Where To Keep Extra Diapers
You may think this is a strange questionbut it isnt. Trust me, I have been in so many sticky situations where I have been saved by my secret stash of diapers.
There is nothing worse than not being prepared for a blow out when youre not at home. That is why in the first couple of months before your baby starts solid foods, I pack an extra outfit too. EVERYWHERE! Put an extra outfit in the car, in your purse, and even at a friend/family members house if you visit often enough to warrant it.
Plan For The Newborn Stage
Some people choose to use disposable diapers on their newborn because of the extra work in cleaning cloth diapers so frequently. However, for some newborns, cloth diapers can actually fit better. Since they are able to adjust more specifically around the legs, it can mean fewer leaks and wet clothing.
What About Other Types Of Diapers
If you’re confused on how to pick the size for a style of diapers that we haven’t yet covered, here’s the scoop:
- Overnight diapers are extra absorbent since you won’t be changing them as frequently. They’re sized the same way as daytime disposable ones, so you can follow the same size chart. We actually recommend going up one size for overnight styles so you get a larger absorbent core to soak up fluid. Just note that they typically begin at size 3 since most babies aren’t sleeping through the night before then.
- Swim diapers are designed specifically for water use unlike regular diapers, they won’t swell up when they’re wet. They have a pull-on, elastic fit and typically come in sizes Small, Medium, and Large, which are similar to diaper sizes 3, 4, and 5, respectively.
- Cloth diapers are reusable, machine washable alternatives to the disposable kind. They’re usually one-size-fits-all for roughly 6 pounds to 35 pounds because they have built-in adjustable snaps.
- Training pants are technically diapers, but they have an elastic waist that can be easily pulled down during potty training. These are sized differently than regular diapers and are more aligned with age and clothing size. The typical sizes are 2T-3T, 3T-4T, and 4T-5T.
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Determining How Many Diapers To Get For Your Newborn
Because there are so many unexpected things that come up in a newborns first few months of life, many soon-to-be parents prepare for their babys arrival in advance. This means making a registry or stocking up on what the baby might need, such as a bassinet, baby wipes or onesies.
But while many of these newborn essentials are easy to pick out, there is some confusion when it comes to diapers. In fact, one of the most common questions many expecting parents ask is: how many newborn diapers do I need?
The short answer? Many. The long answer? It varies based on the babys starting weight and size. Fortunately, heres a handy guide to figuring out how many diapers your newborn will need.
Diaper Size Fit Guide
If you have a baby in the house, you’ll be changing diapers as many as 10 times a day! That adds up to as many as 70 diapers a week, 280 or more diapers a month, and close to 3,360 diapers during the first year. With an investment that big, it pays to become a baby diaper size expert as early as you can.
It’s no secret that Seventh Generation offers a huge selection of disposable diapers. Our Free & Clear diapers are free of lotions and fragrances, and have an ultra absorbent core processed without chlorine bleaching.
Here are some tips to turn you into a diaper fit pro:
Choose the Right Size
The chart below is a great guide to helping you choose a baby diaper size based on your child’s weight and stage, but you’ll also need to check for telltale signs of a poor fit once your baby is wearing them. Persistent leaks, red marks on baby’s skin, or gaps are signs of an improper fit. If your baby is nearing the top of the weight range, it may be time to consider moving up a size.
List of Diaper Sizes by Weight:
- Newborn diapers: Up to 10 lbs
- Size 1: 8 – 14 lbs
- Size 2: 12 – 18 lbs
- Size 3: 16 – 21 lbs
- Size 4: 20 – 32 lbs
- Size 5: 27 – 35 lbs
- Size 6: Over 35 lbs
Try It on for Size
Whether you’ve never changed a diaper before or you’re an old hand, don’t worry — you’ll get plenty of practice with your new baby. WebMD offers information, including a video with step-by-step instructions, or you can follow these steps:
Adjust the Fit
Dealing with Diaper Rash
When to Change Sizes
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How Many Diapers Per Day
Newborns need their diaper changed 8+ times per day. And with nervous parents, who desperately want baby to stay dry , it could be more than 10 per day. Its not an exact science for new parents, but a subscription is a great idea for something youll be needing on the reg. Using AI technology, they know the diaper size and quantity youll be needing per day and beyond.
Brands like DYPER, Honest and Happy Little Camper can deliver weekly/monthly based on your request. Even lets you subscribe and save on their diaper brands. A typical newborn box means youll be stocked up and ready to go month by month. That means no running out of diapers just when you need them most.
