When choosing to cloth diaper your child (children), one of the biggest logistical questions to answer is "How many diapers do I need for each child?"
This answer can depend on several factors, and we can help you sort through them! Factors that determine how many diapers are right for you and you family for a complete stash include: baby's age, number of children, the style/styles of diapers you choose to use, the frequency at which you can wash every week, and whether you're able to cloth diaper full time or part time.
Baby's Age
- Newborns (0-3m) can easily go through anywhere from 10-12 diapers a day (both pee and poo). They really do go a lot! During this stage it's best to have good absorbency and some extras on hand just in case.
- Infants (3-9m) can often go through 8-10 wet/dirty diapers a day.
- Babies (9-12m) slow down a little as their bladder capacity grows and their bodies become more mobile. They generally wet/dirty between 6-8 diapers a day.
- Toddlers (12+m) stay in this general range too with their wet/dirty diapers a day at the same 6-8 per day.
- It's always best to have a few extra on hand more than the recommended per day. And if you choose to use diapers overnight, you may need more depending on the style of diaper you use for that time. Often people use a different diapering system for overnights than daytime.
Number of Children
- The number of children you're planning to cloth diaper really make a difference here. You will need the recommended amount of diapers per both children.
Style of Diaper
- There are many different styles of diapers out there to choose from. The three sold here at Redwood are newborn AIO, pockets, and covers.
- Newborn AIOs are a one time use, sewn in absorbency style of diaper. There is no need to add extra absorbency, but there is the option to do this if necessary. Great for quick newborn changes without all the extra fuss of stuffing inserts. They cannot be reused until they have been washed.
- Pockets are also a one time use diaper style. They need absorbency stuffed into them, and they cannot be reused until they have been washed.
- Covers are a great option for lessening your laundry load. The shells can be wiped down and reused if not heavily or obviously soiled between washes. They can be hung to dry in between changes and the absorbency just swapped out. They also are a great option for use during overnights when you need to add more absorbency or a different kind like a 360* system. Generally people find they are able to have less covers when choosing this system.
Washing Frequency
- The frequency at which you can wash your diapers weekly will determine how many diapers you will need to own for a complete stash.
- You will need to have enough to get you through every day you plan to go between washes, according to how many diapers you will use per day by baby age.
- Washing more frequently means you can own less diapers for a more minimal experience.
- Less frequent washing means you will need to own more diapers to make it through with enough til you do wash.
Full-time or Part-time
- Cloth diapering doesn't have to be a 100% all in or nothing approach. One of the many benefits of cloth diapering is that it can be used in whatever ways suit your family and situation the best. Many parents are not able to cloth diaper full-time, whether that's a choice they make or is made for them. Part-time cloth diapering is still beneficial to your baby and the environment.
- Part-time cloth diapering can lessen the amount of diapers you will need in your stash, and will also affect how and when you do laundry as well.
*A special consideration to being able to cloth diaper (and a very important one!) is budget! Cloth diapering can seem like a big upfront cost. It can seem like a big investment and you're right, it is. The savings of using cloth diapers over disposables is evident over time. With one big up-front purchase, you eliminate the need to have to buy daily, weekly, or monthly disposables that just get thrown into the trash and are harmful to the environment.
Some ways in which you can lessen the cost or have a stash that suits your personal budget is:
- Buying a little at a time, whether that is starting when pregnant and building a stash while you nest, or cloth diapering your chid here and there as you can until you build a full stash.
- Putting your preferred diaper wants on a registry for others to help purchase for you
- Buying second hand. There are lots of options for this: second hand boutiques, online marketplaces, family and friends, and different websites and groups on social media.
- Applying for a cloth diaper bank is also an option to help you get started with a cloth diaper stash. Many will have an application process and criteria to be met, but they can be a valuable resource to those who have a very constrained budget or other barriers to using cloth. We support The Cloth Option with a monthly donation here at Redwood.