How often do babies wet and how many diapers do you need?

Babies wet on average 6-8 times a day with an average of 4 bowel movements when very young. Some babies wet up to 20 times in a 24 hours period. Estimate 12 diapers per day for every day you plan to go between washings.

This means if you want to wash every other day, for a young baby you need 24 diapers. This means 24 diapers is 2 days worth for an average child. This does not allow for time to air dry diapers unless you are washing daily and rotating through, and then some diaper products take far longer than 24 hours to dry.

48 diapers means you can have clean diapers, diapers in the wash and diapers drying.

Remember machine drying shortens the lives of your diapers and is not recommended for covers, pockets, AIO and AIT. Please consult the washing series for further information on washing.

Recap, 24 diapers, means washing every other day and not having any in reserve. This may work out if you use a dryer but may shorten the life of your diapers.

That would be 24 prefolds, flats, or fitteds with 12 PUL covers or 6 Wool covers.

or

That would be 24 pockets with 24-48 inserts.

or

That would be 24 all in ones or two in ones (all in twos).

Remember the more absorbent the longer it will take to dry. AIO and AIT take the longest to dry, wool covers, prefolds, fitteds and inserts are next slowest. Covers and pockets are fastest to dry.

It should be fine to dry prefolds, fitteds, flats and most inserts in the dryer. Make sure to check fiber content before drying.

Pockets, covers anything PUL, wool or silk, all in ones and two in ones, wet bags, swim diapers and anything with waterproof laminate should be line dried for longest life.

Machine drying will quilt up prefolds this is normal. It may also change the look of inserts. Drying microfiber inserts on high can cause warping and greatly change appearance. They should still perform but won;t look pretty.

Silk and wool be ruined if dried in the dryer. Pul can delaminate when dried in dryer. Please consult our washing series for in depth information on washing and drying.

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Newborns:
What should my newborn's diapers look like?
Your newborns diapers are excellent indicators of if your breastfed baby is getting what they need. Because colostrum (the first milk your newborn gets) is concentrated, your baby may have only 1 or 2 wet diapers in the first 24 hours.

Your newborn's stools (poo) will be thick and tarry at first and will become more greenish-yellow as your milk comes in, which is usually about 3-4 days after birth. The more your baby nurses the more dirty (or "soiled") diapers they will have; but it may be only one soiled diaper a day in the first days after birth.

After 3-4 days here are more signs you should look for.
* 6 or more wet diapers a day, with clear or very pale urine. Fewer diapers or dark urine may mean your baby is not getting enough milk. If you see orange crystals in your babies wet diaper contact your baby's doctor right away- these can be signs of inadequate fluid intake or dehydration.
*4 or more seedy yellow bowel movements a day, usually one after each feeding. After about a month breastfed babies usually have fewer bowel movements and may go a  few days without pooping.

Breastfeeding and Newborn Urination:
A breastfed baby's urination pattern changes during the first week of life. In the first few days your baby will not receive a large amount of milk, so there will be fewer wet diapers. As the days go on and your milk supply increases your babies urine production will increase as well. It is important to understand what is normal in your baby's diaper. By keeping track of your baby's urine output you will be able to determine if your baby is getting enough milk.

Normal Urination:
A newborn will pass urine for the first time within 12-24 hours after birth. During the first few days of life an exclusively breastfed baby may not have many wet (urine) diapers. Look for at least 2 wet diapers a day until your milk comes in. After day 6 your baby should have at least 6-8 wet diapers every 24 hours, but may have more.

A new baby has a little bladder that holds approximately one table spoon (15ml) or urine and may empty it frequently. Some babies will urinate up to 20 times in 24 hours. If your baby is sleeping you do not need to wake them up to change their diaper. A diaper change before or after feedings (do not make a hungry baby wait for a diaper change to eat, or it will make feedings more difficult), approximately every 2-3 hours will be sufficient for newborns.

What is a wet diaper?
It can be hard to tell if your baby is producing enough urine. Disposable diapers are very absorbent which makes it difficult to determine how much urine is in them. Here are a few things you can do to tell if your baby is having wet diapers:
* Pour one ounce of (2 tbs, 30 ml) of water into a  clean dry diaper. This will give you an idea of what a wet diaper looks and feels like.
* Place a tissue onto the diaper inner to absorb liquid and make it easier to see. (After removing from baby)
* If using disposables after changing take it apart to see if the gel inside is moist.
* Use cloth, it is easier to tell if it is wet.

Brick Dust and Concentrated Urine:
Very concentrated urine during the first few days of life can contain uric acid crystals. The crystals may cause pink, red or orange colored powdery staining your baby's diaper called brick dust. It might be scary, but this is a normal occurrence in many newborns. After your milk comes in, by the fifth or sixth day you baby's urine should no longer be so concentrated. It should be colorless to pale yellow in appearance and odorless.

Concentrated urine is very dark yellow in color. After your milk comes in, an occasional diaper with concentrated urine is okay; however, if your baby is having frequent diapers with concentrated urine, contact your pediatrician.

Notify your Doctor if:
* If you see brick dust in your babies diaper after the fourth day after birth.
* Your baby is having less than 6 wet diapers in a 24 hours period after day 5.
* The baby is only producing a small amount of very dark yellow, concentrated urine after day 4.

These are signs your baby may not be getting enough milk. The pediatrician can examine your child's health and and discuss breastfeeding techniques. You may also want to consult a lactation consultant as well as your child's doctor. A lactation consultant can help you with proper positioning and latch as well as being a wealth of nursing information.

Blood in the Diaper:
Baby girls may have blood-tinged discharge during the first days after birth. This is called pseudo-menstruation or false menstruation. It is the result of hormonal changes in your baby and is not cause for alarm.

Baby boys may have a small amount of blood in their diapers after circumcision. The bleeding from a  circumcision will usually last a few hours, but you may notice small spots of blood in the diaper for up to a day. After a circumcision your baby should pass urine within 12 hours. Please be aware of excessive bleeding after circumcision, anything more than what is mentioned above should be cause for concern and your baby should be seen immediately.

Blood in your baby's diaper that is not from circumcision or pseudo-menstruation is not considered normal. If you see any blood, or your baby is showing signs of painful urination, contact your baby's doctor right away.

(Disclaimer, above info is for your benefit and does not in any way mark the views and opinions of the blog author or the group admins. We neither encourage nor comment on the items discussed herein. Please take what applies to you and your baby and refrain from comments on controversial topics that may have been discussed above.)