Another cloth diaper question...

I often find I follow the topics about cloth diapers... *I* use cloth
diapers for DD, but DH won't because he just can't seem to be able to pin
them and all that... He is also not a fan of rinsing diapers, so when he's
with DD, he opts for the disposables, and when we go out, I put DD in
disposables so I'm not risking a diaper explosion, wet and soiled clothes,
and I cannot stand carrying around a bag of poopy diapers with me when out
and about
Cloth diapers at home, though, almost all the time, yet I'm STILL having
some issues...
We have the flat cloth diapers (a LOT of them - I believe something like
70-80 at least) and also some of the fitted ones - probably about 20 of them
or so. I have been able to get DH to use the fitted ones every now and
then... They are velcro ones, don't require a degree in physics or oragami
to fold and they're easy enough... The ones I'm having problems with are the
flat ones. We have some - I believe they are Gerber brand - and the package
they came in says they are the tri-fold ones... You fold them into thirds,
and then pin them up with safety baby pins.
Here's the ones...
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=2403153 (has dimensions
towards the bottom, if that helps)
And the other ones that aren't the actual Gerber ones are basically the
same, just slightly different dimensions or thickness.
We use the Kushies diaper wraps -
http://www.jardinediapers.com/store/files/d_19.jpg and I love them, and have
decided these work the best for us, as far as what seems to be available
around here. Do NOT like the plastic pants.
That worked great for a short time... It took me a bit to get the hang of
folding them exactly in thirds, but after a few times of folding them, they
developed creases so I had a good idea of where to fold. I've found that
recently, though, DD seems to be getting too big for this type of
tri-fold... The sides no longer match up to pin as I guess she's too big
She's 9 months old and now is probably really close to 20lbs. She was
around 17lbs almost 3 weeks ago.
I've looked and looked for different methods of folding flats... NOTHING
seems to work for me. I just *can't* fold them any way... The problem seems
to be that the flat diapers we have are NOT square - they're very much
rectangle shape, I guess for the tri-fold method? Not sure, but this way of
folding just doesn't cut it.
Anyways... Does anyone else deal with non-square flat diapers? Anyone know
of any sites that give some ideas on folding this type? It seems that every
place I've been able to look up has folding methods for square diapers, and
I've tried folding the rectangle ones the same way for the square ones on
the pages, but it doesn't seem to work... I end up with a big crumpled mess
of material that falls apart...
Any tips or suggestions would be awesome and greatly appreciated, as would
any tips on how to make it easier for DH to use cloth diapers would be great
as well... I think he's just scared of the whole folding and pinning idea,
and I've heard of others using 'Snappis' - believe they're called? But I
can't seem to locate anything locally, and the prices online are a bit
steep, considering that pins seem to work pretty good for me anyways.
Thanks!

Here is what I do:

1) Pick up baby's bottom, slide flat diaper under lengthwise. Put down
bottom.

2) Use one hand to fold sides in sharply. Front corners sort of come
to a point or cross. This makes diaper narrow enough to go through
baby's legs.

3) Pull diaper through baby's legs.

4) Flare out top front just enough to pin, keeping taut between legs.
If not using pins, use thumb and pinkie to hold diaper in place where
back and front overlap.

If there is extra length fold it down. If you know how much extra
length there will be, you can fold down the back in advance instead.

5) Put on diaper cover. Diaper will probably be sticking out on both
sides between legs.

6) Gently pull cover and push in diaper at legs.

If it is not possible to push diaper into cover, it needs to be folded
more sharply, or baby may be small enough that the whole length of the
diaper needs folding.


Since the diaper fills the whole cover, but does not stick out, there
is less chance of poop touching the cover

--Betsy.

xkatx wrote:

I've looked and looked for different methods of folding flats... NOTHING
seems to work for me. I just *can't* fold them any way... The problem seems
to be that the flat diapers we have are NOT square - they're very much
rectangle shape, I guess for the tri-fold method? Not sure, but this way of
folding just doesn't cut it.
Anyways... Does anyone else deal with non-square flat diapers? Anyone know
of any sites that give some ideas on folding this type?

I'm a bit confused as to which diapers you actually have - from your
description, it sounds like prefolds, not flats. I've heard from USAn
diaper sites that the Gerber prefolds are generally considered to be
very poorly absorbent compared to Chinese or Indian cotton prefolds.
Prefolds are sized - I can't imagine getting an infant prefold to fit
around a nine month old, but a premium prefold should.

For heaps of info on folding prefold and flat nappies including
diagrams, photos and video, check out my the links on my site
http://www.ozclothnappies.org/links.html#information

I used a Snappi with Chinese prefolds and with terry flats, and loved
it. Very easy once you get the hang of it. I found that trifolding in a
cover led to too much moving around of the nappy, but some people prefer
to do it that way.

