Diaper use

[Ultra Violet]

Hello! I am still in 3rd tri but wanted to ask over here about your experience with diapering your newborn. Mostly I was wondering what your experience has been as far as the number of diapers you use in a day? I know each baby is different but am trying get a good estimate. I found a great service that delivers and picks up cloth and compostable diapers in my community so I'm trying to figure out cost estimate based on how many I might need every week.

Thanks

 

[RomaTomato]

I do cloth (prefolds) and I bought 32 "small" and 26 "regular". I think we went through about 10-12 diapers per day, doing laundry every 2-2.5 days.

 

[Pink Petals]

I second the 10-12 for cloth.

 

[oboeverity]

You'll be changing cloth every 2-3 hours. I've no idea about sposies xx

 

[jd83]

It should be the same for disposable too. Newborns typically get changed every 2-3 hours, usually before or after a feeding, so about 10-12 a day.

It gets less as they get older and don't go as often. First few months are definitely about 10-12 a day though.

 

[greats]

We did (and still do) disposable ones. Rylee easily went through at least 10 per day.

 

[HKateH]

I have no idea how many per day but newborns tend to dirty their nappies during or right after a feed. Over night we changed LO after every feed, so roughly every 2-3 hours, and I imagine it was similar during the day - certainly for the first few weeks.

 

[Scout]

I use disposables and changed her at least 10x a day.

 

[MindUtopia]

In the early weeks, it was before every feed so 8-10 times a day. Now my daughter is 10 months and it's usually 3-4 a day as we don't change her at all overnight anymore.

 

[TMonster]

10-12/day BUT... there are some changes where they turn into multiple diaper changes. I just put a new diaper on and she poops or pees right away or sometimes I am in the middle of a changing and she poops right there all over the new one and then I wipe her up and get another one and she will poop on that one too. 3/4 diapers in one sitting is not unheard of. It doesn't happen all the time but at least once or twice a week.

 

[katherinegrey]

I also second the 10-12 for a newborn, now I change him 4 maybe 5 times a day and not at all overnight.

 

[Noo]

12-15 newborn for us. Currently around 8.

 

[adrie]

My LO is just over 2 months, and I have cloth diapered her since about 4 weeks.
I bought 36 new one size pocket diapers, and I do my own washing. I wash my diapers every other morning; I generally have about 18 diapers to clean at that time, so about 9 or 10 a day. I personally would not do a diaper service as it is expensive; I have no idea how they wash the diapers; they are used, and I also wouldn't want my baby potentially picking anything up from another baby, as I have heard is possible.

I bought Rockin Green detergent since it is specific to cloth (as we have an HE washer and not as much water is added as top loaders). I have also bought a couple packs of disposable/flushable liners and have just opened the second pack. I also bought a washable diaper bag. All in all, I have spent 800$ (Canadian), but received 250$ as a gift and I also have the option of selling my diapers afterward for about half the overall cost, provided they are in good condition. So I spent 550$ myself and could potentially recoup 400$ !!!

Also, I have only had 2 leaks, and both were my fault The first time, I left a diaper on a bit too long, and the second time, I was figuring out how to adjust her fit and so had it on improperly. i ought to add that I do change her throughout the night when she wakes up for a feed, which is 2-3 times per night. I have a general rule that she is not in a diaper more than 3 hours, and she is of course immediately changed after a bowel movement. I am actually a bit stressed about her STTN as I don't like the thought of leaving her in a diaper for hours and hours on end, even if it does not leak. :/

I used disposables the first month and I will honestly say that I have never looked back in terms of diaper use!!!

 

[fides]

for NB, both of my sons went through 16-19 a day - like the above poster said, sometimes we'd change a poop, only to have them poop again a few minutes later.

 

[Here_we_go]

I didn't cloth diaper from the start but that first 2 months we FLEW through some packages of disposables (5-8 poos, no telling how many pee diapers a day) Like another poster said, there were times I'd get a nice fresh diaper out just to have DD finish her business (or start new ) in her diaper before I'd even finished putting it on her. I always made sure to have a nice waterproof/absorbent (I used a medical mattress pad) under my kid's bum for all changes.

EDIT: I do prefer cloth diapers to disposables. Cloth diapers hold the poo in while disposables leak like crazy :/

 

[TMonster]

Just to post an update. After the 2 month mark lo now seems to poop once every few days but still a bunch of wet diapers. I discussed it with the pediatrician who said its perfectly normal for breastfed babies to go once every few days while formula fed babies will go at least once a day and sometimes as frequently as after every meal.

When she does go it is massive! As in it leaks everywhere!!! When she hasn't gone for a few days I go on poop watch now because I know its coming and I listen closely to all the farting sounds she makes when she sleeps because it gets really crazy!