Diapers, Diapers, Diapers (and poop)

My daughter, Haley, was born on March 16th, 2009. To my surprise she arrived 3 weeks early! I am usually a very prepared person, but due to her early arrival I had not had a chance to pack my bags for the hospital or to put the finishing touches on the house.

After Haley was born, my husband and I discovered that there are newborn diapers. All this time I had assumed that diapers started at size 1 (which of course I had plenty of at the house). So once we got home my husband went to the store and much to my surprise came back with the right brand/size of diapers. I knew that she would use a lot of diapers, but I don't think I really grasped just how many. I also didn't realize how expensive diapers are and how many brands would not work for her.

I remember a couple of days after Haley was born...my husband and I were eating breakfast and Haley was asleep in our room on the other side of the house. Suddenly we heard a loud noise. We looked at each other and said "no, it couldn't be". Well it was. Our little bundle of joy had just pooped and we had heard it across the house. Who knew a little one had so much force. We soon found out that she could "blow out" of almost any diaper. After the last 5 months these are the tips that I have for new moms:

1. Register for a couple packages of newborn and size 1 diapers. It will be nice to have them on hand and will give you a chance to try a couple of brands. You can always return a package if you are one of the lucky few to have a baby too big for newborn diapers.
2. Try different brands. What works for your friend's baby may not work for your baby.
3. Look for any way to save money on diapers (see below for some tips)
4. Always pack additional outfits for unexpected blowouts and line your infant carrier with a burp cloth if you have a "blowout" baby like mine (trust me this is much better than washing the infant seat cover).
5. If you have a poop stain that just won't come out of your baby's clothes, put the outfit in the sun for a few hours. I don't know how it works, but the stains come right out.
6. Have your husband change as many diapers as possible for the first couple of weeks. My husband changed almost all of the diapers for the first 2 weeks and it was a surprisingly great way for him to bond with Haley (plus it gives you a nice break).

Money savings ideas:

1. Visit manufacturer's website and sign up for their email/mail coupons. Here are a couple of the sites:

http://www.huggiesbabynetwork.com/

http://www.luvdiapers.com/

http://www.pampers.com/

2. Buy diapers at a wholesale club such as Cosco or Sam's Club. Make sure if you buy a large box that you buy it when you baby is first using a size. They can grow out of them quickly! Also, look in the mail for the coupons that these clubs often send. I was able to get $9 off when I purchased a box of diapers and wipes.

3. Use diapers.com. This site will give you $5-$10 off your first order and best of all they are delivered right to your door. They will also email you their specials.

These are just a few of my tips. Please feel free to leave comments with any other words of advice or money saving tips!