How Many Diapers Will My Baby Go Through in the First Year?
If you’re a soon-to-be mom or dad, congratulations! You are about to embark on life’s sweetest journey. There are probably millions of thoughts and questions running through your head, and if you’re like most parents, at least some are about what to expect.
In this post, we will go over everything you need to know about how many diapers you can expect your baby to go through in their first year of life.
Diapers Throughout Your Baby’s Life
Most babies will wear diapers until they start potty training around the two-year mark. Until then, you are going to go through a ton of diapers. Diaper sizes you’ll need correspond to the age and weight of your baby. For example:
- Size Preemie: Up to 6 pounds
- Size Newborn: Up to 10 pounds
- Size 1: 8–14 pounds
- Size 2: 12–18 pounds
- Size 3: 16–28 pounds
- Size 4: 22–37 pounds
- Size 5: 27+ pounds
- Size 6: 35+ pounds
- Size 7: 41+ pounds
In the first year, you can expect your baby to go through about 2,200 diapers. You can pick your jaw off the floor, though, because there is some relief in sight. A baby’s bladder grows as they age, meaning as time passes, you will change fewer diapers. Here’s what that will look like:
Newborn: 10–14 diapers/day
Infant (3–9 months): 10–12 diapers/day
Baby (9–18 months): 8–10 diapers/day
Toddler (18+ months): 6–8 diapers/day
Dealing with Diapers
Here are a few of our tried and tested tips to help you get through the diaper years.
Convenience
In order to make frequent changes easier, make sure to set up a designated changing station where you can easily access diapers, wipes, bibs, clothes—and anything else you may need in a pinch. Also, for convenience on the go, keep a well-packed diaper bag that will allow you to create a "pop-up diaper changing station" no matter where you are. Don’t forget to refill it regularly, so you don’t find yourself out of diapers in bad timing.
Invest in some sleepwear for your little one that makes diaper changing a breeze. Sometimes, the hardest part about changing a baby’s diaper, especially in the middle of the night, is dealing with all the buttons on their onesies. For late night diaper changing that doesn’t leave you pooped out, try the Baby Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit. This swaddle suit has double zippers to make diaper changing a dream.
Finally, invest in a quality diaper pail that will control odors and fit as many dirty diapers as possible. This reduces your trips to take out the garbage while still keeping your nursery (and house) smelling fresh.
Cost
Our best tip for dealing with the cost of diapers is to stock up when you can. Buying in boxes is usually cheaper than in bags, for example. Look for sales and opportunities to buy in bulk.
Another money (and time) saving tip is to try a diaper subscription service. Most services will send different amounts of diapers based on the child’s age, and they will automatically change sizes as your baby ages.
You may also want to consider cloth diapers that can save money and garbage loads. Though the initial investment is a bit more for cloth diapers, once you own them, they're yours for life, which leads to less cost over time.
Comfort
A terrific tip to reduce crying and wiggling through diaper changes is to get a wipes warmer. You can eliminate the shock that comes with a cold wipe on a baby's tush with a warming dispenser.
In order to minimize the pain and severity of diaper rash, you have to treat it immediately. There are several creams, powders, and even antibiotics to treat diaper rash. Call your doctor to find the best treatment for your child. Also, avoid future outbreaks by ensuring your baby doesn't sit in their wet or dirty diaper for too long.
Diapers are a huge part of any baby’s first year. If you're in the process of planning a baby shower or putting together a registry, don't forget the value of diaper-related gifts to make all those diaper changes easier! Whether it’s a box supply of diapers or a Magic Sleepsuit for easy nighttime changes, you’ll be glad that you’re prepared for the time ahead!
Also in Our Blog
What’s the Difference Between a Swaddle and a Sleepsack
Five Questions about Early Morning Wakeups for Baby
The team at NAPS helps you tackle the issue of early wakeups. *BONUS* NAPS is hosting a webinar on February 24th. Register here and use the extra-special code MAGICMERLIN and you can join the webinar FREE of charge!
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The sound of cheery calls of “MAAAAMAAAAA” from the next room may be lovely at 7am. At 4am, or 5 am, not so much. Your baby may be up and ready to start the day, but you probably aren’t.
Answering the questions below may help you get there.
- Is your nap schedule mucking up your baby’s overnight sleep?
This might seem like an obvious question, but your baby’s sleep needs will change fast in the first few years of their lives. A quick look at the average nap number and duration might give you an idea:
- For babies from 3-6 months old, it’s normal to take 3-4 hour-long naps per day.
- For babies 6-15 months old, expect 2 naps with 3-3.5 hours of total sleep.
- For one and two-year-olds, you should expect a single 2-hour nap.
Part of the reason you might be seeing earlier wakeups is that your baby has graduated from one nap cycle to the next.
- Does your baby have enough time between their last nap and their bedtime?
We call this an “awake window,” and it can make a big difference. It might seem strange that your baby went to bed fine the night before, and you’re seeing a response to nap scheduling in the pre-dawn hours, but if your kiddo’s sleep is disrupted at night, it will impact the morning.
- 3-6 months, at least 1.5-2 hours between final nap wakeup and bedtime.
- 6-12 months, at least 2.5-3.5 hours between final nap wakeup and bed.
- 12-18+ months, 3.5-4.5 hours between final nap wakeup and bed.
- Is the room staying dark after the sun comes up?
Black 0ut curtains can make a big difference here. Remember that our brains signal wakeup when the light changes. So if dawn is at 430am, and even a little bit of light comes into your baby’s room, their little brains will PING with wake up juice.
- Is your baby going to sleep too early or too late?
It might seem counter-intuitive, but a late bedtime can actually backfire on you. Overtired kids don’t sleep as well. If you made their bedtime later and it didn’t fix the problem, try an earlier bedtime and see if that helps. You might be surprised.
- How do you make it better?
Try to make one change at a time; just one. Stick with that change for 3-5 days to see if it impacts things. (One night is usually not enough to see substantial change.) Be as consistent as you can with the change you made. For instance, if you decide to increase the space between bedtime and final nap wakeup, make sure to stick to the wakeup time you planned.
If your baby is waking up and chirping happily to themselves, feel free to leave them there for a little while. Let them get used to being alone in the crib. If you can, try to delay the start of the day by 5-10 minutes each day. This can make a big impact.
Everything else aside, remember that this is a short time in your kid’s life; as they get older, their sleep will become more regular, and so will yours. Don’t let yourself get too discouraged. Things are hard now, and you’re doing a great job.
