a question for someone who knows what they're doing.

[victoriaherring]

so i'm trying to make a diaper and really don't want to use a cover.. honestly i'm just lazy.. haha.. but i made one with the outer layer is just a cute cotton print, the middle is fleece and the layer that would be inside against the baby is a prefold.. i meant for the prefold to be in the middle but i was tired and didn't do it right so it ended up outside.. i know that PUL would probably be the best fabric to work with but i just can't get any right now so i'm working with what i got..

anyways, will this work... has anyone ever made a prefold into a diaper? and do you think this might be absorbent enough? i am pregnant so i don't have a baby to test it on yet. 

[ArmyMom2oneboy]

It will wick (or leak) through the cotton on the outside. You could use fleece for the outside of the diaper, just double up on it, and you will have a good water resistant diaper. It is not waterproof, but technically neither is PUL, pUL is just a bit more water resistant than fleece. As long as you change often, it will be fine. As far as the prefold being next to babies, skin, that is fine. I have actually done that a few times when I was too lazy to make a soaker! LOL!

[victoriaherring]

will it still go all the way through with the prefold and fleece before it even reaches the cotton?

[OliWesMom]

You can use the cotton as an outer, with 2 layers of fleece to make it a "cover", then just lay the prefold in and you can use it multiple times before washing.  When your baby comes, you'll just have to play with absorbency to fit his/her needs.  You may have to double up prefolds depending on prefold size and how much your baby wets. 

[6under1roof]

There's tutorials on actually turning prefolds into diapers- then you can use the fleece/cotton as the cover LOL I would add another layer inside the prefold- depending on what kind of prefolds you are using, they might not be absorbent enough on their own.

[heather.pierce]

Something else to consider would be drying time, especially if you intend to fold the prefold and then sew with it.  Drying time and bacteria harboring.  If you just use your accidental "current" system, the prefold will have enough surface area for quick drying and cleaning.

The cotton print on the outside will draw moisture, however little, into itself like a paper towel next to a few drops of water.   And if you find the layers are getting bulky, you can use one layer of fleece (instead of two full pieces) with an extra strip sewn into the "wet zone".