Monday, September 17, 2012

A Post All About Prefolds!

What are Prefolds?

Prefolds are kind of the next evolution in diapers after the flat. With flats you would have to fold and maneuver to create a diaper. These you just lay down and wrap around your baby, pad fold instead of an insert, etc. Prefolds have three panels, the two on the outside are thinner (have less layers of fabric) than the middle one. The middle one is the one that catches the bulk of the pee and poop. Prefolds can be made out of cotton, hemp, bamboo, whatever. When shopping for prefolds you should see a number such as 3x5x3. This simply means that the left panel has 3 layers of whatever fabric they used, the middle has 5, and the right panel has 3 layers. Prefolds are NOT water proof and you will need a fastener and water proof cover for these diapers. Prefolds are also commonly used for lap pads/burp rags and sometimes when they outlive their usefulness as diapers, they are repurpoused into cleaning cloths. There are many options for prefold diapers. My favorite prefolds are OsoCozy Better Fit Prefolds. They are wider than most other ones which will be ablessing when your baby is past the newborn stage if you are doing a wrap around fold/angel wing fold, etc. I also use indian unbleached prefolds from cottonbabies as inserts in my pocket diapers! Do you want Chinese, Indian, bleached, unbleached etc?
 
Bleached vs. Unbleached

The only difference is really the color, and unbleached is said to last longer because the fabrics haven't been altered like bleached prefolds. Bleached prefolds will obviously be white while unbleached will have a more natural tan color. I personally use unbleached ones.
 
Chinese vs. Indian

 CPFs (Chinese prefolds) and IPF (Indian prefolds) are the two most common types of prefolds. Indian prefolds may wear out faster than Chinese, while Chinese may pill more than Indian. Indian prefolds usually don't have as heavy duty stitching as Chinese prefolds so the stitching may wear out sooner on them. So why do I use Indian prefolds rather than Chinese, you may be asking. Because simply, they are softer. I want my baby to be comfortable and Indian prefolds are softer and less harsh against baby's sensitive skin! Plus they wash up quicker, meaning you don't have to prep them as much. I was mine 3 times back to back on hot when I get them and boom, they're at maximum absorbency, if not, very close to it. It takes up to 10 washes to get Chinese prefolds ready to absorb the maximum amount of liquid, but who has that kind of time? And the biggest reason I use Indian prefolds rather than Chinese: They are more absorbent. I have a super peer little boy so I have got to have the more absorbent option, especially because I do use prefolds and covers but I also use pad folded prefolds as inserts in my pocket diapers.

I Recommend

OsoCozy unbleached better fit prefolds
OsoCozy staydry better fit prefolds
You can find both here!
 
Prefolds may be a good fit for you if:
 
You want to cloth diaper on a budget
 
You want versatility and variety in your stash
 
You plan to cloth diaper more than one child

Some Problems You May Encounter With Prefolds:

Can take extra time to fold them even though it they are already "prfolded"

Can be harder to get on a squirming baby

Can be difficult to fasten them tight enough with a snappi, pin, etc

Can take extra time to fasten them


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