Lara

What you want to get are the other ones on that page--not the flat
fold, the pre-fold. Those flat ones are too thin to be any use. I use
them, folded in thirds, as an insert for the others, which I fold as in
Betsy's excellent directions.

Leslie

"Lara" wrote in message
...
xkatx wrote:

I've looked and looked for different methods of folding flats... NOTHING
seems to work for me. I just *can't* fold them any way... The problem
seems
to be that the flat diapers we have are NOT square - they're very much
rectangle shape, I guess for the tri-fold method? Not sure, but this way
of
folding just doesn't cut it.
Anyways... Does anyone else deal with non-square flat diapers? Anyone
know
of any sites that give some ideas on folding this type?

I'm a bit confused as to which diapers you actually have - from your
description, it sounds like prefolds, not flats. I've heard from USAn
diaper sites that the Gerber prefolds are generally considered to be
very poorly absorbent compared to Chinese or Indian cotton prefolds.
Prefolds are sized - I can't imagine getting an infant prefold to fit
around a nine month old, but a premium prefold should.

Alright, I'm confused now... I found this on google...
http://www.babycottonbottoms.com/what_kinda_diaper.htm
According to that page, we have the 'Flat Birdseye Diapers' - unless that's
a brand name, but ours do not match the squared measurements... We also do
have these 'Cotton Prefold Diapers' - they're the ones that do have the
different layers of absorbency and we have also the 'Fitted Cloth Diapers'
and the 'All-In-Ones', but ours do not have the built in diaper cover on the
outside, they're all white, fasten with velcro and have a plastic liner in
the middle - not on the outside of the diaper. (Hard to explain)
The ones I'm having issues with are the ones that we have that are very
similar to the 'Flat Birdseye Diapers' (but ours have rectangle dimensions,
but other than that, they're 1 layer, and it takes a crash course in
something to be able to fold them.
The 'Cotton Prefolds' aren't an issue. They seem to come in different sizes
and those are easy. The 'Flat Birdseye' seems to be a pain. They're
supposed to be one size fits all and you're supposed to fold them
accordingly, but there's no directions or tips on how to fold them for older
babies... I've tried to make different folds at different places, but by
doing that and not making the folds overlap, I've found that they're even
less convenient as with less material folding on top of eachother, it
becomes even less absorbent.

For heaps of info on folding prefold and flat nappies including
diagrams, photos and video, check out my the links on my site
http://www.ozclothnappies.org/links.html#information

I used a Snappi with Chinese prefolds and with terry flats, and loved
it. Very easy once you get the hang of it. I found that trifolding in a
cover led to too much moving around of the nappy, but some people prefer
to do it that way.

Lara

"betsy" wrote in message
oups.com...
Here is what I do:

1) Pick up baby's bottom, slide flat diaper under lengthwise. Put down
bottom.

2) Use one hand to fold sides in sharply. Front corners sort of come
to a point or cross. This makes diaper narrow enough to go through
baby's legs.

3) Pull diaper through baby's legs.

4) Flare out top front just enough to pin, keeping taut between legs.
If not using pins, use thumb and pinkie to hold diaper in place where
back and front overlap.

If there is extra length fold it down. If you know how much extra
length there will be, you can fold down the back in advance instead.

5) Put on diaper cover. Diaper will probably be sticking out on both
sides between legs.

6) Gently pull cover and push in diaper at legs.

If it is not possible to push diaper into cover, it needs to be folded
more sharply, or baby may be small enough that the whole length of the
diaper needs folding.


Since the diaper fills the whole cover, but does not stick out, there
is less chance of poop touching the cover

--Betsy.

I'll see if this works. Directions you gave seem to be fairly basic and
easy enough. Maybe today I'll try this one out and put DD in a sleeper just
in case I have a disaster with this fold and getting the hang of it
We do have some fitted and some that I believe would be considered all in
ones, but for some reason, I really, really want to use the basic ones that
you fold and pin yourself. No idea why... Maybe I just like to make life
difficut
I will give it a shot, though. Thanks!

xkatx wrote:

The ones I'm having issues with are the ones that we have that are very
similar to the 'Flat Birdseye Diapers' (but ours have rectangle dimensions,
but other than that, they're 1 layer, and it takes a crash course in
something to be able to fold them.

I can see why it's hard to fold a rectangular flat diaper! How big are
the ones you have? Most flat folds are based on a 60x60 cm square.

Of the folds I know (the Nappy Lady site has details of these), the
Maria fold should work on a rectangle and a bigger baby - a bit hard to
figure out first time, but easy once you know how.

If you haven't got enough absorbency in that diaper no matter what you
do, it may just be that that diaper doesn't have enough absorbency for
your situation. Flat nappies that aren't terry (flanelette, birdseye,
muslin) are generally intended for very young babies, not older babies.
Options then would be to add a booster (a lay-in absorbent pad), or move
to a more absorbent diaper.

