Y’all know how much I really wanted to try using cloth diapers with our baby. After hearing a bunch of nay-sayers tell me I’d be nuts to try it without a washer/dryer in our apartment, and folks telling me I can get disposables for cheap by combining coupons with sales at drugstores, I’ve decided to throw in the towel on the issue.
Yes, cloth diapers are better for the environment, and are better for my baby’s tush. Yes, they can be cheaper than regular-priced diapers.
But for pete’s sake, this is my first baby. We’ll be 400 miles from family, and while I’m sure the grandparents will visit–it’s going to be me and Shane doing most of the diaper duty.
I guess the most reasonable thing for me to do is to find great deals on disposables and stock up when I can, and try cloth when we move to a new place (whenever that might be).
I’m keeping track of my inventory by using a spreadsheet, which you can view here. So far, I have 439 diapers and paid $25.83 out of pocket for them. That averages out to about $0.058 cents per diaper! I don’t know if I can keep going at that pace, but I’m certainly going to try.
Drawbacks of having a huge stash of diapers before the baby is born:
- Not all brands work on all babies. Some might be more prone to leaks. Some might not fit securely around Baby’s legs or waist.
- Some diapers might irritate Baby’s skin more than others.
- Baby might outgrow a size much faster than anticipated. Might have diapers go unused (though if this happens, I’ll try to exchange unopened packs for the correct size. Or, I’ll take opened packs to the church nursery for another baby to use).
- We might not have enough of a particular size and still need to brave the frozen tundra to get diapers.
Perks of having a huge stash of diapers before the baby is born:
- I can shop at a more leisurely pace, buying diapers at incredible prices, thus saving me a ton of money.
- If a store is out of one particular size but I still need diapers in another size, I can get it without bothering to ask for a raincheck.
- We won’t have to go diaper shopping in the winter. No dealing with icy roads or a fussy baby in public if we don’t want to.
- We won’t have to bargain hunt when we’d rather spend our “free” time sleeping.
What size to get? And how many?
I’ve scoured the internet looking for blog posts and message board forums on how many diapers a baby uses, and how long they’re in a particular size.
I’ve had a hard time coming up with numbers because each baby is born at a different size, grows at a different pace, and is shaped differently. Some 9-lb. babies have chunky legs; others might be skinny. It makes sense that the specific type of diapers and those sizes will vary for each baby.
Still, I feel like there has to be at least a vague guideline of how long babies are in particular sizes.
The best info I’ve been able to find so far suggests that you need to buy “a few” packs of newborn size (some babies skip this size entirely), “a few” packs of size 1s and size 2s, and “a lot” of size 3s.
Um, can ya be more specific? How many is “a few?” Is that two packs or ten? Again, it will vary.
I consulted an infant growth chart to look at averages of how many pounds a baby might gain in a given period.
“Infants generally gain 4 to 7 ounces a week during the first month. After the first month, they gain an average of 1 to 2 pounds a month for the first six months. From six months to 1 year, they gain about 1 pound a month,” according to the Mayo Clinic.
If that data holds true, if my baby is about seven pounds at birth, then I might expect:
by the end of 1 month: 8-9 lbs.
by the end of 2 months: 9-11 lbs.
by the end of 3 months 10-13 lbs.
by the end of 4 months 11-15 lbs.
by the end of 5 months 12-17 lbs.
by the end of 6 months 13-19 lbs.
by the end of 7 months: 14-20 lb.s
by the end of 8 months: 15-21 lbs.
by the end of 9 months: 16-22 lbs.
by the end of 10 months: 17-23 lbs.
by the end of 11 months: 18-24 lbs.
by the end of 12 months: 19-25 lbs.
Of course, these are only estimates, since each baby grows differently. I get that, I promise. But now that I have a general guideline, I can surmise that Baby will probably wear sizes N-3 for the first year, maybe reaching size 4 during the last month or two before its first birthday.
By the way, size 1s = 8-14 lbs., size 2s= 12-18 lbs., and size 3s = 16-28 lbs.
