Today we are looking at part 2 of my cloth diapering twins series. In part 1, I explained six different styles along with advantages and disadvantages for flat, prefold, fitted, pocket, hybrid/AI2 and AIO cloth diapers. You can read part 1 here. In this part 2, we will look at how many diapers will you need when you are expecting twins.

How Many Cloth Diapers Will my Twins Need?

This is often a question that moms-to-be will ponder. The answer depends on different factors:

1. What type of diapers will I be using?

2. Will I buy newborn, sized or all in one?

A- Newborn

B- Sized Diapers

C- One Size

3. How often will I do laundry?

Let’s try to answer each question and figure out how many diapers should you buy.

1. What type of diapers will I be using?

Most people will recommend you to buy 24 diapers per baby. Before my twins were born, I bought 48 diapers. Then in the course of the next 2 1/2 years, I bought probably 12 more. I didn’t buy more because I needed them but because I either wanted different styles or different prints.

If you are planning on using pocket diapers, you will need about 48 diapers and inserts. If you go for flat, prefold, fitted or hybrid, you will need around 48 inserts and maybe 20 covers. The advantages of covers is that if they are not soiled, you can just wipe the PUL cover and replace the insert. Although, if you are using fitted overnight because they absorb more, chances are that the fitted will be soaked and the cover will need to be washed. You may want a couple extra covers for nights because you will need to wash them after each use.

2. Will I buy Newborn, Sized or One Size?

A- Newborn

When we talk about 48 diapers for twins, we consider from birth to potty training. If you are planning on buying newborns there are a few things you should know. First, depending on the brand, newborn size will fit babies anywhere between 5-16 pounds. So for sure you will need to buy bigger size diapers before they are potty trained. Between the age of 0-3 months, you will change their diaper about 10 times a day per baby. In other words, you will need around 20 newborn diapers per day. If you are investing in a newborn set, I would suggest 48 diapers to have extras while you do the laundry. Remember that you can sell your diapers once you are done.

If you are excluding this possibility because you think you will have to buy 2 sets of diapers and with twins, 96 diapers will be quite expensive, I may help put your mind to ease. As I said, at the beginning, you may change their diaper 10 times a day but as their get older, it will go down to about 7 a day. In that case, you won’t have to buy two full sets of cloth diapers.

If you don’t want to invest in a full line of newborn diapers, you may explore the possibility of renting. There are some companies that rent cloth diapers. You can inquire at your local baby store. It may be a good option if you are planning on using them for a short period of time.

B- Sized Diapers

Sized diapers are not as common as one size but if you are looking for an alternative to newborn, again depending on the brand, they can fit babies between 7-20lbs. Sized diapers do have an advantage over one size diapers. You can find them in thee different sizes and they can accommodate older toddlers. As an example, a size 3 cover will fit a child between 30-65lbs. If you are looking at options for the nights as your child gets older, this would be a great idea. For sized diapers, you can look at the following brands, AppleCheeks, Imagine Baby or Thirsties Duo Wraps.

C- One Size

One size diapers are the most common ones on the market and this is what I used for my twins. They have vertical rows of snaps that you can adjust as your babies grow up. From experience, I potty trained my twins around 2 1/2 years and they still fit perfectly. I would suggest you shop different brands as some are made larger than others. In the USA I really like the products offered at Diaper Junction. They often have clearance sales and you can get coupons on their website. If you’re not too fussy on the prints, you can save a lot of money. I got mine about 1/2 price because I chose solid colors. I also got discounts on a few “last season” prints. Diaper Junction even has a gently used section which are pre-owned diapers returned under the money back guarantee. They are certified and discounted. You can find great diapers at discount price.

3. How often will I do laundry?

You shouldn’t wait too long between washes. First it will be easier to clean and remove the stains. There is nothing worse than leaving your soiled diapers in a closed, dark, warm pail for several days before washing them. This environment is prime breeding ground for fungi and bacteria. Beurk! You should treat your diapers like you would for your own clothing. I would suggest you wash them every 2 to 3 days. Follow carefully the instructions on the manufacturer’s label.

By washing every 2 to 3 days, you run fewer risks of staining the diapers or inserts. Also, if you leave spoiled diapers, they may start to smell. I would always keep mine in a pail with liner. That way, when I was ready to wash the diapers, I would simply take the liner and dump everything, including the liner in the washing machine. You can buy a pail liner in cloth diapers stores.

Since I used mainly pocket diapers, I would remove the insert (while it was still warm ????) and put everything in the diaper pail. For the pail, I used a medium size trash can with a lid that I bought at Walmart. I put my large diaper pail liner in my trash can. You will see, some diaper pail bags have an elastic closure and some have drawstring. The importance is to make sure that your lid is tightly closed.

If you are still afraid of odors, you can use this little trick. Take a pantyliner (yeah yeah I’m not joking) and add a few drops of tea tree essential oil. You can use the sticky side of the pantyliner and stick it to the inside lid of you diaper pail. The tea tree oil is a natural antibacterial and prevents smells.

For AIO (all in one), since you cannot remove the insert part, you will also need 48 diapers. As discussed in part 1, since they take longer to dry, you may need to wash a bit more often or use the dryer. The worst case scenario, if you see that you don’t have enough, you can keep a few extra pockets or even a few prefolds and covers.

So, What’s the Verdict?

If you are looking to wash on the 3rd day, 48 diapers is enough even for a newborn. They could include AIO and pocket diapers. If you are using flat, prefold or fitted, you can probably get away with 48 inserts and 20 covers.

I would suggest you start by buying the minimum or a variety of styles at the beginning. Then you will be able to decide which ones work best for you. In my case, I went straight for the traditional 48 pocket diapers and 6 fitted diapers and covers for the night. I have to say that I don’t regret it but if I had waited, maybe I would have tried different styles. Over the course of the 2 1/2 years, I added 2 AIO and a few AI2.

If you will be washing every other day, you may need a bit less. You can probably get away with 18-20 pocket or AIO diapers. The only thing you will need to verify is that you don’t skip a day otherwise you may run out of diapers. When you have twins, you will have a lot on your hands already so maybe washing on the 3rd day will prevent you from feeling that it’s the only thing you do. Having a few extra diapers with twins is not a bad idea in case you are running late on your washing schedule or if a baby is sick (you know what I mean).

How About Your Experience?

If you have been using cloth diapers, I would like you to share your experience in the comment box below.

Do you have a question regarding cloth diapering? Are you on the fence about using cloth diapers for your twins? Are you currently using cloth diapers but you are experiencing issues?
I would be happy to help you.

Happy cloth diapering your twins!!!