The Newborn Diaper Leak Test

When my baby boy was born he was an above-average 8 pounds, 9 ounces and was 21 inches tall. In the hospital, the nurses didn’t use newborn diapers; they used an average generic diaper, expertly folding down the top flap so it never rubbed against his umbilical cord nub.

Huggies

My inexperience and sleep exhaustion combined with my desire to diaper my baby in the best resulted in my choice to diaper him in Huggies Little Snugglers Newborn Diapers. They have a cutout in the front for the umbilical cord to heal (so there’s no folding) and a wetness indicator strip. I started out with the newborn size (for babies weighing up to 10lbs they say).

While pregnant, I signed up on the Huggies website to get diaper coupons. Huggies did send a multitude of coupons, along with an informational booklet in the mail.

The diapers were fine, I liked the cutout and the fit was good.

I barely made it through that first package of Huggies newborn size diapers however, before my baby started to outgrow them and they began to leak. I went through the stage 1 (up to 14 lbs) and then the stage 2 (12-18 lbs) in just the first month. The most common leak was the kind that busted out the top and back of the diaper to soak my baby’s shirts. I would have to wipe him from chest to shoulder blades. I immediately hand washed the stains but the leaks usually ended up in me throwing out several of his outfits the first time he wore them.

The pamphlet that came with the diaper coupons was basic but still informative, and as a mother of a newborn, I craved information. I continued to read the Huggies packets long after I gave up on the diapers for my newborn. Even though I entered in my son’s birth date, the booklets didn’t match up and I was getting information in the mail about what to expect in the third month when he was almost four.

The Store Brand Newborn Diaper Double-Up

When I told a friend who runs a daycare about my newborn diaper leaks, she suggested I double up on the diapers. I bought the store brand diapers to use as the protective top layer. Leaks or no leaks, when it came down to it, I couldn’t bring myself to stuff my son into that uncomfortable plastic cocoon for long. The leaks that resulted from the thin store brand diapers when used on their own were massive and deleted any good will caused by the money I saved from their cheap price. I stopped using them immediately.

Pampers

I also had lots of coupons for Pampers diapers so I switched over to Pampers Cruisers, stage 3, designed for babies weighing 16-28 lbs although my newborn still only weighed 14 lbs by his 2 month checkup. Pampers were barely thicker than the store brand. The leaks continued. His diaper would leak while I held him, forcing me to change my clothes and his. His diaper would leak at night, forcing me to change all of the bedding while he cried from exhaustion. I asked the doctor if he thought the leaks were because I was putting the diapers on wrong. I made him watch as I put a diaper on my newborn. He said that wasn’t it.

Weary of more leaks, I sucked it up and paid a couple dollars more for Pampers Swaddlers brand diapers. They were thick with heavenly, quilt-y softness. I would pull out one of the Cruisers diapers and one of the Swaddlers diapers from my bag to show others the amazing difference between the two. The biggest, most wonderful aspect of the diapers, NO LEAKS! Finally, a newborn diaper I felt good about. It was a blissful leak free month and then it was over. Within his fourth month, my child outgrew the largest size Pampers Swaddlers they make (stage 2-3 for 14-22 lbs). He weighed approximately 18 lbs.

Luvs

I felt as deflated as the soggy diapers and leaks I knew I’d be facing once again. My sister said she always used Luvs for her little girl. I was doubtful, after all, I had a boy. I wondered, Would these diapers stop the front leaks? Plus, there were no coupons. Still, they were my last resort and I was surprised by the reasonable price. Luvs seemed thin but they had good leg elastic. I missed the softness of the Pampers Swaddlers newborn diapers, but baby didn’t seem to mind, so I perked up a bit.

I’m happy to report that it is now 5 months later and my newborn is now a 9 month old who is still wearing Luvs. He wears the stage 4 diapers for children 22 to 37 lbs and weighs approximately 24 lbs. He’ll have to move up in size soon but so far, hasn’t had any leaks. By signing up online, I even get a rare coupon in the mail every now and then.

A New Kind of Leak

While the diapers have been a constant winner in the leak guard test, the price has not held so firm. I’ve paid $14.99, $17.99 and $19.99 in the past few months for a box of diapers. The number of diapers per box has fluctuated from more than 100 diapers per box to just 82. As the price goes up, the number of diapers per box seems to go down. Although the diapers don’t seem to leak, buying them sure makes my wallet feel like it is.