How Many Cloth Diapers Do I Need For A Newborn? Guide

Having a baby is a dream of all married couples. But, as new parents, they have many things to learn about child care. There, they should get a keen idea of all the things related to newborn children before the birth of the child. Many first-hand mothers even question; how many cloth diapers do I need? Therefore, this article is all about the use of diapers for newborns. 

So, how many cloth diapers do I need for a newborn? Usually, it needs about 24-26 diapers for a newborn child per day. And, there are many types of cloth diapers such as; pre-fold, hybrid, all-in-one cloth diapers, etc. But some mothers have doubts about the safety of cloth diapers. Here, we can’t directly say that they are good or bad, but there is no doubt that the cloth diapers are not harmful to the baby’s skin but make sure to change them often; if not, it will bring skin problems for the baby.

And also, there are many advantages of them as; they are eco-friendly, cost-effective, etc. But there are also some disadvantages like; inconvenience when traveling, wanting to spend more energy to change and wash, increasing utility bills, etc.

Accordingly, in this article, I have covered; do cloth diapers are safe for newborn babies, how many of them are needed for newborns, what are the types of cloth diapers, and finally, I have discussed the advantages and disadvantages of using them. 

Are cloth diapers safe for newborns?

The diaper can be cited as the waterproof layer that maintains the dryness of the child’s clothes. As soon as he urinates, the diaper absorbs it and prevents the inconvenience of the baby.

So, it is very useful when you are traveling. Then, how many cloth diapers do I need is something that haunts every mother’s heart in such a moment. 

Anyway, when talking about these things, we must focus on the safety of the children. Especially if you have a newborn baby, you should consider their safety when providing every single thing.

So, when it comes to cloth diapers, they do not harm the skin of babies. Those do not include any harmful chemicals, and also they allow the inflow of air. So, the baby does not get irritated. 

Accordingly, they are very good for babies; it has been found that allergies and diaper rashes are not commonly seen with the use of cloth diapers. But, make sure to change them often because; they have less absorbent capacity.

And, if you do not change them, that same good cloth diaper will cause skin problems for the new baby as they have very sensitive skin. 

How many cloth diapers do you need for a newly born baby?

How many cloth diapers do I need is a common question of all new mothers. This depends on the mother and the child and also the type of cloth diaper they use.

Here, some newborn babies urinate more, but some others do not, and on the other hand, some mothers do not often change the diapers, but most of the other mothers change them often. So, it depends on them. 

Anyway, approximately you will need around 24-26 diapers for newborn babies per day. It can be changed, but this is the approximate amount. You may think that it is a large amount.

But, do not forget that; they are made up of clothes. Therefore they do not absorb quickly. So you need to change them often.

And it is better to change the diapers often to prevent the skin infections of your child due to these cloth diapers. Keeping extra clean diapers to use at emergence is beneficial for you. 

And, with the growth of the child, this amount also changes. Accordingly, when your child is around 6-12 months, he needs about 6-10 diapers. So, you may see that the amount has been reduced compared to the newborn stage.

And it further reduces with their growth. When the children are growing, they do not urinate as they did at the early stage.

It clearly shows with the reducing number of the diapers up to 4-7 when the baby is about 12 months or 24 months.  

What are the types of cloth diapers?

If you are a mother with a newborn child, you should know about the types of cloth diapers to find answers to the question; how many cloth diapers do I need? Because sometimes, it also varies according to the type of diaper. So, here, let’s discuss this in more detail. 

1. Flats

These are large square-shaped single-layered cotton fabrics. You can fold them in various ways.

You may feel that they are intimidating, but do not worry. They are not as you think. They are also not very expensive but make sure to use them with a cover. 

2. Prefolds

These diapers are rectangular-shaped clothes that have been folded into three sections. The layer that absorbs more comes to the middle section.

You can fold prefolds around the baby and fasten them with snappi or stereotypical pins. You also can lay them inside a cover by folding them in a trifold. These are really good diapers for newborn babies. 

3. Fitteds

Usually, fitted diapers are made up of bamboo, cotton, fleece, or hemp. They can absorb more, but they are not waterproof.

This type differs from the prefolds and flats as they are ready-made that you can directly put it on to your baby, and also they are easy to wash. But you have to use a cover fitted. 

4. Contours

These diapers are found as a cross between the fitteds and prefolds. Contours are also ready-made, but you need Snappi or pins for closure. And, they also want to have a cover. 

5. Hybrids

This is a cross between cloth diapers and disposable diapers. There is a washable outer cover with the hybrids.

It is on your hand whether to use a washable or a biodegradable disposal insert. So, this will also be a nice choice for you.

6. Pockets

These are also called as; modern diapers. They do not want a cover, and they come in either Velcro closure or a snap. This type has got its name as it comes with a pocket. It should be filled with an absorbent insert.

