How to Choose Right Diaper | Tips to Choose Diaper for Baby

How to choose the right diaper for my baby?

Do I go in for reusable cloth diapers?

How do I know what is the right brand?

How do I ensure I get the best deals on diapers in the market?

This is one universal dilemma that every mom goes through.

Well, the list is long when it comes to diapers for our baby. I went through all these questions a lot of times and the conclusion lies below.

Let’s start with my favorite line ‘Every child is different’. What may suit best for your child need not be the best for another. You can definitely take advice. But in the end, it’s how your child reacts and his or her comfort zone.

Are Diapers Safe for My Child?

Diapers are definitely safe if they are used as per the guidelines like the size, frequency of change, stretching capacity, etc.

Obviously, if you use a diaper night long which needs to be changed every 4 hours, then this is definitely not hygienic. Keep a baby diaper rash cream handy.

It’s always better to prevent rashes or skin irritation by changing the diapers regularly and ensuring cleanliness.

• Why my daughter got up frequently at night?
• How I weaned my daughter completely off from breastfeeding?
• Unpleasant experiences about breastfeeding no mom would ever tell
• 20 uses of baby wipe only a mom can think of
• Should you be worried about the cradle cap in babies?

How To Choose the Right Diaper?

Diapers are an essential product during the stage of baby care. It not only helps your baby to avoid leakage but also protects them from following cold and other problems. You can choose from either cloth diapers or disposable diapers.

There are a variety of categories to choose from such as ultra-convenient disposable diapers with wetness indicator strips and reusable diapers with cute designs. However, the main question arises: what to consider while buying diapers?

There are so many diaper brands available in the market and different styles as well. Every brand has something or the other to endorse.

However, the best way is to buy small quantities initially for each of these one by one. Try what suits the best in terms of comfort, leaks, and reactions by the baby if any.

If your baby has sensitive skin, it would be better to buy diapers addressing the issue to avoid any further harm to the little one’s skin.

When you try a few you would definitely know which one suits them best, you can stick to it.

 

What to consider while buying diapers?

When it comes to buying the right diapers for your baby then you can choose from either disposable diapers or cloth/reusable diapers. For disposable diapers, you can choose from various categories such as normal disposable diapers and eco-friendly disposable diapers. While choosing the right types and categories of diapers for your baby, keep these considerations in your mind. 

• What is its absorbent level?  

The wetness from the baby’s urine can come with several problems such as discomfort, itchy skin, rashes, and chafing. The prime responsibility of diapers is to keep the baby’s skin dry and away from any of the wetness problems. Disposable diapers have strong absorbing agents as compared to the cloth diapers. 

• What is the level of comfortability?

Prefer buying those diapers which have elastic around the legs. It not only makes your child feel comfortable but also helps in preventing leaks. Disposable diapers are the best choice when it comes to providing comfort to your baby. It offers waterproof feature along with all-in-one cloth styles which allow your baby to freely stretch their legs. 

• What is your budget?

This can be a big consideration for some parents. Cloth diapers can be a viable option to be saved in the long run. Moreover, these are affordable even after providing several beneficial features such as waterproof covers, extra liners, diaper fasteners, laundry, and additional sizes. It helps to save a lot of money, as these can also be re-used.

• Choosing eco-friendly diapers

If you want to choose the best diaper for your baby along with supporting eco-friendliness, then a cloth diaper can be a viable choice for you. You can go for a green disposable diaper in case you are also looking for convenience. It also uses minimal packaging, renewable resources, biodegradable materials, and even donates to the eco-charities. 

• Is doing laundry often a headache for you?

The pros of choosing a cloth diaper are that it can be washed and used again and the con is that you will have to do laundry a number of times. It will be a big headache for working parents who do not have much time. Moreover, you will also have to buy enough spares so that you do not run out of them when the others are being washed. 

 

Styles of diaper for babies and toddlers in the market:

There are reusable cloth diapers which are quite good (lookout for a good quality one). This definitely helps in considerable savings on diapers.

Cloth diapers are eco-friendly too whereas the commercial diapers available do not degrade even for years!

If cloth diaper suits your baby you can definitely use them. You get these online as well.

Then there is the normal wrap around the diaper, the age-old ones.

Pant style diapers (I prefer these) easy to manage and change. The baby has no difficult time either in getting his diaper changed 🙂

Diaper size varies from brand to brand. But usually, there are newborn, small, medium, large, extra-large; 5 sizes of diapers available in the market. Try various brands to find the best fit.

Where do I buy my diaper stock from?

Each of us needs a diaper stock at home. Considering the fact that these don’t come cheap, it’s better to find some deals online.

