Diaper Sizes: Understanding Which Disposable Diapers Are Right for Your Child

Even before your baby is born, you are faced with a myriad of decisions regarding the products and services you will use to care for your baby. If she delivered her baby in a hospital, she was most likely given starter diapers. As a new parent, he may not know what brand of diapers he wants to use. And, like many people, he probably assumed that the diapers he received were suitable for his family. After all, if the hospital is giving them to you, they have to be good, right?

While no hospital will provide supplies that are harmful to any patient, most hospitals do not have preferred diaper suppliers. In general, manufacturers provide diaper supplies to hospitals as a marketing tool to hook parents as quickly as possible. It’s a very effective strategy where, if you can secure payment of $30 a week for three years, the cost of the initial supply of diapers has paid for itself.

But, as a parent, you need to find out which diapers are right for your child. You have already marveled at the individual fingers and toes. Now it’s time to determine which diaper will cover your child’s individual bottom. Part of figuring out which diaper will work is understanding how diaper sizing works. Logically, diapers are sized based on weight. The number of diapers per package also decreases as the size of the diapers increases. This means you’ll get fewer diapers per pack as your child gets older.

Here is a simple example of different diaper sizes

To better familiarize yourself with diaper sizing, this article will explore a brand of disposable diapers and their sizing metrics.

Since most babies are born under ten pounds, standard newborn diapers will be appropriate. They are rated for up to ten pounds. Some parents forego newborn diapers and opt for size 1-2. This is realistic by weight, but does not take into account diaper accommodations for the umbilical cord stump. Diapers for newborns are specially designed to leave room for the stump of the cord to heal and eventually fall off, which usually happens a few weeks after birth.

Once your child starts to grow, he’ll use weight as a measurement tool to determine when he needs to buy the next size. You may want to determine if your child has the production capacity for the next size. For example, typically if your child reaches 16 pounds, you are ready to purchase a size 3. However, if your child is slow to gain weight or is in a lower weight percentile, your child may still have the ability to production of size 3 diapers.

Disposable diapers range in size from Newborn to Size 6, which accommodates over 35 pounds.

Normal size weight ranges are:

-Up to ten pounds: newborn

-8 to 15 pounds: Size 1-2

-16 to 28 pounds: Size 3

-22 to 37 pounds: Size 4

-27 pounds more: Size 5

-Over 35 lbs: Size 6

Once your baby has graduated from diapers, you can move on to diaper products and switch to training pants. Also, if she likes to spend time swimming or in the kiddie pool in the summer, she may want to pick up a pack of swim pants to ensure her baby is a welcome visitor at any water attractions she visits.