So you’re a new parent and have decided to use cloth diapers on your baby. Great decision! Cloth diapers are less expensive, more healthy for your baby’s skin, and great for the environment. Cloth diapering has come a long ways in the last few years and there are now so many great products out there. Sometimes with all the choices it can be overwhelming trying to decide what to buy, especially if you have not had any previous experience with cloth diapers.
When choosing a cloth baby diaper, there are several different styles available that you can choose from. They are: flat, prefolded, contoured (or shaped), fitted one-piece construction, fitted two or three-piece construction, and all-in-one.
This article will touch on prefolded cloth diapers. Pre-folds are actually flat diapers with the centre folded over into a multi-layer panel. The central panel has sewing down the edges to permanently hold the middle layers together and eliminate folding. Prefolds are described by the number of fabric layers in each of the three sections. Examples are 1-3-1’s or 4-6-4’s. With a 1-3-1, this means that there is one layer of fabric on the two outside sections and three layers of fabric on the middle section. A 4-6-4 means that there are 4 layers of fabric on the two outer sections and 6 layers of fabric on the middle section.
If you are handy with a sewing machine you can find patterns for other folds such as 2-3-2’s or super absorbent 2-5-2’s. Contoured diapers may also have a prefolded panel down the centre. The difference is that prefolds are rectangular in shape and contoured diapers are shaped to fir around the legs.
Unwashed prefolds do not look very thick when they are new. A miraculous transformation occurs after a couple of washings. The flannelette, gauze or bird’s-eye plumps up and is much thicker than its former self. Washed prefolds measure roughly 11” x 17” for the infant size and 13” x 17” for the toddler. Minimal folding is required before fastening on the baby. Pins or a wraparound cover may b used to hold on the diaper.
Prefolded diapers definitely have their advantages over some of the other styles of cloth diapers. Obviously there is less folding than with a simple flat cloth diaper since they are prefolded. They also give extra absorbency in the center where needed. Prefolded diapers fit well inside wraparound covers. Another advantage of prefolds is that they dry faster than fitted diapers. They are also less expensive than fitted diapers. Prefolds are easy and fast to make, so you can choose from literally hundreds of colors and prints of fabric. Another great thing about prefolds is that infant diapers may be used later in the larger size as an insert for extra absorbency.
Some disadvantages that prefolds have when compared with other styles of cloth diapers are that they take longer to dry than simple flat cloth diapers. A diaper cover is required. And if you are going to buy them, you probably won’t have much of a selection when it comes to color and prints, as most commercial types are white only.
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