Outgrowing Diaper Sizes?

[Chereya]

I'm trying to keep a good stash of diapers bought on sale/clearance and combined with coupons. I could use some help in figuring out how long my baby will be wearing each size. This is going to be my 3rd child but my youngest is almost 4 so it's been a long time since I had to deal with the smaller diaper sizes and I just don't remember! I know that for my two older kids, they were in size 3 Pampers Cruisers the longest - like a year or more.

Please help me out by describing how long your baby wore what size diaper.

Thanks a lot in advance!!

 

[Erica09M]

Kids grow so differently!

My oldest was born at 7 lbs 15 oz, and wore newborn diapers for almost 4 months. She didn't gain a whole lot of weight the first few months though. So, see how hard it is to compare how long a child will wear each size? I know some 4 month olds who are wearing size 3 or 4 already!

My youngest wears cloth diapers 99.9% of the time. But, she's 13 months old and could wear a size 3 sposie, or a 4 if needed... but the 4 would be a little big (though it would work).

I'd say newborn for a month or two, size one for a few months, size 2 for a few months, then fitting into size 3 where they'll stay for a while, then into size 4. But that's just based on my children's sizes and an estimate of what other kids their sizes might do. They're long and thin. Petite little ones won't grow as fast, bigger babies will obviously need to move up quicker.

I was probably no help! LOL

 

[DVCJones]

First, CONGRATULATIONS!!!

From what I can remember...

Newborns really grow out of diaper sizes quickly. They also go through them faster. I remember changing my infants quite often. We went through a lot of newborn diapers that first month or two. The newborn diapers are really tiny.

As they get older, my children seemed to fit in the same size diaper (3-4) for quite a long time.

I remember I had a lot of newborn diapers ready before my first DD was born. Much to everyone's surprise, she was 10lbs 5oz at birth. So, I think she wore the newborn size for a week

 

[la79al]

We do mostly cloth but did sposies when she was tiny and when we go away for a week. We never did newborns. Everyone told me she would outgrow them too fast. Then she was born under 6 pounds and probably could have used them for a little bit. I would guess that we did 1s for about 3-4 months. Then we did 2s until she was 10.5 months. At that point she was about in the 90% for weight and height. She has been in 3s since then. She actually has some 4s right now (the store was out of 3s in the kind we get) and they are too big, even though she is now in the 50% for weight and height now.

 

[dsnymomof4]

Like the PP said, DS seems to have been in the size 3s the longe
st! Since he was almost 9 lbs when he was born, he didn't stay in newborn for too long - maybe 2 months, then size 1 for maybe 3-4 months, then 2 for 3-4 months. Now he's been steady in the 3s for a while. Good luck!

 

[Colinsmom]

My boys were just over 8lbs at birth, but tall. The oldest wore ONE newborn dipe and went straight to size 1s. The youngest wore newborn dipes for maybe a week. They were both in size 3s by 6 months, probably much earlier but I don't remember. I just wanted to share my newborn size dipe experience since it does vary - and doesn't always seem to just be a function of weight, but also height.

 

[Alexander]

Man, trying to compare kid sizes is tough!

My boys were only a pound apart in weight at birth, but my older son wore newborns for a couple of months and then moved at "regular" pace up to size 4. It seemed like he stayed in the the 3's the longest. He potty trained at 28months and was wearing the 4's.

My younger guy--well lets just say he just turned 3 and is wearing the clothes my older son wore to Kindergarten! He was maxing out a size 6 diaper at when he trained at 32 months!

At their 3 y/o check-ups DS#1 was 36 pounds and 36 inches. DS#2 ws 43 pounds and 43 inches. Seven inches is a ton when you are looking at 3 y/o's!

 

[laughinplace199]

My oldest two kids are 10 & 8, so I don't remember much about their diaper sizes. Heck, I don't even remember what I had for breakfast this morning. Anyway...

My youngest will be 3 in October. He wore Pampers Swaddlers newborn for about a month, size 1 until he was about 8 mos old, size 2 until he was 12 mos old, size 2-3 (from BJ's) until he was about 22 mos old, size 3 Cruisers until he was 2.5 yrs old, and now he's in size 4. He technically could still wear 3's, but they were getting too short for him. He looked like he was wearing bikini bottoms!

None of my kids ever wore anything larger than a size 4, so I'd hesitate buying any of the bigger sizes.

 

[Chereya]

Thanks a lot for all your replies! It's helping me judge how much I want to have stocked up but not overbuy. I have some coupons expiring 8/15 so I wanted to make sure I was getting the best use out of them. I think I have enough newborn size, estimating 8 used per day, I have enough for 24-25 days. I had purchased a pack of Target brand size 1s but am couting them as a newborn size as the weight guideline says 8-10 lbs, the same upper limit as the newborns.

