Diaper Sizes - What they really mean

[nbs2]

What do diaper sizes really mean when you see the N, 1, 1-2, 2, etc.?

Now that the overwhelming majority have convinced me that I need to get Pampers, I thought I could add another to the FAQ that will probably need to be developed for this section. I bring it up now since there is a very nice deal at Amazon for $10 off $49 of grocery items (diapers are groceries). The deal probably shows up fairly regularly, but I'm trying to figure out if I should buy three value packs (3x96) of Ns, or an N (96) and a 1 (216) or 1-2 (216).

Mainly, what is the difference between the 1, 1-2, and 2? What do you use when?

[Momof3Labs]

1 is smaller than 1-2, which is smaller than 2. I wouldn't order 96 newborn dipes though Amazon since you can't (easily) return them. My two 8lb boys consumed less than 30 newborn dipes between the two of them - too many poopy blowouts for me.

I don't really watch the sizes. I watch how the diapers work on my kids. If they start to leak or blow poop up the back, then it is time for a bigger diaper no matter what the size ranges say or how many diapers are left in an opened bag.

[MamaMolly]

DD was 7.4 at birth, and dropped a lot to 6 something. I bought a small packet of the newborn Whiteclouds, Pampers and Huggies so I had about 120 of them. Then we bought the Costco Kirkland size 1-2...I think about 200 or more of them?

By the time we were ready to buy more, I used the size guide on the packages and bought size one, only to discover that DDs luscious thighs required a bit more accommodation!
Off to my sister went that lovely package of Pampers, and I started using the size 2 in both Huggies and Pampers.

Had a big problem with the Huggies (regular kind) and now only use the Supremes or Pampers which I prefer. Sadly, Costco only has the Kirkland in the 1-2s, and Huggues in the regular kind, so we are shelling out the bucks. I'm off to shop the Amazon sale!

HTH,
Molly

[hez]

Last I checked on Swaddlers, 1-2 is the same length as a 1, but same width as a 2, so the actual fit falls somewhere in between a 1 and a 2.

I'd be careful how many N's (for Newborn), 1's and 2's you prebuy. Silly me expected a 50% kiddo and was blessed with a 95% kiddo instead, and we flew through the small sizes in a few short months. He generally grew out of each size for length before width, especially since we usually stuck with diapers that had stretch.

[floriflee]

Hello!

I am the DW of the poster.... So, just out of curiosity, not knowing how big DD is going to be, what would be your recommendation as far as diaper-planning beforehand? Should be we get small packs of the various sizes (N, 1, 1-2, and 2) and then just cut our losses if the smaller sizes end up not being big enough? I guess we'd like to avoid having to rush to the store to get diapers after she arrives (but we'll probably end up doing that anyway for other things that we haven't thought about).

[hez]

You'll probably walk out of the hospital with at least half a small pack of newborn diapers-- enough to get you through a couple days. If memory serves, we changed Payton's diaper at least 8 or 10 times a day at the beginning (pretty much every time he ate). So if you get a week or so's worth of a particular size, IME you'll probably be able to use it. If you purchase a month's worth of Newborn, for instance, you may find your kiddo has sized out before you've used them up. Or, you may end up with a kiddo on the opposite end of the spectrum and be able to use the smaller sizes for much longer, in which case you've given yourself a week to gauge it and determine if you want to send someone to the store for you ;)

HTH!

[KrisM]

If you search on this board, you'll find various recommendations. But, neither of my kids went through a pack of newborn size. DS was 9lbs 6 oz and DD was a pound lighter. Now, we switched to cloth at a few days, but after we couldn't use the newborns any more.

If you buy a couple bags of various sizes and brands, you can always return what you don't use, if you buy locally.

FWIW, I didn't get any diapers from either hospital, so don't count on that!

[spunkybaby]

Just to give you a different opinion, my DDs were both on the smaller size. DD#1 was 5 lbs, 5 oz, so she actually could have worn preemie diapers and we used newborn diapers for quite a while. DD#2 was 7 lbs, 11 oz, and has also been wearing newborn diapers for a few weeks.

My recommendation would be to buy some small packs of newborn diapers from a local store so that you can return the unopened packages if you have a bigger baby. Just don't forget to keep your receipts!

Mom to a spunky toddler (3/04) and a new spunky Christmas baby (12/06)

[Radosti]

My DS came home from the hospital in Size 1 diapers and he was 2 weeks early. He was born at 9 lbs 12 oz and dropped to 9 lbs. However, the Newborn diapers didn't fit at all and the nurses switched him to size 1 Swaddlers. The size 1 diapers ended up lasting about 2 weeks and then we had to go to size 2. Size 2 were done at 2.5 months, then size 3. Size 3 lasted for a long time, at least 6-7 months. Size 4 only lasted about a month and we've been in size 5's for a while now.

[shburks]

I agree with this. My son was also quite small and spent some time in preemie diapers and wore newborns for several months as he was small and slow growing. However, that's not the norm for most babies!

I'd probably get a few packs of newborn diapers (as the pp mentioned) that you can return (or exchange to a local store) and stock up more on the size 1s. We had a full stock of diapers ready to go when ds got home. Most moms on here don't recommend doing that, but it really worked well for us. Being as they don't wear each diaper very long any way, it was hard for us to tell early on what worked and what didn't work (in regards to blowouts, etc). We also had a very spitty baby, so his clothes were changed quite frequently anyway!

Until you really know what you like and what works best for your family, baby, budget, etc., I probably wouldn't buy diapers from somewhere you can't return.

FWIW, I've heard good things about www.1800diapers.com for good prices, convenience, etc.


Susan