Parents complain about the cost of raising a baby all the time, but the truth is that I didn't really know what they're talking about until my husband and I had our first child and we started shelling out hundreds of dollars in diapers and formula per month. Luckily, we could afford it. But for some moms, the cost of diapers is so high that they have even considered stealing them, according to a new study published in the journal Pediatrics.
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Out of the 877 moms interviewed, 30 percent admitted they've been unable to afford diapers at some point or another. One of them, single working mom Jessica Aragon, was so desperate that she would let her baby go unchanged so that the diapers would last her through the week.
"It made me feel ashamed, like I was less of a mother," Aragon told NBC News.
It may sound a bit crazy, but the reality is that the pressure many of these moms feel when they're not able to provide such a basic need as a diaper for their babies has a huge toll on their mental well-being. Like Aragon said, they feel embarrassed and, I imagine, a bit like failures, which totally breaks my heart.
I honestly can't imagine knowing that my baby's diaper is dirty and having to ignore it because I need to use the last one I have the following day. I think that those of us who can afford these basic needs sometimes tend to forget how tough other moms have it. While studies like this one remind me how blessed I am, they also make me feel like doing something to help those moms in need.
If you feel the same way, check out the National Diaper Bank Network to learn how to donate diapers or host a diaper drive.
Image via Mister.Tee/flickr