That means that Baby might be in size 1s for the first two to three months of life. At 10-12 diaper changes per day, that’s 602 to 1,083 diapers. Sheesh that’s a lot! Sounds more than “a few” to me.
Baby might be in size 2s from the third month through the end of the fifth month or longer if I have a small, slow-growing baby. Keeping with that 10-12 diaper changes/day guideline, I might expect to go through 602 to 722 diapers or more in that size.
Baby might be in size 3s from five months through one year. At 10 diaper changes per day, that’s 2,107 diapers.
I’m going to buy…
I’m probably going to try to have a few hundred diapers each in size 1 and 2, and then more in size 3. This will depend on the deals I’m able to find and the bargain-hunting I can do between now and December.
If I can get a great deal on Pampers or Huggies, I’ll get them. I’ll probably stick to store brands for larger-sized diapers, and use premium brand diapers for newborn-size 1 in general. And, if store brand diapers prove to be a problem during the night, well then we’ll just use those during the day, and premiums at night.
If you’re willing to use store brand diapers, then you won’t want to miss this great deal at Walgreens this week. Check it out at BabyCheapskate. I bought three packs of Walgreens jumbos for $10.47 out of pocket and also got a $5 register reward!
hmmm I might need to come back to this post in a few years when I have kids. For now ill just stick to understanding finances
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Wow you’ve done your research! FYI, my baby is 20 pounds and already outgrown size 3s! I’m not sure why that is but it goes to show you that you just never know!
Hey Kacie. Great post. I love all the baby posts!
Okay, my little one was 7 1/2 pounds when he was born. He was in newborn diapers for maybe 2 weeks. We were going through maybe 1 huge pack of diapers a week at the time.
He stayed in 1s for a month after that. And then instead of buying 2s, Pampers Swaddlers (I think…) has a 2 1/2 so I bought those and he stayed in those for a couple months.
I don’t remember 3 and 4 but he’s been in size 5 for probably 8 months now. So if you’re stocking up on the big sizes get lots of those!
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Yes, is a lot more about diaper fit that weight of the baby and not all babies grow at the same pace. My oldest grew to 11 lbs in one month. My second grew at a slower rate at the beginning but now is bigger than my oldest at the same age. This is why it’s hard to determine how many bags to have from each size. I would say have some bags of each and if you need to supplement make sure you have enough ecbs and coupons to buy some last minute diapers.
I also agree with you that as baby gets older store brands may do the job. However for the first two months I highly recommend Pampers Swaddlers. Tere is just nothing like them. You will pobably get two packs at the hospital (it seems most hospitals use this on their newborn) and you will understand why I highly recommend it. Just work as many moneymaking deals that you can at CVS and spend the money you made on diapers. That’s how I have been doing.
I am feeling a little validated by your post btw. For a while there I thought you were above stockpiling diapers.
Mercedes–um, I’m not above stockpiling diapers, and I’m sorry for giving that impression. I was just hoping cloth diapers would be a viable option for us.
Having two in diapers, I can be honest and tell you it is hard to judge how much of each size you truly will need. Both of my children weighed the same when they were born (6lbs 12oz). My oldest was 2 weeks late, my youngest was 3 weeks early. And they both grew into diapers and different times. My oldest is tall and skinny has been since the day she was born and was much slower to move up to the next diaper. My youngest is tall and chunky! She’s in size 3’s now, ready for size 4’s at 6 months.
My honest advice, buy four packs of newborns. You will go through newborn diapers the quickest. Your changing more diapers at that age then you will when their older. Huggies diapers run a little bit bigger than most diapers I have found, so if your baby has moved up to size two in say Pampers, expect to give it a week or two before going to size two in Huggies.
I can’t tell you how many diapers we have bought since having kids. There are days with our oldest (she’s 21 months) where we’ll go through 10 diapers a day and some days only three. As they get older, they learn control, plus we have now started potty training.
