Babies go though a lot of diapers! When I was pregnant I was told that babies go through 12-16 diaper changes a day. At the time it didn't register to me that I would be changing diapers every 1.5 to 2 hours every day. Every single day. It doesn't matter if you are using cloth diapers or disposable diapers; you WILL be changing your baby's diaper. The average baby goes through 7,000 to 9,000 diaper changes from birth to potty training.
As your baby gets older, you will find that they will go through less diapers. Newborns will have a higher fluid output overall, and it is released more frequently. Babies are on an exclusively liquid diet, so it makes sense that they have a higher urine output even though they have smaller tummies and bladders. Older babies will need fewer changes as they start to eat solid foods and have more control and a greater bladder capacity.
This chart shows the average urine output based on age/weight:
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Do you feel like you have a heavy wetter at night? You're not alone! Newborns have more output between the hours of 11PM and 7AM, almost twice as much as their average hourly output between 7AM and 3PM.
Of course, every baby is different. It is important to remember that these are just averages, and there are many factors that that determine your baby's actual output.
When it comes to how often your baby should be changed, it doesn't matter if they are in a cloth diaper or a disposable diaper. A good, general rule is to check your baby every 1.5 to 2 hours, and change your baby's diaper when it is wet. With newborns, you may want to check more often.
One of the great things about cloth diapers is that you do not have to worry about getting your money's worth out of each diaper change. A cloth diaper costs the same no matter how often you change it. Check and change often for the health of your baby's skin.
You can add absorbency to cloth diapers to make them hold more urine, however, that will mean that your baby will be sitting in their own pee for longer. Some families add absorbency to diapers to help at night time and nap time diapers for babies that sleep longer stretches. (Keep in mind that any time your baby has solid waste, the diaper should be changed immediately; day or night.)
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