How Many Diapers to Register For?(Complete Guide)

It is almost impossible to figure everything out and be ready as a first-time parent. However, you should never forget to sort out one of the most crucial things for your baby: diapers.

Knowing exactly how many diapers you will need for your child is almost impossible. However, early preparation is not an exception to every parent-to-be. You can still have a reasonable number of diapers to save you many trips to the store and embarrassing no diaper moments.

But many new parents wonder how many diapers are enough? According to published studies, babies use an average of 3,500 diapers between from birth until they are successfully potty trained. In the first year of the baby’s life, you will use about 2,200 diapers, with an average of 700 diapers used in the first three months.

How many diapers of each size to register for

Generally, the weight of your baby determines the size to use. The packages come in different sizes, and the number of pieces in the kits also varies. First, you need to know what size to register for and how many you will need.

Preemies: Preemies use up to 6lbs of diapers. The sizes may vary slightly from one brand to another. While it is unlikely for a new parent to consider having a preemie, if you are expecting multiple babies, then here is where you may need to start.

Newborns: Newborns weigh between 5-8lbs and will use the Newborn size if the baby goes full term. This stage goes up to about six weeks before they graduate to the next level.

Also Check: How Many Newborn Diapers Do You Need?

Most friends and family members in baby showers gift parents to be with newborn baby diapers, and some hospital adds them more upon discharge.

It is safe to have about 70 diapers weekly in this stage as a baby in their early weeks will have about 8-10 diaper changes in a day. A child will wear newborn diaper size for about 4-13 weeks in this size, adding to about 420 newborn diapers.

Size 1: A baby using size one diapers still need frequent diaper changes. You would use about 49 to 70 disposable diapers in a week during this period and goes to about week 16 if the baby weighed eight pounds at birth.

Since children use fewer diapers as they grow, register for two boxes of size two diapers to avoid wastage. According to DiaperPlanner.com, a baby uses about 637 pieces in this stage.

Size 2: As the baby grows, the diaper changes slow down, and you may use about 35 to 49 pieces of size two diapers in a week. If your baby was born at eight pounds, this stage should last up to 30 weeks old translating to approximately 595 diapers, throughout the stage.

Size 3: Your little one may have transitioned to size three diapers by 30 weeks. At this stage, you are likely to be using 35 diapers weekly, making it to about 805 diapers.

The other stages and sizes depend on the baby’s growth rate and how fast they reach their milestones like potty training.

Boys are likely to have more accidents during diaper change according to experts, and some parents believe that male children use more diapers than girls.

How to register for diapers

Registering for diapers is becoming more popular around the world, and many stores are offering their clients the option. Amazon baby registry, for example, has over 100 million subscribers.

Once you choose the store or platform that you prefer to register for diapers, go to the page and sign up on the provided site. The questions include things like your due date, address and most of the things surrounding registry.

After creating a registry, add diapers among the gifts you would like. You will need to specify the brands and sizes if the store deals with different ones. Other people prefer creating a registry for diaper directly on the brand’s site.

Factors that determine the number of diaper changes and duration in every baby.

– During their first days on earth, children urinate about 20 times a day. It is therefore fair to change the diapers after about 2-3 hours to keep the baby comfortable and not burn from the acid in the waste.

Babies bladders grow as they do physically, hence higher retention of urine translating to fewer diaper changes as the intervals of relief are longer.

– Babies also tend to increase their bowel movement patterns from 5 days to the sixth week of their lives. During this time, a baby’s pooping episodes may increase about five times a day.

Unlike urine, poop requires immediate diaper change. While some babies change the pattern after six weeks, others continues for a good part of the year. The more the bowel movements, the more the diapers used.

– The size of the baby plays a significant role in the number of diapers you will ultimately use. While it is hard to know this, the scan and baby growth rate can give you a clue. Also, the size of the parents may help, though not conclusive. Most babies weigh about 8 pounds at birth when carried to term.

More: Do Diapers Expire?

– Naturally, what goes in is what comes out. This life rule applies to the babies as well. The diet and what babies feed on determines the bowel movements and contribute to the number of diaper changes.

Some babies are formula-fed, while others breastfeed for the first months. Others for different reasons are introduced to solids earlier than their peers and what they eat will affect their excreting patterns, and ultimately diapers used. Mother’s diet while breastfeeding affects counts as well.

– Diapers differ in their absorbency ability because of the quality of the materials used in their production. Some diapers will take in more and still feel dry while others will make the baby feel wet and uncomfortable after a few episodes.

It is, therefore, crucial to check out the best brands, preferably ones made from cotton.

– The general health of the baby may influence the number of diapers you will use for a season or longer. While many parents have most of the things well planned, episodes of diarrhea or such infections may force you to use more than the usual number of diapers.

Also, in cases where the child has special needs that affect their milestones, the potty training may not happen when you expect, which may force you to add the number of diapers.

Children who develop faster, on the other hand, quit the diaper stage earlier than their peers.

For new parents who have no idea on how to go about diaper changing, see tips on the process here.