Cloth diapers have been popular among parents for many years because of their comfortable, affordable and eco-friendly features. They can be easily found in many offline as well as online stores and are available in various sizes and quality for the growing baby. Some of the options available in the market include prefold cloth diapers, flat diapers, and fitted cloth diapers.
Flat diapers are made from cotton gauze material and are single layered. Prefold cloth diapers come with various layers with an additional layering in the center to offer extra absorption where it is mostly needed. Fitted cloth diapers look much like disposables and are elastic at the legs and are available with Velcro or snap fasteners. Fitted as well as prefold diapers are made from hemp, cotton or bamboo fabrics and come as unbleached or bleached. Unbleached Chinese prefolds have superior absorption properties. Bamboo diapers are made from a rayon material which is made from bamboo plants. These diapers are eco-friendly and absorb far more water than cotton.
Diaper covers serve as a wetness barrier and hence are used with most cloth diapers. Quality covers are available with Velcro side fasteners or with snaps and come in a range of fashion designs and materials most commonly polyurethane laminate (PUL) or wool. The PUL covers are manufactured from a quality polyester fabric which has a thin coating of waterproof application. PUL fabric covers provide extraordinary wetness protection and therefore they are the most popular diaper covers used today.
Instructions on diaper folding for prefold diapers
Newspaper Fold: This type of fold offers multiple front layers to absorb the wetness and is very effective for baby boys. The fold is little bulky and is best suited for babies who have thin to average thighs.
Start with a flat diaper and keep the baby in such a way that the diaper's back edge is at the naval level. The front edge must be folded up in such a way that it fits conveniently below the naval level. The size of the baby and the diaper determines the size of this fold. Now starting on one side of the diaper, you must fold over an edge till it meets at the diaper's center. Repeat the procedure for the other side and position the edge into pocket or space which is formed by the fold of the first side.
Then the diaper must be pulled up between the thighs securely to the diaper's back wings. If you are using pins then one back corner must be pulled at a time and must be laid over the front section and attached. In order to ensure a secure fit, the pins should go through slightly below the top. If snappi device is used, both the back corners must be held over hooking and the diaper front one side at a time, before you attach the third hook at the center of the diaper's front section.
Bikini Twist Fold: This fold can be quickly donned and is very simple. This type of fold is perfect for babies who have thick thighs, especially for baby girls because the twisted area provides extra thickness. This particular fold is popular for its ability to contain messy bowel movements, though some people find the clean up can be a bit difficult because of the twisted section.
Place the baby as you did with the newspaper fold. The front half of the diaper must be twisted and each corner of the diaper must be brought to the opposite side to attain this preferably 180 degrees. The front of the diaper must be brought between the thighs and the front edge must be folded down till it is below the naval level. Lastly, both the corners must be brought over the diaper front and each of the sides must be fastened with a snappi or pins.
Other popular folds include the Angle Wing Fold and the Sidewall/Jellyroll Fold.
It is a smart and eco-conscious decision to choose to use modern cloth diapers. It can be quite fun (some say addictive!) to choose the diaper and covers due to a wide of styles and designs available in the market. The result will be satisfying whether you decide to use one or more diaper styles along with quality covers.
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