Switching to cloth more ?s

dreberger

I'm switching my 10month old Ds over to cloth. I've been on GMD looking around but am so overwhelmed! Is it better to use pre folds or flats? Do I only need fitteds for overnight and is the workhorse a good one? My DS is a heavy wetter so will he need more than one layer during the day? Sorry for all the questions just trying to figure what is best before I buy.

tokenhoser

Personally, at that age, prefolds were a no-go because DS rolled like an alligator for every change. Prefolds would have been very frustrating. A workhorse is just  prefold in another shape - no way would it last overnight.

I use pockets. For me, they're the right balance of easy to put on, easy to adjust the absorbency, affordability (I buy cheaper brands like Kawaii and Alva), and daycare accepted. There are people that like prefolds and flats all the way through, but I am not one of them.

Latham12

We love our GMD prefolds! Flats intimidate me though. If we could afford to use the GMD workhorse we would but it's just not as cost effective as the prefolds. We just started using
CD at night and last night used a grovia bamboo cotton blend prefold with a flip insert inside of it and she wasn't even soaked thru this morning.

The workhorse would be easier to put on a squirmy baby but other than that, it's the same as a prefold. Good luck!

CLLDLL

As PP said, both prefolds and flats may be hard to get on a squirmy baby.  Although if you did a tri-folded prefold in a cover, that may not be so bad. 

The biggest differences between pre-folds and flats are the drying time and folding time.  Flats dry faster, but have to be folded more to get them on baby.  So would you rather wait longer for a pre-fold to dry or spend more time folding up your flats?

We just ventured into the world of fitteds this week.  So far I am in love with them.  Easy to put on.  So cute & fluffy.  Basically they work like a prefold, but are easier to get on.  The ones you use for overnight usually have extra layers sewn in or extra doublers that you place in to increase the absorbency.  GMD workhorses are awesome for during the day and during the NB phase because they hold the poo in really well. But they probably won't have enough absorbency for a 10 month old.  You'd either need to add a doubler or two or try something different.  I really like my EcoPosh fitted, but they are pretty pricey.  I've also heard good things about S'bish/Sboom Snapless Multis and Bamboozles which are a little less pricey.

During the day, you'll have to play around a little to figure out what works.  You really want to change them every 1.5 to 2 hours so you don't need a ton of absorbency.  My LO is a pretty heavy wetter, and we do fine with a bamboo insert tri-folded in a cover.  That's around the same absorbency as a pre-fold tri-folded. I like to use a pocket diaper for naps with one microfiber and one bamboo insert during though.  Anymore than 2 hours and he starts leaking otherwise.

Maybe just buy one or two of each type you are considering to try out before you commit to a bunch that you end up hating.  

unaveragejane

I prefer flats over prefolds simply because it's easier for me to get a good snug, trim fit with the flats. I was skeptical of how well flats would absorb, but by the time you get it folded, a flat has just as many layers as most prefolds. DS is almost 8 months old, and I change him every 2-3 hours. He very rarely pees out of a diaper unless he's in the jumperoo, and then it's b/c of compression leaks.

I've never been brave enough to try either a flat or a prefold for nighttime b/c DS wets so much. For ON, we have just started using fitteds with PUL covers. (We'll switch to wool eventually when I get the sucker sewn together.) I love my S'bish fitted. My Kissaluvs fitted is just meh-okay. I also have a Grovia Kiwi Pie, but it lost a snap after the first use, so I am waiting on a replacement.