Picture this: You are at the grocery store, down the baby aisle. You need diapers but you cannot possibly force yourself to pay $20 for a SMALL package of disposables! You've been thinking about switching to cloth diapers for a while. One of your friends uses them. At first you thought she was nuts, but now you are wondering if she might be on to something. You've decided. It's time. 'Honey, we're switching to cloth diapers!'
So you start looking around. There are so many questions to be answered. Do you want an AIO or a pocket diaper? What kind of soaker: hemp, microterry, bamboo? Are we going to use cloth wipes as well? Which detergent do you use? What if you have hard water? How exactly DO you wash a cloth diaper? How often should you wash? The list could go on forever!
Let's just say you answer all those questions. You start filling your shopping cart. One thing you forgot to figure out. How many diapers should I order? Wait, I don't know how many to order! Oh no, the anxiety attack begins. Ok, just kidding! :)
We probably get asked this question more than any other. So, how many cloth diapers do you need? Whether you are converting from the dreaded 'sposies or you are starting your newborn out with cloth, it can be hard to decide how many to buy.
If you are converting from disposables the best way to figure out how many you need is to see how many disposables you use during the day. Multiply that number by 1.5 and that's how many cloth diapers you need if you want to wash every day. If you want to wash every other day then multiply that by 2. For instance, my son was changed about 6 times a day in sposies. Switching to cloth, I would need 9 diapers a day. If I'm washing every day that would be great. I may have an extra just for nighttime. I do NOT want to wash diapers every day, however, so I would buy 18. That way I can wash every other day.
Now, it's a little more difficult if you are starting out cloth diapering because every baby is different.
You won't know how often or how much the baby is going to pee or poo. In this case, manufacturers/stores often suggest a starting amount. At the FuzziBunz Store, we suggest 15-18 for newborns, 12-15 for infants, and 10-12 for toddlers. Now, that will vary depending on how often you want to wash and how much your baby pees and poos, but it's a good base. If your baby is a heavy wetter, I would err on the side of caution and buy a couple extra. You never know.
We hope you've found this information helpful in your cloth diapering pursuits. Have a great day.
