If you’re preparing for your new baby or just brought them home, congratulations! If there’s one thing you know that you need as a new parent, it’s diapers and wipes.
If you’re wondering how many wipes do babies use a day or how many do you actually need, this is the post for you! We’ll go over how many baby wipes you’ll need per day, month, and year! And also how to save money on baby wipes as well as some of my favorites out there.
You’re going to find yourself using baby wipes for everything. So let’s get into it so you can get yourself prepared!
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How Many Wipes Do Babies Use a Day?
The number of wipes a baby will use per day will vary depending on their age. This is because as babies get older, they don’t need as frequent diaper changes.
It also depends on how often your baby is pooping. Some babies (especially breastfed babies) have a soiled diaper every time they eat (10-12 times per day). This is most common when they’re newborn babies.
As babies go from newborn diapers to larger sizes, the amount of diaper changes will decrease. Your baby may go from 10-12 diaper changes a day to 8-10 diaper changes to 6-8 diaper changes as they grow.
Let’s say you use 1 wipe for wet diapers (just pee) and 3-4 wipes for dirty diapers (poop – and you may likely use more!). For newborn babies, that has you using roughly 30-40 wipes per day. And for older babies, about 20-30 wipes per day.
We’ll talk more soon about how many wipes are in a pack. But this means you may use about half a pack of wipes each day in the early days. And a little less than half as they get older.
And remember, this count includes only diaper changes. This doesn’t account for if you plan to use baby wipes for other messes like spit-up, sticky hands, and messy faces.
How Many Wipes Does a Baby Use in a Month?
Once you know roughly how many wipes you use per day, it will be easy to guess how many you’ll need for the month.
Your first month with your baby can give you a good starting place to calculate how many wipes you’ll continue to need. Because it should become less from there.
If you’re going through 30-40 wipes per day, you’ll need about 900-1,200 wipes per month. This equals about 16-21 packs of wipes per month.
If you’re going through 20-30 wipes per day, you’ll need about 600-900 wipes per month. This equals about 11-16 packs of wipes per month.
How Many Wipes Do I Need for the First Year?
The way we calculate how many wipes you’ll need for the first year is a little different than monthly. This is because as your baby grows, you will need less wipes for less diaper changes.
A one-year supply of baby wipes is typically around 8,000-10,000 baby wipes. This is such a big range because it really depends on how many wipes you use for your little one’s dirty diapers.
This means you’ll need about 142-180 packs of wipes.
Remember, this is just a rough estimate for your baby’s first year. Some people may use way more than this, and some people may use the minimum estimate. But that’s a good place to start if you’re looking to stockpile.
Also keep in mind that your baby will use wipes past the first year. And up until you start potty training. Both of my littles are potty trained and I still carry a pack of wipes with me when we go places. So I truly think you can never have enough!
How Many Baby Wipes are in a Pack?
This depends on the brand and what type of baby wipes you purchased.
A standard package of Pampers Pure wipes contains 56 wipes while a standard package from Honest Company contains 72 wipes. It can vary from pack to pack so it’s important to look when purchasing so you don’t end up with fewer wipes than you needed.
How to Save Money on Baby Wipes
As you now know, disposable baby wipes will be used up quickly which can get quite costly. If you’re looking for ways to save on baby wipes, try out these methods!
Put Wipes on Your Baby Registry
This is the easiest method that costs you nothing! You can absolutely put baby wipes on your registry (along with diapers!) to stock up without having to purchase anything.
You could even do a diapers and wipes raffle to encourage your guests to bring more.
Buy in Bulk
Typically, buying in bulk saves you money, and doing so with disposable baby wipes is no different!
You could also sign up for Amazon’s subscribe and save discount on your favorite baby wipes to save some extra dollars.
Try Different Brands
Don’t be afraid to try out store-brand wipes. Some parents find they love them just as much as the brand-name wipes, and they’re cheaper.
You might also notice that baby wipes with a hard plastic lid are more expensive than wipes with just a peel-and-stick seal. They do help keep the wipes from drying out too quickly.
However, you may find the peel-and-stick lid works perfectly fine for you and can save you some money.
Switch to Reusable Baby Wipes
If you’re reading this and thinking about cutting costs on baby wipes, switching over to reusable baby wipes from disposable wipes may be a good option for you.
Many new parents who use cloth diapers also like to go the route of reusable baby wipes. There are a few different ways you can do so. You can buy a reusable baby wipe kit or make them yourself.
Some parents even skip the reusable wipes and just use warm water and a washcloth to clean and dry their baby’s bottom.