When stocking up on diapers it is truly a hit and miss with how many you need. You have to count in sick days (exploding diapers as I call them), etc.
My son is 2 1/2 now but before he was born we stocked up on diapers and formula.
Most came from Ebay and the nice part, when he switched to regular milk or outgrew a diaper size, I was able to resell the leftovers back on ebay.
The trick is to know how much per diaper or ounce you can buy them in-store (store brand and name brand) and then figure your top bid price on per diaper/ounce price including shipping charge. I’d say 90% of the time we ended up paying store brand price (or less) for name brand incl shipping.
We did the same thing for jars of baby food when it came time. Always found a bargain.
I stocked up alot of diapers (3 packs or so of each size) for each of my kids before they were born and I still keep a big stock on hand. So then I never have to run out at the last minute and get stuck paying full price.
But I would be real hesitant to stock up on such a large quantity as you’re trying to do. There’s so many times when I purchased a brand (usually the store brands) and just didn’t like them for one reason or another. And I would never buy them again. And I certainly wouldn’t want to be stuck with a great big amount of them. Some of them just fit really weird, or have dyes that rub off on baby’s skin (Walgreens), or are more irritating, or are harder to put onto a squirmy/fussy baby or there could be a million other reasons that you just don’t like certain diapers. And it’s so hard to go by other people’s reviews of diapers because each diaper brand works differently for each parent and each baby.
I totally understand wanting to be prepared, not wanting to pay alot, and not wanting to drag a newborn out into the winter weather to get diapers. I just wanted to give you one more thing to consider. Perhaps you could start focusing on baby clothes, furniture, gear, toys, feeding & bathing supplies, etc. Or deciding what you want on your baby registry, if you’re doing one of them.
Just remember that diaper deals and coupons will always be around. Good luck with it all! Oh and sorry for rambling on for so long.
Hello,
I commend you for taking the time, effort and expense to prepare for your diapering needs ahead of time. It makes so much more sense to shop wisely now when you have fewer responsibilites so you can be prepared later on!
It reminds me of the children’s story about the country mouse and the city mouse. Basically the little city mouse did nothing to prepare for future needs and came whining to the one who took the time and effort to prepare ahead of time.
I grew up on a farm and it provided almost all of our food and heat. I used to love to help prepare everything for storage because it meant we would have something to eat and a warm house to live in through the winter.
Great Job!
Trixie
It is hard to estimate. The “N” diapers will probably only fit for a week or two. “1″s longer, maybe 6 weeks. My son has been in 3’s from 7 months to 14 months, I just moved him to 4’s.
But, I do not change him 10x per day! The older a child gets, the less frequently they will need to be changed, usually. Most older babies settle into a routine - pooping once or twice a day, for example. They usually don’t need to be changed in the middle of the night. My older baby, change in the morning, change after morning nap, change after lunch (eating and sleeping make him “go”.),
change before dinner, change for bed. Maybe 4-5 times throughout the day.
How many diapers a baby uses is entirely individual. My second baby pooped once per week. Yes, really! (And when he went, he WENT!)
My last baby had polyuria (lotsa pee). He would soak through a diaper on the first wet - we changed him probably 12-14 times per day for months.
I would really caution you against too much stockpiling. Some of my babies were actually allergic to Huggies brand. I found I couldn’t stand the smell of Luvs. I found that White Clouds were worthless for my babie’s body shapes.
Once baby is born, you will still have MONTHS before he’s in a size three…you can stockpile after you find a couple of brands that work for you.
For a newborn, estimate one diaper per feeding at a minimum.
Wow, that was a lot of info! Sorry to write a book. I’ve been steadily changing diapers for 11 years (at one point, I had FOUR children in diapers!)
BTW- I love your “top commenter” widget. Can you direct me to where I can get one for my blog?
Oh and I just wanted to add that I never needed to change either of my kids 10-12 times per day, like that guideline suggests. As newborns it was more like 8 times. My son is 6 months and gets changed about 6 times per day tops.
