when to move to the next diaper size

when i first brought brandon home, he was wearing size N diapers.  he had a huge growth spurt, and by 5 months, he was wearing size 6 diapers!   i wish someone had told me how to decide when to move up to the next size.  don’t just go by the suggested weight ranges on the package, because each baby is going to be built differently.   brandon has always had a huge waist, so even though the rest of the diaper fit fine, the waist part was not able to close anymore.

here are some questions to ask yourself:

• is your baby able to make it through the night without leaking? if you’re consistently getting leaks, it’s time to move up to the next size (or try a different brand).
• are there any marks/lines/scratches from the plastic fastener around the waist? if there are any marks or lines from the diaper cutting into your baby’s waist or thighs, the diaper is too tight.  try fastening it more loosely if possible, otherwise move up to the next size.
• do you have to pull the elastic really hard to get the diaper to close? if you can barely close the diaper around your baby’s waist, or if the fasteners pop off because it’s too tight, then move up to the next size.
• when sitting upright, is there any “muffin top” over the diaper? if there is any belly spillage over the top of the diaper, it’s probably too tight and uncomfortable for your baby.  try loosening it up if possible, otherwise move up to the next size.

there were many reasons i wanted to keep brandon in a smaller size diaper.  either i bought too many and wanted to use them up, or the bigger size was way more expensive, or people looked at me funny when i told them what size i was buying.  just listen to your instincts and make sure your baby is comfortable.  also, try a few different brands and styles.  the most expensive ones might not always be the best for you.

personally, i started out with pampers swaddlers (didn’t like the huggies – they would always leak for me).  then i used the pampers cruisers, but ended up preferring baby dry over the crusiers.  they are cheaper too!  i tried the seventh generation and couple of other brands, but ended up going back to pampers babydry.

i used to hunt around for the best price on diapers, but i found the best deal on pampers is to get them from babiesrus in the huge boxes.  then wait until they have a $5 off coupon, or sometimes they give out a $10 gift card or $15 if you buy 2 boxes.  then stack the manufacturer’s coupon that you can get in the sunday paper (usually $1 or $1.50 or $2 off).  then use the babiesrus rewards card, where you’ll get one free value box of diapers after you buy 9 (72-252 count).