How to Fold Prefold Cloth Diapers

Pre-fold diapers were invented in the 1950s. Mrs. Hellerman, a diaper service owner, put extra layers of cotton in the center of a traditional diaper for increased absorbency. The extra layers were sewn-in to create the folds, and the result was a diaper that fit most babies (See Reference 3). With a little practice, folding a pre-fold diaper is a quick and easy process. A variety of different fold are possible. The boy fold allows for the greatest absorbency in the front. The girl fold allows for greatest absorbency in the middle. The fan fold is used to contain runny bowel movements (See Reference 2).

Things You'll Need

• Pre-fold cloth diaper
• Diaper wrap
• Diaper liner (optional)

Instructions

Boy Fold

1. Place the diaper in front of you, as if it were a sheet of notebook paper (The shortest edges are at the top and bottom.)

2. Fold the top down about one third of the way. Make sure the length is now short enough to fit into the diaper wrap.

3. Fold the left-hand side over the middle section.

4. Fold the right-hand side over the top of the previous folds. The diaper has now been folded into thirds, lengthwise.

5. Put the diaper liner on top of the diaper, if desired.

6. Put the diaper into the diaper wrap and place on baby.

Girl Fold

1. Place the diaper in front of you as if it were a sheet of notebook paper (The shortest edges are at the top and bottom.)

2. Fold the top down about one third of the way.

3. Fold the bottom up and over the previous fold. The diaper has now been folded in thirds, widthwise.

4. Put the diaper liner on top of the diaper, if desired.

5. Put the diaper into the diaper wrap and place on baby.

Fan Fold

1. Follow steps one through four of the boy fold.

2. Pull each corner from the back of the diaper out into a fan shape.

3. Put the diaper liner on top of the diaper, if desired.

4. Put the diaper into the diaper wrap and place on baby.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure the diaper and the liner are completely contained within the diaper wrap to prevent leaks.

• Following the guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics, make sure to have all supplies on hand while changing a diaper and never leave the baby unattended. Babies can easily roll off a changing station (See Reference 1, page 42).

References

• "Caring for Your Baby and Child: Birth to Age 5;" The American Academy of Pediatrics; 1998.
• "Cotton Diapering Kit User Guide;" Bummis.
• History of Diapers