Absorbent article with improved waist elastic and containment system

An absorbent article includes a longitudinal length dimension, a lateral cross-dimension, a front waistband portion, a back waistband portion, an intermediate portion which interconnects the front and back waistband portions, and a pair of laterally opposed elasticized side margins. The article has a backsheet layer, and a liquid permeable topsheet layer connected in superposed relation to the backsheet layer. An absorbent body is sandwiched between the topsheet layer and the backsheet layer, and an elasticized, waist pocket member is connected to at least one of the backsheet and topsheet layers along at least one end margin of the article. The waist pocket member includes an extending flange section and an extending pocket section. The pocket section of the waist pocket member includes a substantially fixed edge portion secured to the article, and an elasticized, gathered moveable edge portion, which is longitudinally spaced from the fixed edge portion. The pocket section can also include a substantially liquid impermeable pocket barrier layer, and a pocket fabric layer connected in facing relation with the pocket barrier layer. Additionally, a plurality of separate, laterally extending pocket elastic members can be sandwiched between the pocket barrier layer and the pocket fabric layer to thereby provide an elasticized waist pocket composite which is substantially laterally gathered.