First, the difference between the prefolds you can buy locally at any discount store and diaper service quality (DSQ) prefolds.
Here is a prefold from the store. It's a Gerber, I believe. It has been through many washes so it is more worn than one you would buy new but you get the idea. It is made of birdseye fabric. This type of prefold comes in one size.
This is a DSQ diaper. Sometimes these are referred to as "Chinese prefolds". It is made of 100% cotton twill and is 4x8x4 meaning that the outer sides have four layers of fabric and the inside strip has eight layers. This particular one is a "baby" size. Preemie, infant, and toddler sizes are also available. Many babies are able to wear a baby size up to the time they toilet train. 
And now a layered comparison of the two. Keep in mind that my Gerber prefold is considerably more worn out than a new one. But the contrast would be similar regardless of the diapers' ages.
So, how would a person actually apply a diaper like this on a baby? Glad you asked.
First lay the diaper out flat and fold down the back if you need to size it down to fit your baby. You could fold down the front if you prefer but I felt like it made it too bulky.
Lay baby (or in this case, bunny) on the diaper and fold in the sides to the center. This would be the step where you might lay in a flushable liner, microfleece liner, or doubler (for more absorbency).
Now bring the diaper up between baby's legs and bring the wings into the center, hold snug.
While still holding the wings with finger and thumb, hook one end of the Snappi on the wing. I am left handed so this image will probably look backwards to those who are right handed. I'm sure you can adapt the info for yourself. 
Stretch the other side over and hook the other wing. Adjust for tightness as needed. 
Now pull the lower hook down and secure. No, I promise that the hooks do not go through all eight layers of the fabric. At least not on a DSQ prefold.
Aw, so sweet. There is nothing like a fresh cloth bum.
Add a waterproof cover and you're ready to go! This particular cover is a PUL Stacinator So Simple cover. It's my fav.
Yes, it take a little bit of practice to master and there is that whole element of live baby wiggles, but you can do it. Even my husband conquered it after only a few tries. If anyone has some tips on using pins please share them. I'd welcome a guest post on prefold or flat fold diapering with pins. Email me at karenk823@hotmail.com.
6 comments:
I am so cheap when experimenting with something new...I went with Gerber prefolds, Gerber plastic pants, and regular ol' diaper pins. It's a cinch, we've had no pokage at all even on my squirm-worm toddler. She says, "don't poke me, Mommy!" every time, which is funny because I never have. But they work just fine and are very easy to master
Awesome. It's fun to hear what works for different people.
I love using prefolds with Eli! Sadly all of my Thirsties are coming apart and I need to get some more. I always try to use them when I'm home to save the others for Mr. Man since he's not a fan of the prefold.
What covers work the best for you? I'll I've been using so far are Thirsties and soakers/longies and they work most of the time, but I'm always up for learning about more.
Tara- I love the Bummis Super Whisper Wrap and Thirsties Covers. My favorite is the Stac. So Simple in the picture but it's little more expensive than the other two.
How do you keep your wool from getting damp? I use my soaker and longies, but I can't rely on them for more than one or two changes.
I switch soakers/longies with every change. Mine get damp easily and if I have anything over the wool it gets wet. I don't have a solution for this yet. Maybe I need to lanolize better.
I used to use prefolds and pins and covers. I don't use them at all now, just pockets.
I used to run the pins through my hair before the diaper and then they would slide right through, making for less pushing and less chance of poking baby! I always stuck three fingers in the diaper to catch the pin just in case so I would get the poke.
It also works to store the pins in a bar of soap, it makes it slip thruogh the fabric better, too.
I'm much happier with my velcro, though!
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