL wrap then they fit even longer! Now, most people don't want to wash diapers every day but since I had 3 in cloth I had no choice. If you are very frugal then you can get by with what I did if you wash every day. Otherwise if you want to wash every two or 3 days, then multiply by 2. You can even skip the newborn size if having a bulky newborn diaper for a few weeks doesn't bother you.
Kailey a few days old in a GMD orange edge prefold.
Kailey 4m in a GMD Yellow Edge.
See the nice containment at the legs, and with no elastic!
6months old
Now, I have bought a few diapers in between that. 3 Onesize fitteds, 4 Cricketts Toddler size, and 6 Cricketts NB plus. While I like Cricketts absorbency, I didn't love the fit so I don't tend to use them except in a pinch or I leave them for DH. I still go back to my prefolds practically every time. I see a destash in my future!
Next time, Why I love Wool!
