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Because babies need to be changed so often in the first few months (8-10 times a day!), it can get kind of confusing trying to figure out when you really need to change that diaper and when it can wait. What if your baby is sleeping? What if they’re just a little wet? What are the rules?
In general, newborn babies need to be changed every 2-3 hours. With poopy diapers, it’s pretty straightforward. You don’t want to let babies sit in a soiled diaper for too long, so it’s best to change them as soon as you get a whiff of what’s happened (otherwise, poop can irritate your baby’s skin or even lead to bladder infections, especially in girls).
With pee, things can get a little murkier. So, we teamed up with Pampers to make this handy chart to help you figure things out when you’re extra tired and need a little guidance.
Sitting in a soggy diaper for too long can exacerbate diaper rashes. So during the day, keep an eye on your diaper’s wetness indicator, if it has one (that’s the little line in the front that changes from yellow to blue when there’s moisture inside the diaper). Change wet diapers when you notice them, and try to avoid going for longer than three hours in between changes.
At night? If your baby is sleeping, there’s no need to wake them unless their diaper situation looks really dire or you’re noticing leaks (and if you find you’re dealing with frequent leaks, you may want to size up or consider using overnight diapers, which are designed to hold up to 12 hours worth of liquid).
As your baby gets bigger, you’ll find you have to change diapers much less frequently. By six months, you’ll be going through 5-6 diapers a day instead of 8-10 and you’ll be a seasoned diaper changing expert (here’s a thorough guide on how many diapers you need at each stage). But perhaps even more importantly, your cognitive functioning will only improve with more sleep. Until that time, bookmark this page for the next time you find yourself debating whether to bust out your changing pad.
This article is sponsored by Pampers. Babylist’s free site, apps and emails are made possible by our sponsors. We limit our sponsored content to relevant partners that offer products and services we believe in and use ourselves.
Maddie Eisenhart is Babylist’s Senior Branded Content Editor. Having served previously as Managing Editor and then Head of Partnerships at A Practical Wedding, she has more than a decade of experience writing branded content that helps people find products during major life transitions—from marriage to parenthood. Maddie lives in Maine with her partner and two boys.
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