When we think about babies, one of the first things we always think about is diapers. For so many years diapers have been the most important useful thing babies can have, they are not just a simple accessory, they are pretty much a necessity.

Disposable diapers are the preferred go-to option of many parents because of their practicality. There’s no need to spend time washing them and making them look great, once they are dirty they can just go, you can find them almost everywhere, there are many brands to choose from, a wide range of prices for all budgets, different designs, styles, proposes and of course sizes.

The number one rule when choosing our baby’s diapers is choosing the right size. Although we understand at times this can be hard since baby’s sizes often change. Some new parents might ask themselves how long do babies stay at a certain size but well that depends on their growth rate.

How long do babies stay in size 1, 2, 3 diapers?

Buying diapers for the first time can be quite a challenge. You might go to the shop with the intention of rapidly choosing the first diapers you see, but are they right for you? Are they even the size your baby needs?

It’s normal for people to have different preferences when it comes to buying diapers, some people decide to go for the most affordable ones because let’s face it, when you are constantly buying something you might want to save some cents.

Some other people decide to buy diapers that state they have better absorbency in order to prevent any uncomfortable and unwanted leaks, organic diapers are another example of a very popular type of diapers right now since they’re eco-friendly

There are also diapers that are gentler on the skin for those babies whose skin tends to be a bit more sensitive, etc. On top of all this, once you decide which brand or type of diaper to use you are going to come across another decision, choosing the right size.

Normally most brands would offer size 1 to size 6 or size 0 to size 6. For newborns is actually quite simple most babies would need a size 0 if they have lower birth weight or a size 1 or 2. For those babies below the average birth weight, some brands offer premature baby size diapers.

Diaper sizes might be different depending on the brand you decide to buy. However, we have put together an average size scale.

There are no fixed rules but most babies will go through sizes 1 to 3 in a year. When they’re first born babies will start wearing size 0, 1 or 2 depending on their weight (low, average or above average)

Babies who start using size 0 diapers as newborns often wear this size for a few weeks to a month, then move to size 1 and in about 1- 3 months they will move to size 2.

Babies with average weight will often start wearing size 3 diapers around 31 weeks and wear them until they’re a year old.

We advise you to be careful when you go into blogs or talk to other parents about diaper sizes, some babies grow at a different speed hence why some babies would need to use bigger or smaller nappies. The best thing you can do is to do your own research and to be aware of your baby’s growth.

If you have an older child that needs diapers for whatever reason there are some specific brands that do disposable diapers and underwear-type diapers. We encourage you to look into it.

For toddlers who are in the process of potty training, there is something called potty training underwear, often also known as potty training pants or training pants.

They are the in-between of a diaper and cloth underwear. They are made from materials that are able to absorb leakings yet their cloth-like material resembles the feeling of normal underwear, so this can be a very good alternative once you decide it’s time for your child to say goodbye to diapers.

How many newborn diapers do I need?

There’s only one right answer to this question, AS MANY AS YOU CAN so don’t be intimidated when you get lots of diapers at your baby shower, they will come in handy.

You can never have too many diapers since they’re necessary, useful and unfortunately, run out incredibly fast.

It is important to change the diaper of an infant as soon as we noticed they have pooped. According to the NHS (National Health Service UK), a baby as young as one week of age would poop on average, 4 times a day.

However, this can change depending on the way the newborn is being fed. It is possible for breastfed babies to poop almost every time after they have had a feed. Newborns who are formula-fed may poop up to 5 times a day.

The amount of times a baby poops in a day tends to decrease with time, by the time they’re 1 year old they poop approximately twice a day. That’s a fair amount of diapers, and we have only talked about the times they poop.

We also need to account for the times they have a pee. It’s possible for newborns to urinate as often as every two hours or in some cases, a newborn can pee as little as 4 to 6 times a day according to healthychildren.org.

In order to avoid nappy rash that can be very uncomfortable change your baby’s diaper as soon as you noticed they have done a pee or poo.

We recommend you to always have diapers to use. It is good to have diapers in advance, however, you need to be conscious that as diapers come in different sizes so do babies, even newborns and as a new parent you need to choose the right size of diaper for your baby.

How long do babies stay in diapers?

