The other day I brought my gathered leg prefold diaper (or prefold hybrid) into being. And yes I did post about it. But as a diaper itself I think it needed a little more, some comparison pictures particularly. And well if it turns out to be a great idea it would have it's own post right? So here it is.
I think I'm calling this the prefold gathered leg hybrid. And the following is a series of photos showing my reg prefold next to my gathered leg prefold.
So one of the things you will receive as a shower gift (or have purchased yourself) is diaper cream to protect or heal diaper rash. And the two best out there are thick, creamy diaper absorbency destroyers. And your wondering what on earth are you supposed to do? Protect that little bum with cream or with absorbent diapers. And why can't life just be easy enough to let you do both?
Well actually you can. Remember me mentioning disposable diaper liners that are flushable, biodegradable and make cleaning poop into the toliet so simple? Yeah well they also protect your fluff from diaper cream. So...
Solution #1: use a disposable diaper liner.
And of course there is...
Solution #2: dont use cream.
Ok dont worry, most of the time your cloth baby won't need cream cuz a healthy, natural, clean cloth diaper that is changed and laundered often wont lead to diaper rash. However foods, teeth etc will lead to a rash on occasion. So return to solution #1: disposable liners. *of course there are diaper rash treatments that are cloth friendly and they will be covered later, this is about creams. The cloth safe items are usually oils. Also I haven't used them and I am skeptical as natural oils are one of the this.gs we remove when prepping cloth diapers to increase absorbency.
Why? I always wonder this so I will assume others are likewise curious
The creams are designed as a wetness barrier for babies skin. Of course as it builds up in the diaper it becomes a wetness barrier for your diaper. This isn't so great as you need that diaper sucking up wetness not lettinng it roll off.
If your diapers are starting to be less absorbent and you've been using cream, this is why. Having made this rookie mistake myself years ago I can tell you that you van see the white build up on your white diaper. Or more likely your cloth liners. They will need to be stripped. Since for me it was just liners, I replaced them.
Ever since I make sure to use the disposable liners. I still use cotton ones for absorbency but over those is my poop catching diaper build up saving disposable liner. They are worth the money. Actually they are worth more then the money (the are very affordable) .
So keep your fluff fluffy and not weighed down with cream build up. See, the fix was simple and you can still have your cake and eat i it too.
So when I decided to make my own diapers I had contemplated a hybrid idea of a prefold with a gathered leg.
My final decision was to not try something new. Who was I to think I could re-invent the wheel.
Well this morning I decided to make my night wraps. Which I've designed in the less typical manner. See I know fleece is great at handling night time diapers. Except I don't like it as a material inside a diaper. And its not water proof, its water repellent. So I made myself a 2/2/2 fleece prefold, to be used between between cotton prefold and a waterproof wrap (like PUL or taffeta).
And then I thought im gonna try my hybrid idea. Im gonna put elastic where prefolds wrap around the leg.
So after yesterday I woke up today still very excited about my (in the mail) baby leg warmers. When I had a great thought: knitted baaby leg warmers would be So Cute...except I can't knit. So I decided d I would make some out of sweater sleeves.
Now I love my knit sweaters and didn't want to cut them up
Plus then I wouldn't have sweaters. So I went to the local mission (I live in the ghetto) where they have free everything including clothes.
I found three sweaters with knits, colour and feel that I liked. Also 3 different styles and sizes (toddler, child, adult). So this tutorial actually shows 3 different (and easy) ways to make upcycled baby leg warmers from sweaters. Also I did them all long so they will bunch on the legs, and not be grown out of.
When it comes to cloth diapering clothes can be a real issue...one that has gotten worse as the years go on. Why? Cuz mainstream baby clothes are made to fit mainstream (disposable diapered) babies.
When I look back to family pictures of my siblings and cousins (all 70's babies), and our parents and grandparents; I realize this wasn't always the issue....but back then mainstream babies wore cloth diapers. Back then babies had rompers and such outfits that had wide butts that fit cloth diapers. Also back then everyone had at least one family member who could (and would) knit rompers, Shorties and Longies. Plus they could be found at reasonable prices at church bazzars. I even got a few for my first two kids.
Ok so your super excited to use your brand new cloth diapers. You feel confident, and I've assured readers multiple times that it works if you change it. You washed them once after they arrived (like all new baby clothes). Time for super cute fluffy bum!!
And then they leaked. You changed them but the absorbency wasn't what everyone promised. Your frustrated, tired, confused and have 3 weeks worth of laundry that you've accumulated in just 2 days. There is a fix, its simple and its a strange little thing about the cloth diaper world.
Before using your cloth diapers for the first time they need to be washed 3-4 times. This makes them more absorbent. In fact cloth diapers continue to increase in absorbency over time (so long as they dont have residue build up or ammonia) .
Why does washing increase absorbency? Well with some natural fibers it removes oils, but thats only part of it and happens quickly. What the washing does is soften up the fibers in the cloth. It also takes them from smooth to more fiberous. And it opens the weave of the material up some. This allows the fabric to pull in and distribute the wetness. This process is especially important with prefolds as it quilts them up.
So before using your cloth diapers wash them up several times. I use a regular detergent amount on the first wash (and since I made them this time that was when I pre-washed the fabric before sewing). For the next several pre-washes just a few spoons of detergent is enough. **only for prepping, dirty diapers need the correct detergent amount** You dont need to dry between washes. That's optional and personal preference. If your at a laundry mat I'd just dry at the end to save money. If your like me and dont have home laundry perhaps a friend will help you out. I will be doing my pre-washing at my moms. Although I wouldn't ask to do all my laundry this way (cuz I'd feel like a college student who saved her laundry for holidays at home), I dont mind asking for this situation. If your starting your cloth diaper journey with a newborn you could ask someone to do this as a shower gift.
Pre-wash several times first and your diapers will work if you change them. Also keep in mind many are made to be used with a cloth liner (like mine) . Often its not added to the core because some if the benefits of a seperate liner are the same as the benefits of a prefold. These are: adjustability, more thorough clean, faster dry.
Now that all the fluff materials has arrived, been purchased and prewashed; its time to make my diapers :) ok well the baby's diapers. These prefolds will have a finished size of 12.4 x 15 inches aand be a 2/4/2 diaper. Don't be worried that a 2/4/2 wont be sufficient. It is. And with these fabric choices it will be absorbent.
DIAPER PARTS:
•2 outer layers (I used cotton flannel). Each piece 13.6 in x 16.4
• 2 core layers (I used bamboo French Terry and zorb). Each piece 5 x 15
• Velcro 15cm.
Once all your pieces are cut its time to prep and sew.
PREP TIME
• Outside layer
