When you first bring your baby home from the hospital, there are quite literally thousands of anxieties swirling around your brain at any single moment. Are they eating enough? Should they be making that weird squeaky noise when they’re sleeping? Will my baby wipes grow mold if I leave them in the car for too long? Somewhere on this list of anxieties, you probably have the question “How often should I be checking their diaper?” And it’s valid–if you type that exact question into Google, you’ll get a flood of different answers: every 30 minutes, once an hour, every time your baby cries.We’re here to calm your nerves and let you know that while there’s no hard and fast rule to checking diapers, you’ll find your own perfectly-good cadence with a bit of time and getting to know your baby. So don’t panic, and let us send you off with a few easy tips for those early days while you get your footing as a new parent.

1. First things first: understanding the basics. Babies have varying needs depending on their age, diet, and individual routine. Newborns, for example, have tiny bladders and eat pretty much constantly, which naturally leads to more frequent diaper changes. You may find yourself changing them every couple of hours, or even more often if they’re particularly gassy or cluster feeding.However, as they reach the 6 month mark, you may find they can go longer between changes. By this age, most babies are on a pretty predictable schedule, and you’ll have a better sense of their individual habits. They’ll also start solids around this time, which usually means less frequent and more formed poops. This is especially great news if you’ve been dealing with blowouts .As toddlers transition to potty training, the frequency of diaper changes will likely decrease even further. Some days, you might find yourself checking every 4 hours or so, especially as they start to be able to talk and let you know with actual words(!) that they’ve gone to the bathroom.
2. Use the wetness indicator. Thousands of years ago (in the 1970s) we didn’t have the magic tool known as the “wetness indicator” to tell us when our babies had peed in their diapers. Now, however, that little yellow stripe on your Coterie diaper will turn blue at the hint of liquid, so you don’t have to spend nearly as much time prodding around a puffy diaper to figure out if your baby is crying because they’re wet or just because you took your iPhone out of their hand. You don’t want to totally rely on the wetness indicator to answer all of your baby changing questions, though. As your baby gets older and their stools become firmer, they might poop in their diaper without peeing, thus not triggering the indicator to change color. So if your baby seems fussy or uncomfortable, it’s worth at least a peek down the back of their diaper just in case.
3. Nighttime considerations. When it comes to nighttime diaper checks, you’ll want to strike a balance between ensuring that your baby stays comfortable while also getting enough sleep so you don’t fall asleep mid-Zoom meeting the following day. Fortunately, most babies can go longer stretches without needing a change at night, but depending on their age that doesn’t mean you should completely forgo a middle-of-the-night change.A good rule of thumb is to check your baby’s diaper before you head to bed and again when they wake up for a feed. As they get older and start consolidating feeds, they’ll be able to go longer and longer without needing a change. Don’t ever feel like you need to wake your baby up from sleep to change them–especially if you use Coterie diapers. Our diapers are super absorbent (with 70% more liquid capacity than other diapers) and can therefore handle a full night’s sleep without leaking. That means less wakeups caused by uncomfortable wet clothing for your baby, and more sleep for you.
4. Their diet’s role in all of this.“ What goes in must come out”, they say. Who are they? We’re not sure. But this old saying is especially true when it comes to your baby’s diet. If you’re breastfeeding, your baby may go more frequently due to the ease of digestion–breastmilk is 70% water, which moves it through your baby’s system pretty rapidly. Formula-fed babies, on the other hand, tend to poop less often, and the consistency is usually thicker when they do go.As you introduce solid foods, you’ll likely notice a shift in your baby’s bowel movements. Some foods can lead to firmer stools, while others may result in more frequent and softer poops. Adjust how often you check their diaper based on these factors. As you get to know your baby’s habits it will become second nature, don’t worry.
5. Preventing Diaper Rash. One of the key reasons to keep tabs on your baby’s diaper is to prevent diaper rash. Even with the highest quality diapers, prolonged exposure to moisture can lead to irritation–which is why it’s important to keep a healthy stash of diapers in the house. Rationing your last few diapers so that you can stretch them until you get to the store is a surefire way to give your baby a rash. If that’s a common situation you find yourself in, you might want to look into our diaper subscription so that you never have to think about it again.If you do notice any redness or irritation during a diaper change, be proactive. Let them go without a diaper for a bit to dry the area out (just keep a towel nearby in case) and then hit them with a barrier cream before wrapping them back up.
6. The Power of Routine. Creating a routine around changing your baby’s diaper will not only help keep your baby comfortable but also make your life easier. Establishing a consistent schedule for checking that wetness indicator and taking a peek down the back of the diaper can help you stay organized and minimize the risk of blowouts.Once you find a rhythm that works for you, it’ll become second nature. You’ll know to check as soon as your baby wakes up, before they go to bed, and immediately after they give you that thousand-yard stare that can only mean one thing. In a world where almost nothing is predictable, that stare has about a 100% success rate of ending in a poop.

When it comes to checking your baby’s diaper, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. The frequency of checks will depend on your baby’s age, diet, and individual routine. As a general guideline, newborns should be checked every 2 to 3 hours, while older babies and toddlers can go longer as they grow.

At the end of the day, as long as you’re staying attuned to your baby’s cues and creating somewhat of a schedule to follow, you’ll be just fine. There are a lot of things you have to worry about when you’re a new parent, but this shouldn’t be one of them.