Motherhood inevitably involves a lot of diapers. While the sweet little one babbles on, mothers have the extreme sport of strapping a kid into a leakproof diaper with precision and efficiency.

Thanks to Marion, this daily routine in parenting became a lot easier.

A Look Back In Time

If you ask Marion Donovan’s children what it was like growing up, they’ll tell you that their mother was always in the kitchen concocting things for her inventions, rather than actually cooking food.

Marion was destined to be an inventor. Having lost her mother at a young age, she spent most of her time after school at her father’s factory where he was often coming up with new ideas. With his encouragement, she made her first inventions at a young age and continued on to receive 20 patents in her lifetime.

Marion is most notably known for inventing the first leakproof diaper with the patent number US2556800A. After wrestling with a shower curtain and experimenting with snaps (rather than sharp diaper pins), she knew her invention would help countless other parents like her. But convincing companies run by men was another story. She was met with executives that claimed women were happy with their products (despite every mother battling diaper rash and cranky kids with the products available at the time).

Instead of waiting for men to get with the plot, Marion manufactured her own diapers and it was an instant success. A couple of years later she sold her patents to Keko Corporation and received $1 million for her efforts.

Inventor’s Impact

Marion has helped millions of parents have a better day, but it’s not the only notable thing she did in her lifetime. She also invented a “Zippity-Do” to help women get into dresses on their own and even designed her own house after receiving an Architecture degree from Yale.

Inventing was in her lineage and she continued to advance everyday household items that we still use today! So if you’re wondering whether your product is needed in the market, the answer is yes. Those big companies eventually will catch up with what we need.

If you’re looking for inspiration on why you should pursue your dreams of being an inventor, get a copy of my Book of Women Inventors and read more about the incredible women who have invented and improved products that we still enjoy today!