Diaper Changes: How Often Should I Change My Baby's Diaper?

Photo by @isabelplett

 

With the birth of your first baby, new questions arise every day. Even if you may not have expected it beforehand, diapering will likely also be a big topic for you. This article answers many of your questions all about changing diapers.

How often should I change my baby's diaper?

Age	How often to change diaper?	Diapers per day
0 – 48 hours	every 4 – 6 hours	6 – 8
Newborn	every 2 – 3 hours	10 – 12
Infant	every 3 – 4 hours	8 – 10
from 6 months – toddler age	during the day every 3 – 4 hours + 1 night diaper (approx. 12 hours)	5

If your baby has a bowel movement, you must always change the diaper immediately.

Along with all the facts about changing diapers, I will explain below how you can tell if your infant is peeing enough and what 

How often to change diapers for babies?

The older your child gets, the longer the intervals between diaper changes become. As a general rule, if there's a bowel movement, the diaper should be changed as soon as possible.

In the first 48 hours you will usually only need to change your newborn's diaper every four to six hours. After that, it’s about every two to three hours.

Newborn babies should be changed every two to three hours.

Infants aged two to six months usually need a fresh diaper every three to four hours.

From six months up to toddler age it’s also sufficient if you change your child's diaper every three to four hours. From this age, your child usually only needs one diaper per night, since much less urine is produced at night than during the day.

It’s important that you change your baby's diaper regularly. This prevents diaper rash and ensures your baby feels comfortable.

Pay attention to your baby’s signals and change the diaper more frequently if necessary. Watch for signs that they are uncomfortable or are producing more waste than usual.

If your baby has a sore bottom, you should also change the diaper more often. If there is a rash or irritation fresh air is very good for your baby's skin, so let your little one kick around without a diaper as often as possible.

Pay attention to your baby's signals and change the diaper more frequently if necessary. Look out for signs that your baby is uncomfortable or is producing more waste than usual.

Tips for nighttime diaper changes

• Good preparation → Set out everything you need for changing in the evening
• Provide a relaxing environment
• Dimmed lighting → e.g., yellow light from a nightlight
• Quiet environment → speak as little as possible, skin-to-skin contact and minimal movement are more important
• Warm environment → Make sure your hands are warm; perhaps you have a portable heat lamp; you can also put the diapers on the radiator to warm them slightly
• Appropriate clothing and sleeping bag for easy diaper changing
• Appropriate disposable diapers/cloth diapers for the night
• No pull-up diapers → This way you don't have to undress your baby completely
• Suitable cloth diapers for the night
• Fitted diapers with a diaper cover
• All-in-two diapers
• Judes cloth diapers
• Insert with wool cover

Do older children also need to be changed at night?

The older your child gets, the more likely it is that you can do without night-changing.

On one hand, a toddler's bladder has a larger capacity, and on the other hand, the antidiuretic hormone (ADH) ensures that the body produces less urine at night. Your child’s sleep is less often disrupted by a need to urinate, and the diaper can easily absorb the amount of urine produced. Often the diaper will still be dry in the morning.

However, this is less clear with disposable diapers. Our study on becoming dry revealed that more than 15 percent of children who wear disposable diapers are still being diapered at age four and older. With cloth diapers, it's fewer than one percent of children.

Photo by @ablondegirlsjourney

Change the diaper before or after breastfeeding?

Many newborns have a bowel movement during or after breastfeeding. If this is the case for your baby, you should only change them after breastfeeding. However, if your baby spits up a lot after breastfeeding, you should wait a bit before changing or make sure not to apply too much pressure on the tummy.

If your baby falls asleep while or after breastfeeding, without having a bowel movement, it's better to change them before breastfeeding and then again when they wake up.

If your baby is impatient as soon as they feel hungry, and doesn’t like to be changed before feeding, try to notice the early signs of hunger and change them before they are too hungry. 

Do I have to change cloth diapers more often than disposable diapers? 

No, you do not have to change cloth diapers more often than disposable diapers. Even if disposables often promise twelve hours of dryness, you should still change them regularly. They are not very breathable and, due to the lack of air circulation in the diaper area, baby skin is more prone to fungal infections, rashes, and diaper dermatitis.

Many people think that cloth diapers are not as leak-proof as disposables. That is not true at all. Cloth diapers are often even more leak-proof than disposables. In addition, cloth diapers are more sustainable, healthier, and even cheaper than disposables.

How many wet diapers do babies have per day?

Your baby's output is an important indicator of their health. Especially with breastfed babies, you can tell if they are getting enough to drink.

A newborn has, in the first 48 hours, usually only one to two wet diapers. After your milk comes in – about two to six days later – according to La Leche League, your child should have at least five to six full diapers a day.

How do I know if the diaper is full?

For a diaper to be considered wet or full, it does not have to be on the verge of leaking.

A diaper is actually considered wet with around six tablespoons of liquid. This rule, however, applies only to fully breastfed babies, meaning your baby gets no other fluids besides breastmilk at this time.

To help you visualize how much six tablespoons are, you can weigh a dry diaper, then fill it with water and weigh it again. This will help you know what a full diaper looks and feels like and you can check it by weighing if you’re unsure.

How do I know if my baby is drinking enough milk? 

In addition to wet diapers, there are of course other factors you can use to see if your baby is getting enough nutrition.

Weight gain and growth of your child are important indicators that your child is developing well. Birth clinic, midwife, and pediatrician will check the weight gain regularly. There is no need for you to weigh your child between these appointments.

Also your baby's appearance gives clues whether they are taking in enough food:

• Rosy skin color
• Good skin tension
• Active and alert behavior

Besides these factors, you can also watch your baby's behavior. A healthy baby will let you know when they are hungry. Try to watch for hunger cues and breastfeed your baby on demand.

Guideline: Most breastfed babies nurse 8 to 12 times in 24 hours during the first weeks.

Bowel movements – appearance etc., what is normal

The first bowel movement – meconium – is blackish to dark green and an important sign of a healthy digestive tract.

Usually, the newborn passes the so-called meconium 12 to 48 hours after birth. By the fourth day, the meconium should definitely be in the diaper.

What do breastfed baby’s bowel movements look like? 

The breast milk stool changes during this period and both color and consistency range between ochre, yellowish or mustard brown and liquid, soft or yogurt-like – all these stool types are completely normal. The smell ranges from aromatic to slightly sour. Some even think it smells yeasty or even fruity.

What do formula-fed baby’s bowel movements look like? 

The bowel movements of formula-fed babies are more pasty than those of breastfed babies. Sometimes they are even formed. The color ranges between light yellow and dark green – the spectrum of colors is wide. The smell is often more intense compared to the diapers of breastfed babies.

Did our article answer all your questions? If you have more questions, feel free to let us know in the comments! For all information about our cloth diapers, feel free to follow us on