Lara
--
www.ozclothnappies.org

xkatx wrote:

[snip]
flat ones. We have some - I believe they are Gerber brand - and the package
they came in says they are the tri-fold ones... You fold them into thirds,
and then pin them up with safety baby pins.
Here's the ones...

Oooh. I bought some of those Gerber ones for the first baby, and I
didn't like them at all. (For diapering, that is, they make fine burp
cloths...) I really didn't like the texture of the material - in fact,
using them as burp cloths early on for my newest boy gave him what
looked like rugburn all over his chin! I really would suggest
contacting a diaper service and checking out what their diapers are
like. There's nothing stopping you from doing your own washing, but the
diapers are so much better - smoother, more absorbent, kind of feel like
layers of T-shirt material; and you could probably cut a deal to buy
older diapers from them. You could also check EBay, or do a search
online for "WAHM diaper", to find lots of people anxious to sell you
really nice diapers. I know you've got a lot of investment in diapers
with the ones you've already got, but how much is your irritation worth?
(That seems to be a big equation in my life, right now....)

[snip]
Anyways... Does anyone else deal with non-square flat diapers? Anyone know
of any sites that give some ideas on folding this type?

My Tiny Tots diapers are rectangular. Harry (at almost 15 pounds) is
already in the size they say should last the bulk of the diapering time
for a baby, and already I have a hard time fitting them 'round his hips.
So size is very important, especially for ease of use. Check out
their tips page, especially the video link towards the bottom.
http://www.tinytots.com/featured_inf...ues/index.html

One thing, though. In the video, he suggests hooking one end of the
snappi to one side before bringing up the other side of the diaper.
That never worked for me. I bring up both back corners, then fasten the
snappi. When I can't do that anymore, it's time to move up a size.


Any tips or suggestions would be awesome and greatly appreciated, as would
any tips on how to make it easier for DH to use cloth diapers would be great
as well... I think he's just scared of the whole folding and pinning idea,
and I've heard of others using 'Snappis' - believe they're called?

I use snappis, and one three-pack is all I need. (I'd use the ones from
the first baby, but the rubber didn't last the 4 intervening years,
[laugh]) I love the snappis because, since they're rubber, they are
kind of like a rubber band, helping snug up the diaper.


I laughed when I read that you want a diaper with no "Physics degree"
required for DH: men are "supposedly" the ones who know that stuff
intuitively!
--
Cheri Stryker
mom to DS1 - almost 7!, and DS2 - 2.5 months

"Lara" wrote in message
...
xkatx wrote:

The ones I'm having issues with are the ones that we have that are very
similar to the 'Flat Birdseye Diapers' (but ours have rectangle
dimensions,
but other than that, they're 1 layer, and it takes a crash course in
something to be able to fold them.

I can see why it's hard to fold a rectangular flat diaper! How big are
the ones you have? Most flat folds are based on a 60x60 cm square.

Not 100% sure of the dimensions... I'll definitely look into that and see.
It does make folding hard, though...

Of the folds I know (the Nappy Lady site has details of these), the
Maria fold should work on a rectangle and a bigger baby - a bit hard to
figure out first time, but easy once you know how.

Seems to be the way with cloth diapers - a big challenge to get it down, but
once you have it, it's something you can do with your eyes closed and one
hand tied behind your back

If you haven't got enough absorbency in that diaper no matter what you
do, it may just be that that diaper doesn't have enough absorbency for
your situation. Flat nappies that aren't terry (flanelette, birdseye,
muslin) are generally intended for very young babies, not older babies.
Options then would be to add a booster (a lay-in absorbent pad), or move
to a more absorbent diaper.

We do use the diaper liners - it does seem to help with absorbency, but it's
also a lifesaver when it comes to poopy diapers and rinsing out - just flush
the liner and contents in the toilet and rinse the diaper out, which is
saved, for the most part, from poop.

Lara
--
www.ozclothnappies.org

I laughed when I read that you want a diaper with no "Physics degree"
required for DH: men are "supposedly" the ones who know that stuff
intuitively!

You know, I guess I've got to give my dh credit. Now, mind you, he's
hopeless with anything having to do with fabric, can't figure out which
clothes got together, how to hang or fold them properly, couldn't fold
two identical towels the same way to save himself. BUT, he does cloth
cloth diapers like a pro, every time. And we use PINS. We used to have
Tiny Tots, and do it the way they show in their online video. They sell
their diapers, by the way. When we moved out of their service area and I
was going to be washing them myself, I bought their "Mega Toddler"
diapers for $3 a piece, which is a great deal, they are big and thick.
They were out of service rotation, so I didn't have to wash them a
hundred times before using them, either, which is also a great savings
in time and money.

-Karen, cloth diapering someone or another since 2000-