How often do you change your toddlers nappy?

[Mollmoo]

DD2 is 20 months and goes to nursery 3 days a week. They insist I provide 4 nappies a day as they have set times they change nappies and need a spare. I get they need this to make sure they are changing nappies regularly etc. However they will change her nappy at the set time even if for example she had done a poo just 20mins ago.it really winds me up. At home I change her first thing, around lunch time, then at bed time, and obviously if she poos it's dealt with straight away. If she poos for example an hour before lunch time I'll wait till after nap to change her again. Her nappies don't leak and are never sagging around her knees! But it's got me wondering what other people do. AIBU/ lazy/ a bad mother???? 😊

[pickleletta]

DS is 13 months. He gets changed whenever his nappy gets a spongy or he's done a poo. We have no set times. Just whenever it needs to be done

[MissRainbowBrite]

DD at that age used to get a dry nappy when she got up, then mid morning and mid afternoon then before bed and obviously in between for a pooey one. Hers were always soggy as she used to, and still does, drinks like a fish!
I used to work in a nursery many moons ago and would never change a nappy if it wasn't needed, if a child had pooed within an hour or so of the nappy run then we'd just give them a check not routinely change them anyway.

[craftyoldhen]

I do the same as you. But I've found nurseries tend to stick to a schedule, like you say. This has never bothered me, I guess it works for them to ensure all children are changed regularly, and I'd rather they were changed too often than not often enough.

[Itsaplayonwords]

We've just potty trained but when DD was in nappies we used to do a nappy first thing, one mid morning, one mid afternoon and one before bed, plus a change if she'd done a poo.

[Teddy1970]

No set times here either, I change a dirty nappy as soon as possible, DD used to suffer from horrendous rash even if a soiled nappy was left on for a short time.

[ispymincepie]

It depends if you're using nappies just to contain wee/poo or to store it. Just because a nappy can hold it doesn't mean it should in my opinion. I change a lot more often than that, whenever I notice it being wet.

[Iguessyourestuckwithme]

I am a nanny - during a work day I will change dc 12 months several times. First thing 6.30/7am Before we go out out for groups so 9ish, Before naptime 12.45 and then about 4pm dc will then be changed at 6.30 for bed.

[DiggersRest]

Dd2 cant seemingly have a wee without a little poo I'm forever changing her! I don't think 4 nappies a day is a lot tbh, I'd change dd2 at least 6 times a day, but I'm only guessing as I've always changed as soon as it's smelt needed.

Dd1 was one of those amazing bf babies who pooed once a week for the first 3 or so months then literally once a day after that. Dd2 has been a shock!

[minipie]

DD 16 mo gets changed when she wakes, at bedtime and for poos. She poos pretty predictably 3x a day after meals (just beginning to reduce to 2x a day) so that's 5 changes a day.

[Eminybob]

DS is just 2 and I change him when he has done a poo, on waking, and just after nap. Then a fresh one before bed. He doesnt always poo every day so sometimes just uses 3 a day.

During a nursery day I would only expect 1-2 changes.

[teenmumandsowhat]

I tend to change my 2yr old ds 4-5 times a day, depending on whether he's done a poo or not.
Generally it depends on how much he drinks, and how much he naps, (heavy wee-er whilst sleeping)

[skankingpiglet]

I've recently potty trained but I would change DD1 every four hours when in cloth nappies as it was impossible to know by looking/feeling how wet it was until it came off. Sometimes after those 4 hours it would still be bone dry. We went through an intermediate stage of training where I put her in disposable pull ups before fully taking the plunge with knickers, and with them I'd change as necessary rather than to a schedule. There's no point in changing a still-dry nappy - I don't change my knickers several times a day 'just because'.

If at home with only one or two in nappies it makes sense to only change when it's needed, but with a room full of toddlers I guess set times are essential to make sure no one gets missed and left to sit in a full nappy. IME childcare gets through more of everything. I'm always surprised at just how many wipes my child-minder gets through in 2 days, especially now DD1 is potty trained. Some days she's sent with 1/2 a pack and comes home with none! I have a sneaking suspicion they get used for other children which I used to avoid by providing cloth wipes, but since training her it makes more sense to just send disposable wipes.

