You may recall last month when I wrote about the problems I was having with prefolds, and the fact that I was considering switching to expensive pocket diapers. Several of you gave me some helpful hints in the comments, so I decided to give it a few more weeks.
First I stripped my diapers to get rid of any stink. I realized part of my problem is that I’m still using detergent made for extremely hard water from back when we lived in a rural area with hard water. So I think I was using too much detergent. I cut the amount in half to avoid future issues.
Since too much detergent was the problem, I used a gentle stripping method with no additives or bleach. I basically just ran my diapers through several cycles of extremely hot washes until they stopped sudsing. Easy!
Then I started experimenting with the fold. Since Judah was born, I’ve wrapped the diapers around him and secured them with a Snappi. This was causing issues with disposing of solid waste, because the diapers were all folded up and creased. Yuck. I tried the newspaper fold, which is just a flat fold that fans out in the back with no Snappi. That helps!
I’m still having issues with keeping my mobile baby still while I get the diapers on him. Sigh. I suspect that will just continue to be a problem. I know it’s easier to get him into one piece and snap it than it is to wrestle him into the diaper and then the cover, but I suppose in the end that one extra step isn’t making all that much difference. I just try to keep him distracted with a toy or a song, and I go as quickly as I can.
Finally, it seems like giving it some time helped. I believe Judah was going through a particularly yucky diaper phase, and it seems to be much better now.
The moral of the story? Spending money to solve a problem should always be the last resort. Experiment with some free solutions before you shell out more cash!
We ended up going with the “insert sock” solution- it’s making the poo-clean-up process way easier, and has seemed to drastically cut down on stink and stains, too, for whatever reason. I’m glad you’re giving prefolds another try! We’re still dealing with a seriously wiggly baby- that’s my biggest diaper challenge at the moment :)
We use disposables (daycare requires those) and the squirmy wiggles aren’t any easier that way either… It seems to only get worse. At 18 months there is too much fun to be had to be still for anything as mundane as a diaper change.
We usually just trifold the prefold and lay it in the cover. No extra snappi required. Not sure if that is easier or more difficult with the wiggly baby. But it’s a fast change on the newborn.