So I think I'll get some more size 1s of which I have about 11 days worth. I think the rest of my coupon stash won't expire until 12/31 so I can reassess my needs later on.

Thanks again!

ps - my due date is 8/21.

 

[lindsmom]

Congrats! I'm due right in front of you, on the 17th

With my daughter (a LONG time ago), we only used the newborns until her cord fell off (they were cut out to help heal faster). since she was almost 9 lb at birth and doubled VERY quickly, we went to size 1's within a month. Don't remember about size 2, but like you we were in 3's forEVER.

Once again, congratulations!


ETA: I was just thinking the only problem with really stocking up is that I've encountered many children that, whether it's physiological or whatever, do better in pampers and others in huggies. I want to say girls in pampers, boys in huggies but I can't remember right now (baby brain). I'd hate for you to have hundreds of dollars of diapers and find them leaking everywhere because your little one would do better in the other brand. I suppose if you hang on to receipts you could trade for the other brand, but then there's the coupon problem. Just wanted to mention that.

 

[Erica09M]

If you buy diapers ahead of time, and your little one outgrows the size and you still have unopened packages, you can always exchange them for the bigger size! Just don't open the package until you're ready to use them!

 

[HGD24]

Our DD has been in size 4's since last November and I don't see her growing out of them anytime soon. She was maybe 18lbs then and is now 25lbs. We only went up to a 4 because she started leaking out of her 3's, but the 3's could have fit her, weight-wise, much longer.

I agree with the others who say estimating how long a little one will be in a size is tough, but you can always exchange un-opened boxes for the correct size when the time comes. I wish I had bought more diapers when they were on sale or when Target had their "buy x boxes, get a $5 gift card" deal, but DH always talked me out of it. Not anymore. If I have coupons that are expiring, I buy as many boxes as I have coupons for.

 

[ShootingStarMom2]

Congrats! I just had my second almost 6 weeks ago and they couldn't be any different for diaper sizes.

My first was 6lb 9oz and was on the slim side until about a year old. He started wearing 1s when he was about 1.5m and went up about every 2-3 months from there. I remember writing a note on his last package of 3s when he was about 7 months old saying "maybe a brother or sister one day soon". He's been in size 4s since then but I'm moving up to 5s because they are finally getting a little tight. And 4 months later, that brother or sister was on their way!

My second left the hospital wearing nb and about 2 weeks later they were too small. I thought, no way... these can't be too small already! We had 3 packages of newborn and half of one by best friend gave us. He was 7lb 15oz at birth and is now 12.5 pounds. So now he's wearing 1s that are rapidly shrinking.

I looked at their pedi record chart and DS1 was 12 pounds at 2 months old. The dr told me that we'll get a baseball player and a football player. I would say get a few newborn and stock up on the other sizes. You can always just get more newborn if the baby is on the smaller side instead of having to return them if they are bigger. Good luck!

 

[HelenePA]

Yes all babies are different.. my 9 month old (who is 25pounds and 30.5inches) is in size 5's let me warn anyone who hasn't had a baby recently the diaper companies have gotten "slick" and have made diapers smaller over the last few years. Just wanted to add he's breastfed and was 8pounds 5.5 ounces a birth.

 

[phillmolly]

I just wanted to second the waring about stocking up on diapers. Before my son was born I stocked up Huggies because that is what we used for my niece and nephew. When we were in the hospital we used pampers swaddlers and because he was so tiny we had to buy some pampers preemie diapers for him. When he was about 3 weeks old I used the huggies for the first time and he got a teribble diaper rash, the only thing different was the diaper. A few months later I tried the Huggies again and the diaper rash came back. Luckly for me, really for my sister, she had a baby two week younger (and two pounds heavier, LOL) and she could use all the huggies I stocked up on. So short story long, be careful becasue you never know! The only diapers I can use on my little guy are pampers. Although I did try the Huggies natural diapers and he didn't get a rash but they also leaked like crazy! Also he has been is size 3 for a while now and I would guess that he will be in them untill at least a year. He is nine months right now. HTH!!

 

[monorailsilver]

I have 3 kids. They were all under 7 lbs. The last one was the smallest at 6lbs 3 oz.

The first two were in newborn size for at least a month. The last one (the smallest at birth) was out of newborn at about 3 or 4 weeks (she was a good nurser!).

The first two didn't hit 20 lbs until they were 2. They were in a size 3 forever. I think I did end up buying size 4 for them towards the end of their diaper wearing days.

The last one (remember the smallest at birth) is 3 now & a size 6 pull up is getting small. Needless to say the size 5 diaper she made it to!

You can always buy & then not open the boxes/packages & then return them.

I would buy more size 2 & 3's though.