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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>How Often Are You Changing Diapers?
Miss A 09:23 AM 08-15-2016
When I worked in a center, the center's policy was to change a infant (0-12MOS) every hour, and to change a toddler (12-24MOS) every 2 hours. Many parents were upset because every hour was so excessive, and we went through so many diapers each day, especially if baby had a BM after a fresh diaper.

Now that I am on my own, I change all babies under 1 every 2 hours, five or take a few minutes. I have started to notice though that my 6+ month babies are still semi-dry at 2 hours, and was thinking of going to every 2.5 hours.

My over 1 crowd has me totally baffled though. I have no idea how often I should change them, because keeping them to the same diaper schedule as the babies is totally unreasonable, as they can easily go 3+ hours and only be barely wet. But, I feel like changing them every 3 hours will make parents wonder.

I have asked parents what they prefer, and all don't have any preference. So, now I am looking to my community for answers! How often are you changing diapers?
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Missjaime 09:35 AM 08-15-2016
When they are wet. I started out changing on a schedule too, because that was what I was used to, but I quickly found that it was wasting diapers and time. Now I just check them every hour or so and, especially the older ones, am only changing three or so times a day. I provide diapers, so my families don't really care, as long as no one is going too long without a change.
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Blackcat31 09:45 AM 08-15-2016
Every 2 hours. Regardless of whether they are wet/soiled or not. Changes also occur if anyone wets/soils their diaper in-between the 2 hour change schedule.

Infants, obviously are changed a bit more frequently.
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Crazy8 09:51 AM 08-15-2016
well, dirty diapers are changed as soon as I smell them, lol! For wet diapers I generally change them 3x a day - mid morning (9-10am depending on when they came in), before nap (12:30) and after nap (3ish). More often for infants if needed. I always want to lay them down in a dry diaper so if they nap 2x a day they get that extra diaper change.
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Mike 10:05 AM 08-15-2016
Been a while since I changed diapers, but I always changed them when they got used. If I noticed a small, it was change time. If no smell, I checked once in a while, just in case. I didn't change clean diapers unless it was longer than usual since the last change, or they had a rash and needed the extra care.
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Play Care 10:06 AM 08-15-2016
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
Every 2 hours. Regardless of whether they are wet/soiled or not. Changes also occur if anyone wets/soils their diaper in-between the 2 hour change schedule.

Infants, obviously are changed a bit more frequently.
This is what I do as well.
Sometimes I'm doing it more to give the skin a minute or so to breathe, as diapers can breeding grounds for bacteria and yeast even when they are clean.

