When Should I Change My Baby’s Diaper Size? When It’s Time To Move Up.

Parenting is hard as it is, and it gets trickier when we need to decipher which diaper size should we go for our babies. Buying which size and using it for how long are some of the questions that can seem daunting, especially to new parents or caregivers. It can be frustrating if we end up stocking up the storeroom with the wrong diaper size.

Like, babies clothes, socks, mittens, beanies, the size of the diaper changes too with the growing baby, especially in the first year of life. As parents, you need to ensure that your baby is comfortable in her current diaper size and to know which diaper size is right for your baby and when it is time to go up a size.

What you need to remember is, diaper size is determined by your baby’s weight and not by her age, since no two babies are exactly the same. Babies come in different shapes and sizes and choosing the right diaper size depends on your baby’s weight and the diaper brand. Each diaper brand has different prerequisites for different diaper sizes. You can decide to up the diaper size if your baby’s current diaper waistband seems too tight for her, the diapers are so snug to your baby’s body that the elastic of the diaper leaves red marks and impression on her waist and thighs, there are frequent leaks and blowouts, the diaper doesn’t cover baby’s bottom entirely, and it’s getting difficult for you to connect the tabs of the diaper. But, if you choose a larger sized diaper, there may be many episodes of leaks and blowouts. You can check whether the diaper size is large if there’s too much room between the diaper and your baby’s leg or if the diaper pulls too up from the belly button.

 

Choosing the Right Size Diaper

Choosing the Right Size Diaper

Poorly fitting diapers can cause leaks, rashes, and discomfort in babies. The diaper size ranges from preemie to a size 6 for toddlers. Newborns can use up to 12 diapers in a day (that’s 360 diapers in a month!), but these decreases to 6-8 diapers by the time they are toddlers, and before you know it they have grown a little and are out of their current diaper size.

Your baby will go through many diaper sizes as they are growing. You can start with ‘Newborn’ diapers and go further. Some brands like Huggies offer ‘preemie’ diapers for babies weighing less than 6 lbs. Depending on the baby’s weight at birth, some parents may opt for size 1 diapers, but the majority of the babies start with ‘newborn’ size as they also have U-shaped cut-out-hole for the umbilical cord.

So, it is important to wear them in the right diaper size to prevent frequent leaks and blowouts from too loose diapers or too tight ones. A piece of advice for you is don’t ask your neighbor who has kids or your friend for which size diaper your child should wear. You need to make that decision based on your child’s weight and be on the lookout for signs when you change her diaper, for instance, red marks on the waist indicates that she has grown out of the current diaper size. Remember that each baby is different even if they’re of the same age, so a size 3 for your friend’s daughter might be smaller/larger for your baby of the same age.

Your baby will rapidly change diaper size and will move from size 1 to size 6. Certain brands like Pampers also offer size 7 for toddlers over 41lbs.

When to change your baby’s diaper size

When to change your baby’s diaper size

If you’re a new parent and your baby is growing rapidly, then it can get tricky for you to decide on which size to go for your baby as you notice the overlapping weight ranges in each brand. Remember, if your baby is between sizes, it is better to go for a size down for two reasons, (a) the size 0f per diaper in the box will cost less, and (b) if you buy a larger diaper size, you’ll end with loose cuffs around the thighs causing frequent messy leaks and blowouts.

But you need to look for signs which will tell you that it’s time to change the diaper size on the following indications:

  • Your baby’s bottom is not completely covered when you try to pull up the diaper.
  • You have to pull the tapes of the diaper instead of it being taped in the middle without any force.
  • You notice leaks often from the overnight diaper.
  • You have to change your baby’s diaper very often as it tends to get full easily.
  • There are red marks and impression of the diaper around the waist, groin and hip area.
  • The waistband seems too tight.
  • Diapers are getting harder to put on.

When my son was born, the ‘newborn’ size diaper seemed too tight for him while Size 1 diaper was too big. So, if you’re facing a similar situation where you’re between sizes, then you can choose the bigger size. I chose Size 1 diapers, folded the waist down before putting it on.

If this doesn’t work for you, try to choose a different brand as babies tend to be unique in their shapes and sizes. So, a size loose in one brand can be a size perfect in another.

How do you know if the diaper is too large for your baby?