How Much Do Diapers Cost
Its mind-boggling to see the numbers, realizing youll probably buy more than 100 ginormous disposable diaper packs. A one-week supply of diapers can cost around $20, and 3,000 first-year diapers at an average of $.35 per diaper adds up.
Based on diaper costs and daily changes, the average family spends around $1,000 in the first year on disposable diapers and supplies. Alternatively, the total cost for a stock of cloth diapers could run around $500 to $800, although there are more expensive styles and investments in laundering and other supplies.
Lest we forget, youll also be purchasing the diaper wipes, diaper creams, and all the other diapering accoutrements you deem essential no matter which type of diapers you use.
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Why The Extra Day For Hanging Diaper Bags
A wet bag, though water-resistant, is not waterproof, and therefore the diapers kept in a wet bag will get some air that diapers stored in a plastic or metal pail with a tight lid wont.
Even still, these are maximums, so if you can wash them more often, you should not only to prevent mold and mildew but also as another step to prevent stink issues caused by bacteria build-up.
For more information about how to store your cloth diapers and how that affects how many days between washes, you can check out my post about dirty diaper storage here.
How Long Will Baby Be In Each Size
This is tough to know. Babies are all different sizes and grow on their own schedule. While some babies are born small and wear newborn diapers for 2 months, other babies are born big and skip newborn diapers altogether!
Fortunately, we can take an average of many babies to find some common numbers. Please note, these are numbers drawn from averages. Your baby might be different than average.
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When Should My Baby Move Up A Diaper Size
Because smaller diapers are cheaper, you want to keep your baby in a lower size for as long as possible. Typically, you should move your baby up when the diaper she is wearing is fitting too snugly, or when she starts wetting out of the diaper. Some babies will wet through a diaper at night, but not during the day. Consider sizing up at night but staying in the smaller size during the day.
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Weeks Along: Buy 637 Size 1 Diapers Which Comes Out To About Nine Diapers A Day
Ah, the glorious first half of the second trimester.
Youre probably feeling less nauseated, and your baby bump isnt making it hard to get in and out of the car yet. #win.
Time to get more serious about stocking up. Focus on completing your size 1 stockpile with 637 diapers. Heres how:
- Buy 20 packs of 32-count Huggies or Pampers diapers at Target or Walmart
- buy two boxes of 198-count along with eight packs of 32-count size 1 diapers at Walmart .
- buy one box of 164-count size 1 Pampers, three boxes of 96-count size 1 diapers, and six packs of 32-count size 1 diapers at Target . Dont forget to use your Target RedCard for an extra 5% off.
When you see a diaper coupon, ask your loved ones to print it for you, and plan to visit the store a few times while the coupon is good.
TIP: Look for Target or Walmart gift card deals like $10-off-a-$50 baby purchase that you can stack with a brand thats on sale.
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What Size Diaper Will My Baby Wear
Did you see the size overlap between the newborn and size 1 diapers? If newborn diapers are designed for babies under 10 pounds, and size 1 diapers are designed for babies 8-14 pounds, then what size diaper does an 8 or 9 pound baby wear? The answer is, maybe both.
Many experienced Moms will recommend only buying a few newborn diapers , but more size 1 diapers. Because you just dont know how big your baby will be at birth, or how fast they will grow.
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When Do Newborns Get Too Big For Newborn Diapers
Every baby is unique. They are born with different weights, and they grow at their own pace.
Although youll generally need to move up a size when your baby is around one or one and a half months old, its better to pay attention to your babys weight and get diapers based on that instead.
Most babies born between 37 and 40 weeks are between five pounds, eight ounces and eight pounds, thirteen ounces. Some babies may be heavier or lighter, and your doctor will probably check to make sure they dont have any underlying health issues.
Premature babies tend to be much smaller since they havent been able to grow as much in the womb. Fortunately, there are diapers made specifically for preemies. They will eventually need the newborn size, but that depends on how early they were born and how fast they are growing.
When your baby grows out of newborn diapers will depend on how fast they grow. If your little one is born on the smaller side, it may be a bit longer before they move up a size than a baby born on the larger side of the spectrum.
Some babies may also eat more than others, so they may go through more diapers and grow a tad faster than others.
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Ways To Save On Diapers
Rest assured that there are ways to save money on diapers to ease the burden on your wallet even in the early newborn days. Below, weve added some helpful tips for saving money on diapers.
- Register for diapers. The best way to cut down on your diaper expenses in the first year? Add them to your registry! This is the best time to receive diapers as a gift, since you may have lots of friends and loved ones who are eager to help you get started.