I find if kids are staying mostly dry it can be a sign of potty training readiness. Otherwise maybe they need to be drinking more?
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EntropyControlSpecialist 10:34 AM 08-15-2016
4 diaper changes a day or more. If they aren't wet or soiled then they keep their diaper.
I'm legally required to change every time they wet or soil a diaper so I check often. I don't have many in diapers or pull-ups (2 or so each day) so it isn't terrible.
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MunchkinWrangler 10:46 AM 08-15-2016
I do about every 2 hours and as needed. Once everyone has arrived, after outside play, before nap, after nap, and possibly once before they leave. This works out to about every couple hours. I change whether the diaper is full or not. I think it keeps them clean, gives them a chance to air out and be clean.
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MrsSteinel'sHouse 10:49 AM 08-15-2016
Wow, I change my kids a lot I change them when they are wet or soiled as soon as I notice it with a minimum of every two hours except during nap time and then if I smell them I change them but I don't wake to change a wet diaper. I don't judge how wet they are or how full the diaper is. So like my infant (4 mo) I may change when he wakes up, he takes a bottle and 15 minutes later pees, I change him. My one year old- I change after breakfast, usually 1/2 hr later, check him before we head outside, before I put him in the highchair for lunch, after lunch, up from nap, after snack, before he is to be picked up, plus any other time I notice he is wet or soiled. My kids usually get changed 7-10 times a day. If they are staying dry for long periods then yes, I start to potty train them.
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KiwiKids 10:54 AM 08-15-2016
Every 2 hours or as frequently as needed.
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Nurse Jackie 10:55 AM 08-15-2016
I change every 2 hours and immediately if they poop.
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e.j. 11:21 AM 08-15-2016
I change infants pretty much every hour. Usually by the time they're 18 mo - 2 years, it's about every 2 hours. I change them sooner if I notice they need changing before that.
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EntropyControlSpecialist 11:23 AM 08-15-2016
Originally Posted by MrsSteinel'sHouse:
Wow, I change my kids a lot I change them when they are wet or soiled as soon as I notice it with a minimum of every two hours except during nap time and then if I smell them I change them but I don't wake to change a wet diaper. I don't judge how wet they are or how full the diaper is. So like my infant (4 mo) I may change when he wakes up, he takes a bottle and 15 minutes later pees, I change him. My one year old- I change after breakfast, usually 1/2 hr later, check him before we head outside, before I put him in the highchair for lunch, after lunch, up from nap, after snack, before he is to be picked up, plus any other time I notice he is wet or soiled. My kids usually get changed 7-10 times a day. If they are staying dry for long periods then yes, I start to potty train them.
Mine likely would too if they were under 2. I have no one under 2 here.
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MrsSteinel'sHouse 11:25 AM 08-15-2016
Originally Posted by EntropyControlSpecialist:
Mine likely would too if they were under 2. I have no one under 2 here.
over 2 they are using the potty
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EntropyControlSpecialist 11:51 AM 08-15-2016
Originally Posted by MrsSteinel'sHouse:
over 2 they are using the potty
The children who have stay-at-home-moms are potty trained around 2. The children who have parents who work (but still only attend here 2 days per week) tend to be potty trained around age 3. I have a 2yo, 3yo, and 4.5yo wearing diapers and pull-ups. I just created a new policy that they must be potty trained by 4.5 because of my current situation.
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happymom 11:55 AM 08-15-2016
Every hour!?

My son is 10 months and I change him every 2-3 hours unless he has pooped or I can tell his diaper is wet.

In daycare he goes through 3 or 4 diapers in a day. 7-10 would be a lot, especially since he can't be changed while he is napping.

ETA: My children are cloth diapered so daycare going through more diapers has zero financial impact on me, but every hour still seems extremely excessive. I agree with OP's DC parents that it is overkill.
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Leigh 12:17 PM 08-15-2016
I do scheduled changes every 2 hours, but I do change in between if necessary. I have babies right now who will get broken skin within minutes of a (always runny) BM, so I check them OFTEN. The parents say it's the Elecare formula that does it to them.
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MarinaVanessa 12:22 PM 08-15-2016
I check and change the kids every 2 hours if they're pee and immediately if they're poo'd. I know that sometimes it's not necessary but I'd rather change them frequently even if their diaper is just a little bit wet than to risk one of the kids getting a mild rash or something else.
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Controlled Chaos 12:31 PM 08-15-2016
Licensing says every 2 hours here
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jenboo 01:24 PM 08-15-2016
I check every 2 hours.i change bm's right away. If the diaper isn't wet at the 2 hour mark, they keep it on.
I have a couple kids who usually stay dry for 4 hours. I have another one who usually has a very full diaper by the 1.5 hr mark so he gets changed more often.
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DaveA 01:32 PM 08-15-2016
Every 2 hours + any immediate needs.
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daycarediva 02:02 PM 08-15-2016
Every 2 hours. My exception is the guy who poops 15 minutes after rest. Every.single.day. I wait until he goes, then change him.
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Leigh 02:24 PM 08-15-2016
Originally Posted by daycarediva:
Every 2 hours. My exception is the guy who poops 15 minutes after rest. Every.single.day. I wait until he goes, then change him.
I have one of those, too! Ugh. It seems like it always happens around age 2 that they poop at naptime!
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Lovisa 08:30 PM 08-15-2016
I change a bm immediately, obviously. Otherwise, I check after about 2 hours and if it needs to be changed, I change it. If there is hardly anything, I wait. It usually ends up being a mid morning change, before nap, after nap, and before they go home (for the 12-24 month range). A little more frequent for the younger infants.
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Blackcat31 05:30 AM 08-16-2016
Originally Posted by happymom:
Every hour!?

