Selecting size of Prefolds or Flats?

[BigC300]

I have learned through experience! Always order the biggest largest size available. All you do to make it fit is fold the sides or top and bottom. Folding just makes thicker more absorbent layers! Have you ever watched how a Mom has to really fold and scrunch up a diaper for a newborn?

[Thad]

lol, i just have the medium prefolds and fold the top part down. of course i've had them for a few years and now my plastic pants are staring to show wear and tear. wish i could wear more but, C'est la VIve. as for watching a mom fold and scrunch up a diaper,i can't say that i have as all my extended family uses disposables on the baby's.

[Cottontail]

There is such a thing as too much diaper, IMO. I've got a few of just about every size of adult prefold. I like to have just enough width so that the front can remain folded narrow when fastened. That makes for a snug, supportive fit. If you have to pin on your hips, then I would say your diaper is too small. Oddly, in this "too small" scenario, the diaper can actually feel looser and baggier in front than a properly-sized one would.

[square_duck]

I agree with the above ^ but I preface that with the idea that this also depends on what you want. An AB might want something different than a D/L. Someone might want a bigger diaper for R/P then a D/L who wears for pleasure and wants to be discreet, so there are variables.

Personally, generally I wear mediums in both cloth and disposables (except for Bambinos which neither one really fits well but thats a different story)

ANYWAYS...Sure I can go order an XL or XXXXL cloth (prefold) diaper and practice origami in order to get it to fit right, which might not happen, but the end result would be a diaper that would be H*U*G*E, then I'd have to order some gigantic plastic pants to go over it and for me this isn't practical. I ordered some medium prefolds in both Gauze and Birdseye (4x8x4) from ADC and they fit OK..may be a bit 'small', and pin at the hip, but they are more discreet for general wear. They also have a terry cloth 'filler' for the center panel, which makes the center 'look' fluffier and thicker, but also hinders folding. They aren't my 'fav' cloth diaper but they are what they are and I'm happy.

Then I stumbled across some twill prefolds from Rearz (4x10x4) and had a new level of experiance, These were COOL.

I think I got 1 medium and a couple of 'larger' ones and they are soft and comfy, and seem to perform well and not to bulky, like the ADC ones. If I wanted something thicker, I could double them up if I wanted,and I have...and W*O*W! The larger ones need to be folded, and do create more 'bulk' around my middle, but it's not to bad, so I deal with it. They can be worn anytime, and I have gone out shopping and such while wearing them with plastic pants.

Now the latest thing I have tried is the prefolds from baby-pants. these are (supposedly) 4x8x4 Birdseye. I ordered the large size, because thats what the size chart said would fit, but they need to be folded a bit, and they also pin higher and more towards the front, unlike the medium ADC prefolds. I found that I really like this diaper, in that it's again, not a 'bulky' as the ADC ones, the side panels are thinner so pinning is easier and less bulk, they are comfy, and seem to perform well ( I have washed them 2twice now in H*O*T water and am waiting to see if they shrink a bit more, and how absorbency works out) but they are more discreet, and can also be doubled up for night use or what ever. I also ordered a contour fit in large which seems to fit better for some reason..

Anyway, as I said, sure, I could order the XXXXl prefold from baby-pants and be swimming in fabric, but I don't see the point. I have both mediums and larges both which work for what I want, and If I want more, just double (or triple) them up and go on. *shrug*

So, for me at least, a 'bigger' diaper doesn't necessarily mean a 'better' diaper, it just means more laundry and longer drying time. B*U*T! I apply this to ONLY prefolds! The flat diapers can and will be different!

Those have an infinite possibility for folding and using and having a bigger 'diaper' means more folding and of coarse, more absorbency and bulk when and where you want it and so on, so in that case, sure, it would work out better.

Just for prefolds where you have a fixed layering system built in, the 'bigger is better' idea doesn't fly so well, as you would end up with tons of fabric that you couldn't possibly get to fit right....it would be comical to try (or watch)

I might try a medium baby-pants prefold just to see if it would be 'to small' and if so, I'll stick with the larges and order more....they really are nice diapers (though so are the twill ones from Rearz and changing times)

[Benjamin]

From experience I find that it works best to order one size larger than what you think will work. I am a 38" waist, so I typically order the "Large" even though I fit into a "medium". After a few washings, prefold cloth diapers tend to shrink more than you might imagine them to. It can also depend on where you like to fasten them. I've found that with the 'large', they fasten more in the front, the 'mediums' tend to fasten more on the sides. Personal preference, hope that helps.