How Many Diapers Will You Need? Per Day and First Year
A newborn usually goes through eight to twelve diapers a day, roughly 55 to 85 a week, falling to five or six a day by her first birthday. Across the first year that's an estimate of 2,200 to 2,800. Most parents-to-be work this out in the second or third trimester, and the urge on seeing the number is to stock up just in case.
Stocking up 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
Many newborns use eight to twelve a day in the first weeks, and some use fewer, so don't treat twelve a day for six full weeks as the plan. 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 six or seven a day across the first year. A tummy bug or a bout of diarrhoea pushes it up for a few days.
The first-year total
Somewhere around 2,200 to 2,800, and that's an estimate built from the daily ranges below. It isn't a benchmark your baby should hit. More of them fall in the newborn months than most people budget for.
| Age | Per day | For the stage |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1 month | 8–12 | 240–360 |
| 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 (estimate) | ~6–7 average | 2,200–2,800 |
The table's built on a full-term baby in disposables full time, changed when wet or dirty. A premature baby, a baby who poos often, twins, or a few weeks of illness will push it up. Ours came in at the low end, I think, though I never did a final count.
If you mix in cloth, the disposable count drops. Let's say you use cloth for four daytime changes a day from about six weeks: that's around 1,300 fewer disposables over the year, and you've taken on a cloth rotation and the laundry that goes with it.
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, 2,200 to 2,800 diapers comes to somewhere between about S$450 and S$1,700 for the first year, before any cloth. 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 not over-buying the small sizes. You don't see that waste until you're giving an unopened pack away to somebody at church.
How much to buy before the birth
Less than you'll want to. For a single full-term baby, one or two packs of newborn size and two or three of size S is a reasonable start, because some babies barely wear newborn and a large baby will skip it. Buy more if you're expecting twins, or if delivery to you is slow. A premature baby may need a smaller size again, so ask the hospital what they're using. Give a brand a few days before you judge the fit, since it's hard to tell from one change. 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, so that'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. Our own Little Rei tape comes in a trial pack of two from S$2.60, which is the scale to test at. Buy the smallest available pack of two or three brands and run each for a few days before committing to a carton.
It feels wasteful, but it's cheaper in the end. 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?
Many use eight to twelve a day in the first weeks, and some use fewer. It drops to eight or ten by three months and six to eight by six months. Illness or diarrhoea raises it for a while.
How many diapers does a baby use in the first year?
An estimate is 2,200 to 2,800 in disposables full time: about 8 to 12 a day in the first month, 8 to 10 until three months, 6 to 8 until six months, and 5 to 6 after that. Mixing in cloth for some daytime changes cuts the disposable count.
How many diapers should I buy before the baby arrives?
For a single full-term baby, one or two packs of newborn size and two or three of size S is a reasonable start. Buy more for twins or if delivery is slow, ask the hospital about sizes for a premature baby, and give a brand a few days before judging the fit.
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. At 2,200 to 2,800 diapers that puts the first year somewhere between about S$450 and S$1,700. 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.
Sources: NHS: Changing a nappy · HealthHub: Ministry of Health Singapore
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.
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