Most of them include dry clothing materials like; fleece and suede cloth. So, your baby can stay dry even after passing urine as they are absorbed by the insert inside the pocket. 

7. Sleeve diapers

This type is very much similar to pocket diapers. The only difference is that there are two openings in the pocket which are at each end.

So, it is beneficial for you that there is no need to unstuff it even after being stained. 

8. All-in-Twos

This is also similar to the pocket type. The difference is that you should stiffen the insert inside the diaper instead of snapping a pocket.

The benefit of this is that the inserts are usually cleaned without wanting to unstuff the diaper even after staining. 

9. All-in-Ones

This diaper is a little more expensive than the others. But, you have the benefit of it as this type does not want stuffing or covers because all are set in one piece.

So, most of the dads love to use this type more than the others. 

Advantages and disadvantages of using cloth diapers for newborn babies

Diapers are essential for parents with babies. Therefore, they try to learn about diapering before going to parenthood.

The commonly asked question by them here is; how many cloth diapers do I need? Following that, they want to know about the advantages and the disadvantages of using cloth diapers. There are both advantages and disadvantages of those.

Advantages

1. Eco-friendly

Cloth diapers are considered eco-friendly because they do not remain as waste in the environment. They are decomposable.

And also, as they are made up of natural raw materials, they are reusable. Accordingly, they do not harm the natural environment. 

2. Not much expensive

Although in the beginning, disposable diapers seemed to be cheap, cloth diapers have become cost-effective at present. So, they help you to save your money.

As they are reusable, you do not want to buy them again and again until a long period. From the money that you spend on costly products, you can buy more sets of cloth diapers. 

3. They are safe for the babies

There are little chemicals in these diapers, and they have a better inflow of air. Therefore, they are very healthy for newborn babies.

As there is sensitive skin for them, you can’t provide them with products with a high amount of chemicals.

So, you can prevent them by causing skin irritation, allergies, and rashes when you use these diapers. 

4. Earlier and easier potty training

Here, the children become aware of their wetness with passing urine when they are dressed with a cloth diaper.

So, they detect the discomfort that happens with urination at the very beginning of their lives.

Accordingly, it will be a help for them to start the learning process even at the very early period of life.

5. Solid wastes directly reach the toilet

Have you seen that the solid wastes of children are hard to directly put into the toilet with disposable diapers? But it can be easily done with cloth diapers.

So, you can prevent the distribution of the germs with the addition of poop to the land and water. 

Disadvantages

1. Not convenient

To be honest, these are considered as very inconvenient for many reasons like; it takes a long time to practice the diaper changing process, wants to change most often, wants regular washing, and most of the daycares do not like to accept children with cloth diapers, etc.

So, it is clear that these are not easy to use.

2. Less absorbent capacity

Here, you have to check whether the diaper is wet most often because these diapers have less capacity to absorb.

There are little amounts of chemicals in this that require it to absorb the urine. So, you have to always be on alert when using cloth diapers. 

3. Want to spend more energy on changing, washing and cleaning

With these diapers, you have to spend more energy on washing, changing, and cleaning the diapers because; they do not absorb as much as disposable diapers do.

And, here, you have to wash and dry them well to destroy the harmful germs and bacteria. So, you should spend both time and energy here. 

4. Increasing the utility bills

If you are washing and ironing the cloth diapers of your baby at home, you have to spend more water and electricity on them because most often, you have to change them.

So, it will directly impact your utility bills. You can see how they increase with the increase in your laundry. 

Conclusion – So, How many cloth diapers do you need for a newborn?

We have discussed; how many cloth diapers do I need for a newborn with more details. I think this article will work out for all the parents with newborn babies as I have covered many important areas like; do cloth diapers are safe for newborn babies, how many cloth diapers do I need for the newborns, what are the types of cloth diapers and finally I have discussed about the advantages and disadvantages of using them.

A newborn baby will be the whole world of every parent. They always try to give the best thing for him. So, when diapering also, they find the best of all. Accordingly, cloth diapers are found to be good and safe for newborn babies with their less chemical content. But, they need about 24-26 diapers per day, and with the growth of the child, the number that they need will reduce.

The cloth diapers are of various types and styles as; flats, prefolds, fitteds, contours, etc. And, there are many advantages to using them such as; they are eco-friendly, do not cost much expensive, they are safe for the babies, etc.

But, on the other hand, there are also some disadvantages of using them as; they are not convenient, have a less absorbent capacity, and want to spend more energy on changing, washing etc.

So, it is in your hand to choose the best diaper for your child and make sure to make a choice by giving prominence to the safety of the baby.

Thank you for reading. Stay tuned with BestFamilyLife for more good content.