Last updated: October 23, 2024
If you are having a baby or already have a newborn in the house, you will come to realize that bibs and burp cloths are a way of life for now. Keeping some in each room of your home (or at least on each floor), and some in the diaper bag is your the safest bet for being prepared with these items.
Bibs and burp cloths are definitely baby must haves. In this article I will be sharing my thoughts, as a mom of 3 including twins, on how many bibs and how many burp cloths you need.
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Do You Need Burp Cloths & Bibs? Are They Necessary?
Yes and yes! Bibs and burp cloths are most certainly necessary because whether you breastfeed or bottle feed, your baby will inevitably need the area around their mouth cleaned. Plus, your little one will likely spit up at some point in time too.
Burp cloths ensure your clothing stays as stain-free as possible, for as long as possible. They are also great for wiping your baby’s mouth after and during a feed.
Bibs are an absolute necessity when your baby is teething and starts drooling constantly (yes, this happens). You will also need bibs when your baby starts experimenting with solids. A lot of the food ends up all over their faces, on the floor, on their hands, and on their clothes (if you don’t have a bib).
How Many Burp Cloths Do You Need for the First Year?
You will want to have approximately 10 burp cloths on hand for your baby, especially during the first few months. As your baby gets closer to a year old, you will find yourself using burp cloths less often.
The amount and need will vary according to the age of your baby – and also whether you are having just one baby or multiple babies. Let’s review in more detail for different scenarios.
How Many Burp Cloths Do You Need for a Newborn?
When you burp your newborn baby, it is inevitable that the feeding will come along for the ride sometimes. It is for this reason that you should invest in a decent stash of burp cloths.
Parents typically opt for between 8 and 14 burp cloths for newborns. My personal recommendation is to get 10 burp cloths for a newborn baby.
If you find yourself having to do laundry a lot because you are running out of burp cloths, then you would want to get more. Keep in mind that sometimes you will use the same burp cloth throughout the day if it doesn’t get dirty. It’s a good idea to keep one or two burp cloths in your diaper bag too.
How Many Burp Cloths Do You Need for Twins?
I am a twin mom and I will start by sharing that if my babies weren’t sick, I would use the same burp cloth while feeding my twins simultaneously. Since sometimes you might use the same burp cloth and other times separate, I recommend having approximately 16 burp cloths for twins. Again, you can always buy more if you find yourself doing laundry too often.
How Many Bibs Do You Need?
Bibs are another essential item you will want to invest in. They can be used for drooling as young as the newborn stage and you will start using them when feeding solids at 4-6 months old.
With teething comes a whole lot of drooling. You will want to make sure your baby is wearing a bib to avoid drool all over her adorable outfits and also to prevent any rashes that could occur as a result.
My babies drooled a lot starting around 2 months old and that’s when bibs became absolutely necessary in my house. With all this in mind, how many total bibs do you need?
In the first year, you will need approximately 10-12 cloth bibs on hand. I also recommend getting a set of silicone bibs starting around 9 months old (this is when they start fitting).
How Many Bibs Do You Need for a Newborn?
When it comes to a newborn, you will not be needing many bibs unless your baby does spit up a lot after feeds. The ideal amount to have in your newborn baby’s closet is around 6. That should be more than enough to get you through the first month or two.
As mentioned, starting around 2 months old you might want to have a few more on hand. Then, you will want to add a few more to mix around 4-6 months old when your baby starts eating solids. This will eventually get you to the total of 10-12 bibs mentioned above.
How Many Bibs Do You Need for Twins?
The amount of bibs you will need for twins is double what you need for one baby. You will want approximately 20 cloth bibs and 4 silicone bibs to get you through the first year with twins.
Before we move on, you might want to grab these FREE printable Pregnancy Checklists. They include a baby registry, hospital bag, and trimester checklist and you can get them by clicking the button below.
How Long Do You Use Burp Cloths & Bibs For?
Burp cloths can usually be ditched once you baby has reached the age of 6-9 months. This is generally the time that babies sit by themselves and start moving around, which helps them to burp on their own. Babies also start holding their own bottles at this age too.
Bibs will be used for longer. This is mostly because your baby will be feeding themselves from 9 months onwards (if not sooner), and that whole exercise can be extremely messy.
In fact, right through toddlerhood things can be very messy and bibs can be a lifesaver. As mentioned previously, for feedings after 9 months I highly recommend getting some silicone bibs.
How Many Bibs & Burp Cloths Should You Pack in the Diaper Bag?
Taking a trip out for a few hours in a day would mean you will be feeding your baby along the way. It would make sense then to take 1 bib and 1 burp cloth with you in your diaper bag. To take your organization to the next level you can even keep your bibs and burp cloths in clear plastic bags in your diaper bag, this will make transporting the dirty ones home a lot easier.
Related: Grab this printable Diaper Bag Checklist to get organized.
How To Care For and Clean Bibs & Burp Cloths
The trick to ensuring you do not need to continuously go out and buy bibs and burp cloths is to take care of the ones you have. Make sure to wash them well and keep them clean.
To ensure they last longer, wash them on the delicate cycle of your washing machine. Make sure you dry them on low or you could hang them to dry.
To get stubborn stains out use laundry spray (my personal preference) or scrub with baking soda to dislodge the ingrained stain. Wash with your preferred laundry detergent, rinse, and hang out to dry.
Now that you know how many bibs and burp cloths you need, it’s time to get busy adding them to your baby registry or maybe even purchasing some.
Truth be told you can never have too many bibs or burp cloths. But in order to save money and space, the ideal number of burp cloths to have on hand is around 10 and the number of bibs is also around 10.
Finally, if you are working on your baby registry, be sure to check out my ultra-detailed baby registry checklist article too! Good luck as you prep and care for your newborn baby.
