receiving blankets as flats?

amieeyoung

I read on a website that you can use receiving blankets as flats- anyone tried this. I have some old ones from when my son was born that have a few stains. If this does work I'd like to use them. If people have tried and it doesn't seem like it works well I may turn them into wipes. If you did use them what was the best fold? LOL I need to start looking up and practicing folds soon I guess. 

CLLDLL

I've used a flannel one from the hospital in a pinch. It worked fine. I had a hard time getting the snappi to really grip.

You want to use flannel or cotton ones, not fleece. Somerthing mostly square around 27" x 27" will work best. BTW thin fleece ones work awesome cut up as stay dry liners or as a layer between the diaper and baby if you have to use a non CD safe cream.

Diaperswappers has a great thread with tons of pictures of different folds and info on what sized baby they work best on. I'd link it, but my phone's being annoying and won't let me. Maybe someone else can link it.

amieeyoung

Thanks! That is what I was wondering. I have been debating on using as wipes or dipes but liners might be a better way to go... hmmmm gave me something to think about

tjkdlhb

I use them as wipes, but my SIL used some as diapers when her son had a nasty rash from sposies and she was researching/buying cloth diapers.

I have a full stash now... but honestly, after having tried almost every type of diaper, including flats, prefolds, pockets, AIOs, if I had to buy more for some reason, I'd probably just use flannel or cotton receiving blankets as flats and PUL covers.  But my daycare is really flexible with our diapering choices too... she would use a padfolded flat if that's what we were using.  You could diaper so cheaply using that and really, any diaper is just an absorbant piece and a waterproof cover.

You could try them and a couple of other options to see if you like it.  If you don't like it, no harm done... they can be cut up as wipes

PipSqueak0313

I used them for a short time when practicing folding flats before I decided using flats was the way I wanted to go. I bought actual flats so my RB don't get used for flats....I actually use RB for blankets in summer.

Kelly11235

We sometimes use them padfolded.

amieeyoung

Thanks ladies!! I am going to try them a bit I think- if nothing else they can be back-up for when I get behind on laundry, maybe have one or two cut up as liners. 

tjkdlhb

I actually got a little behind on laundry and there's a receiving blanket being used OTB at the moment

painttheair14

They are now my main stash!

I use the airplane fold on my little boy and it works great! I think all of mine are cotton (flannel). 

I wish I had started using receiving blankets earlier!

amieeyoung

Girls this makes me feels soo much better about attempting it. My hubby gave me a kind of funny look . I am getting a few other diaper types to see what I like, but when I saw this I thought ..hhhmmmm much more affordable. So, we shall see! I appreciate all the feedback.

painttheair14

Good luck! My first attempt, I folded one, put it under my baby, said "there's no way this will hold any pee," and put on a prefold instead lol.

But once I actually tried it I loved it. Plus, like you said, hard to beat the price!

amieeyoung

PaintTheAir said:

Good luck! My first attempt, I folded one, put it under my baby, said "there's no way this will hold any pee," and put on a prefold instead lol. But once I actually tried it I loved it. Plus, like you said, hard to beat the price!

Yeah the whole- no way that will hold pee- is the line of thinking I had when I made this post. We will see if I"m too big of chicken when she gets here - either way great back up for laundry- that is one of my biggest fears with cloth diapering- laundry

PipSqueak0313

amieeyoung said:

PaintTheAir said:

Good luck! My first attempt, I folded one, put it under my baby, said "there's no way this will hold any pee," and put on a prefold instead lol. But once I actually tried it I loved it. Plus, like you said, hard to beat the price!

Yeah the whole- no way that will hold pee- is the line of thinking I had when I made this post. We will see if I"m too big of chicken when she gets here - either way great back up for laundry- that is one of my biggest fears with cloth diapering- laundry

On the fear of cd laundry.....let me just say I hate folding and putting away laundry but I find myself looking forward to doing cd laundry......if only regular laundry was as much fun.

amieeyoung

PipSqueak0313 said:

amieeyoung said:

PaintTheAir said:

Good luck! My first attempt, I folded one, put it under my baby, said "there's no way this will hold any pee," and put on a prefold instead lol. But once I actually tried it I loved it. Plus, like you said, hard to beat the price!

Yeah the whole- no way that will hold pee- is the line of thinking I had when I made this post. We will see if I"m too big of chicken when she gets here - either way great back up for laundry- that is one of my biggest fears with cloth diapering- laundry

On the fear of cd laundry.....let me just say I hate folding and putting away laundry but I find myself looking forward to doing cd laundry......if only regular laundry was as much fun.

This gives me hope

tjkdlhb

I've actually used receiving blankets a few times this past week and find that they work even better than the flats I bought at cloth diaper stores esp for my heavy wetter (man that kid can pee!  more than even his toddler sister!)  The cotton is a little thicker, so I think they can hold more.  Granted, it would probably be really bulky for a newborn unless it was cut to size.  You could so easily buy a bunch from a second-hand store if you didn't have many.  Like, probably even for 10-20 cents each... even cheaper than the equivalent number of disposables...so say 20x $0.15 = $3 for your diapers.  Seriously. OMG.