My son is 10 months and I change him every 2-3 hours unless he has pooped or I can tell his diaper is wet.

In daycare he goes through 3 or 4 diapers in a day. 7-10 would be a lot, especially since he can't be changed while he is napping.

ETA: My children are cloth diapered so daycare going through more diapers has zero financial impact on me, but every hour still seems extremely excessive. I agree with OP's DC parents that it is overkill.
I change my cloth diapered kid MORE than I change others the same age. While I love cloth diapers, they definitely don't hold more than one bladder full.

I tend to change the kids more frequently in the mornings. Most of them seem to live attached to sippy cups so wetting is heavier in the mornings than it is in the afternoons. I am paranoid about the cloth diapers leaking so I probably try to balance it by changing more often.

I also think providers and centers change children a lot more than probably necessary for a couple reasons. One, nothing sucks like having a parent accuse you of not tending to or changing a kid frequently enough and with having multiples in diapers, it's hard to track exactly who peed and got changed when. It's just easier to change on a schedule.
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childcaremom 05:39 AM 08-16-2016
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
I change my cloth diapered kid MORE than I change others the same age. While I love cloth diapers, they definitely don't hold more than one bladder full.


My cd'd dcks get changed much more often than my dcks in sposies.

I change every 2 hours or so. I have built in 'checks' during the day but will change as soon as I can if I notice that someone needs it. Cds.... I can usually tell when they've gone and will change right away, urine or bm. Everyone gets changed immediately with a bm.
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Cat Herder 06:33 AM 08-16-2016
Originally Posted by Play Care:
This is what I do as well.
Sometimes I'm doing it more to give the skin a minute or so to breathe, as diapers can breeding grounds for bacteria and yeast even when they are clean.

I find if kids are staying mostly dry it can be a sign of potty training readiness. Otherwise maybe they need to be drinking more?
The diagnostic aspects are really important in group care. Developmentally and medically.
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Mike 07:21 AM 08-16-2016
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
I change my cloth diapered kid MORE than I change others the same age. While I love cloth diapers, they definitely don't hold more than one bladder full.
Same here. Been a few years since I watched a baby who used cloth, my 2 nieces to be exact, and they are now 20 and 23, but cloth does need to be changed more often.
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MrsSteinel'sHouse 08:20 AM 08-16-2016
so ya all would leave a knowingly wet diaper on a kid? just curious?
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Baby Beluga 08:44 AM 08-16-2016
I have a scheduled potty break and diaper changing routine that is every 1.5 hours. However, I have a child who will soak himself every 30 minutes, especially in the morning. He, along with BM's and anyone else who is wet gets changed immediately. If you are dry you use the same diaper unless we have just come in from outside or it is after nap.
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Blackcat31 09:01 AM 08-16-2016
Originally Posted by MrsSteinel'sHouse:
so ya all would leave a knowingly wet diaper on a kid? just curious?
I wouldn't.

I replied in my first post that I change every 1 to 2 hours (depending on the age) AND that I change "as needed" in between that time line.


Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
Every 2 hours. Regardless of whether they are wet/soiled or not. Changes also occur if anyone wets/soils their diaper in-between the 2 hour change schedule.

Infants, obviously are changed a bit more frequently.

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MrsSteinel'sHouse 09:06 AM 08-16-2016
I can not image mine going 2 hours dry, but they are 4 mo and 1 yr.
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
I wouldn't.

I replied in my first post that I change every 1 to 2 hours (depending on the age) AND that I change "as needed" in between that time line.

