What size nappy?

We are often asked what size nappy we would recommend. There is no easy answer to this, but here is how we generally determine the answer:

Newborn nappies provide a better fit from birth. Particularly because most newborn have slender thighs/hips until they have filled out a little in a month or so. We say most, because as with all things child related, there is no certainty! You could have a very long 10lb baby, or a very petite 7lb baby, both of whom fit the same nappy. We do tend to advise newborn sizes for babies under 3 months. Some find this an unnecessary expense, unless they intend to have more children and this makes our newborn hire kits excellent value for money. For £50, you can hire a kit of nappies for 8 weeks! By this time, many babies will fit the birth to potty size, or parents will feel confident enough to purchase any they like.

Birth to potty nappies are designed to fit from birth* to potty*. We asterix this because birth can 4lb or 14lb, potty can be 14 months or 4 years! Whilst some birth to potty nappies will fit from birth, we have found from experience that newborn sizes offer a better fit in the early days. We generally recommend our birth to potty kits from around 3 months for a baby born at full term.

Birth to potty nappies are designed to grow with your child. They have rows of poppers that can be adjusted with growth. The most common are two to three rows. These are called ‘rises’. If you consider that the smallest rise is for ‘birth’ and the largest (as in no poppers, but the full size of the nappy) is ‘birth’ then you can gauge what setting you may need according to your child’s age. Many parents find that you can go up and down rises a few times as your baby changes size and shape. For example, you might have a wonderfully chunky 6 month old with gorgeous rolls on their thighs that mean you are on the highest rise. However, in a few months time you may have come all the way back down to the lowest rise once they’ve started to move around and their weight has been redistributed across their body. 

There are other options outside of these main two. You can buy sized nappies, such as the Littlelambs size 1, size 2 and size 3. Similar to the rises, if you consider size 1 to have been designed from birth, and size 3 to be for potty, you can estimate the size you might need. We do include these in our nappy kits also. Unfortunately all manufacturers have their own templates for sizing and there isn’t a clear cut way of explaining them to you, just as children are so different in size. This is the main reason we have such an amazing variety of nappies in our kits – to help you find what works for you without the expense! Want to find out more? Head over to our hire page…