Day 5: Flats Experience, Folds you love, and Are they working?
Prior to taking this challenge, I had used flats a couple times. I only used the pad folded/trifolded and laying in a cover, or origami fold with a snappi. I rarely did the origami fold because it took time. Sometimes I would stuff a pocket with a pad folded flat, but mostly I just stuck to my pocket diapers with inserts.
Since starting this challenge, I looked at other folds to try. My biggest problem with the origami fold is that they just don't fit my chunk that great folded that way. I saw a lot of people liked the Kite Fold, so I decided to give it a try. I modify my kite fold, though.
I don't bother folding it to be a square, first. I don't care that it's crooked. I don't fold the point down, either. I like to keep that out to cover the fastener. I'll show you in a side-by-side comparison of the kite fold vs. my kite fold. They are two different sized flats, but you get the idea.
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| Fold corners in to a point like if you were making a paper airplane. (Note the flat on the left was folded previously to make it into a square where as the flat on the right was just folded for the first time in this step) |
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| Fold top part down to make a triangle. This is where baby's bum will go! |
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| Fold point of long end up to make a trapezoid (or don't.... I leave mine out like on the right!) |
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| Fold bottom up and over baby's front |
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| Fold wings in (then fasten!) |
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| I fold my point over the fastener (pin, snappi, boingo, doesn't matter) so baby has less of a chance of being able to mess with it and risk getting hurt. Not really that much more protection, but it's something, right? |
Normally I would fold my flat one more time (folding a tiny bit of the edges in to make it narrower) before folding it up and over baby, but you can also just roll the edges in around the legs to tuck in extra material and help prevent poop from getting out of the diaper and onto the cover. (see below example with stuffed animal):
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| Before folding the point up and over baby, I usually fold (or roll) the sides in a little |
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| Yay, diaper is on! |
I couldn't take these pictures with my baby as an example because, honestly, Squiggle lives up to her name. She wouldn't hold still for any of this, and you would have just had blurs!
Our flats are working great for us! I'm honestly surprised at how well they hold. If I don't put Squiggle in a double-stuffed (MF) pocket or a fitted and cover, her night time diapers normally leak. Surprisingly, we have only had one leak at night time during this challenge, and it was on the night I had the smaller size flat on her. They have been
drenched in the morning, but they've held. I've been very impressed. I prefer to use the Flip Daytime Organic inserts since I feel they hold more than my other flats, but I've had success with the larger sized flat as well.
What is your favorite fold?
