Sending diapers as a gift to new parents in Canada

Sending diapers as a gift to new parents in Canada

Sending diapers is one of the more welcome long-distance gifts, because new families go through them daily and you can ship straight to their door. The two things to get right are the size and the timing, and both can be handled without spoiling a surprise.

Why diapers make a welcome long-distance gift

There is no style to guess and nothing to carry on a trip. Clothes and toys can end up in duplicate, and a baby outgrows clothes at a rate that is hard to predict, while diapers get used. For relatives in another province, a parcel that arrives at the right moment can feel more personal than a gift that came in the first week with everything else.

Finding out the size without spoiling the surprise

The easiest approach is a casual question to someone close to the parents: a partner, a grandparent or a friend. Ask what size the baby is in now, rather than asking the parents to do research for you.

  • If the baby has arrived, ask which size they are wearing at the moment, and add that you would like to send the next one up.
  • If the baby has not arrived yet, you would be guessing between newborn and size 1, so a gift timed after the birth lets you choose from the real size.
  • Ask whether the parents have a brand they use. If they do, match it.

Sizes go by weight, and the range is printed on the pack. The diaper sizing guide explains how to match a baby's weight to a size, and babies move between sizes at their own pace. If you cannot find out at all, send two sizes in smaller packs rather than one large pack in a guess, or start with wipes.

What to send alongside diapers

Diapers go best with the things used at every change.

  • Wipes. Some of the wipes in the store are listed as fragrance free or unscented. One option is Pampers Sensitive Baby Wipes, Fragrance Free, 1008 Wipes (12 Packs).
  • Cream. Some parents have a favourite, so ask first, or leave it out. The diaper rash creams and ointments collection lists what is available, and the label tells the parents how to use it. If a baby's skin looks sore or broken, they should check with a doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
  • A handwritten card. A few lines count for more than an extra item.
  • Something for the parents. Tea or a coffee shop gift card shows you are thinking of them as well as the baby.

For the diapers themselves, if the answer is size 1, one option is Huggies Little Snugglers Diapers, Size 1, 168 Count; for any other size or brand, browse the baby diapers and training pants collection. Check the size and count in the title against what you were told before you order, and see the current price on the product page.

Shop this guide

Prices are on each product page. Free shipping on orders of $100 or more within Canada.

Shipping to another address in Canada

We ship within Canada only, and the order steps are the same whether the parents live across town or in another province. At checkout, enter the parents' address as the delivery address, with the unit number and a phone number if the form asks for one. Shipping costs show at checkout.

Delivery depends on how the product ships:

  • Products tagged Ships via Amazon arrive from Amazon in an Amazon box, usually in 2 to 4 business days.
  • Other products ship from our own suppliers in a plain, unmarked box, usually in 3 to 5 business days.

If your order mixes the two, it may arrive in separate parcels. Check each product page for how it ships, and leave a few days of margin, more if the address is rural or remote. In winter, ask whether someone will be home, since a parcel on a cold step is easy to miss.

Timing the gift for a few weeks after the birth

Shower gifts and early parcels often cover the first weeks. A few weeks after the birth, the first supply may be running low, the parents know the size and many have settled on a brand, so your gift lands when it is useful.

  • Before the birth. You can send, but you are guessing at size, and the parents may be away from home.
  • A few weeks after. You can ask for the size, and the parents are restocking.
  • Later. A pack in the next size up still helps when the baby grows out of the current one.

There is no exact date, so set a reminder on your phone to check in with a close friend of the parents when the time is near.

Letting the parents know a parcel is coming

Parents of a newborn are tired, and a parcel they are not expecting can sit unopened or be sent back. A short message avoids that. Here is wording to adapt:

A parcel of diapers and wipes is on its way to you, due within the next week or so. There is nothing to reply to or return, just open it when you have a spare minute.

Add the delivery estimate for how your items ship, and say so if they are coming in more than one parcel. The box may not show who sent it, so name yourself in the message. That matters most in a building with a buzzer or a shared mailroom, where an unexpected parcel can be turned away.

Common questions

What if the size turns out to be wrong?

Before you order, check the return details for the product you choose, and if you are unsure, contact us first. Choosing a smaller pack in the size above the current one lowers the risk.

What if the family uses cloth diapers?

Ask before you send disposables. Some cloth-diapering families keep a pack for travel or nights and some do not. Wipes and a card may suit better, and the parents can tell you which cloth items they would use.

What can I send if I cannot find out the size?

Wipes are not sized, so they are a lower-risk choice than diapers when you have nothing to go on. Say in your card that diapers will follow once you know the size.

Unsure what to send? Tell us what you know about the baby's size through the contact page and we will help you choose a pack. Expect an answer within one business day.