How many reusable nappies do you need with a newborn?

You're expecting, or you have a newborn, and you're considering reusable nappies. You're excited, but also nervous. Doesn't the whole thing sound overwhelming? "How many do I need?" "What are the best reusable nappies to use?" "Do I need anything else?" In this article we'll take a look at how many reusable nappies you actually need with a newborn, what types are best  and what else you need to think about before you get started on your journey towards green parenting.

There are a few factors to consider when determining how many reusable nappies you'll need:

How often are you going to be changing them?

A newborn has little control over their bladder so you might go through as many as 12 nappies per day.

As your baby gets older, they'll be able to hold their bladder for longer periods of time. This means you'll have fewer changes each day.

How often are you going to be washing them?

You'll need to factor in at least a day for washing and drying time. So, if you're using cloth nappies full-time and your newborn is going through 12 nappies per day, your nappy stash will need to be at least 24 nappies.

If you're hesitant to make the full-time switch to reusable nappies, try a bundle of 6 or 12. You can commit to using them every other day, or just for daytime use at home. You'll still be saving thousands of disposable nappies from going into landfill.

As your baby gets older, are you still going to want to do a wash every day? Or will you want a more relaxed washing schedule? A larger nappy stash of around 25 nappies gives you more flexibility and allows you to wash nappies every 2-3 days.

What kind of nappies are you buying?

If you buy a stash of nappies that are specifically 'newborn nappies', you are going to need to buy more nappies when they outgrow them. You'll also be stuck with a whole load of nappies that aren't being used, which kind of defeats the object, right?

The most sustainable option is to go for a BTP 'birth-to-potty' nappy that will fit most babies from newborn to potty-training age. You can find more information on the best reusable nappies for newborns here. 

So how many nappies should you buy?

Ideally you want around 25 nappies if you're using cloth nappies full time.

There are still benefits to having a large stash because it allows you start  using reusable nappies from birth on a full-time basis. We find that parents who use cloth from birth are more likely to stick to using cloth nappies exclusively from birth-to-potty training age because they get 'in the swing' of it straight away.

A larger stash offers more flexibility with washing schedules as your baby gets older.

Another benefit of a large cloth nappy stack is that you will have enough nappies for a full wash load. Ideally you want the main wash to be 3/4 full for proper agitation. Though, you can bulk your wash up with baby clothes and muslins if you don't have enough nappies.

We often get asked if you can change only the Peachi Baby nappy inserts (i.e. keeping baby in the same nappy shell for a few wears). If they're just little wees you might be able to get away with just changing one insert when it's laid on top of the nappy (only if the rest of the nappy is clean and dry). If you stuff the inserts in the pocket with nothing on top, the shell pocket will get soiled every time and will need to be changed. As baby grows their wees and poos will get more substantial, so the whole nappy will need to be changed each time.

Conclusion

So, there you have it: How many reusable nappies you need depends on a few things: Your baby’s age, how often you want to use cloth nappies, how often you want to wash them and what type of nappies you buy.

A big stash can be a large outlay but you'd spend around 3x that over the long-run if you were using disposables and we have payment plans available with Klarna. If you look after the nappies well, with a good wash and care routine, you could even use your nappies with a second child, or sell them on.