This can be frustrating if you think that you have ended up buying tons of baby diaper in a larger size. If your baby is wearing a diaper size larger than what should be her actual diaper size, then you’ll find frequent leaks.

If you want to check whether the diaper is in a larger size, then try putting a finger between the cuffs around the thighs and the leg, you can see that there’s too much room between the two or the diaper is being pulled up way high from the belly button.

If you have ended up buying the bigger size, then don’t worry, hold on to them. You’ll have to use them sooner than before.

Diaper size chart of some of your favorite diaper brands

Pampers Diaper Size Chart

  • Preemie: up to 6 lbs
  • Newborn: up to 10 lbs
  • Size 1: 8 to 14 lbs
  • Size 2: 12 to18 lbs
  • Size 3: 16 to 28 lbs
  • Size 4: 22 to 37 lbs
  • Size 5: 27 lbs and up
  • Size 6: 35 lbs and up
  • Size 7: 41 lbs and up 

Luvs Diaper Size Chart

  • Newborn: up to 10 lbs
  • Size 1: 8 to 14 lbs
  • Size 2: 12 to 18 lbs
  • Size 3: 16 to 28 lbs
  • Size 4: 22 to 37 lbs
  • Size 5: 27 lbs and up
  • Size 6: 35 lbs and up

Huggies Diaper Size Chart

  • Premie: up to 6 lbs
  • Newborn: up to 10 lbs
  • Size 1: up to 14 lbs
  • Size 2: 12 to 18 lbs
  • Size 3: 16 to 28 lbs
  • Size 4: 22 to 37 lbs
  • Size 5: 27 lbs and up
  • Size 6: 35 lbs and up

Mama Bear Size Chart

  • Newborn: up to 10 lbs
  • Size 1: 8 to 14 lbs
  • Size 2: 12 to 18 lbs
  • Size 3: 16 to 28 lbs
  • Size 4: 22 to 37 lbs
  • Size 5: 27 lbs and up
  • Size 6: 35 lbs and up

Bambo Nature Size Chart

  • Newborn 1: 4 to 8 lbs
  • Mini 2: 6 to 13 lbs
  • Midi 3: 11 to 19 lbs
  • Maxi 4: 15 to 39 lbs
  • Junior 5: 26 to 48 lbs
  • XL 6: 35 to 66 lbs

The Honest Company Diaper Sizes

  • Newborn: up to 10 lbs
  • Size 1: 8 to 14 lbs
  • Size 2: 12 to 18 lbs
  • Size 3: 16 to 28 lbs
  • Size 4: 22 to 37 lbs
  • Size 5: 27 lbs and up
  • Size 6: 35 lbs and up

Seventh Generation Size Chart

  • Newborn: Up to 10 lbs
  • Size 1: 8 to 14 lbs
  • Size 2: 12 to 18 lbs
  • Size 3: 16 to 21 lbs
  • Size 4: 20 to 32 lbs
  • Size 5: 27 to 35 lbs
  • Size 6: 35 lbs and up

Other types of diapers

Other types of diapers

If you’re planning to buy a different style other than the disposable day diapers like

Cloth diapers

These diapers are reusable and washable. They usually come in one-size-fits-all, ranging from 6 lbs to 35 lbs as they have adjustable snaps on them.

Swim diapers

Unlike the usual disposable diapers, swim diapers don’t swell when they’re wet. Swim diapers are meant to be worn in the water. They typically come in Small (Size 3), Medium (Size 4), and Large (Size 5) sizes.

Overnight diapers

This type of diapers is meant to be extra absorbent. Though they are sized the same way as day diapers are, they start with Size 3 since babies start to sleep through the night around that age.

Conclusion

So, to cut a long story short, go with your instinct and importantly, read the instructions on the diaper package before you buy a new one. Look out for signs whether the diaper is too tight or too big for your baby.

It’s no rocket science to choose a diaper size for your baby; you’ll understand slowly as your baby grows. So, don’t worry, you’ll soon get the hang of it.

Meanwhile, comment down below and tell us how you decide it’s time to switch to another size.

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Located in India and a mother to a joyfully mischievous son, Kelin is the wife of the world’s most patient man and a busy homemaker. When she’s not busy cooking and running after her kid,  you can find her in a corner reading, or penning down words on her laptop. She believes the world will always try to instil ‘mom guilt’ in new mothers, but she goes by the maxim ‘a mother knows best'.

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