[crayfish]

12 month DS gets his nappy changed whenever he needs it, no set schedule at home or nursery but it works out at about 5 a day. Always a clean one first and last thing and then usually three more throughout the day. He has sensitive skin and so I change him as soon as he's pood or it's a bit spongy feeling.

[Daisyandbabies]

My friend changed her toddler/baby every time she had done a wee Must have cost a fortune! I change my toddler as soon as she wakes and then either when she poos or when we are about to go out, or if nappy feels a bit heavy. Most days only use about 4.

[scrumptiouscrumpets]

Interesting question! DS poos once a day after breakfast 99% of the time, so there aren't any surprises most days. I change his nappy after breakfast, after his nap and after his bath, so most days I only use three nappies! If he's had a lot of milk to drink at breakfast I'll change him before his nap and an hour after he's woken up, but that only happens once a week or so. I've always thought other parents probably get through more nappies, but unfortunately DS doesn't drink much so his nappies are rarely heavy with wee.

[Gillian1980]

I change it about 5-6 times a day.
First thing, late morning, early afternoon, late afternoon, bedtime.
When she poos I change is straight away.... She seems to like to wait for a fresh nappy before doing a poo, so I end up changing 2 within 10 minutes!

[Florentina27]

My nursery does the same, they will change nappy even if is dry. They do change after a poo though. Instead of bringing nappies every day they ask for a bigger supply, like a box of wet wipes and a bag or box of nappies and lasts for about 2 months, she goes there 5 days a week but mainly part time. It is not bad to make a routine though, is meant to be healthy for their bowel movements as some children develop chronic constipation, I had it and that's what my GP advised me, go to toiled at set times even if you don't need it and eventually I started to need to go at those times on by bodies clock, also they might leave it longer to change a wet nappy at nursery as some kids go for more poo mi daughter does and sometimes I leave her 15 min until I change her nappy, bare in mind they have to change lots of babies

[KP86]

2.3yo and for us it's normally first thing, then before lunch time sleep, and at bath time.

Maybe with one or two others if he does a poo, which is usually after breakfast and sometimes in the afternoon.

So between 3 and 5 nappies a day. If he wakes overnight or has extra milk before bed (2 cups instead of 1) then he gets changed again because otherwise it will leak.

The child minder does use a lot more but they are cheap so I don't mind. As others have said, better to be extra dry than sitting in a leaking nappy all day.

[RavioliOnToast]

I have to do dd2 (17mo) every hour or so and its always full. This morning she's already had 4 bottles of water

[splendide]

I do on waking, before we go out (at about 10 usually), before his nap, after his nap and bedtime. Plus when he poos, so about 6. Maybe too many reading these other replies!

[Mollmoo]

Thank you for all your responses, really interesting to know. Think I may have had a bit of pmt last week! X

[AH24]

I found this really interesting reading your views on nursery changes as I myself work in a nursery. I thought I would give you a little bit of insight as to why we do things the way we do.
We change the nappies once before 9, then before 12, then before 3:30, then before 6. (We are open 8 - 6.) If a child has a soiled napy is this time we will change it straight away.
We do the nappies in this way so that we make sure that they are getting regular changes throughout the day and also as a way to monitor if they are hydrating. Also, when you have 40 children running around, you don't always straight away notice a soiled nappy. Therefore if we change them consistently and it's missed, they wont have been in the soiled nappy for long.
I can understand how annoying this would be if you have to supply the nappies however as they can be expensive. We supply the nappies ourselves.

[Caterina99]

21 month old here. Usually change on a morning, before nap, sometime in the afternoon and before bed. Plus poo of course. Roll on potty training!

I never mind that nursery do extra changes, I’d rather they changed them more than less!

[Charlottejade89]

I change my 12 month old 3-4 times a day. I dont really want to contribute to landfill more than is necessary tbh

[Bourbonbiccy]

We have trained our son but when he was in nappies we used to change every 2.5 or 3 hours, as a confirm change and then straight away of any mess in it.
I don't think 4/5 nappies for their day there is unreasonable, I would definitely prefer that than not using enough.
I think it's good they have a set nappy change time, less chance of them forgetting when "Damian" had his nappy changed last, just a set routine.