Newborn diaper sizes: what to buy before baby arrives

One of the most practical new-parent questions is how many newborn-size diapers to buy — and the honest answer is: not too many. Newborn diapers fit babies up to about 10 pounds, and many larger babies skip this size entirely or are in it for only a week or two. A safe strategy is to buy one small pack of newborn size and one or two packs of size 1 (which starts at 8 pounds) before your due date.

Size 1 is where most babies spend the most time and you can always go back and buy more newborns if needed. Expect 8–12 diaper changes per day in the early weeks. Stock wipes generously — you'll use them for everything.