BASIC FOLD

Begin with either an infant or premium size prefold. Fold the left 1/3 over the middle soaker area, then fold the right 1/3 over that, only in the front (2). Bring the diaper up between baby’s legs (3). The diaper at this point may reach up to baby’s chin! Fold it down so that it rests just below the navel (4). Bring up the wings from the side and use a snappi to close the diaper, or just close the cover over it. If you choose not to use snappis, place the diaper on top of the cover at step (1) with the back of the diaper even with the back of the cover. Otherwise it’s very tricky to lift the baby with an unfastened diaper enough to slide the cover underneath.

ANGELWING FOLD

I found the angelwing easy and fast. No folding! The drawback is that it’s more difficult to adjust the length of the diaper. The advantages are that there is less bulk between the legs (good for those starting to stand and walk), and it’s very fasy once you get that wrist-twist down. If you do need to shorten the diaper, it’s best to fold down the top/back edge between steps (1) and (2) to start with the length you need.

USING A STANDARD PREFOLD FOR AN INFANT

Infant-sized prefolds fit much better than standard prefolds for the first three to four months. But plenty of people start with this larger size, making it the only diapers they buy. They will just be very bulky and more challenging to fold. Simply turning the diaper sideways shortens the rise. Fold in thirds (or even fourths) much like you would with a basic fold, but sideways, as shown. Place the diaper in a good cover – no need to use a fastener. Since standard (premium) prefolds will be much bulkier than infant prefolds, your baby may begin with small covers instead of newborn. Since the cover stretches a bit, the diaper can be just a bit longer than the cover and still fit inside once the cover is stretched to fit onto the baby.