Curious About Diaper Studies?

Have you ever seen an ad for a diaper research study and thought ‘I wonder what that would be like? Is it worth my time?’. Well, thanks to some local moms and our friends at the Discovery Center we have some personal experiences to share plus answers to your most popular questions about diaper studies. 

First, let’s hear from local moms Amanda and Hannah. Amanda has a seven-month-old son, Hannah has a one-year-old son and both participated in three separate studies where they picked up diapers and used them for a period of time. The requirements varied, but included pickup, weighing full diapers, capturing images on their phones and returning used and unused diapers.  

What questions did you have prior to starting the study?

A: I really had no idea what to expect. Any questions that I had were answered at the diaper pickups. 

H:  I was curious about what questions would be on the survey. When you first start, you can’t tell what they’re going to ask you about the products, but after a few diaper changes you anticipate the questions and can get through the survey super quickly.

What was the most challenging part of participating in the study?

A: Tracking was a lot of work. We did a urine study and a poop study. With both of them, we had to track every diaper with times and answer a series of questions about the diapers. It was a big time commitment and sometimes I wasn’t at home, or just wasn’t able to do it at the time, and I’d have to remember to come back to it and track them.  

H: Remembering to fill out the survey questions even when we were out and about or when my baby was super fussy and I couldn’t complete it immediately.

Insider Tip: Most every study now uses a simple app for tracking, so as long as you carry a phone, you’ll always have a quick and easy way to capture the information! 

What do you feel you got from participating?

A: Free diapers and compensation were big motivators! I also felt that I contributed to the diapers that babies everywhere will be wearing!

H: We would never have purchased Pampers because of the price, but by participating in the study, we were able to find that our baby didn’t react to the Pampers the way he did with many other brands. His skin got less sensitive over time, but when he was really little we needed to be more careful about what brand we used, so getting free diapers was helpful.

Tell me how your day to day went while you were participating.

A: Our day was relatively normal, nothing special. The biggest change was during the urine study, we saved all urine diapers and during the poop study, we had to take photos of the poop diapers. 

H: Nothing was different, honestly. I just made sure to keep any diapers we soiled while we were away from home and weigh/log them later. I still made notes on my phone about the other survey questions and then input them later.

What motivated you to participate?

A: Extra money and free diapers.

H: Free diapers and getting paid to do what I would already be doing!

Would you recommend it to a friend? Why?

A: Yes, it’s a really short time of extra work for a big payoff.  

H: Definitely! There were really no drawbacks to participation.

Why do you think it is beneficial for other moms?

A: It’s an easy way to make some extra money.  

H: Again, getting paid to do something you would already do and the opportunity to use the highest quality diaper out there for FREE.

Special thanks to Ashley and Hannah for sharing their experiences!

We know that lots of moms are curious about some of the behind-the-scenes, so in addition to gathering some experiences from real moms, we took your questions about the studies right to the experts: 

Q: I work outside the home. Does that mean I won’t be selected? 
A: Not necessarily. Some studies do require that the person participating be the one changing the diaper the majority of the time, but not all. Watch for the specific requirements of each study to be sure. 

Q: I have registered for a bunch and never been chosen. How come?
A: Each research study is targeted to a specific cross-section of families that meet a number of factors. These change with each study, so just because you might not be what they’re looking for doesn’t mean you may not be for the next. 

Q: How much money do you make? 
A: It depends on the study. Studies that require more time at the Discovery Center and more visits pay more, but most studies include free diapers and $150+ in compensation. 

Q: Does my baby have to be breastfed to qualify? 
A: Each study is different. Sometimes they are looking for breastfed babies, other times formula fed, solid foods, or some combination.

Q: Do they provide childcare while I am at the Discovery Center?
A: Each study has different provisions, and often childcare is provided, but not always (especially for the shorter visits like pick-up and drop-off). Always watch for the specific requirements of each study to be sure. 

“I’m a SAHM and don’t usually leave my kids with anyone outside the family. We did a series of studies last summer where we stayed at the Discovery Center for 2-3 hours several times each week. My kids who stayed in the childcare LOVE it. They beg to go back throughout the year and ask when we’ll get invited again.

The childcare providers are great. The kids have plenty of toys, and they participate in crafts and snack time. The ladies even remembered my kids from last summer when we went back a couple weeks ago to start a new study.” – Sarah, local mom

How can you be sure to find out about upcoming studies?
Click the image below to register your baby!

Great news! The Discovery Center is now partnering with VIP Panelist. This means that you can register yourself and your children in one place and you’ll be contacted about registering for upcoming studies.