Q: How many times should I change my baby's diaper each day?

Tags: diaper change how many day

Maryanne Willis
Clifton, CO

A: Usually 6-8 times a day

On average, your child should be wetting his/her diaper 6-8 times a day (or so I've been told and have experienced). You don't have to change it immediately once it feels wet, but I would not advice leaving a wet diaper on for more than an hour or so. If you smell poop though, you need to change it right away to avoid diaper rash.
Relax, you are going to be just fine! We've all been there as new parents.

Judy Converse MPH RD LD
Boulder, CO

A: How Often To Change Diapers?

A wet diaper is tolerable for a short while, but a poopy diaper isn't! This will cause diaper rash and even painful irritation pretty quickly.

In my pediatric nutriton care practice, I work with babies often, and meet many who have unusual stooling patterns. If your baby is having more than four bowel movements daily, and you are not breast feeding, then this may be a sign of malabsorption. Babies who breastfeed have more bowel movements than formula fed babies (usually); these are also usually softer or even a bit wet. But having several runny, foul, wet stools a day is not normal. This signals malabsorption of food or formula, and it can even happen for breast fed infants sensitized to something in mom's diet. Changing your baby's diet will reliably help things calm down. You can also use an infant probiotic to help your baby's digestion.

Michelle
Bellingham Washington

A: Depends on age

During the newborn stage, you should change at every feeding ( every 1.5-2.5 hours except during their "big sleep"), Once the baby goes throughout the night without a bowel movement you can do 1 diaper for overnight (this age varies, with our first it was at 6 weeks old). As the baby gets older it averages out to every 2-3 hours (except overnight of course). Poopy diapers need to be changed right away. Regardless if you use cloth or disposable diapers, your baby is still sitting in their own urine which can cause rash as well so doctors recommend every 2-3 hours.