Diapers 101: All the Basics You Need to Know



Disposable or reusable (cloth) diapers?

The basics about disposable or reusable diapers are simple: Disposable diapers get thrown away, while reusable cloth diapers are used over and over for diapering a baby, which means they are better for the environment. (Although, the “green” aspect of cloth diapers is often debated.)


Did you know that disposable diapers actually are more effective at preventing diaper rash? Today’s disposable diapers are very absorbent, and the superabsorbent polymers used in those diapers helps wick the moisture from urine and feces away from baby — instead trapping it in the diaper itself. However, sometimes babies can be allergic to the ingredients in the disposable diapers, meaning that both types of diapers can cause rashes on the baby.

How often should I change my baby’s diaper?

Babies urinate about 20 times a day as newborns. The good news is that thanks to those superabsorbent polymers, you don’t need to change your baby every single time. If you did, that would be incredibly cumbersome. You’d basically spend your entire day changing your baby.

However, you do want to change your baby every 2 to 3 hours during the day. At night, you can let your baby sleep through a wee but the acid content of a poo can irritate baby’s skin and should be changed as soon as your baby wakes up.
“Leaving baby in a soiled diaper for a long period of time or not adequately cleaning them with wipes at every diaper change, can damage their skin, often resulting in a painful rash,“ Dr. Sears cautioned on AskDrSears.com. ”It can also leave them susceptible to the invasion of bacteria and yeast, presenting additional health problems and discomfort for everyone involved.”



Diaper sizing

Diaper sizes are typically based on how much baby weighs and the stage of development they are at. As a general guideline, a newborn diaper (first few weeks of life) size is for a baby that weighs up to 10 pounds, size 1 (2 to 4 months) is for a baby weighing 8 to 14 pounds, size 2 (4 to 7 months) is for a baby weighing 12 to 18 pounds, size 3 (7 to 12 months) is for a baby who weighs 16 to 28 pounds, size 4 (18 to 48 months) is for baby who weighs 22 to 37 pounds, size 5 (older than 3 years old) is for babies who weigh 27 pounds, and size 6 (older than 4 years old) is for babies who weigh 35 pounds or more.

Of course, kids won’t all have their weight coincide with the months in the guidelines, so here are some other things to consider when choosing a diaper size. How tight is the waistband? If you put your finger in the waistband and pull and it feels restrictive, it’s too tight.

Is the diaper covering baby’s bum? If it’s not covering your baby’s bum, it cannot work effectively and there will be leakage. Is the diaper leaving red marks on baby’s stomach from chafing? Chafing on hips, waist, and groin are all signs that it’s time to go up a size. Have the fastening tabs gone from being located in the center of the groin to the hips? If so, it’s time to size up.


Tips for diapering a baby:

Wash your hands before and after every time diapering a baby.
Lay the baby on a flat surface and keep one hand on the baby at all times or use a safety strap to keep them on their back. Never take your eyes off of the baby. Remove old diaper and wipe between folds of baby’s skin from front to back with a warm, non-perfumed diaper wipe.

Cover your baby boy’s penis with a diaper or burp cloth while changing, to prevent surprise wee in the face. Bertha Tuskan found this out the hard way while diapering her son. “I had no idea this was even a thing but there I was with pee in my face.  Surprise. Never again,” she told Mom.com. Allow area to dry before putting on new diaper.

Raise the baby gently by ankles and slide diaper beneath the baby’s bottom. Fasten the diaper so that stretchy tabs don’t allow the diaper to be too loose or too tight. Rule of thumb: You should be able to place two fingers between the diaper and the baby’s stomach.

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