Babies require a significant amount of diapers, while twin babies need an extraordinary quantity. Numerous parents desire to be well-prepared for their babies’ arrival.
This article will help in setting an expectation of how many diapers they might need.
How many newborn diapers do I need for twins? On average, a newborn baby will go through 10-12 diapers per day. Therefore, with twins, you’ll be going through about 24 diapers a day with your new babies. Don’t fret! Diapering babies feels fairly overwhelming to most new parents, but it will quickly feel like your new normal with twins.
Before you panic…
While hearing that you’ve got a new part-time job that involves other people’s waste might make some parents gag, the good news is that twins eventually do use fewer diapers.
Newborns poop about four times a day. That number decreases as babies grow, which is good news for parents’ sanity and their wallets.
Estimating Newborn Twins’ Diaper Needs
Twins will go through a combined total of almost 600 diapers in their first month of life! Some expecting parents will hear that and go out and buy 600 diapers before their twins arrive.
I want to encourage parents to use caution here as not all newborns fit into the newborn size.
This was the case for my own twins. My “youngest” son was in newborn diapers until almost 2 months, but my other son was in size 1 diapers within 2 weeks of his birth.
I always advise twin parents to buy newborn diapers and size 1, especially if their twins are nearing full term. The only thing sadder than changing 24 diapers a day is throwing away those expensive diapers when they no longer fit your baby!
How Many Diapers Do Twins Use per Day?
Twins use about 24 diapers per day. The average newborn uses 10-12, and that number is obviously doubled with another newborn in the family.
How Many Diapers Do Twins Use per Week?
Newborn twins will go through about 170 diapers a week. While this sounds staggering, a box of diapers isn’t quite as expensive as it always seems.
It’s also important to note that these are estimates and averages, so your baby might use less.
How Many Diapers Will Twins Use in the First Month?
Twins will go through 600 diapers a month on average. As time goes by, the number of diapers will begin to drop each month.
How Long Do Twins Stay in Newborn Diapers?
Newborns are ready to move out of newborn-size diapers when they reach about 10 pounds. Twins tend to have smaller birth weights and thus might stay in newborn sizes a bit longer.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most babies weigh in under 8 pounds at birth. Most babies hit 10 pounds at about 1.5 months and can switch to size 1 diapers.
Twins, who are typically smaller at birth, might be in newborn sizes for a couple more weeks than singleton babies.
When Diaper Use Will Start To Decrease
Babies typically use fewer diapers by about the age of one month old. Here, bowel movements tend to decrease, so a one-month-old will typically go through about 8-10 diapers a day.
Breastfed babies might poop more frequently than formula-fed babies as breast milk is easier to digest. Babies over 5 months will average 7-8 diapers a day.
Preemie Diapers vs. Newborn
Some twins come very early. While this might cause a lot of concern for parents, diapering your babies shouldn’t be one of them. Several companies make preemie diapers that come in -3, -2, and -1 size diapers.
Preemie diapers can accommodate babies who weigh as little as 1 pound. As your babies grow, they will eventually move into newborn-size diapers and beyond.
Do All Twins Need Preemie Diapers?
No, all twins will not need preemie diapers. Twins born under 37 weeks will tend to need smaller diapers. However, this is not always the case.
Twins born at 31 or 32 weeks will have lower birth weights and will almost certainly need to use preemie diapers. For reference, my twins were born at 37 weeks and both went right into newborn diapers.
How Many Preemie Diapers Do I Need?
Realistically, babies in need of premature diapers will most likely be in a NICU. The NICU is a reality for many sets of twins. If your babies need preemie diapers, the NICU will provide them.
If your babies do not need the NICU, you can follow the guidelines set for newborns and expect to use about 24 preemie diapers a day.
How Many Diapers Will Twins Go Through In Total?
A family with twins will go through roughly 5,000 diapers a year! Here’s how that breaks down by age of the babies…
How Many Diapers per Day by Age Chart
| Baby Age | Number of Diapers per Day | Number of Diapers per Day for Twins |
| Newborn (birth-2 months) | 10-12 | 20-24 |
| 3-6 Months | 8-10 | 16-20 |
| 7-12 Months | 8 | 16 |
| 1-2 Years | 6-7 | 12-14 |
| 2-3 Years | 5-7 | 10-14 |
How To Tell If Diaper Is Too Small
There are several ways to tell if a diaper is too small. Red marks on your babies’ skin or frequent leaks are the best ways to measure this.
Proper Diaper Fit
Diapers should sit just below your baby’s belly button. You should be able to fit two fingers under the waistband of the baby’s diaper when fastened.
There shouldn’t be any gaps in the leg holes that will result in the dreaded blowout no parent wants to deal with.
Are Cloth Diapers Better for Twins?
Parents might choose to use cloth diapers for their twins. As with any decision, there are pros and cons to this choice.
Cloth Diapers Pros and Cons
| Cloth Diaper Pros | Cloth Diaper Cons |
| Friendly to the environment | More energy and water use |
| Greater savings over time | Greater investment upfront |
| Gentler on baby’s skin | More cleaning and time |
| Can be used on other babies | Not always childcare friendly |
Related Questions:
How Many Diapers Does a Breastfed Baby Use per Day?
Breastfed babies have more variance in the amount they poop. Some breastfed babies will poop every hour due to breast milk being easier for babies to digest while other babies might poop three times or less per day during their first month.
The safest estimate is to assume that breastfed babies will use the same as formula-fed babies, and expect to use about 10-12 a day for at least the first few months.
Do Hospitals Provide Diapers for Newborns?
Hospitals typically provide diapers for babies while you are in the hospital. They will actually provide quite a few essentials that you might need during your babies’ first days of life.
Having a newborn is definitely not an easy time for most people, and it’s nice that diapers and other needs are often taken care of by the hospital.
Conclusion
Twins come with double a lot of things. One of those things is diapers. Other things are joy, laughter, and love.
While the number of diapers might feel overwhelming to parents as they await their twins’ arrival, the reality is that when your babies smile at you or recognize you when you enter a room, diapers will be the last thing on your mind.
Diapers are a right of passage with twins and one of the things that improve over time, as a lot of things do with multiples. Hang in there! You’ll get through it all just fine.
Mom of three (including identical twin boys), wife, and owner of Parents Wonder. This is my place to share my journey as a mother and the helpful insights I learn along the way.