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happymom 12:02 PM 08-16-2016
Originally Posted by MrsSteinel'sHouse:
so ya all would leave a knowingly wet diaper on a kid? just curious?
I do, and I wouldn't expect my daycare provider to do different.
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MrsSteinel'sHouse 12:10 PM 08-16-2016
Originally Posted by happymom:
I do, and I wouldn't expect my daycare provider to do different.
Well for me it would be against regulations. Aug 14, 2008 "Diapers shall be changed immediately when wet or soiled. "
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happymom 12:20 PM 08-16-2016
Originally Posted by :
Originally Posted by Blackcat31 View Post
I change my cloth diapered kid MORE than I change others the same age. While I love cloth diapers, they definitely don't hold more than one bladder full.
Originally Posted by Mike:
Same here. Been a few years since I watched a baby who used cloth, my 2 nieces to be exact, and they are now 20 and 23, but cloth does need to be changed more often.
It will depend on your diapers, too. Mine sleeps 11-12 hour nights in cloth, I have extra absorbent ones for night. His daytime diapers only last about 2 hours before they get leaky though...although sometimes daycare says he's dry when they go to change him (a phenomenon I have never experienced, haha)
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Crazy8 12:21 PM 08-16-2016
Originally Posted by MrsSteinel'sHouse:
so ya all would leave a knowingly wet diaper on a kid? just curious?
no, but I don't check them every 5 minutes to see if they happened to pee a little. My kids are here 9 hours and 3 hours of that are sleeping so if I went thru 7-10 diapers a day it would mean I would be changing them every 45 minutes! I generally go thru 3-4 diapers a day. All my kids are 1.5-3.5 years old.
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happymom 12:22 PM 08-16-2016
Originally Posted by MrsSteinel'sHouse:
Well for me it would be against regulations. Aug 14, 2008 "Diapers shall be changed immediately when wet or soiled. "
How would you know immediately when a kid has peed? And why would you be required to change a kid every two hours regardless of the diaper being wet? You would really throw away a perfectly good/dry/unsoiled diaper?

I'm definitely not questioning you following licensing regs, but more questioning regulations.
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Miss A 03:00 PM 08-16-2016
I will be sticking with my every 2 hour schedule, with a diaper change immediately if there is a BM. It just seems like such a waste to me to change a perfectly dry diaper on my older infants.

Also, I know mine drink enough, 8+ ounces at each meal and snack is typical for my older infant, as well as plenty of fresh fruits and veggies containing natural water stores.
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Unregistered 04:54 PM 08-16-2016
Hmmmm.......I never heard of changing a dry diaper! I change kids around every two hours. Ages one to almost three. Of course I check and change messy diapers.
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Mike 05:06 PM 08-16-2016
Originally Posted by MrsSteinel'sHouse:
so ya all would leave a knowingly wet diaper on a kid? just curious?
Nope

Originally Posted by happymom:
It will depend on your diapers, too. Mine sleeps 11-12 hour nights in cloth, I have extra absorbent ones for night. His daytime diapers only last about 2 hours before they get leaky though...although sometimes daycare says he's dry when they go to change him (a phenomenon I have never experienced, haha)
Also depends if the diapers are washed properly and if they need to be stripped.
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Nurse Jackie 07:35 PM 08-16-2016
Originally Posted by MrsSteinel'sHouse:
so ya all would leave a knowingly wet diaper on a kid? just curious?
No if they need to be changed before hand I change them. I just started a new infant this week and I have to change him every hour to hour and a half.
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EntropyControlSpecialist 11:39 AM 08-17-2016
Originally Posted by MrsSteinel'sHouse:
so ya all would leave a knowingly wet diaper on a kid? just curious?
That's against licensing regulations in my state to knowingly leave a wet diaper on. You must change if the diaper is no longer dry.
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MunchkinWrangler 11:47 AM 08-17-2016
Originally Posted by MrsSteinel'sHouse:
so ya all would leave a knowingly wet diaper on a kid? just curious?
No absolutely not. If the diaper is soiled I change, I do the squish test and if wet, I change. Most of my kids have dry diapers when I check and will need a change at our transitions.
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MunchkinWrangler 11:52 AM 08-17-2016
Originally Posted by happymom:
How would you know immediately when a kid has peed? And why would you be required to change a kid every two hours regardless of the diaper being wet? You would really throw away a perfectly good/dry/unsoiled diaper?

