Prefolds With a cover VS. Fannel lined with insert?

[Ashley88]

I am currently buying the babyville cloth diaper line you see at Joanns. I plan on making all the cloth diapers for when me and my husband have a baby. I have heard differnt views on what to get but not sure. There are 4 different sizes i am gonna make newborn 8-10lbs, small 8-20lbs, medium 18-28lbs and large 25-40lbs. Ill tell you what i think is best but please tell me your input.

For a newborn I was going to make all diaper cover with a prefold and a snap-pi since they don't move or wiggle a lot.
For a small I was going to make a few diaper covers and the rest a flannel lined pocket diaper and I was thinking about adding gussets to them
For medium and large I was thinking only to make a flannel lined pocket diaper with the inserts

For the inserts and prefolds was thinking about using/buying hemp fleece because it is more absorbent and you wont need as many layers as you would need for cotton.

I am a fairly good sewer and really wanna make my own, i know it might be more expensive but i really just wanna do it for myself.


Oh and all diapers and diaper cover will have PUL fabric

 

[Rachel_C]

For smalls, I would go with a fitted nappy and cover, or prefolds and covers if you don't fancy fitteds. For young babies who can have quite explosive poos, you will be better with two part systems for the extra containment around the legs. Even if you add a gusset on a pocket nappy, containment is unlikely to be as good and you only have one chance to get a great fit whereas with two part systems you have two chances

I wouldn't make anything bigger than small for now... maybe make one of each of the different options for each size after that so you can try them out, decide what works best and then make more when you know. It's the same as when you buy nappies - you really need to try before you buy/make more than a couple or you could make expensive/time consuming mistakes. If you really want to have everything made in advance, again I'd go with fitted nappies. Pockets are good and have their place BUT if you are going to make everything so far in advance you would probably want to go with the option that has the greatest chance of working... so that would be fitteds or flats.

Unless you're particularly bothered about only natural fabrics in contact with LO's skin, I wouldn't line anything with flannel as that will hold liquid against the skin. Even if you only want organic naturals, baby might not like being wet! I would go with polyester fleece or suedecloth, or at least make liners of those fabrics.

I'd actually go for a mix of fitteds and flats for newborn nappies too. Newborns can have so many changes and they can wriggle a lot, especially when you're bleary eyed and it's dark so sometimes a fitted is easier and quicker.

For fabrics, I'd go with a mix. The more absorbent something is, the longer it takes to dry and hemp is known for not air drying very well. Well it does, but it can end up feeling like cardboard! I had some hemp inserts that when air dried wouldn't bend in the middle if you held them out sideways!