Momma Mosaic Diaper Drive for Puerto Rico

Photo: Janko Ferlic

Most people don’t think about diaper need having anything to do with maternal depression but it is actually one of the biggest triggers of postpartum depression for a new mom.  In a column published on Mom.me, Mary Sauer writes, “I can quickly list over ten mothers in my own life who have dealt with some form of postpartum disorder—including myself. Depression is a dark, but very common part of postpartum life. With approximately 600,000 mothers affected by postpartum depression each year, it is now the most commonly experienced complication of childbirth. Women can experience postpartum depression for a variety of reasons. As it turns out, there is one easily preventable circumstance that may be causing mothers to experience postpartum depression: Being unable to change their child’s dirty diaper. When researchers at Yale University surveyed 877 new mothers, thirty percent of these moms reported they were not able to change their baby as frequently as they should because of the cost of diapers. These moms were also twice as likely to experience postpartum mental health issues. While low-income families can obtain formula and food for their young children through WIC or SNAP, diapers are not a part of these programs. This means low-income mothers bear the entire cost of diapering their children.”

Making our way to the Fire Department to drop off the diapers. #mommamosaickids

One in three families in the United States struggles to afford diapers. That would mean that one of these children would have had to go without consistent, clean diapers. These city kids went on an extra special field trip today to help deliver an extra special care package to some very deserving families. Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico weeks ago and most of the residents are still without power, water, and basic necessities. Families are struggling to meet critical needs of their babies and one of the top five needed items is diapers. Today, Momma Mosaic did our little part to help and delivered 4,000 diapers to our local fire station (shout out to Engine 228 in Sunset Park, Brooklyn!). The diapers will be shipped directly to Puerto Rico as part of the NYC Mayor’s Office hurricane relief initiative. Thank you to all who donated — we couldn’t have done it without you!

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