How Many Diapers Will You Need For The First Year?
How many diapers will you need for the first year? This is a smart question to ask since the number (and cost) might overwhelm you. Believe me, I’ve asked this question twice with our two girls. And, the answer is quite intimidating. So, let’s just get it out of the way up front.
The average baby will need between 2,500 and 3,000 diapers in the first year. This will cost about $70-80 per month for a total of about $900 for the first year. We’re not talking pocket change here.
Luckily, you should be able to stock up on all of the diapers you’ll need way before your baby is even born. Well, maybe not all of them. But, with careful planning and coupon shopping, you should be covered for at least the first six months. To do that you’ll first need to know what to expect. Next, you’ll inevitably receive some as gifts. So, careful gift planning will help you out a lot. Finally, be savvy on how you buy the rest of the diapers you’ll need.
Seriously, it’s not as hard as it sounds. Besides, I’m here to help. So, keep reading to find out easy ways to get through the first year of diapers.
Let’s start this off by first acknowledging that every boy and girl will grow at different rates. Some grow faster while others take a while. For example, both of our daughters we’re pretty much in the top 95 percentile (or more) in terms of length and weight. They still are to this day.
So, what worked for our family may not necessarily work for you. Also, you should know that the same size diaper will fit differently depending on the manufacturer. With that said, here is a general guideline you can use to help form a plan.
Diaper Size N (Newborn): Up to 10 lbs
Diaper size N (or 0) are for newborn babies. They generally will fit babies up to 10 pounds. (Side note: I tended to push the upper weight limit a little for every diaper size since I found that sometimes a slightly tighter fitting diaper just worked better.)
Your baby will use about 8-10 size N diapers a day. And, you will need about a month’s worth of them. So, plan on needing about 300 size N diapers.
This may sound like a lot but keep in mind that the bigger economy size boxes of size N can have 200+ diapers in them. So, you should aim to have 1 of these economy-sized boxes on hand. Also, don’t forget to ask your nurse to give you all of the leftover size N diapers that you didn’t use during your hospital stay. You’re already paying for them. And, the hospital won’t use an opened pack of diapers for the next baby. So, you might as well take them.
Diaper Size 1: 8 – 14 lbs
Size 1 diapers typically fit babies up to 14 pounds. As a rule of thumb… babies will gain about two pounds a month for the first 4 months. So, it will take the average baby three and a half to four months to reach this weight.
At this age, your baby is still using 8-10 a day. So, you will need 3 months x 30 days x 10 diapers a day which equals about 900 size 1 diapers. Economy sized boxes of size 1 contain an average of 200-250 diapers. So, you will need 4-5 economy-sized boxes on hand.
Diaper Size 2: 12 – 18 lbs
Size 2 diapers will fit babies up to 18 pounds. But, you might notice that size 2 diapers overlap with size 1 and size 3 diapers. So much so that if you use size 1 diapers until your baby is 16 pounds… you can skip size 2 diapers altogether.
But, the smaller the diaper size… the more diapers are in the box (typically). So, it’s worth using the size 2 diapers until your baby reaches at least 18 pounds.
Your baby will take about 6-7 months to reach 18 pounds. And, they will be using about 8 a day at this weight. So, you will need 2 months x 30 days x 8 diapers a day which equals about 480 size 2 diapers. Economy sized boxes of size 2 contain an average of 150-200 diapers. So, you will need 2-3 economy-sized boxes on hand.
Diaper Size 3: 16 – 28 lbs
Size 3 diapers are the ones you will be using the most since they will fit babies up to 28 pounds. Starting at about five months… your child’s growth will slow down. They will typically gain about one to one and a half pounds per month. So, you’ll be using size 3 diapers for about 8 to 12 months.
The good this is that your baby will only use about 5 to 8 a day at this age. And, if you used size 2 diapers… you’ll be using the size 3 diapers for the second half of the first year. I will use the average and say your baby will use 6 a day. So, you will need 6 months x 30 days x 6 diapers a day which equals 1,080 size 3 diapers. Economy sized boxes of size 3 contain an average of 120-200 diapers. So, you will need 5-9 economy-sized boxes on hand.
How Many Diapers Will You Need For The First Year?
Remember that these are rough estimates. And, I used a high estimate for sizes N, 1 & 2. With that said, you will need approximately 300 size N, 900 size 1, 480 size 2 and 1,080 size 3 diapers for a total of 2,760 diapers for the first year. I know that this is a pretty intimidating number. I wouldn’t worry too much though, just keep reading.
How Can You Stock Up On Diapers?
As I mentioned earlier, don’t forget to ask your nurse to give you all of the leftover size N diapers that you didn’t use during your hospital stay. You’re already paying for them. And, the hospital won’t use an opened pack for the next baby. So, you might as well take them. You might even get enough size N diapers that you won’t have to buy any more just by doing this little trick. This alone should be reason enough to just ask them.
Another way to stock up on diapers is through your baby registry. As a general guideline, you’ll need the following economy boxes: 1 box of size N, 4-5 boxes of size 1, 2-3 boxes of size 2 and as many size 3 boxes as you can get. If you remember to place these in your registry and your family/friends end up getting them for your baby shower… you’ll be set for the first year! This is probably the easiest way to stock up on diapers. But, you have to remember that you’ll need a place to store all of them. And, they will take up a lot of space.
Are The Economy Boxes The Cheapest Way To Buy Diapers?
Since all I’ve talked about are the economy boxes… you might be wondering if that’s the cheapest way to buy your diapers. And the answer is not usually. This is especially true if you buy them using coupons. And, I highly suggest that you do. This is the cheapest (cost per diaper) option but it does take some time so start early.
This is because you can only use one coupon when you buy one big box of diapers. This might be very convenient. But, let’s say that you can buy the same amount of diapers in four smaller packs. Then you can use four separate coupons to save even more money!
This might not always hold. So, be sure to break out your cellphone and crunch the numbers to find out how much each diaper is costing you with both options.
What It The Cheapest Way To Buy Diapers?
You can get some great deals on diapers if your patient. You will be looking for grocery stores or drug stores that place them on sale. Also, you will aim to use a manufacturer’s coupon and get a reward (cash or credit) back on your next purchase. Admittedly, these types of deals don’t happen very often. So, stock up when they do. You might have to bring additional family members with you so that they can take advantage of the deal on your behalf. That way you get a great deal (multiple times) while staying within the deal limits.
I suggest you start looking for deals early. That way you have time to dig through all of them to stock up at a dirt-cheap price. It won’t be easy. And, it will be a lot of work. But, I believe it is more than worth it. If this sounds too complicated… don’t forget to check out our front page. We are always posting the best online baby deals every day. =)
By Grace – Child Development Associate Teacher in California
My husband Mark and I have been blessed with two beautiful, smart, positive (I can go on and on) girls… Kenzie & Kayla. And, we have learned many tips and tricks while raising them. Tips and tricks that we felt would be useful to other new parents out there. So, we started WAYISAVE as a website built by parents for parents to share the best baby deals, coupons, tips, tricks and the occasional piece of advice.
