Starting a Stash

The cost of disposable diapers adds up over your child's toddler years, but the initial price to start a stash of cloth diapers can appear steep.

How many diapers do you actually need?
Newborns need to be changed every 1.5-2.5 hours, so expect to go through 10-12 diapers every day for the first couple months. If you plan on doing diaper laundry every 2-3 days, this works out to having about 30 diapers on hand. As Baby gets older, he can be changed a little less often, so you can plan on having about 24 diapers for larger sizes. If you're using a diaper that needs a cover, plan on having one cover for every 4 diapers.

Twenty-four? Thirty? That sounds like a lot.
Let's do the math. If you buy all pocket diapers- BumGenius is a popular choice at $17.95 each- the entire stash from almost-birth until potty-training will cost you somewhere in the neighborhood of $450 or $500. That seems like a lot of money to spend on stuff your baby's just going to poop in, but it's less on what you'd spend on disposable diapers just during your child's first year!

If you choose to use prefolds and covers, you'll need 24-30 prefolds and 6-8 covers. This diapering system has a smaller upfront cost, under $175, for 30 prefolds and 8 Flip covers, which would be more than enough to get started.

Other options are out there- sized covers, fitted diapers, all-in-ones, organic and alternative materials- that will affect the upfront cost of your stash. No one says you have to buy it all at once, either! Growing your stash a little at a time is a great way to figure out what works best for your family. As a bonus, the money you spend on diapers now is an investment- these diapers and covers will last for future children, making diapering this baby's siblings almost free!