Who invented the diapers?

Imagine parenting without diapers. The uncontrollable mess and smell. Sounds horrible, doesn’t it? Well, today I will be sharing the story of one of history’s most important moms.

Marion Donovan was an American inventor whose most impressive invention was the diaper. Her reusable, leak-proof diapers were revolutionary back in 1946. Marion was a mother of three and got the idea for the diaper when she experienced problems that she believed many other fellow mothers faced. During these times, babies wore pieces of fabric rather than the diapers that we all know today. These pieces of fabric were far less absorbent, causing large messes and great discomfort for the baby. This also meant that cleaning up after a baby’s mess was a far more difficult process for both mom and child.

After experimenting a lot with shower curtains to make diaper covers, she finally decided that nylon parachute fabric was the way to go. She also added an absorbent strip into the diaper. Not only that, she replaced safety pins with tabs as they prevented the baby from getting pricked. She named her newly invented diaper, the Boater. Sadly, no one really believed in Marion’s invention.

All the big-name companies Mariano approached, turned her down. So, she decided to manufacture the diapers herself. Her diapers were a huge success and gained popularity really quickly. Two years later, Marion sold both her patents and company for a million dollars. And that’s the story of Marion Donovan, one of history’s most important moms, inventing the baby diapers.