Ask for free diapers or nappies instead of leaving each one on longer

Out of diapers, or down to the last few? (Diapers are called nappies in the UK.) Free ones exist, and asking for them is what the places below are for. Running out is a money problem. It says nothing about how well you look after your baby.

If you are running out of diapers (nappies in the UK), ask a diaper bank or a local baby bank for free ones today, and change your baby’s wet or dirty diaper as soon as you can, even while supply is short.

This page is for a family that is short of diapers right now. If your baby has a rash that is not going away, a fever, or sores, a doctor comes first: the safety note at the top says when to call. If the house is out of food too, a food pantry (US) or a food bank (UK) is the faster place to start, and the sections below say how to find one.

Where free diapers come from in the US

The National Diaper Bank Network’s help page says to call 2-1-1 on your phone or search 211.org, and to ask about “diapers or basic needs”. It says to check the listings under “children” too, and that if you still cannot find a source, local faith-based groups and food pantries are the next thing to try. It also has an online directory of its member diaper banks. A local group sets its own hours and rules, so call before you go.

Some people say churches, food banks, libraries, college pantries, student affairs offices and mosques may have diapers to give out. One person says some churches set up swaps, so families can pass on packs of a size their child has grown out of. Some people say a local online giveaway group, a neighbourhood site, or a plain ask to friends and family turns up spare packs from parents whose children have outgrown a size.

One person says a small non-profit hospital, through its foundation, will give a few diapers to get a family through a crisis, and that a large corporate hospital probably will not. Some people say to phone your child’s doctor and ask for a referral rather than turn up unannounced.

WIC and SNAP do not pay for diapers, and the FAQ below has the details. They can still help by freeing up money, and WIC staff may know a local source if you ask.

Where free nappies come from in the UK

Citizens Advice says baby banks “offer free essentials like nappies, toys, shoes and clothes”, and that some food banks also give out nappies, baby wipes and baby food. It says to search online for your nearest baby bank or food bank, or to speak to your midwife or health visitor. It says you might be able to get a referral to a food bank if you are struggling to pay for food.

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority asks families to have a health visitor or midwife complete a referral for the baby bank in their area. Other places may work differently, so ask yours how to start and what it has in stock.

Healthy Start is the NHS scheme in England, Wales and Northern Ireland that puts money on a card for plain liquid cow’s milk, fresh, frozen and tinned fruit and vegetables, pulses, and infant formula milk based on cow’s milk, and lets you collect vitamins. It does not pay for nappies, but it can free up money that does. In Scotland the matching help is called Best Start Foods. GOV.UK says a one-off Sure Start Maternity Grant of £500 may be paid if you are expecting your first child, or a multiple birth such as twins when you already have children, and you or your partner get certain benefits. You can claim from 11 weeks before the week your baby is due until 6 months after the baby is born, and you do not have to pay it back. In Scotland you cannot get that grant, and you can apply for a Pregnancy and Baby Payment instead. Citizens Advice can help you check what else you may be owed.

While you wait, do not stretch what you have

This is the one part of the page that can hurt your baby, so the safety note at the top leads with it. The NHS says a baby’s skin is delicate, and a nappy needs changing as soon as it is wet or dirty, or the skin becomes sore and red. It says young babies may need changing as many as 10 or 12 times a day, and older babies around 6 to 8 times. The American Academy of Pediatrics says to change diapers frequently, because wet or soiled diapers left on too long chafe the skin, and urine left in a diaper can break down into irritating chemicals.

So spend the diapers you have on changing on time, and get more through the free sources above. If a rash starts, the NHS says to keep the skin clean and dry, to leave the nappy off when you can, and that a pharmacist can recommend a cream. The safety note at the top has when to see a doctor instead.

