How Many Diapers Will My Baby Go Through?

After about a month, the number of wet and dirty diapers may change dramatically and almost any amount is normal. Your baby may have several dirty diapers a day, or he may go several days without one. The number of dirty diapers will often decrease a bit for breastfed babies after a couple of months. Keep a diary so you know what's normal for your baby and can tell when there's been a significant change.

• Day 1: about 1 wet diaper and 1 dirty diaper
• Day 2: about 2 wet diapers and 2 dirty diapers
• Day 3: about 3 wet diapers and 3 dirty diapers
• Day 4 to 1 month: 5 or 6 wet diapers and 3 or 4 dirty diapers a day

When to make an appointment

• She suddenly has fewer wet or dirty diapers and seems sick or isn't feeding well.
• She passes hard or pellet-like stool, or appears to be straining and has trouble passing stool.
• There is blood in her diaper.
• She has diarrhoea or starts having many more bowel movements than normal, especially if they're watery and/or explosive — in newborns, it can be hard to judge whether it's genuinely diarrhoea.

When to go to hospital immediately

Take your baby to hospital right away if she has no wet or dirty diapers within a 24-hour period, especially if she is not feeding well or seems unwell.