This route typically works better for babies with sensitive skin who are more prone to allergic reactions from disposable wipes.
Best Baby Wipes
Like baby diapers, not all wipes are created equal. Some wipe brands contain ingredients that should be avoided like parabens. And some of them contain alcohol which can dry out your baby’s skin and make them more prone to diaper rash.
Here are a few of my favorite baby wipes that I have used for my little ones over the years.
Honest Company Clean Conscious Wipes
We used Honest Company Clean Conscious Wipes often because we used the Honest Company subscription service for diapers. And I loved that it also came with wipes.
These wipes are 100% plant-based and made with over 99% water. They’re made without alcohol, parabens, chlorine processing, and fragrances.
I love how thick and large they are. It was easier to use fewer of these wipes when changing dirty diapers because of how big they are. And I also love that they have a hard plastic lid to keep the wipes moist for a long time!
Pampers Aqua Pure Baby Wipes
Pampers Aqua Pure wipes are made with 99% water and 1% dermatologically tested cleansers and pH-balancing ingredients. These wipes contain no ethanol or drying alcohol, dyes, parabens, or fragrances.
Both of my babies had sensitive skin and these always worked well for them. I like that they have a hard plastic lid so the wipes stay moist for a while after opening.
The wipes are made from premium cotton so they’re really soft on your baby’s bottom. I’d say they’re medium-sized compared to most wipes and not too thin.
Water Wipes
Water wipes are pretty incredible in that they’re made with 99.9% water and a drop of fruit extract. They’re amazing for babies with sensitive skin.
They are accepted by the National Eczema Association of America and dermatologically approved by the Skin Health Alliance.
I don’t love the packaging. The lid is a press and seal which can become less sticky over time as it becomes wet from pulling out wipes. And it can be harder to pull out just one wipe at a time.
However, these wipes are extremely moist and worth it. I’ve never had a pack dry out on me before finishing it.
You can use a little hack of putting a hair tie around one end of the wipes. This helps just one wipe to come out at a time and then you can put it over the seal to keep it closed well.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many wipes do I need to register for?
Truly, however many you want! But if you want to use your registry to stock up on baby wipes, register for one year’s worth of baby wipes. Remember, that’s around 8,000-10,000 wipes.
This looks like around 142-180 packs of wipes give or take.
I recommend putting different options on your registry – small packs and boxes for bulk. This gives your guests different options to choose from in their price range when purchasing your gifts.
How often do you use baby wipes?
You will use baby wipes every time you need to change your baby’s diaper. And if it’s a poop diaper, you’ll need to use more wipes.
Baby poop frequency can vary for each baby. Some newborns may poop up to 12 times a day. Older babies tend to poop less as they get bigger and start solids.
I also use baby wipes for more than just my baby’s diaper changes. I often used them to clean up my baby after a spit-up or to clean their hands and face when they got older.
How long does 1 pack of baby wipes last?
This will obviously vary from day to day and depending on the age of your baby. A newborn baby may need to be changed 10-12 times per day, while a 6-month-old may only need to be changed 6-8 times per day.
You might go through roughly 30-40 wipes per day depending on how many poop diapers your baby has that day. Obviously, poop diapers require more wipes!
Most wipe packs contain 56 wipes give or take, depending on the brand. So you can expect to use about half a pack of wipes per day in those early days.
How many baby wipes should I stockpile?
If you have the space and ability to stockpile baby wipes, you can store a whole year’s worth! This can be so helpful in the long run.
I would just make sure that you know the wipes you’re stockpiling work with your baby’s skin. Oftentimes we stock up on wipes we like, but don’t realize they may not work for our baby’s sensitive skin.
Does a newborn need more baby wipes than an older baby?
Newborn babies will need more frequent diaper changes than older babies usually. So in terms of diaper changes, yes newborns may need more baby wipes.
However, there are so many reasons I used baby wipes for my older baby other than diaper changes. Sticky fingers, cleaning their face, wiping off dirt from the park, etc. So the need for baby wipes was always there!
But if you choose to use baby wipes for just diaper changes, you can anticipate a higher need for your newborn baby.
Do baby wipes expire?
Baby wipes do not have an expiration date but they do have a shelf life. This means that they will lose their moisture over a certain period of time, depending on the brand of wipes.
Some wipes brands can last years on the shelf. If you’re planning to buy your baby wipes in bulk, store them in a cool and dry environment. And ideally unopened. When you open the package of wipes, they will lose their moisture quicker and dry out.
And of course if your wipes start to smell different or develop black or grey spots from mold accumulation, toss them immediately.