20 April 2026 · Samantha Lin
Designer · Mother of two
How Many Diapers Will You Need? Per Day and First Year
Somewhere between the second and third trimester most parents-to-be attempt this calculation. It tends to go badly, because the number is large, and the instinct on seeing it is to buy defensively.
Defensive buying is how you end up with a cupboard full of newborn diapers your baby wore for eleven days. I did exactly that with Richard, and gave most of them away.
How many a newborn uses in a day
Ten to twelve a day through the first six weeks, which is the peak and doesn't last. It falls to eight or ten by three months, six to eight by six months, and five or six after that, which averages out at roughly seven a day across the whole first year.
The first-year total
Roughly 2,500, and the distribution is the interesting part, because the newborn months are front-loaded far more heavily than most people budget for.
| Age | Per day | For the stage |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1 month | 10–12 | 300–360 |
| 1-3 months | 8–10 | 500–600 |
| 3-6 months | 6–8 | 600–700 |
| 6-12 months | 5–6 | 900–1,100 |
| First year total | ~7 average | 2,300–2,800 |
That comes to somewhere between 2,300 and 2,800 diapers across the first year. It's a startling number written down and an entirely unremarkable one lived through, at six or seven a day. Ours came in at the low end, I think. I never did the final count.
Before you buy
What it costs here
Per-piece prices in Singapore typically run somewhere between about 20 and 60 cents depending on brand, size and whether you're buying cartons or single packs, with premium and specialty ranges at the upper end. At those rates the first year comes to somewhere between the low hundreds and around a thousand dollars. Ours, for Charles, came to about S$640, and I kept the receipts because I'm that sort of person.
Two levers move that figure more than the choice of brand does. Buying by the carton in the size your baby has settled into is the obvious one. The less obvious one is simply not over-buying the small sizes, where the waste stays invisible right up until you're giving away an unopened pack to somebody at church.
How much to buy before the birth
Much less than you'll want to. One pack of newborn size, and I do mean one, because some babies never wear it at all and a large baby will skip it entirely. Two packs of size S, which is where most babies start and then stay for a few weeks. Nothing beyond that. You'll know within ten days which brand suits your baby's shape, and delivery here is fast enough that stockpiling is a hobby. If people are asking what to buy you, sizes M and L are the answer. Nobody thinks to give you the size you'll need in four months, which is exactly why it's the one to ask for. It's also the least exciting thing on any gift list and the one you'll be most grateful for.
Sample two or three brands first
Fit is baby-specific and completely unpredictable. A brand that leaks constantly on a slim-thighed baby is flawless on a chunkier one, and there's no way to know in advance which yours is. Buy the smallest available pack of two or three brands and run each for a few days before committing to a carton.
This feels wasteful and is the opposite of wasteful. One unopened carton of the wrong brand costs more than three sample packs and can't be returned once you've discovered the problem at three in the morning.
A note on the number
Two and a half thousand diapers is also two and a half thousand small moments of attention, most of them at inconvenient hours, a good many of them handled by somebody who loves your child and isn't you.
Nobody puts that in the arithmetic, and it's the part you'll remember.
Asked at the playground
How many diapers does a newborn use a day?
Ten to twelve a day in the first six weeks. That's the peak; it drops to eight or ten by three months and six to eight by six months.
How many diapers does a baby use in the first year?
Roughly 2,300 to 2,800. About 10 to 12 a day in the first month, 8 to 10 until three months, 6 to 8 until six months, and 5 to 6 for the rest of the year.
How many diapers should I buy before the baby arrives?
One pack of newborn size and two packs of size S. Nothing more. Many babies barely wear newborn size, and within ten days you'll know which brand fits your baby's shape.
How much do diapers cost in Singapore for the first year?
Per-piece prices typically run from roughly 20 to 60 cents depending on brand, size and pack format, putting the first year somewhere between the low hundreds and around a thousand dollars. Buying cartons in a settled size is the biggest saving.
Should I stockpile diapers while they're on offer?
Only in the size your baby is currently in the middle of. Stockpiling small sizes is the most common way parents waste money, because a growth spurt can strand an entire carton.
What diaper size should I ask for as a gift?
Sizes M and L. Almost everyone gifts newborn and S, which are the sizes babies outgrow fastest, so the larger sizes are what you will run short of.
This guide is general information, written to help you understand a topic and ask better questions. It is not medical advice and does not replace your own doctor, midwife or paediatrician. Anything that worries you about your baby belongs with them.