With all the possible new parent concerns, diapers seems like a no-brainer. However, parents and child-care providers no longer have to settle for whatever box is on the shelf.
Julie Imirowicz of Clarkston discovered this out after unexpectedly becoming pregnant with her daughter, Morgan. The pregnancy came as surprise for Imirowicz and her husband Konrad, who were told they could not have children naturally and so adopted two children ‘Austin, 3 and Megan, 2.
At the time, Imirowicz used standard disposable diapers, but began to wonder about the cost in comparison to cloth diapers. According to her own math, Imirowicz figured the average baby uses $3000 worth of disposable diapers, where $600 worth of cloth diapers could be reused for the same period.
Then, to make matters more complicated, Morgan had an allergy to a common substance in disposable diapers. Imirowicz decided to make cloth diapers for her daughter to wear instead.
‘A lot of people are very concerned about Earth… that wasn’t my reason. My reason was mostly money and I really got into it because (Morgan) is allergic to disposables,? Imirowicz said.
That was roughly two years ago. Since then, Imirowicz works from her home making cloth diapers ready to order across the country. Imirowicz named her company KJAMM (Konrad, Julie, Austin, Megan and Morgan) Diapers.
Christine Fazlija, a friend of Imirowicz, first tried some KJAMM diapers on her son Andrian. Eventually, she joined Imirowicz in business in October 2005 and the two are currently working to build a large inventory.
Creating the diapers takes time though, and Imirowicz said, save for common materials like tape, she has to order specialty cloth and materials from all over the country.
KJAMM diapers are not the cliche white cloth held together with a clothespin. Imirowics used vibrant colors and patterns on all her diapers, which are made from hemp fleece, terry, and microfleece.
One design Imirowicz prefers is the ‘pocket diaper,? which has an opening to insert pads made of hemp fleece and terry to act as an absorbent. Designs for pocket diapers are trademarked, so Imirowicz had to obtain a license to make and sell them.
‘The good thing about these is they’re made out of microfleece. I’m also a skier and the first things you learn about skiing is how to dress. You want to have something that lifts the moisture away from you cause you’re sweating and you freeze on the chairlift. So with this is lifts the moisture right away… and with mircofleese, it doesn’t stick,? Imirowicz said.
Fazlija said the material washes like regular laundry and that switching her own son to cloth diapers helped him be more aware.
‘My son’s 18 months old and he just started telling me when he’s wet and when he poops,? Fazlija said. ‘I’ve heard other people say that they potty train faster. To this point, I would have to say it looks like it.?
Imirowicz also recently completed work on an ‘all-in-one? diaper that works like a pocket diaper, but does not require adding additional materials.
Diapers are just the beginning for both women. Already there are plans to start making cloth menstrual pads, nursing and maternity clothes.
For more information, call 248-931-5596 or go online to www.kjammdiapers.com.