When you have a new baby on the way, there’s no such thing as having too many diapers. Despite their size, infants use more diapers than you think! If you’re fortunate enough to have friends or family who are experienced parents, they’ll likely give you diapers of multiple sizes so you’ll be prepared when your baby grows out of the newborn size. But just how many diapers do babies use?
The number of diapers a baby uses can drastically change depending on age, but newborn babies typically use more diapers per day than older infants. Once babies start eating solid food, the number of diapers may decrease each day, but this will still depend on how much liquid your baby is consuming, especially if you’re breastfeeding on demand.
In the first year of your baby’s life, you can’t have too many diapers. Although there’s no way to know exactly how many diapers your baby will use at each age, it’s important to have an estimate so you can be prepared.
Key Points
- You should aim to change your newborn's diaper every two to three hours, or whenever you notice they've pooped or peed in it.
- Up until your baby is around six months old, they'll be needing around 10-12 diapers per day.
- Your baby will likely be ready for potty training by 18 to 24 months old.
How Often Should You Change Baby’s Diaper?
As a new parent, it might feel like all you do is change diapers. It’s true that newborns use a lot of diapers and they don’t do much else other than sleep. As exhausting as the constant diapers changes can seem, it’s important to change your baby’s diaper frequently to keep them safe.
It’s generally recommended that you change your baby’s diaper at least every two to three hours but when your baby poops, always change them right away no matter how long it has been since the last diaper change. This also applies if your baby pees enough to fill their diaper.
Leaving a baby in a wet or soiled diaper can cause or contribute to skin problems, such as diaper dermatitis. One way to combat this skin condition is frequent diaper changes as well as proper cleaning of the diaper area and using a diaper cream on your baby.
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How Many Diapers Does a Baby Use By Age?
No matter what your baby’s feeding schedule is like, you’re going to use a lot of diapers in the first year. Let’s take a look at approximately how many diapers babies use at each stage.
Number of Diapers for Newborn Babies
Despite their small size, newborns use a lot of diapers every day. It’s common for newborns to pee every one to three hours. If you’re breastfeeding your baby, they may poop after every feeding, which can be a sign they’re getting enough milk. The amount of diapers may vary because every baby is different but these averages mean newborns can use up to 12 diapers per day.
Number of Diapers for Babies 2 to 4 Months Old
Once your baby is out of the newborn stage, their feeding habits and frequency of diaper changes may change, but they’re still using a lot of diapers at this point. The biggest change between two to four months may be the number of poops your baby has each day. When your baby is between six weeks and three months old, you will likely notice a decrease to only one or two poops per day for breastfed babies. During this stage, babies can still use an average of up to 10 diapers per day.
Number of Diapers for Babies 5 to 8 Months Old
Most parents start feeding their baby solid food around 6 months of age. As you can imagine, this change will have an impact on their digestive system and frequency of diapers. When their digestive system starts to mature, their poops will become more solid. The frequency of wet diapers may decrease to between seven and eight per day or may stay the same if your baby is still breastfeeding around the clock. The average for this time can be up to nine diapers per day.
Number of Diapers for Babies 9 to 12 Months Old
Between nine and 12 months old, your baby is starting to explore the world! They’re likely crawling and maybe even walking at this point. As baby becomes more used to eating solid foods and drinks milk or formula less frequently, they’ll continue to need less frequent diaper changes. However, until your baby is at least a year old, breast milk or formula should still be their main source of nutrition. From nine to 12 months old, babies may use up to seven diapers a day.
What Age Uses the Most Diapers?
They may be small, but newborn babies sure do use a lot of diapers. Most often, babies in the newborn stage use more diapers than older infants. Since newborn babies can use up to 12 diapers a day, it can feel like you’re constantly changing your baby. But frequent diaper changes in the newborn stage are a sign you’re baby is receiving all the nutrients they need and are staying hydrated.
How Many Baby Wipes Do Babies Use?
The amount of baby wipes your baby will use depends mostly on the number of dirty diapers they have each day. Every time they poop, you’ll likely use three to four wipes, and they may poop between two and five times a day, depending on their age and how they’re fed.
You don’t necessarily need to use a wipe after every diaper change, especially if your baby only peed and you changed their diaper right away. If pee sits for a while, it becomes ammonia, which can irritate your baby’s skin, but if you change the wet diaper right away, there’s no need to use a wipe or two.
How Long Do Babies Wear Diapers?
After you’ve spent a few months changing diapers, you might start to wonder about potty training. Even though potty training can be a challenging process, most parents look forward to the day when they can be free of diapers, at least for one of their children.
Like most developmental milestone, there isn’t an age set in stone when you can begin potty training your child. Part of this depends on when your child shows signs of readiness. Typically, children start to show these signs between 18 and 24 months old.
Your child may be ready for potty training if they:
- Can pull their pants up and down
- Dislike wearing a wet diaper and tries to pull it off
- Have a dry diaper for at least two hours
- Follow simple instructions
- Are starting to become more independent
- Try to tell you when they have a wet or soiled diaper
In the U.S., potty training begins later than it did in the past. This is likely due to several factors, including the convenience of disposable diapers. Delayed training can lead to various issues such as increased stress in the family and even bladder dysfunction in children. If you have any concerns about potty training readiness or the impact on your family, be sure to reach out to your child’s pediatrician.
What About Pull-Up Diapers?
Once your child begins potty training, you might want to consider moving to pull-up diapers. This will give you the ability to teach your child how to pull their pants up and down themselves, while still protecting their actual clothes from soiling.
Some children may still need pull-up diapers through the night until they are older. Six to eight percent of eight-year-olds wet the bed in the nighttime. If you're concerned that your child is still wetting the bed at a certain age, you can always reach out to their pediatrician. Remember to be supportive and non-judgmental if your child continues wetting the bed past the typical age; it is something that's out of their control.
Conclusion
There’s a reason that diapers are usually the most common gift at a baby shower. On average, babies can use between 2,000 and 3,000 diapers in a year! Understanding the average number of diapers per day or month can help you be prepared with all the supplies you need.
Remember that every baby is different and if your baby is using a different number than the average, it doesn’t mean something is wrong. However, especially in the newborn stage, the frequency of wet diapers is a good indicator that your baby is hydrated. If you have any concerns about your baby’s number of diapers, be sure to reach out to your pediatrician.
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