Fluff in the Spotlight! Thirsties *New* Duo Hemp Prefolds!

Some of you may have been around long enough to remember that Thirsties used to manufacture their own cotton prefolds. When they were discontinued the cloth diapering world was heartbroken. Moms scoured the web looking for the last of the last, whatever remained for sale was going to be it.

Since then we've had to pair our beloved Thirsties products with various types of prefolds and fitted diapers from other companies. Inquiring minds asked pretty regularly "When might you all make prefolds again?"

Well the time has finally come and Thirsties has released their New Duo Hemp Prefolds!

These fantastic new prefolds really are unique and innovative.
What are some of the features of the *New* Duo Hemp Prefolds?

• Available in TWO Sizes (Size 1 fits 6-18lbs & Size 2 fits 18-40lbs)
• Patent pending design is easy to clean, quick to dry, and grows with your baby.
• Made from buttery soft hemp jersey custom knit in the USA
• 25% more absorbent and much more durable than cotton
• Maintains a trim and comfortable fit
• Naturally anti-microbial
• Pair with Thirsties Duo Wraps and end up saving $2000 over disposables

What are some of my favorite features? Personally I love the feel of the hemp jersey. They feel soft like a t-shirt and I can tell baby would love the texture. No more crunchy cotton feeling like some of the cotton prefolds get.

I also LOVE the loop design. It's hard to tell from the pictures so I added to the illustration so you could get a better understanding of where the loop is and why it makes laundry so much easier. It's everything you love about prefolds but the loop design allows for much faster drying times.

What else? You could even put your favorite insert or doubler inside the loop before you fold it to make the prefold more absorbent! No liners would be needed because the baby would still only have the hemp jersey against their soft skin.

Want to win a set of Duo Hemp Prefolds? Come back to DiaperDiscussions tomorrow and enter our Giveaway! One lucky mama will win a set of Duo Hemp Prefolds in the size of her choice, compliments of Thirsties!

Reverse Angel Wing Fold Tutorial

Experiments with Overnight Solutions

Well since I have two babies in cloth, this means I can try two different nighttime diapering routines each night and see which works best. So here I will document my different nighttime experiments on 2 male babies age 10 months:

Experiment #1: Fleece Pocket stuffed with a tri-folded premium infant size pre-fold and a hemp/terry doubler. 9:00pm-9:30am. No wicking or leaking overnight, exterior felt dry to the touch after baby woke up. After carrying baby on my hip and after him sitting down, compression dampness occurred.

Experiement #2: Thirsties Cover with a tri-folded regular pre-fold, pre-fold folded down in front for extra coverage and added a hemp/terry doubler. 9:00pm-9:30am. Absolutely dry when baby woke up, even after sitting down cover remained dry. After about an extra hour the white FOE (fold-over-elastic) around legs and waist felt wet and cover began to wick around the aplix.

Experiment #3: DryBee's Green Retro Flower Print PUL Pocket with Wahmie's One-Size Microfiber Insert. 9:30pm-8:00am. Diaper began to wick around the front if waist and around aplix at about 7:00-8:00am. May not have had a problem if baby hadn't slept on his stomach. Some compression dampness did occur and sheets got a little wet.

Experiement #4: DryBee's Blue Polka Dot Print PUL Pocket with Wahmie's One-Size Microfiber Insert and an added hemp/terry doubler. Same time frame as #3 but much less wicking occurred, could be due to the use of the doubler or he possibly slept on his back more than his brother.

Experiment #5: Solid Color Mommy's Touch PUL Pocket with a tri-folded pre-fold as an insert. 9:15pm-4:00am. Had to wake up at 4:00am to change the diaper due to a lot of wicking, especially around the leg openings. A doubler may have helped or the problem may be that the diaper is an older style Mommy's Touch purchased off the FSOT and it's possible the PUL is wearing thin from too much wear.

Experiment #6: Raspberry PUL Wonderworks Pocket stuffed with a folded Gerber pre-fold and a homemade microfiber 2 layer insert (the kind of micro from Wal Mart). 9:30pm-1:30am. Woke up completely wet with a big wet spot on the sheets. The Gerber pre-fold had pretty much no holding power. Put baby in a Thirsties Cover with regular tri-folded pre-fold for the duration of the night with no leaking.

Show me your Diaper Diva fold!

Thanks to everyone who responded!

The Diaper Diva Fold

What is the Diaper Diva Fold?

Detailed photos show Shana, The Diaper Diva in action. From laying out her supplies, placing the baby face down on the Pre-fold, tucking the sides, using a snappi or a pin to fasten it, and finally tucking around the legs for extra coverage, this technique is not only easy to learn, it's cute and practical too! Great for use with or without a cover or soaker. Thanks for sharing Shana!

Pre-Folds & Diaper Pins?

Are the pre-folds the only ones these days that still require pins?

Most covers fit well enough to hold the pre-fold in place without pins. Some people still use pins and there is also something called a Snappi which does the same thing as pins. Pre-folds, pre-fitteds, and flats can be used with pins.

Are inserts for the pocket diapers just prefolds?

Are inserts for the pocket diapers just pre-folds?

No, pre-folds are usually made of cotton, sometimes hemp or bamboo, and are layers sewn together. When a pre-fold is referred to as "premium" it just means it's extra thick, and usually costs a little more than regular but is well worth it. Inserts are usually made of fibers that are specially designed to suck in moisture. In a pocket diaper with microfiber insert the insert will virtually suck "wick" the moisture through the soft liner of the pocket diaper and hold it in the insert. You'd notice when you take the insert out it will weigh a ton, and the liner of the diaper would feel almost dry to the touch. Like I said before though, you can use a pre-fold as an insert or doubler but it just doesn't hold in the moisture or hold as much moisture.

Are the doublers inserts for the pocket diapers?

Are the doublers inserts for the pocket diapers?

Inserts and doublers are basically the same thing and can be made of a variety of fibers. Inserts are referred to as that when used in a pocket diaper because they can be "inserted," in an AIO they're just laid in so then they're called doublers. I sometimes fold a pre-fold and stuff that into a pocket diaper with an insert if I think I need some extra stuffing for a long car trip or
overnight, etc.

Why do you prefer...

You said you like pocket diapers while you're out and at night but pre-folds at home, is that to be more cost-effective? Same question for not using AIOs.

Well I have twin sons and pre-folds are affordable and you can imagine how many diapers I need. While I'm at home I just find it easier to put a dry pre-fold on, sometimes without a cover, and it just produces less laundry for me. I'd love to have a huge stash of Pockets and AIO's, and I'm building slowly, but I like the simplicity of the pre-folds too. It's fun to have a variety and I also like saving the cute/more expensive diapers for showing off when we go out...lol

Pockets with Pre-Folds?

With a pocket diaper then would you be able to just use one of the pre-folds in the pocket part or should you buy the microfiber inserts for overnight? Which pocket or AIO would you recommend I try? Wondering from experience which you prefer the most. I’m a stay at home mom too so I was thinking pre-folds with covers for sure when I’m home, but wasn’t sure what to try for going out or overnight or with a babysitter.


I have some DryBee's Pocket Diapers with the Wahmie's Microfiber insert that I love. They are easy for dads and babysitters and overnight. The one-size insert can be folded to customize where you need it the thickest for a boy or girl. Pre-folds can be stuffed in as an insert but I wouldn't recommend that for overnight because they just don't suck in as much moisture as microfiber does.