Cloth Diaper Question: What do I need?

So, one of my biggest questions when I first started cloth diapering was ... What do I need? As in, how many diapers?

I've been doing this for a few months now, and I've learned that the answer (just like everything in law) is ... it depends. That is, it depends on two things: (1) how many diaper changes does your baby have each day, and (2) how often do you want to do laundry?

The general consensus is that cloth diapers should be washed every other day. That necessitates having 2 1/2 to 3 days worth of diapers to make sure that you have enough to get you through laundry day. However, if you don't mind doing diaper laundry every day, you obviously can get by with fewer diapers -- 1 1/2 to 2 days worth.

The other controlling factor is how many diaper changes your baby has each day. Cloth diapers generally have to be changed every 2-3 hours with an 8-10 hour stretch at night (really all diapers, disposable or cloth, need to be changed that often, some people just don't). For a newborn, that usually means 12-15 diaper changes per day, while for a toddler, you're probably looking at 6-7 diaper changes per day.

One thing to remember -- If you're planning to use a different type of diaper for overnight (i.e. fitted v. pocket, or an extra-absorbant insert, like bamboo or hemp), you'll want to have at least three overnight diapers.

So, bottom line: If you have a newborn, you'll ultimately want about 40-50 diapers in order to do diaper laundry every other day. For a toddler, you'll need about 20 diapers for the same laundry schedule. I know 40-50 diapers sounds daunting, but don't worry -- cloth diapers are so darn cute that they're sort of addictive. I had planned to get to about 20 diapers and then stop. I now own 49 cloth diapers. If you make the plunge, you'll be addicted too!