I'm definitely not questioning you following licensing regs, but more questioning regulations.
I have changed unsoiled diapers.

The reason most of the time is that if we were outside and they are sweating I view the diaper as dirty. I will wipe them and give them a fresh, dry diaper.
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MunchkinWrangler 11:53 AM 08-17-2016
Originally Posted by happymom:
How would you know immediately when a kid has peed? And why would you be required to change a kid every two hours regardless of the diaper being wet? You would really throw away a perfectly good/dry/unsoiled diaper?

I'm definitely not questioning you following licensing regs, but more questioning regulations.
Oh and certain types of disposable diapers have a strip that turns blue indicating a wet diaper. So even if it isn't full you can still tell they peed.
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happymom 12:16 PM 08-17-2016
Even with the diapers with a strip that changes color, you would still need to take off the child's pants and look at the strip to learn it was wet. Unless you have some kind of alarm, you can never change every diaper immediately. I think it is unfathomable for anyone to expect a caregiver (much less a caregiver of 4-8 infants) to change a diaper immediately when it is a little bit wet.

I don't use disposable diapers, but unless a cloth diaper is holding a decent amount of pee, it's hard to tell it's wet without taking it off the child and looking at it (even then sometimes it's hard if you are using a diaper with a stay dry liner).
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renodeb 12:37 PM 08-17-2016
Honestly I change the infants around 2- 2 1/2 hours and my above 1 year olds at about 2 1/1 - 3 hours unless they need changed before that. Its about 3-4 times a day.
When I worked at kinder kare we had to change them a lot more frequently then that weather they needed it or not.
Deb
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Blackcat31 12:39 PM 08-17-2016
Originally Posted by happymom:
Even with the diapers with a strip that changes color, you would still need to take off the child's pants and look at the strip to learn it was wet. Unless you have some kind of alarm, you can never change every diaper immediately. I think it is unfathomable for anyone to expect a caregiver (much less a caregiver of 4-8 infants) to change a diaper immediately when it is a little bit wet.

I don't use disposable diapers, but unless a cloth diaper is holding a decent amount of pee, it's hard to tell it's wet without taking it off the child and looking at it (even then sometimes it's hard if you are using a diaper with a stay dry liner).
Honestly, I don't think licensing really means "immediately" as in the minute the child urinates... I think licensing means "don't leave them sit in urine any longer than necessary before changing them" because obviously like you mentioned, we have a GROUP of kids to care for.

I think most licensing regulations were write guidelines that providers based their practices off of. Most are simply common sense and easily interpreted kwim?

Most providers read "change immediately" and automatically think "oh so change as soon as we see they are wet" but someone somewhere with a little bit of power maybe said "Hmm, I don't like this provider so I will ding them with a correction order or citation because Baby Billy wet himself 43 seconds ago and the provider didn't immediately change him."

THAT ^^^ is honest to goodness how some providers are treated by licensing. Things have gotten so far out of hand with regulation interpretation that it's like the Jerry Springer show in ANY child care forum or Facebook group you see. It really is crazy....
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Cat Herder 02:48 PM 08-17-2016
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
Most providers read "change immediately" and automatically think "oh so change as soon as we see they are wet" but someone somewhere with a little bit of power maybe said "Hmm, I don't like this provider so I will ding them with a correction order or citation because Baby Billy wet himself 43 seconds ago and the provider didn't immediately change him."

THAT ^^^ is honest to goodness how some providers are treated by licensing. Things have gotten so far out of hand with regulation interpretation that it's like the Jerry Springer show in ANY child care forum or Facebook group you see. It really is crazy....
Sing it, Sister

Not to mention the income gap between providers and those inspecting us. No, that doesn't lead to any issues...

Don't you know everyone should be able to provide a top quality environment, diet and curriculum, while supporting half of their own children's needs, on a $20,000 per year salary?
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Pepperth 03:57 AM 08-18-2016
Every 2 hours unless somebody needs a change in between scheduled changes.
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