Some people describe folded old cotton T-shirts, flannel or receiving blankets as a stopgap, and one person says towels are too rough on a baby’s skin. This page holds no instructions for folding or fastening one safely, so ask a health visitor, a nurse or your diaper bank. The NHS’s rules still apply to cloth: change it as soon as it is wet or dirty, and do not put plastic underwear or nappy covers over it. A plastic bag is not a cover. The NHS says to keep plastic bags, including nappy bags, out of reach and sight of young children.

If you buy diapers, do the sum

The price of one diaper is the price of a pack divided by the number of diapers in it. Compare packs by that number, in the size your baby wears now. Some people point out that a bigger size costs more per diaper than a smaller one, and that an older baby needs fewer changes.

The NHS says young babies may need 10 or 12 changes a day and older babies around 6 to 8. At a made-up 25 cents a diaper, 8 a day is $2 a day, or about $60 over 30 days. At a made-up 20p, it is £1.60 a day, or £48.

Some people say a big box from a warehouse club, or a shop’s own brand, costs less per diaper than a small pack or a premium name. Some people say they buy when the price drops and stock up, and some time their buying around sales. That takes money up front, which you may not have this week. One person says fit can change from one size to the next, so a diaper that works at one size may leak at the next. One person suggests exchanging leftover boxes for a new size where a warehouse club’s return rules allow it, so ask the shop before you buy a big box.

Cloth: it saves money for some families and not for others

The NHS says disposable nappies are very handy, but washable cloth nappies work out cheaper if you add up the costs over the years your baby is in nappies. Many people say the same, especially when the cloth ones are used for more than one child or sold on afterwards.

Some people push back. They say laundry costs, and the falling number of diapers a baby needs as it grows, eat into the saving. Some people say the “$2,000 a year” figure that gets passed around is old, or assumes pricey disposables. One person says used cloth diapers sell for very little. Some people say it depends on having your own washer and dryer, because coin-operated laundry costs can cancel the savings. One person says a daycare may refuse cloth. One person says cloth is almost impossible to keep up with a full-time job. One person says it means one more load of washing every few days. Some people say the added washing and folding is not much work, and some like the routine.

If you use cloth, the NHS says cloth nappies can be machine washed at 60°C, that nappies soiled with poo should be washed apart from your other washing, and that fabric conditioner makes them less absorbent, which can cause nappy rash. For rash prevention it says to use dry liners and to change nappies often. It also says some cloth nappy brands and local councils offer free samples to try, and that a nappy laundry service can take away dirty nappies and bring a fresh batch each week. Some people say a diaper service like that still runs in some cities. Some UK councils help with the cost of reusable nappies. Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council, for example, offers a voucher you apply for before you buy, or cashback you claim afterwards with an itemised receipt. Ask your council what it offers, and read the rules before you spend.

Take care with hygiene. One person warns that rinsing by hand without a proper wash can leave bacteria behind and lead to infections. One person says used cloth diapers from a stranger are a gamble on cleanliness and quality, and one person says thrift stores sell them cheaply. Some people warn that not every cloth diaper absorbs well, so try one before you buy a set. One person found that cloth leaked for one of their children, who held it and let it all out at once, and went back to disposables for that child.

Who this page is not for

If you have no washer you can use at home, or cannot be sure a shared machine washes hot, cloth is probably not for you, and the free sources above are the better start.

If your baby already has a rash that is not going away, a fever, or sores, a doctor comes before any of this. If you have no food in the house, start with a food pantry (US: Feeding America’s directory, or 211) or a food bank (UK: Trussell’s directory, or your health visitor).

If a new baby has left you too tired or low to cope, that is a health matter, not a failing, and a diaper plan does not treat it. One person argues that the savings from cloth count a parent’s time as worth nothing, especially for a parent with postpartum depression or doing most of the care alone, so pick the way that costs you the least. In the US, the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline is 1-833-852-6262, by call or text, at any hour. In the UK, tell your GP or health visitor. If you are thinking of ending your life or hurting yourself, call or text 988 in the US, or call Samaritans on 116 123 in the UK, at any hour. If anyone is in immediate danger, call 911 in the US or 999 in the UK.