‘Am I Even Fit To Be a Mom?’ Diaper Need Is an Invisible Part of Poverty in America
“‘Because women are much more likely to be burdened by poverty … it becomes an issue that is not gender neutral,’ said Megan Smith, the lead researcher in the Pediatrics study. ‘[Diaper need] was really just all-consuming for the mothers we talked to.’
During the pandemic, the cost of diapers ballooned about 14 percent on average, according to a Nielsen report. At the Family Dollar months ago, a pack was $9, Colley said. Now it’s $11. She spends $44 a month on pull-ups, even for a kid who is nearly 100 percent potty trained.”