If you notice excessive gapping at the legs and waist, the diaper may be too large for your baby. Let your baby gain another pound or two and then try again.
If a diaper is too small, it will reach maximum absorption quickly and be unable to hold the amount of poop necessary. A bigger size diaper will allow more room for the poop and have more absorbent material. Constant blowouts are a problem as they cover your baby in poop as well as the area around them.
For the perfect fit, the nappy should be snug but you should be able to comfortably fit two fingers under the waistband of the fastened nappy. Whatever type of nappy your baby is wearing, it shouldn't cause any red marks on your baby's delicate skin.
While a nappy should fit snugly around waist and legs, you want a loose fit at the front and back. Also make sure the nappy is big enough to cover the lower part of baby's tummy, to just below the belly button. Finally, double check baby's buttocks are completely covered.
You can feel what a properly wet nappy should feel like by putting three tablespoons (45ml) of water onto a clean, dry one. Urine should be pale and mild smelling. This post on signs of effective feeding has more information.
The smaller the nappy the less liquid it absorbs, so if you're regularly waking up to a saturated nappy or wet baby bed sheets, it might be time to go up a size.
Diaper companies know this, so larger sizes are designed to hold more urine. By sizing up your diaper, you're basically increasing your absorbency. For example, a Huggies Size 6 diaper holds 7 to 13 more ounces than their Size 5 diaper.
While the nappy size may appear to fit your baby, the amount of pee may have increased with his growth, so the nappy may not be able to absorb the larger amount of urine. For disposable nappies, the bigger the size, the better the absorbency.
It should not require too much pulling or adjusting to secure the tabs. On the contrary, if the tabs overlap toward the center of the waist, you need to go down a size.
Just Below The Belly Button
Speaking of the fit of the front of the diaper, the top should sit just underneath your baby's belly button (or umbilical stump) without covering it. And the diaper shouldn't be too far below their belly button.
Your baby will wear size 3 diapers for the longest, and this should be the size diaper that you buy the most of. To help you plan, here is a good estimate of how many diapers babies need per size: Newborn – newborn diapers can be used for up to 1.5 months, you should purchase around 2 to 3 packs of 140 diapers.
It's easy to overlook, but the leg cuffs, or ruffles on the edge of the diaper should be pulled out. Make sure to run your finger around these edges to make sure they are pulled out. This helps lock everything in, so there isn't leakage.
DIAPER TIP: The ruffles around the diaper leg holes aren't just for looks! They should always be visible on the outside and not tucked inside the diaper around the legs. They're specifically designed and engineered to prevent leakage.
Babies need frequent nappy changes. Babies have very delicate skin so their nappy needs to be changed as soon as they wet or poo themselves, otherwise their skin becomes sore and red. Changing your baby's nappy as soon as possible after they've done a wee or poo will help prevent nappy rash.
As a rough guide, most babies fit into size 2 between the ages of 2 and 6 months, with some progressing into size 3 as early as 3 months old. In terms of how many size 2 nappies you need, you can expect your little one will go through approximately 8 nappies per day.
WET DIAPERS: 4 - 5+ sopping wet diapers per day. To feel what a sufficiently wet diaper is like, pour 4-6 tablespoons (60-90 mL) of water into a clean diaper (if baby wets more often, then the amount of urine per diaper may be less).
The most common cause of leakage is fitting your baby with the wrong diaper size. So start by checking if the diaper size is right for your baby. Note also that the amount of pee increases as your baby grows. By the time your baby is 12 months old, the amount of pee discharged in a day will be twice that of a newborn.
Double up
If one nappy isn't enough, try two! Popping a second nappy over the top (ensuring it completely covers the first nappy) can offer the extra protection needed for a dry night.
Nappies need changing after every poo. You don't need to change your baby's nappy after every wee – rather, change the nappy just before or after a feed (but keep an eye out for nappy rash or skin irritation). There's no need to wake your baby at night for a nappy change.
As a general rule of thumb, night time nappy changes are necessary if your baby has soiled the nappy, or it is completely full. A little bit of urine in the nappy is fine, and you can usually wait a bit longer before changing them again.
If the tapes meet in the centre of 'the zone', or are still on the coloured part of the nappy, then you're spot on. Once they're moving towards, or are in the white area, it's time to move up a size and avoid - or at least reduce the chances of - those leaks.
Disposable Diapers
The back part with the adhesive strips should be about level with your baby's bellybutton. Bring the front part of the diaper up between your baby's legs and onto their belly. Bring the adhesive strips around and fasten snugly.