Is it possible to have too many diapers?

Question

I am 12 weeks pregnant and I have decided to start buying a package of diapers each week (in different sizes). I mentioned this idea to my Mom and she said she would do the same for me. My Mom is also planning a baby shower for me (probably in late January) and we thought about having a diaper raffle where people can choose to bring a package of diapers in exchange for a raffle ticket for a nice prize. Do you think this is a good idea or over kill?

Answer 1

You might not want to buy one every week, but a diaper raffle at your shower is a great idea.  We did that for a friend and we made sure to note on the invite that a variety of sizes is appreciated.  She had a big shower, so she didn't have to buy diapers for months.  But, she also has a large home - you have to consider your storage space.

Answer 2

Ok, so I did the math, you have 28 weeks left (if you go full term) so that is 28 pkgs you buy and 28 your mom buys.  That is 56 packages.  First, where are you going to put them all?  And another thing is that you don't exactly know how long they will be in a certain size...it all depends on the way they grow.   If you could return them and you have a storage spot, why not.  

Answer 3

I thought about doing the same thing. The only problem is, the sticky snaps will not work after a period of time. You have to be real careful!!!  

Answer 4

That's a lot of diapers....  56 packages of diapers from you and your mom...  where would you store them all?!  I think you would be better off buying a package of newborns, a big box of 1's and a big box of 1-2's.  Then just buy whatever else you need after the baby is born.

Answer 5

its a great idea, i had a diaper raffle at my shower and got about 10 packs of diapers plus a pack of cloth ones. I also bought a few packs when they were on sale. just save the receipts for the ones you buy, in case you need to exchange them for a different size or brand (you will probably prefer some brands over others)

Answer 6

My husband did that when I was pregnant with my first.  By the time the baby was born we had a closet half full of diapers--and used them all within the first year.  I think its a great idea if you have the space to store them and are careful about not getting too much of one size (or be sure a store will exchange for a different size).  The only thing we overdid was one too many packages of size 1 which ended up going to the food bank.

With our second we stocked up over the first couple of months of her life when amazon.com had major sales and those lasted well over a year.

At the baby shower I just threw for a friend we did a diaper raffle and about half of the guests participated.

If you're worried about space, overkill, or ending up with a wrong-for-your-baby brand you could also just set aside the money in a specific "diaper envelope" each week to use to buy diapers after the baby comes.  I suggest checking out amazon.com for bulk cases of diapers, they have great prices, no sales tax, and free shipping.

Answer 7

Stop wasting your money and use cloth diapers.

Answer 8

Calculate the average of diapers baby wears at each month old. For example 0-4 month 10 boxes, 4-7 months, etc etc. That way as your baby grows, you will already have the next size diapers stocked and ready.

Answer 9

I don't know that you really need to stock up on diapers before the baby comes, just buy a couple of brands of newborn size.  When you need more, you can order them from diapers.com and have them delivered for free the following day.  You may want to try out various brands to see which work.  Also, why spend money on something you won't use for a year (the bigger sizes)- isn't that money better off sitting in the bank earning interest (just the way I look at things).  

But I don't have the space to store 50 packages of diapers, maybe you do!  Space is always an issue for me so I don't buy in bulk.

Answer 10

Don't buy too many, you don't know what brand/style/size will work for your baby.  Some are in NB from the start, some in 1's.  My baby was almost 7 pounds but was in preemie size for a few weeks.  We also switched from pampers to huggies around 2 months and now at 5 months are switching to cloth - much more cost efficient and good for the environment!

Answer 11

I think that is a good idea but you might end up with way too many diapers... In the beginning newborns go through a lot of diapers like 2 packs os swaddlers a week, but after about week 8 they start to go down alot we only buy a pack every 2 weeks.

Answer 12

I agree with the pp's about storage and brand preference being an issue. Plus, you only have a limited amount of time for exchanges or returns (some are 90 days!).

Instead, you could put money away each week in a high interest savings account and take out money for diapers as needed. The diaper raffle will get you through at least a couple of months. With twins I didn't have to buy diapers for 2 months because I got so many.I had packages of newborns that I couldn't exchange and didn't use, so I ended up giving them to someone else.  

Answer 13

I would say you can't have too many diapers, BUT you can have too many small diapers.  A lot of people bought us newborn size diapers for our shower and I had hundreds of them - my daughter never fit into them because she was too big.  But, the swaddlers size 1's fit her for 2 months, and now she's into the 2's.  2 months of diapers for us is about 9 of the 78 count packages.  We are hoping she says in the 2's a little longer ;)