Prefolds: The Verdict

If I was to say that I'm sad about prefold week ending I'd be lying. Honestly, if I had to do prefolds, I could do it. Maybe if I got better at it I'd even start wanting to do it. Right now, I'm not there yet. So, when it came down to pros and cons I tried really hard not to let my bias get in the way. Here we go.

Pros:

Fit - Great customized fit - especially newborns.

Easy to wash - Easy wash routine, gets really clean, no stink issues. I'd say that I wouldn't be nervous letting my husband wash prefolds because you're not likely to screw them up. Also, I've never had to sun out stains on prefolds because washing has been enough to keep stains at bay.

Air Flow - Nothing better for combating a red tush like airflow. It's the next best thing to a bare bum.

Natural Fibers - As a mom to a baby that might as well be allergic to her own shadow I can appreciate this. Many sensitive kiddos can't handle man made fibers like microfiber (which many other diapers consist of and those that don't tend to be pricey).

Price - Prefolds are a very inexpensive option (generally $3 or less per prefold when using cotton).

Absorbency - As opposed to diapers that just have an absorbent layer in the "wet zone" the entire diaper is absorbent.

Use - Even when baby grows out of a size it can be useful (if you don't want to sell them). They can be used as extra absorbency/stuffing in other diapers. They can be burp cloths or cleaning rags. Just because baby is growing doesn't mean they've grown out of their usefulness.

Cons:

Folding - It's a learning curve. Some are going to be better at it than others. Wiggly babies (see: toddlers) aren't always the best for prefolds.

Bulk - Depending on the fold, they can be bulking. The easiest fold (trifolding) tends to be the bulkiest and can bunch.

Not Stay Dry - Baby can feel when they are wet. This can be remedied by liners as mentioned in previous posts.

Poop - As mentioned in previous posts, sometimes poop sticks to them. Also, because they don't have elastic at the legs it's more likely that runny poop will get on the cover.

Not Sitter Friendly - Unless you have an awesome sitter like we have that used prefolds on her kids - sitters (and dads!) might look at you cross -eyed if you expect them to change a prefold.

The verdict: If you have an easy going kid, patience, and origami skills, prefolds are a good option for you. If you have limited funds and the will power to make it work, prefolds might be good for you. If you want cloth made easy, stay tuned there are other kinds.

PS - Once I'm all done with my cloth reviews I'm going to go back and add links and pictures. Right now I barely have time to get the writing in.