I swear, if I knew then what I know now... It would have been receiving blankets and a half dozen covers.  I'd have CD'd birth to potty for about $70-$100 depending on the cost of the covers I chose.  To be fair, my daycare provider is awesome and is on board with whatever way we want to diaper our kids.  But stuffed into cheapie pockets like Kawaii, they would be great even for most DCPs.  My mom learned how to fold them, and DH even uses flats now.  Granted he has his own unique way of folding them... but it works!   And padfolding is super super easy.  Just fold it into a rectangle. They wash so unbelievably well.  Especially in our HE machine with hard water.

Compare that to disposables... $0.22 (Kirkland brand)/diaper
$0.22 x roughly 8/day (more changes for a newborn, less later on) X 365 days a year X 2.5 years roughly = $1600 for disposables, not counting wipes if you go the cloth route for that.  You could save SOOOO much money.  And they work just as well as the fancier cloth diapers, and wash much easier.

Or compare that to the $800-1000 or so I've spent on AIOs or pockets over the past two years...

*kicking myself now*

ETA: The receiving blankets hold the pee at least as well as any other daytime diaper I've ever used.  Including disposables, AIOs, pockets, prefolds/covers.  The only "downside" is an extra few seconds to fold them, but that's counter to the extra drying time for any other form of diaper.  They dry super fast.

amieeyoung

tjkdlhb said:

I've actually used receiving blankets a few times this past week and find that they work even better than the flats I bought at cloth diaper stores esp for my heavy wetter (man that kid can pee!  more than even his toddler sister!)  The cotton is a little thicker, so I think they can hold more.  Granted, it would probably be really bulky for a newborn unless it was cut to size.  You could so easily buy a bunch from a second-hand store if you didn't have many.  Like, probably even for 10-20 cents each... even cheaper than the equivalent number of disposables...so say 20x $0.15 = $3 for your diapers.  Seriously. OMG.

I swear, if I knew then what I know now... It would have been receiving blankets and a half dozen covers.  I'd have CD'd birth to potty for about $70-$100 depending on the cost of the covers I chose.  To be fair, my daycare provider is awesome and is on board with whatever way we want to diaper our kids.  But stuffed into cheapie pockets like Kawaii, they would be great even for most DCPs.  My mom learned how to fold them, and DH even uses flats now.  Granted he has his own unique way of folding them... but it works!   And padfolding is super super easy.  Just fold it into a rectangle. They wash so unbelievably well.  Especially in our HE machine with hard water.

Compare that to disposables... $0.22 (Kirkland brand)/diaper
$0.22 x roughly 8/day (more changes for a newborn, less later on) X 365 days a year X 2.5 years roughly = $1600 for disposables, not counting wipes if you go the cloth route for that.  You could save SOOOO much money.  And they work just as well as the fancier cloth diapers, and wash much easier.

Or compare that to the $800-1000 or so I've spent on AIOs or pockets over the past two years...

*kicking myself now*

ETA: The receiving blankets hold the pee at least as well as any other daytime diaper I've ever used.  Including disposables, AIOs, pockets, prefolds/covers.  The only "downside" is an extra few seconds to fold them, but that's counter to the extra drying time for any other form of diaper.  They dry super fast.

this makes me happy. My MIL is making me some diapers, but I am seriously considering making most of the rest of the stash out of receiving blanket flats and a few prefolds and of course some covers...I assume I'll need a better night time option, but I can't wait to go thrift store shopping. 

I think we will use the disposables people have bought us for a bit until we get into a routine so I'm not too worried about newborn phase other than maybe a cover or two to try it out with prefolds. 

Now to research folds lol 

TugboatSheila

To piggy back. What folds do you suggest to start with for FSTS/receiving blankets/flats? I have been thinking about this too.

I'm going to Youtube some folds but would like some suggestions for starting points.

tjkdlhb

browneyedtornado said:

To piggy back. What folds do you suggest to start with for FSTS/receiving blankets/flats? I have been thinking about this too. I'm going to Youtube some folds but would like some suggestions for starting points.

I padfold (fold it into a rectangle) and lay it onto a cover or stuff into a pocket, I did the origami fold for DS when he was littler... My husband just folds it into a square and then jellyrolls it to contain the NB poop.

TugboatSheila

@tjkdlhb‌ thanks! Going to YouTube origami fold and I think I know jelly roll but I'll have to try that.

amieeyoung

browneyedtornado said:

To piggy back. What folds do you suggest to start with for FSTS/receiving blankets/flats? I have been thinking about this too. I'm going to Youtube some folds but would like some suggestions for starting points.

Glad you did this... I need to look at folds on youtube as well... and a few starting suggestions would be great!

TJ1979

I also folded my flats into fourths and jelly rolled. Worked beautifully.

CLLDLL

For itty bittys Jo fold and mini kite are great. After they get a bit bigger, I really like origami fold. Once G started solids and got ploppable, less frequent poops I started pad folding, which is awesome.

Rrrrrachel

I've been just folding mine into prefolds and using them like prefolds.