What Size of Diaper Should I Choose?
Diaper Service Quality Prefolds
With diaper service quality (DSQ) prefolds, you have some flexibility in choosing your diaper size.
Although it is not impossible to diaper from birth to potty training with a one larger diaper size, for a newborn baby, the newborn size diaper fits better than the size medium or large. The added benefit is that newborn diapers also work really well as doublers, burp cloths, dust rags, or to be saved for use with another baby.
The downside is that you will have to purchase at least two sets of diapers, because the newborn diaper works only until baby reaches about 15 pounds.
If you are concerned about saving money, you can make the size medium diaper work from birth to potty training, unless your child gains weight and grows very quickly, AND is slow to potty train. Although they are a bit bulky on a newborn, most babies grow quickly enough that it isn’t a concern for long.
One other thing to keep in mind if you use a larger diaper on a newborn baby: you will not be able to use most brands of newborn size covers with the larger diapers; they just won’t fit. That’s actually an additional money savings.
Here is a general weight range chart for the sizes of DSQ diapers you will find available on the web:
- Newborn — 6-15 lbs.
- Medium — 15-25 lbs.
- Large — 25+ lbs.
- Toddler — 25+ lbs., great for heavy wetters, overnight use, or babies with heavy thighs
Fitted and All-In-One Diapers
With fitted or all-in-one diapers, you are more likely to buy more sizes of diapers because the diapers are designed to fit a certain weight range and can’t be refolded for a different fit. For example, larger fitted diapers cannot always be folded or tucked to fit a smaller baby like a larger prefold can. Combine that with the generally higher cost of fitted or all-in-one diapers, and you will find that the total cost of your diapering system is much higher with these types of diapers.
However, many people just love them. They can be great for hesitant dads or child-care providers, allowing you to keep your baby in cloth all the time rather than just when he or she is in your care.