Getting the Best Fit out of Your Cloth Diapers

cloth diaper fit
Thirsties cloth diapers are known to be very user-friendly, especially with regard to fit. Getting the best fit out of your cloth diapers ensures baby’s comfort and avoids leaking. Below are some tips to help achieve a good fit. Don’t try to size up to soon, or extend the diaper’s use beyond its capability. Thirsties Duo Wraps and Prefolds are an affordable and very effective cloth diapering system, but how do you know when to move up from Size 1 to Size 2? Perhaps you're a fan of One Size cloth diapers and you're not sure when to adjust the diaper's rise setting. Remember using a diaper that is too big will cause sagging and gapping. Using a diaper that is to small will not offer enough absorbency, and will most likely be too tight. Use these guidelines to help you determine if your baby is in the proper sized diaper and if you need to  adjust your OS diapers rise and waist settings. Try before you buy. One kind of diaper will not work for all babies, as all body types are different. Also, a baby may fit differently in say a pocket diaper compared to an AIO diaper. You can use a trial program for trying different types of diapers. Also, whether the diapers are sized, one sized, or duo sized makes a difference in the fit.
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Snug as a bug in a rug.  
Make sure your diapers are snug on baby, but not tight. There should be no gaps between the waist or leg openings and baby’s skin, and the absorbency should be up against the skin. Gently stretch  the leg openings as you are putting the diaper or cover on baby, and stretch the wings up and over to give the diaper a secure and gap-free fit. Make sure the elastic is lying flat, and not folded in. If your diapers have snap closures, utilize both snaps on each side. Generally, hook and loop fasteners should be fastened straight across, not angled. * Your baby should not have deep red indentations left from the diaper - that means it is too tight. Slight indentations and light red marks around pressure areas are normal. Avoid diaper sag. Make sure that the diaper is pulled up and not sagging. Where the top of the diaper falls on baby depends on the length of the torso. With experience, you will know exactly where the diaper should fall on baby, but it should be near the waist. Regularly check the elastic for wear. If a diaper or cover has stretched out elastic at the legs or waist, then it is likely that you will have leaking issues.
cloth diaper fit
I hope these tips are of use to you. If you have any questions, please send them to support@thirstiesbaby.com. ~Sonya
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28 comments

  • Great tips! It was hard for me to believe how differently my baby fit into different brands of diapers so the trial program is really nice before you invest into one kind. but once I find a kind that really fits, I stick with it!

    Sarah Hayes on
  • great tips! My little one is difficult to fit sometimes because he usually takes the tightest setting around the waist, but a looser setting around the hips…. which doesn’t work well when snaps are set at a certain distance apart!

    christine k on
  • This is really helpful. Will share this with friends who are new to cds. :) Thanks!

    Valerie L. on
  • Any tips on ensuring snug elastic, other than avoiding high heat? I know that the standard elastic on Thirsties is the Lastin, but what is the soft elastic around the gussets? I hear this is the first to relax on the Duos.

    Michael Cornett on
  • Thank you for the tips. It is so hard with new babies to find a diaper that fits well especially if they are teeny. The tips are definitely going to be helpful with our next one

    Beth R on

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