The opposite seems to be the ultimate cliche of modern cloth diapers (ie"not your grandma's diapers"). Recently a friend and I were discussing how many mothers who cloth diaper for several years end up drifting back to good ol' grandma's recommendations - something you'd use with pins and with wool covers.
Recently, I was lurking on an online forum discussing a 1 week challenge different mom's were participating in and posting pictures of - 1 week in prefolds only. Prefolds or flat diapers were the only ones allowed, pins or snappis optional.
I was curious. So I watched. All of a sudden, mothers writing about using flats on their toddlers caught my attention. I always thought flats were a waste of cotton. They weren't absorbent enough, why would anyone use them?
So my curiosity got the better of me. If they worked on numerous toddlers certainly they'd work for my newborn. I found a dozen of them for $10 ppd and thought I could use them to extend my diapering stash. I mean, that's a great way for so little money!
I have to say. I am shocked. Flat prefolds are all the rage in my house. Flat is the new fitted.
If you know HOW to fold them, you will be amazed at their effectiveness! I will occasionally use 2 together when I need extra absorbency (overnight). But 2 flats together in comparison to 2 prefolds together? No contest. Bulky clothing not required.
A friend of mine has told me how she's considered cloth diapering for years, but disliked bulky diapered bottoms. 2 flats are so trim I'd challenge them to be beaten by even the most modern pocket diapering system.
If you have a super soaker, like my 20 m.o., instead of doubling up on the flats you can use a Kissaluvs Super Booster doubler with it. Talk about a cheap, effective diapering solution!
Flats dry so quickly in the dryer - ridiculously energy effecient. And of course, you can actually line dry these in record time. Most other diapers just can't be line dried - not quickly anyway.
One of the most fun parts of flat diapers? You can dye them yourself!! I plan on spending a day dying flats sometime this summer. FUN FUN FUN - and did I mention cheap?
So you want to switch to cloth, and just can't find the money? These cost the same as a package of disposables. How can you not?
What do you all think, would you like a picture tutorial of my favorite flat diaper fold?
8 comments:
I am definitely not opposed to prefolds and flats. It's Shea that's the problem. She has had a hatred of diaper changes since birth, and I can barely get her to sit somewhat still (or at least escaping slowly enough) for me to get a fitted or pocket on her!
Maybe the next baby will be a little more patient. I love how trim they can be, if you can actually manage to get one on the baby. :-)
I would love to see a picture tutorial! As a childcare giver I love cloth but I've never used a traditional flat. The family I work for has flats and I would love to know how to use them especially while the baby is in a patient phase!
www.valleyclothdiapers.ca
Please give a tutorial! :) I'd love to see. I'm always looking for ways to extend my collection - especially easy, leak-free, cost efficient, environmentally-friendly ways!
I have to say that I love the bulk of fitted cloth diapers on Jack - I think it's hilariously cute. But, on the other hand, having the option of a diaper that's less bulky would give Jack a chance to wear a wider range of his clothing...!
"If you have a super soaker, like my 20 m.o., instead of doubling up on the flats you can use a Kissaluvs Super Booster doubler with it. Talk about a cheap, effective diapering solution!"
Okay, I'm a cloth diaper user, but even this sentence got me! What is a Kissaluvs Super Booster doubler?! And when you say flat do you mean the really big thin pieces of cloth? Yes, we would like a tutorial.
I use (I think) flat pre-folds. That's all I've ever used. I double up at night for a mega bottomed kid and still he is wet in the morning. Suggestions?
So, I too would like a tutorial. I know I hear people saying that flats and prefolds are great... but yeah... *sigh* I'm still into the pockets. And yes, especially as my kids get bigger, somehow the tush seems to grow bigger and bigger with the additional inserts! So I am interested in thinning that out a bit.
I also don't like the idea of using pins. Nope, nada. I know you can use snappis and I'm not against that. However, I don't like the idea of those little plastic covers my mom used to use. The wool covers I felt I didn't like the feel of either. Maybe I haven't felt the right things, as it seems uncomfortable and scratchy. *shrug* So, to me those would be the draw backs and why I'd think about sticking to the Fuzzi Bunz and Wonderoos.
I would love to see a tutorial. I have some cloth diapers, and my cloth diapering story is too long to explain, but I haven't been at it too long. We are expecting our 6th in three months and I want to go full time cloth, so I need a bit more for our stash, and prefolds/flats look like the cheapest way to go. BTW I was reading your diapering posts and others when I came across "Wegman's". I currently live in the south, but grew up in upstate NY and when we first moved here, I didn't know if I was going to make it without a Wegman's. The stores here in the south have greatly improved, but 13 years ago when we first came here, OY! Ha, ha.
Kerri
Oh. You are good and green. I am the diaper devil. Disposable all the way. :(
OF course we want a tutorial!
I've always used prefolds (with Gerber rubber covers), but at my mom's urging, finally tried flats. I LOVE them. I'm only sad that I bought SO many prefolds, b/c now I can't rationalize buying more flats!
I've never understood people who say that their kids don't lay still long enough for pins and cloth diapers. My 15 mo. old is pretty darn wiggly, and I can change a cloth diaper just as quickly as a sposie (yup, we've timed it, LOL). I do, of course, fold the flats ahead of time, when I do the diaper laundry (not each at the time of diapering).
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