You could even go to supermarkets where there are always deals on diapers. Considering the number of diapers that are needed, these make for a good saving. However, stick to one brand.

Don’t choose your diapers based on the deals instead choose the best deal for your diaper brand.

To conclude choose diapers wisely based on the size, comfort, fit, and your baby’s skin reaction to it. Your child has to be comfortable at the end of the day.

Diaper safety for babies

Diapers are going to be a daily part of your baby’s life for up to 2 years, so ensure to buy those diapers that are healthy and safe for your baby. While disposable diapers are designed to be comfortable and safe for your baby, the cloth diapers are also free from finger pricks and other problems.

There are several points parents need to keep in mind regarding diaper safety. 

• Rashes from wet diapers: 

Urine wetness can result in several skin problems to your baby such as rashes, irritation, and discomfort. In case diapers are not changed for a long time, the natural acids of pee and poop can irritate your baby’s skin and can be unsafe for their health too. To get rid of this problem, it is advisable to frequently change your baby’s diapers to prevent rashes. 

• Both cloth and disposable diapers should be changed regularly: 

If you go for cloth diapers, it will require frequent changes. Moreover, if a cloth diaper gets wet, the baby will immediately let you know. It will result in a reduction of prolonged exposure to diaper wetness and skin rash. With disposable diapers, there is increased safety for your baby from skin rashes, as the disposable diapers come with absorbent cores that are responsible for locking the liquid so that your baby would not feel wetness. Although, it offers a lower risk of rashes one should ensure to change the diapers frequently. 

• Disposable diapers are manufactured using safe materials:

 Wondering what these diapers are made of? Well, these are manufactured using some of the safest materials that go well according to your baby’s sensitive skin. Several disposable diapers consist of a core layer of sodium polyacrylate that pulls away from the moisture from the baby’s skin. Even after being a chemical substance, it is 100% safe for your baby. 

• Your baby might be allergic to lotions or fragrances:

Several disposable diapers come with lotion, aloe, or a mild fragrance that is considered completely safe for your baby as also keeps the pee or poop’s odor away. However, several babies, as well as parents, can get allergic to these fragrances. In case your baby’s skin is sensitive then prefer buying fragrance-free, dye-free, and chlorine-free diapers. 

 

When to stop using diapers? 

Once your baby gets habitual of diapers, parents start concerning about the moment which would be appropriate to stop using diapers for their baby. The parents must understand that babies develop their bladder control around two and a half or in three years. When you decide to stop using diapers for your baby, always ensure to be patient with them and not to make them feel embarrassed for peeing in the pants.

Here are some tips that may help you during this stage: 

• Take it slow and easy: 

Every task is accomplished with hard work and a lot of patients, even if it is making your baby stop using diapers. It may sound easy but it isn’t. It requires a lot of time and patients to make your baby stop using diapers too with lots of failures. This trial will come with several forward-backward when you might get frustrated but make sure you do not convey it to your baby. Slowly and steadily your baby will learn to use the washroom and stop relying on diapers. 

• Choosing the best season to stop using diapers: 

You can choose the right age for your baby to stop using diapers. Along with this, choosing the right season for the same is also an important factor. Summer seems to be the right season for you to give a try. Unlike winters, there will be no problem with frequent peeing and with fewer clothes, your baby will feel more comfortable. 

• Communicate with your baby: 

Communication between the parents and baby is a crucial step to teach your baby the basics of using the washroom. However, this is the step that most parents skip. It is important to understand your baby and their behavior and accordingly encourage them to switch from diapers to normal usage of the washroom. 

• Make them habitual: 

As your baby gets habitual of using diapers by wearing them every day, in the same way, parents need to make their baby habitual of using the washroom so that they stop using diapers and using the toilet pots become their daily life routine. Try to prepare a schedule for your baby to practice using toilet pots. Make them sit on the toilet pots for a few minutes to teach them how it is done. For more help, parents can also sit on the toilet pots to teach the basics of using the washroom, as babies learn the most from their parents. They observe everything that their parents do and try to imitate them. 

• Encourage them with games and rewards: 

Babies are very playful and learn quickly when taught through a game. Using fun ideas and games to make your baby stop using diapers is a good way to encourage them. Make them believe that not using diapers would be a challenging and adventuring thing. Moreover, do not forget to praise or reward your baby whenever they inform you when they need to go to the toilet. This will encourage them to switch to washroom basics. 

 

Which diaper brand do you use for your baby? How did you choose the right diaper for your little one? Do share with us in the comments. We would love to hear your thoughts too.

If you want to stay updated on many more articles like these, please subscribe to the newsletters of Bumps n Baby.