How Many Diapers Should I Be Going Through a Day with a 5-MO Boy? Am I Using Too Many?

Child Health
1

shutterstock_1203104575
shutterstock_12031045751000×667 456 KB

QUESTION:

"How many wet diapers do/did your 5-month-olds have? I’m changing 8+ wet/pee diapers in a 30 minute time frame four times a day.

He is formula and breastfeeding. He seems healthy it’s just his diapers are so frequent, I’m going through one and a half 40 count packs a day.

I just changed a pee diaper not even 5 minutes ago, and it’s already wet again. Plus, it was changed twice before that in the last 20 minutes."

RELATED QUESTION: How often do you change your kids’ clothes?

TOP ANSWERS (AS SELECTED BY MODERATOR):

shutterstock_1494186956
shutterstock_14941869561000×667 506 KB

“Huge waste of money! Change baby about once every 2 hours, not every single time they pee. Diapers are meant to hold more than one pee. If they poop, then change it more often. At night, use night time diapers. Baby can go all night without a diaper change.”

“Are you changing it every single time he pees? Babies can pee multiple times in a diaper before it needs to be changed. Diapers soak up the pee so babies skin doesn’t stay wet, maybe change him every 2 hours or so, or after a poop.”

“He can pee a few times in a diaper before changing especially if he’s peeing that often…”

“Like completely full to the point of leaking or just peed once? If he’s constantly drinking something I can see the peed once every little while but if it’s completely full I’d talk to your baby’s doctor. It’s a sign of diabetes if they are peeing that much.”

“It’s not a bad thing to wait. Babies pee a lot; you don’t need to change every wet diaper right away. They are made to hold a few pees.”

“That is not abnormal, because all of his nutrition coming in is in liquid form, if you start him on solids, you will see a slight drop in wet diapers. You can let him pee more than once in a diaper, the diapers nowadays do hold a lot, as long as the diaper feels dry next to his skin he should be fine.”

“Sounds like you may be changing every time he goes just a little. It’s ok to wait until the diaper gets a little more full to change. Just don’t wait when he poops or he’ll get diaper rash.”

“I mean if you’re changing him EVERY time he pees I could see you going through that many. I usually check my 8-month-old every 1.5 hours but she poops like clockwork so I know to check for that and I can’t miss the smell lol I buy the little movers by Huggies and they work great. Also, make sure you’re using the correct size maybe go up a size? I always go up when it seems like they are peeing through too quick vs when they physically look like they are running small.”

“If you’re really concerned, talk to your pediatrician. But I’m with everyone else in saying you don’t have to change him just as soon as he pees a little. The diapers these days are pretty decent at taking the moisture away from the baby and holding it. Also if you feel like they’re not doing that, look into a better diaper. For instance, when I used luvs on my little one he’d be leaking pretty quickly but I switched to Huggies and they held more and kept little man dry longer.”

Have a response to this question? Leave it below to help a mama out! Or leave your own question and get responses from real moms!

READ ALL ANSWERS BELOW:

1 Like
2

Talk to your pediatrician. I don’t know about in babies but older than that it’s a sign of diabetes.

1 Like
3

Like completely full to the point of leaking or just peed once? If he’s constantly drinking something I can see the peed once every little while but if it’s completely full I’d talk to your babies doctor. It’s a sign of diabetes if they are peeing that much.

1 Like
4

That is not abnormal, because of all of his nutrition coming in is in liquid form, if you start him on solids, you will see a slight drop in wet diapers. You can let him pee more than once in a diaper, the diapers now days do hold a lot, as long as the diaper feels dry next to his skin he should be fine.

1 Like
5

You don’t need to be changing that often. If you’re going to do that you might want to look into cloth diapers

1 Like
6

He can pee a few times in a diaper before changing especially if he’s peeing that often…

1 Like
7

Modern diapers suck the pee away from baby’s skin so it isn’t necessary to change that often. Once every 2 hours might be a good starting point for you when it’s just urine you’re dealing with. If my math is correct, you are going through 60 diapers a day?!

1 Like
8

Sounds like you may be changing every time he goes just a little. It’s ok to wait until the diaper gets a little more full to change. Just don’t wait when he poops or he’ll get diaper rash.

1 Like
9

Are you changing it every single time he pees? Babies can pee multiple times in a diaper before it needs to be changed… Diapers soak up the pee so babies skin doesn’t stay wet, maybe change him every 2 hours or so, or after a poop.

7 Likes
10

Huge waste of money! Change baby about once every 2 hours, not every single time they pee. Diapers are meant to hold more than one pee. If they poop, then change it more often. At night, use night time diapers. Baby can go all night without a diaper change.

15 Likes
11

I used cloth and don’t remember changing that often . Please talk to your baby doctor just to be safe, or maybe have someone who has raised a couple check how you are doing

1 Like
12

I wouldn’t advise letting a baby sit in a pee like others say that’s just a little gross in my opinion. But talk to his doctor ASAP signs of diabetes

4 Likes
13

I mean if you’re changing him EVERY time he pees i could see you going through that many. I usually check my 8 month old every 1.5 hours but she poops like clock work so I know to check for that and I can’t miss the smell lol I buy the little movers by huggies and they work great. Also make sure you’re using the correct size maybe go up a size? I always go up when it seems like they are peeing through too quick vs when they physically look like they are running small

