This is NOT Okay.

Henry got a spa-quality oatmeal bath last night, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't steal the the mix to use for my evening shower. My wash was luxurious and totally relaxing; his, unfortunately, was necessary because he's got an awful case of diaper rash. Like, the blistered and bleeding kind of diaper rash. I feel terrible about it, and never worse than when he screams as I've been changing him lately because I'm sure it hurts like hell. I can't help but think that if I had maybe just changed one of his diapers sooner or something maybe he wouldn't be so uncomfortable. I have a point for sharing this, and believe it or not, it has to do with you.

See, when this nightmare of a rash popped up a couple nights ago, it made me think of this article I read a few weeks back. On a high level, it discusses a Pediatrics Journal study that looked at the stressors that impact the mental health of moms; particularly those that affect their ability to bond with their kids (I know that could sound boring to you, especially if you're not a parent, but stay with me here). The researcher found out that, aside from food and shelter, how to pay for diapers is the top stress factor for moms. A third of mothers have experienced a time when they could not afford diapers. What's worse, at least one in 10 moms has had to reuse a diaper because they didn't have another.

Terrible, right? No, read that again: one in 10 moms has had to reuse a diaper because they didn't have another. That means their adorable, precious, helpless baby has either had to sit in a wet diaper for extended periods of time, or the mother has literally scraped out the contents of a dirty diaper and had to put it back on their baby because they had nothing else. That's not just terrible :: that's unacceptable. I'm not okay with this.

And let me be clear - I chatted with an acquaintance of mine about this after I read the article and her response was, "I know...if they can't buy diapers it's unacceptable that they think they can have kids." That's most definitely NOT what I mean. I don't care who has children. It doesn't matter to me whether you have the means to buy your child everything in the Janie & Jack store and then some or if you rely on WIC, as long as you love your baby and treat them like the gift that they are. What matter to me is that those babies get what they need to be happy and healthy, and that includes clean diapers. I care about this because this shouldn't be a problem that any mother should have to worry about. You can be the best mom in the world, but if you don't have a diaper when you need one it's gotta chip away at your self-esteem and self-worth. More importantly it puts the baby at risk of having diaper rashes like Henry's more frequently...or yeast infections, or even UTIs.

I'm getting upset just writing about this.  

Diapers for one year for one baby cost from $600 to $1,000, and they're not covered by food stamps or the WIC program. But they do go on sale, and there are coupons available. I know because I bragged in my last post about having more than 500 diapers in our basement that we've couponed and paid way less than 1/2 their sticker price. It's true that we'll need them for Henry (ugh, I gotta change at LEAST 500 more diapers...), but I still feel guilty that they're just sitting there when someone else could use them. That's where you and me come in :: if Dan and I bought more diapers and donated them instead of adding to our stock, it would help a little. And if we can afford it, that must mean that many of our friends and family members can too. And that would help a lot.

So here's where I'm going with this - the next time you go to Target, swing by the baby section and pick up a pack of diapers. And then do it again the next time, and the next. They don't have to be the huge cardboard boxes or even the jumbo plastic packs. You can get a small pack for less than $10 (which, let's be honest, we all throw something in the cart for less than ten bucks that we don't really need). I can even point you the direction of various coupons if you need them. Then, drop them off at a location listed through Diaper Drive (btw, they take open packages too if you have a partial pack laying around from when your baby had a growth spurt). Heck, just give them to me next time you see me and I'll take them to a drop-off. Not from Minnesota? Check the National Diaper Bank Network for a location near you to drop-off. Still too much work? Then just send a check here:

National Diaper Bank Network

129 Church Street, Suite 611

New Haven, CT 06510

Everyone wants what's best for their kid, regardless of how much money they have. No mom should ever have to put their baby in a soiled diaper. It's not okay and it's not acceptable. But we can help. One pack of diapers at a time.