Diapers are a necessity when it comes to babies and small toddlers. As parents, we always need to have a package of diapers around us and even when you just bought a new package it seems like it doesn’t last at all so the moment our little ones no longer need diapers it’s a relief for us and also a very important childhood milestone for them to achieve.

Although, it’s difficult to say when exactly this is going to happen the average age when parents decide to start potty training is 18 months old. The average age for successfully potty training varies between 18 months to 3 years of age.

There are parents who decide to start this process earlier than 18 months, some decide to teach their children how to take themselves to the potty as soon as their infants are able to walk; some children actually show positive results at potty training very early on.

However, this is not always the case. There are some toddlers that aren’t out of diapers until they are 3 to 4 years of age.

The right answer to the question, when is it a good time for an infant to stop using diapers could be when the infant is fully potty trained.

Being fully potty trained is when the infant has mastered potty training and can take themselves to the potty or is able to let you or let someone know that they need the toilet and they are able to hold it until they get there.

If your child can easily go to the potty or is able to understand when it’s time to go and they have no accidents or almost none it might be a good idea to go diaper-free now and get them some undies.

Some parents of toddlers and younger children who still have accidents from time to time might prefer to make their children use diapers sometimes and that’s okay. Nighttime is a good example of this.

Even fully potty trained children might still struggle to take themselves to the bathroom or even waking up from their dreams if your child keeps peeing at night using diapers can help keep them feel comfortable and secure.

Nighttime accidents can be very common and most children grow out of them naturally.

How do I know if my baby’s diaper is too small?

It is very important to pay attention to the sings our baby is growing, if a baby is using a smaller diaper size you will probably find an uncontained surprise and an uncomfortable and fussy baby.

The following tips can help you check if your baby’s diaper is too small:

• Read the diaper’s package: Diapers normally say what weight range they fit. If you are not too sure which size would fit your infant you can always weigh them. Since baby’s weight tends to change from week to week, especially during their first 6 months of life you can always ask your midwife, doctor or health center/family center to weigh them for you.

• Look for red marks. If your baby has red marks on their tummy or their upper legs it’s more than likely this is due to their diaper being too small for them.

• Struggling to put the diaper on them. If you just can’t put that diaper on your baby and it is not just because your baby is too wriggly you might want to throw that diaper away.

• Leaking is often one of the signs of a nappy being the wrong size.

• According to the Pampers website, another sign is that the tapes don’t reach the middle of the landing zone, instead, they only reach the edges of the waistband.

• You can also try to fit two fingers under the waistband of the diaper, if they don’t fit then the diaper is too small.

• Bottom coverage. If the diaper doesn’t seem to be covering their bottom even when the straps are properly fastened this is a sign the diaper no longer fits them.

• Nappy rashes sometimes happen when a baby’s diaper is too tight.

How do you know when to move up a diaper size?

If you have come to the consensus your baby’s diaper is too small then you need to move up a size. You have to do what’s comfortable and if this means having to go up one or two sizes because your little one outgrew their size that’s completely okay and natural.

Babies grow at such a rapid rate so it’s normal if your baby is wearing a size 0 and all of a sudden you need to jump to a size 1 or size 2.

It’s normal to feel a bit nostalgic seeing that our babies are not tiny anymore and seem to be bigger every day but this is a good sign that our baby is growing normally and that they’re healthy.

If you’re still not sure whether is the right time for your baby to use a bigger nappy size, check for the previously mentioned signs that their diaper is too small for them. You can always check the diaper’s package as well since they always say what average weight they fit.

NOTE: If you have any concerns regarding your baby’s weight, growth, stool, their sensitive skin or any other thing that you’re not sure of express these concerns to your health advisor.

Related Questions

What are organic diapers?

They are diapers made from bamboo, cotton, hemp or other plant-based materials. Some of them are also known as eco-friendly diapers for their natural ingredients. They can be a good option when an infant has ultra-sensitive skin.

Are affordable diapers good enough?

You can always try whatever diaper you think best suits your budget and needs. There are some affordable diapers that can be in fact very good. The important thing is that your baby feels comfortable and if they respond well to these types of diapers that’s all that matters.

How do I know if my baby has a nappy rash?

Nappy rashes occur when a baby is left with a wet or soiled nappy for too long. If your baby’s bottom is looking red or sore they might have a nappy rash. Baby’s with sensitive skin are more prompt to have them so they could benefit from diapers designed for babies with sensitive skin.