Have you stood in the diapers aisle in the supermarket and wonder which type of diaper should you get for your baby? A doubt every parent will face at some point. All sorts of questions will pop into your head. Which brand should I get? What size? Will it leak? Is the expensive one better than the cheaper one? So many questions.
Diapers are one of the biggest essentials a baby needs until they are old enough to be potty trained. You could be using about ten or more diapers in a day for newborns. Well, that’s normal, since newborns nurse, sleep and poop throughout the day. The number of diapers will gradually reduce as your baby grows bigger. However, getting the right size would be tricky. With the many different brands that can be found in the supermarket, making a decision would also be tough. But no worries, here are some tips you can use as a guide for your baby’s diaper journey.
Disposable diapers or not
There are two types of diapers. The disposable ones and the cloth diapers. Relatively, disposable diapers are more expensive than cloth. If you are looking at the “eco-friendly” ones, it can cost double than you can imagine spending. However, disposable ones are more convenient to use. Once soiled, you simply throw it away. Disposables are more absorbent as they are made with a pad that contains crystals that can absorb liquid and retain it in gel form.
As for cloth diapers, it can be time-consuming and tedious to wash, especially when you have to change the diapers very often. They might not as absorbent as disposables. However, cloth diapers are environmentally and cost friendly. It really differs in opinion among people.
The Different Disposable Types
There are many types of disposable diapers available in the market. There are the newborn, premie, standard, pull-ups, training pants and swim diapers. At different stages of your baby’s growth, you would need to get different types of diapers. A newborn’s bum is pretty small, hence the newborn size. For premature babies, there are the premie option which would be smaller than the newborn option.
For rest of your baby’s growth journey, there are the standard diapers. It is for daily use. When they reach toddlerhood, it is advisable to get the pull-ups as they are very active at this stage. Once they come to a stage to potty train which is around three to four years old onwards, you can try using the training pants which looks like underwear. If you want to bring your little munchkin swimming, you can get the swim diapers. There are the disposable or the reusable ones. The standard diapers are made to hold large amounts of liquid which will expand when it becomes wet. However, the swim diapers are designed to be less absorbent but are able to retain waste. They don’t expand and become heavy when the baby is in the water.
Many Brands, Many Choices
When it comes to Diaper brands, you will be spoilt for choice. Huggies, Pampers, Drypers, MamyPoko, Merries, Pet Pet, etc. There are so many brands available. However, which brand would you choose for your baby’s delicate toosh? Make a note to see how many times you change the diapers throughout the day. Does the diaper cause leakages or cause any rash to baby’s bum? Is it affordable? Different brands have different pricing. It is advisable that you try a couple of brands before you decide to stick to a particular one. So that if that brand is not available, you will always have a substitute in hand.
Is this Diaper the Right Size?
This part can be confusing. What is the right size? All baby bums come in different sizes. Usually, the diaper sizes are categorized with weight. Below is a table you can use as a rough guide:
| Diaper Size | Weight | Age |
| N | 0-5 kg | first few weeks only |
| S | 4-8 kg | 2-4 months |
| M | 6-12 kg | 4-7 months |
| L | 9-14 kg | 7-12 months |
| XL | 12-22 kg | 18-48 months |
| XXL | 15-28 kg | older than 3 years |
Do take note that different brands will vary in size slightly. Furthermore, don’t make the mistake of buying in bulk immediately. Study the diaper size your baby needs first. Then make the decision to bulk buy. The chart above is just a guide for the standard tape diapers. There have been parents who needed to get a bigger size because their baby was on the big side. For example, the baby was only three months but needed an M size diaper because he was quite chubby.
Conclusion
So you see, Diapers play a huge part in your life. Your baby cannot make the best choices for their delicate tooshie. However, as a parent, you can. Don’t ever think your choice might be wrong compared to other parents. Buying diapers are all part of a trial and error. Hope this article has given you some light on choosing the right diaper for your baby.
Meanwhile, you can claim a free Huggies diaper pack for your little on if you have not done so here.
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