When they’re sleeping for a few hours at a time, especially when they sleep more at night, you’re changing fewer diapers. My son (6 months) has slept through the night since he was a month old and also takes several good naps per day, so obviously, I’m not changing him during all that time.
And also, it depends on how often they physically empty themselves. Some kids go alot and go often and some don’t.
Hi Kacie,
That might have come out wrong. What I meant is that due to the size of your place and how it restricts your ability to stockpile, I though you wouldn’t be stockpiling diapers too much. But it seems that you have worked thru it.
As many disposables as I have stockpiled I haven’t given up on cloth either. So I will be entering Angie’s giveaway later this week. Who know I may get lucky and I would def. give them a try if I can get them for free.
Don’t be surprised if your baby grows differently from your expectations. My daughter will be 3 years old next month and she only weighs 24 pounds! She’s stubborn about potty training so she is still in diapers size 3!
If your baby does grow faster than you expect and you have some diapers left in the smaller sizes, you could always donate them, or give them as baby shower gifts! =)
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Wow! I’m totally impressed at how much time and effort you’ve put into calculating all this out! I didn’t stockpile at all really, but we still didn’t have to buy diapers ourselves for a long time because we got so many as gifts from baby showers. I wanted to throw that out to you as well. If you have even just one baby shower, you will likely get quite a few packs of diapers, especially if you plan to do a baby registry and put diapers on your registry (which I would recommend- it’s a great way to get premium dipes). Also, our hospital gave us two small packs of newborn diapers to take home. I think I had 4 jumbo packs at home, and my daughter outgrew the size before I could use the last pack and a half. I think I just gave them to a family member who was expecting.
I have to say that I would agree with the warnings of stockpiling too many of any one brand in case it doesn’t work for you. My nephew can’t wear any diaper but Huggies without breaking into a horrible rash. I have certain diapers that I won’t buy because they just don’t fit my daughter well. I do wish that I had been more prepared like you, though, before my first was born!!
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Thanks for your comments, everyone!
I’ve got to admit, every time I write about baby-related things, I feel really naive and dumb.
I’m trying so hard to get things together now, because I know my life is going to be turned upside down and splattered against a wall soon.
I guess stockpiling/planning in advance is my way of staying sane and in control.
I’m probably not going to buy as many diapers as I first mentioned. That’s a lot of diapers to have on hand!
But, I do think that I will have several varieties in several sizes to get me through those first couple of months.
LOL I have a daughter who also doesn’t fit any of your plans. She’s 3.5, weighs 30#, and wears 3s. She wears 4s at night only because she sleeps so long and pees so much that 3s won’t do. Actually, until recently, she’d wear a size larger at night PLUS a diaper doubler. She’s been doing that since she wore 2s.
She’s really skinny, that’s why she’s always worn small sized diapers.
Just be careful–your really cheap diapers will NOT be so cheap if you don’t use half of them. They’ll cost twice as much, then. And you may have wasted a lot of *time* shopping as well.
If you have to move, you can always use them for packing around your fragile things!
If you have tons extra, they make a great baby gift along with a cute little hat or sleeper.
If you decide you hate them all, you can donate them to a pregnancy crisis center, get a tax deduction, and be a hero to some new mom who’s not as shopping savvy as you are.
What’s not to like?
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I wanted to throw in the gender issue I’ve experienced. With my daughter, she always wore the diaper size that equaled her current weight. My son on the other hand….. He’s 9 months old and in size 4s for 6 months now. Litlle boys have a different anatomy which makes their pee end up closer to the top edge of the diaper and I’ve found him to be MUCH more prone to leaks in almost every brand of diapers I’ve used. Those dipaer doublers were a God-send for the first few months. I even went so far as to bring him to the doctor because I thought something was wrong with him, with all the diaper accidents we were having. My pediatrician (bless his heart) sais “Um Sara. Do I really have to explain the anatomical differences here? You are a nurse after all” :) Kacie, you’re not the only one who feels clue-less at times. And this was my second baby for pete’s sake!