1 Like
14

I used to change my son’s wet diapers often like that too, mainly because I was so afraid of him getting a diaper rash. I think, by about 6 months, I realized he was FINE if he went a few times in a diaper (but I still changed his diaper every 1-1.5 hours). The diapers we used never left wetness on his skin. But if he went #2, of course, that got changed ASAP. I made sure to use a really good quality diaper rash cream at every single diaper change and he’s never gotten a rash. He can go 10-12 hours at night now with one Night Diaper on! If I changed him every time he peed at night I’d never sleep…

1 Like
15

My youngest never went through that many and she was 8oz every 3 hours. Sounds like your changing too often

2 Likes
16

You’re changing him to much no baby pee that much even if he drank all day long, it’s ok to leave a nappy on that’s wet it’s when it’s full you change it

2 Likes
17

Boys pee immediately after they get a fresh diaper. I have two boys and I learned this like you are doing. Change him only every 2 hours. Unless he poops. As he gets older cut back to three hour stretches. Max 3 hours. Diapers hold a lot. If that makes you uncomfortable switch to cloth. Cloth is cheaper in the long run

18

Like completely soaked or like the line is barely blue? I’m pretty sure until they learn to hold it babies constantly leak urine

19

If you’re really concerned, talk to your pediatrician. But I’m with everyone else in saying you don’t have to change him just as soon as he pees a little. The diapers these days are pretty decent at taking the moisture away from baby and holding it. Also if you feel like they’re not doing that, look into a better diaper. For instance, when I used luvs on my little one he’d be leaking pretty quickly but I switched to huggies and they held more and kept little man Dry longer

20

I’d let him go a little bit. Unless it’s the cheaper diapers. My daughter is in huggies and they hold up pretty well.

21

Oh…oh my. Girl, you don’t change the diaper EVERY single time they pee a little. I mean, you can if you want to I suppose, but that’s a huge waste of money.

1 Like
22

In a 30 minute time frame is crazy. We do that a day and my son is almost 5 months. Are you changing it at the first sign of pee? If it’s just a little bit you can let it go until it’s atleast halfway down the line. But if he’s having full diapers that often you should def talk to your pediatrician.

23

I used to change both my boys at the 2-3 hour mark, when they’d feed I’d change.

24

Go to the doctor. Even if you are changing at the slightest pee that is still very frequent. Go have bub checked over and explain everything.

25

Holy moly and I thought I was a frequent diaper changer. It’s usually like every half hour to an hour for me? Idk I don’t usually pay attention or count how many times I change diapers because with 2 kiddos its literally from the second I wake up to the second I go to sleep

1 Like
26

Not trying to scare you but when my now 11 year old granddaughter was little her diaper was always soaking wet constantly and To make a long story short I had asked the doctors to check her for Diabetes because that is a sign they said “oh she is to little to have diabetes “ didn’t check her so then at 2 years old she went into a diabetic coma and yes she was a type 1 diabetic Thank God she is doing great my point is you know if something is not normal and yes babies can pee that much but it is not normal… you should have the doctor check him out good luck to you and don’t even pay attention to some of these idiotic comments people are leaving

3 Likes
27

It’s not a bad thing to wait. Babys pee a lot you dont need to change every wet diaper right away. They are made to hold a few pees.

3 Likes
28

At five months you should be using 8-10 diapers a day

29

Unless I smell poop or know my kids poop, I change every hour or every 2 hours. I have 2 in cloth diapers. I would definitely bring it up to the pediatrician though.

1 Like
30

You can’t be for real :joy::joy:

1 Like
31

No baby should be using this many diapers in a 30 minute time frame,thats literally like 60 diapers a day…thats way too many, u r gunna go in debt from buying diapers,u only need to change every couple hours unless they poop

2 Likes
32

My oldest was going through a 40 pack in less than 2 days. But she was in the midst of being diagnosed with a medical condition. After diagnosis and beginning treatment it went down to a much more normal frequency

1 Like
33

Don’t let your baby sit in pee. They have delicate sensitive parts that will get irritated. I change her if she pees and I see it even if it’s every 30 min

34

U dont need to change unless the diaper is full mama , wait till full then u change , I did such mistake with my first born till my friend told me …

1 Like
35

They can pee several times in the same diaper it doesnt need to be changed everytime you can wait a few hours between diaper changes

2 Likes
36

Well if they’re FULL u should consult a dr … but if your changing him after hes done 1 or 2 pees in them then it’s not necessary 2 change THAT often

4 Likes
37

Smaller babies pee more. Once they start solid foods and are taken off the bottle they stop peeing as much. It’s normal.

38

For wet diapers, they don’t need to be changed as soon as the pee, they can wait up to 2 hours as long as they don’t have existing skin issues. Poopy diapers need changed asap. The normal is usually 5-8 wets for babies per day. Thats not counting those small little “pees”. You’d counting a wet diaper every 1 to 2 hours.

1 Like
39

Are they fully wet diapers or like just little pees and you’re changing those every time? At this age it should only be about 5 wet diapers in a day.

You should call your pediatrician.

40

My daughter is 5 months and she goes through about 8 a day. Definitely discuss this with your dr asap!!!

41

I would definitely make a doctors appt. That much wetting is not normal. Baby may become dehydrated. When my son was that young I would change him once every hour to 2 hours.

42

You need to have his sugar checked

2 Likes
43

Kids go through 7 nappies a day, just keep that in mind :hugs:

44

Maybe hour over doing it

45

Use cloth diapers! That’s what I did for for my 2 kids! LOVE them!!

46

How old is your baby

47

Changing a baby can stimulate them to pee even a little, no need to change them every time they are wet, if they poop yes right away to prevent diaper rash, but there could be underlying issues like bladder infection, or diabetes I would bring it up to your doctor first.

48

Go to the dr. Could be something causing it.