There are so many ways to use a prefold! We have shown below the folds we think come in handy when diapering babies. We also recommend fastening a prefold with a snappi to keep the diaper in place, poop contained, and covers cleaner.

What you will need:

Now onto the folds! If your prefold seems long you can always fold it down in the back–this will also help with containing blowouts that go up the back!

#1 Angel Wing Fold

This is many people’s go-to fold. It’s quick and creates a little “poop pouch” to help contain, you guessed it, poop!

 

#2 Newspaper Fold

This fold is just like the Angel Wing Fold, but with an extra fold at the front. This is perfect for extra absorbency in the front, which makes it popular for boys. Alternatively, you could always fold the extra cloth in the back for a girl.

#3 Bikini Twist

Not only is this a fun and quick fold it also provides a lot of absorbency.  For a boy focus on having the ‘knot’ more towards the front and for a girl the ‘knot’ more central.  Avoid the knot becoming too tight, or else it doesn’t provide as much coverage. (With a larger prefold you can try a double twist!)

#4 Jelly Roll

This fold is perfect for helping with blowouts by creating the leg gussets which provides an extra barrier around the thighs. If your baby has skinny thighs or tends to leak out the legs, the leg gusset roll could be added to any of the folds above to create extra protection at the legs!

 

#5 Tri-Fold

This fold is simple and you can have many ready to go in your nursery for when grandma visits, you have a babysitter, or perhaps for in the middle of the night. Though the fold is convenient it does NOT hold breastfed or other liquid-y bowel movements well because it is not secured at the waist.  It can be easily weighed down with any movement (the covers will dirty quicker). This is most ideal for older babies to hold pee or solid poops.

And don’t forget to secure the cover…

 

 

We hope you have found these photos helpful and gives you a good portfolio to see what works best for your baby. If you’re a little nervous before baby arrives, practice on a stuffed animal like we did! In your first week you’ll fold as many as 80 diapers, so you’ll get the hang of it really quick!