My friend M. told me yesterday that she's heard that once you know you're pregnant, it's a good idea to start stocking up on diapers. The specific suggestion was to buy a pack every time you're at the store (or once a week).B. and I talked about it and thought it was a darn good idea. Except we have no idea what to buy. Pampers, Huggies, store brand? What size(s)? Should we just go to Costco once a month and buy a box 'o diapers instead?
So, give us some advice. Is this a good idea? How many diapers can we expect to go through in a month? What sizes should we get? Does brand "really" matter?
6 comments:
Okay, my view might be a little skewed since I had two babies, but here's my take: yes, it's a good idea to stock up. You'd be safe getting one or two packs of newborn diapers - the hospital will give you newborn diapers and you can hock some too (we did - we brought home like six packs with us!) Also, people love to give diapers at baby showers! The babe will grow out of the newborns size pretty quickly. Get lots of the packs of size one, and also size two. That'll hold you for three to four months.
My preferred brand is Pampers because they have a pleasant smell to them. I also prefer their baby wipes - the lavender scent. Don't be thinking you need a wipe warmer! We got one and never used it. As the girls got older I started buying Huggies because they fit them a little better. But really, when they are first born, any brand would be okay. They won't have huge diaper fills for the first few months.
Another thing that we realized is that diapers were really not a big deal. People had told us while I was pregnant that we're going to spend our entire life savings on diapers. Well that didn't happen. We probably spent $20 a week on diapers, and that was for two babies. They are really not that expensive as people act, or at least they weren't in our case.
Normally, a couple packs of the Newborn size and lots of size 1's are good. Adelae was so small that she was in Newborns for two, maybe 3 months. You should have Billy have a diaper party. Sort of the man's version of a baby shower. All the guys bring a pack of diapers, then proceed to do manly things, like drink and play cards. It's a good way to get lots of diapers.
We spent about $30.00 on diapers every couple of weeks. We started out with Pampers Swaddlers and have moved onto Luvs. I do not recommend the store brands cause they are heavily perfumed and don't feel as soft as the name brand ones.
You'll want to stock up on wipes too. They work really well for cleaning baby barf out of everything.
Alright...you asked for it! :) If I had to do it all over again, meaning I was a new mom for the first time, I wouldn't go out and buy a god-damn-thing. Honest! Let everyone else buy the things you need. You're going to go broke if you start buying things now. But, seeing that you asked about diapers, here is what you want OTHER people to buy you....we were told that Pampers was the best for girls and Huggies was good for boys. They were right. We kept having leaks with Pampers whenever the boys wore them, but as soon as we switched to Huggies, NO MORE LEAKS. AS for the size, well, we had 9 - 10lb babies so the 'Swaddlers' didn't even fit them coming out! Honestly, if you're itchin' to buy something buy a case of each (size 1) from Costco and a case of wipes. I thought the 'Sensitive' or 'Natural Care' was best because then you didn't have to worry about your baby being sensitive to the smelly ones. I’m advising you skip the ‘new born’ size diapers because you’ll get some from baby showers, friends, etc. Our experience with the number of diapers we went through was this; we bought diapers from Sam’s Club at least once a month. On occasion I had to run to Target to buy some to pick up the slack. It wasn’t that bad, but then again I was potty training them as soon as they could walk. Hayden’s not even two yet and he wears underwear all day. (The night is a different story; we’re still working on that one.) Good luck and try to keep your money in your wallet as long as you can. I wish we did.)
Ok, here's our story. When Julia was a newborn, we tried them all. I hated Pampers because they use this gel-type of absorbancy material and as soon as the baby peed just a little, the diaper felt all full and squishy. Luvs were ok in a pinch, but didn't fit as well. We like Huggies...the gentle care (sizes 0-2) and natural fit (size 3+). I rarely have leaks and they fit the girls well. I agree with Angie that you don't necessarily need to buy newborn size, especially depending on how big the baby is. We used them longer for Julia than for Keira, and you get a lot of newborn size in a pack. I would buy sizes 1 and 2. In fact, Keira has been in a size 2 for several weeks already and she's not even 3 months old yet. On average I would say Keira uses maybe a pack a week, which is around 40 per week and it's about $10 a pack on sale. If you use coupons that's even better.
As for wipes, I'd say buy those if you are really itching to buy something. They don't outgrow them and they are always needed. You'd be amazed at the uses for baby wipes. (They are great at getting the soot off the top of your candles). I like the Pampers Baby Fresh wipes, but the naturals are good too! Best of luck in your hunt!
PS - I've found that if you want to buy in bulk, sometimes it's actually cheaper at Babies-R-Us with the $5 per box coupon!
I don't think anyone really agrees on diapers, you might just have to wait and see what works for you and the babe. I would have a package of sizes N and 1 on hand from a couple different brands and see what you like before you buy too many of any one kind. You'll be running to the store plenty to buy things you never knew you needed anyway so it will be easy to pick more up. I used Pampers Swaddlers when Daid was a newborn and they were great but then I realized Parent's Choice (WalMart brand) cost exactly half as much so I switched and they work just as well as the Pampers. I can't vouch for the Parent's Choice in the smaller sizes but the larger ones are just fine. Good luck!
1. pampers swaddlers NEWBORN are a must. take them to the hospital too. they will put baby in size 1 diapers which are WAY too big for newborns. the newborn size swaddlers are great. you'll probably move on to size 1 by 1 month old.
2. i'm w/ kay on pampers diapers and wipes. no wipe warmer needed. although, target brand wipes - sensitive - are good too. and cheaper. avoid generic diapers..they don't hold as much "fluid"
3. i hate huggies and luvs. ugh.
4. here's a fun way to get diapers: on the day of your baby shower, your hubby can have a "beer and diaper party". seriously. the men can hang out and each guest brings a package of diapers to the party. you'll end up with a ton of diapers! when we did it, we specified size N, 1 or 2 on the invite. :)
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