- Choose a generic brand. Choosing a store brand or warehouse alternative is a way to get the job done on the cheap, with unit prices around $0.20 or below.
- Try cloth diapering. Based on an average disposable diaper cost and a high average cloth diaper cost, a family can expect to save around $1,575 per child, Duffy says. Even better, those same diapers can usually be reused on your next child, so diapering will cost you nothing for that baby.
- Get a subscription. Dont want to even think about buying diapers? Take this chore off your list by choosing a subscription service. Better yet, when you get diapers from brands like Honest or Coterie delivered straight to your door, youll generally spend less per unit.
About the experts:
is the founder of the Cloth Diapers for Beginners online community.
Rachel Taylor, RN, SBCPE, is a postpartum nurse and the founder of Mama Did It, a blog for new moms.
Plus, more from The Bump:
It Depends On Your Babys Age
How often youll need to change diapers will also depend on your babys age.
It varies because newborns usually eat a lot more than when they grow into an infant or a toddler. The MORE they eat, the MORE they are likely to wet themselves.
This directly relates to the first factor which can easily change how many youll need for your baby.
But dont worry because they will need fewer cloth diapers as they grow older. Plus, since the average baby grows fast, this will happen as soon as you can even realize.
Newborns
A newborn eats every on average 2 to 3 hours. They basically eat 8 to 12 times a day. This means that youll need about 12 cloth diapers per day.
Infants
For infants , they usually eat every 3 to 4 hours, 6 to 8 times a day. Youll need about 8 cloth diapers per day.
Toddlers
And lastly, toddlers eat every 4 hours. With 3 meals and 2-3 snacks a day, youll only need 6 cloth diapers per day. In some cases, this may even be a lot less at 2 to 4 only per day.
Just a reminder, these are just estimates.
It will still depend on our third factor: how much and often youre going to feed your baby
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How Will I Know Which Brand Of Diaper To Buy For My Baby
Every baby is unique some babies may have more sensitive skin than others. It is possible to test various diaper brands to find one suitable for your babys skin. Alternatively, you may be fortunate to find that every diaper is suitable.
Many stores offer an extensive return/exchange policy for unopened diapers. When youve decided what kinds of diapers you prefer, you can exchange the ones you already have with the ones youd like. If not, sell your unwanted items on the Marketplace or on a resales website to make a profit.
Extra: Cloth Diapers An Alternative Solution To The Stockpile
If you arent inclined to deal with all of this stockpiling business but do have a lot of free time on your hands, you might want to look into cloth diapering as an alternative.
Youll only really need about half a dozen to a dozen cloth diapers to last you throughout your childs entire developmental period as they can be freely sized up and down based on your needs.
And, because theyre re-usable after a good wash you wont make nearly as much garbage as the regular diapers do and youll save a ton of money!
That said. This too comes with its own pitfalls. As great as saving money is, kids wearing cloth diapers are more likely to suffer from diaper rash due to the cloth variant lacking the protective comfort of a disposable diaper meaning that their load is likely to irritate their skin.
The other downside is that youre going to be spending a lot of time washing diapers to have a steady supply ready for your little one.
Apart from the extra time consumption, there is also the hidden cost of a higher water bill with the increased number of average washes, though the price increase is negligible compared to the amount of money that you save on not purchasing disposable ones.
Youre also more likely to have your kids suffering from blowouts, which, in turn, will also cause your average use of baby wipes to go up so you may need an extra pack or two here and there as well.
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How Many Diapers Do You Get From Diaper Bank
The exact number of diapers you can get from a diaper bank will depend on the diaper bank itself, as well as any qualifications you may need to meet. For instance, a diaper bank may have different eligibility criteria based on your income level, living situation, or other factors.
Additionally, some diaper banks may limit the amount of diapers you can get per visit or per month. On average, though, diaper banks may distribute anywhere from a few dozen diapers to a couple of hundred each month.
To get an exact number, you may need to contact your local diaper bank directly and inquire about their requirements and diaper allotment.
How Many Diapers Does A Baby Use A Day
While every baby is different, research shows that the average American baby goes through six to 10 diapers a day. The kicker? The five-diaper-a-day number is an average over three years of diaperingand the diaper habits of a 2-month-old is different from, say, a 12-month-old. When it comes to the real diaper number crunch, the AAP notes that most U.S. parents will go through nearly 3,000 diapers during their babys first year! Heres the general month-by-month breakdown of how many diapers your baby will need:
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Babies 2 to 4 months old: Up to 10 diapers a day
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Babies 5 to 8 months old: Up to 9 diapers a day
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Babies 9 to 12 months old: Up to 7 diapers a day
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