How to properly choose the size of a reusable diaper?
When you start reading about reusable diapers, you encounter different sizes of inserts, fitted diapers, prefolds and covers – so you are wondering how to properly choose the size of the reusable diaper for your child. There are so many of them on the market to properly choose the shape of the diaper to the size of the child – and we will help you find yourself in this wealth 🙂
1. How to properly choose the size of a reusable diaper
Most often, reusable diapers are marked with a weight range. Remember, however, that the weight is only an approximate guide in choosing the size of the diaper. Therefore, the insert should also be selected according to the child’s figure, taking into account the needs of absorption. I know a few light children with a Rubensian figure and a few pike with considerable weight 🙂 In the following post, we will explain what exactly should be followed when choosing diapers at different stages of a baby’s growing up.
It is also important when you want to start using reusable diapers and how much your baby is eating and expelling. You can easily assess all these parameters when the baby is in the world. If you are completing a reusable layette before birth – choose variety of products to be prepared for all these eventualities.
2. How to choose the size of a reusable diaper for a newborn
The skin of an infant is 2 times thinner than that of an adult, so it absorbs everything that touches it. That is why it is worth starting cloth diapers from the newborn, even if it would be a mixed system (some disposables, some reusable ones). You can always wash a small number of diapers with baby clothes – just rinse the diapers of dirt before the main wash.
If you want to use cloth diapers from the birth of your baby, start with the size:
- Newborn for short inserts with sides (anty-leak inserts) and trapezoidal prefolds with elastic bands and
- NB / S for woolen cover or fitted diapers.
For babies born with a weight of 2.5-4 kg, they will last for several months. Snaps for fastening the diaper in length and at the waist will allow you to fit it on a 2.5 or 3 kg baby, while for a 5 or 6 kg baby they will already be unfastened. Some babies are born tiny, but then gain weight quickly, transforming into a sweet little mug. Others, on the other hand, grow in length and are quite slim. Wool cover and Green butterfly fitted diapers, thanks to the nap system, grow with the child and you do not have to change the entire diaper pile every time your child change their figure.
What what exactly to choose from short anty-leak inserts with sides, fitted diapers and prefolds with elastic bands, you can read in the entry „What reusable diapers for a newborn”. I have described the thickness and absorbency of individual elements of the newborn layette in more detail there.
3. Which reusable diapers to buy for a baby
If your baby is born with a weight of 4.5 kg and more, or if you plan to use reusable diapers a little later (from 2-3 months of age), choose:
- Medium size from wool covers,
- butterfly fitted diapers in MOS size,
- short anty-leak inserts with sides in size S,
- trapezoidal prefold with S-size elastics made of cotton or still NB terry trapeze prefolds ,
- long anty-leak inserts with sides , size NB / S, witch have 50 cm long – recommended only for children peeing a lot, weighing about 5 kg. Remember to always have 1 part of the insert under child back, and the rest curled more in the front or in the middle.
Depending on the speed of the child’s weight gain (it can be tracked on the percentile grids), this size will be enough for the next few months, until it reaches a weight of 10-12 kg.
If your baby is between the size range, choose a larger insert. All our inserts have an ergonomic shape, ensuring comfort and mobility for fake legs. The bigger size will just be longer.
Also remember about your preferences. If the insert is to be like panties, e.g. hipster, choose the smaller size. However, if you need to reach from the navel to the waist , choose a larger size .
Short inserts also work well for older children, but with frequent changes, e.g. every 1-1.5 hours. Some babies signal to pee and demand frequent changes. Then the long inserts are useless – why should the child wear a more absorbent insert, if we change „what piss” anyway. Unfortunately, this cannot be scheduled. Only by learning each other and observing your little one will you know what will works best for you. Sometimes in such cases you can also try NHN (Natural Baby Hygiene).
If your child pees a lot or you rarely change the inserts, i.e. every 2-3 hours, then this huge selection of our long inserts is for you. But about them in the next episode!
4. Which reusable diapers to buy in the Mini OS size
Your newborn baby has grown out of the NB / S size or you are starting to use reusable nappies from about 6-7 kg , then you have two options. You need to consider what your baby is built of and whether you care about the economy of the layette or not.
If the child is small / slender or is slowly gaining weight, choose the following set:
- Medium size from wool covers,
- MOS size from fitted diapers ,
- trapezoidal prefolds with S size elastic bands – they should still be good,
- Short inserts with sides in size M will be a bit bigger, but the child will quickly grow up to them
- long anty-leak inserts with sides in size S / M, i.e. 60 cm long,
- all wide-back inserts will be suitable (65 cm long),
- 4-layer M corrugated /long hourglass inserts .
If the child is larger (already closer to 7-8 kg) or is 6-7 kg, but grows very quickly , gaining a lot of weight at the same time, choose the following set:
- wool cover in size MOS, i.e. mini OS,
- Fitted diapers in the size of OS Slim – they will be good at fully tied. Especially recommended for mega pissers, because the absorbent surface will be larger in this size,
- trapezoidal prefold with M size with elastic bands (if the child is long or pee a lot),
- short inserts with sides in size M,
- long anty-leak inserts with sides in size M / L, i.e. 70 cm long,
- all wide-back inserts will be also suitable (65 cm long),
- M corrugated / long hourglass inserts 4-layer or 5-layer, when you want more absorbency.
5. What reusable diapers to buy for an older child
Disposable diapers prevent babies from feeling wet after peeing. This means that the nervous and sensory systems fail to see the cause and effect relationship between excretion and the feeling of being wet. Therefore, it causes the inability to control urination and large problems with de-inflation for up to 3 or 4 years. So even starting your older child’s reusable diaper late in the day will help you train them to use the potty faster.
Remember! You can safely resell used reusable diapers at bazaars or popular shopping platforms, recovering a part of the amount invested.
If you are starting to use reusable diapers in an old-fashioned baby to de-nappy your baby, feel free to start with the size:
- OS Slim (i.e. One Size Slim) with fitted diapers,
- OS Plus Slim (or OS long) woolen covers – they fit from 7-8 kg to 15-18 kg depending on the child’s figure,
- Trapezoidal prefold medium with elastic bands,
- long inserts with sides in size S / M if the child pee little or average, or M / L, i.e. 70 cm long, when pee a lot or change the insert every 2-3 hours,
- all wide-back inserts will still be suitable (65 cm long). For frequent changes or for children who pee less peeing, thinner versions, i.e. Normal, will work. For children more peeing or for a longer stay on the bottom – the Heavy versions will be better. You select these types from the drop-down list next to the inserts during the purchase,
- corrugated/long hourglass inserts Medium 5-layer or Large 4- / 5-layer if you want greater absorbency.
I hope that I have made you a bit clearer why there are so many types and lengths of reusable inserts. As you have probably noticed, we also offer several types of absorbent materials. You can read about them in the Types of Absorbent Materials section of our Diaper Guide .
Article How to properly choose the size of a reusable diaper? prepared by: dr n. med. Magdalena Milczarek-Harwazińska – a scientist by profession, privately, a mother who use cloth diapers with two sons. Magdalena has extensive, four years of experience in the types and selection of reusable nappies. In the pile of her children there are diapers from almost all over the world 🙂
