More moms, dads prefer Stoosh Bums

Nashauna Drummond, Acting Lifestyle Editor

When it comes to caring for the delicate bums of our little ones, Shelly-ann Spence has the answer. One hundred per cent cotton, all-natural cloth diapers. "I need to switch babies in Jamaica from disposable to cloth," she told Flair. Launched in 2012, Spence's company, Stoosh Bums, is all about cloth diapers and accessories, a concept she came across quite accidentally while surfing the Internet.

"In early 2012, I started researching natural childbirth and a lot of the websites I visited kept talking about all the chemicals in disposable diapers. So I started looking at the alternatives to disposable and reading about the modern cloth diapers."

Sounds like a blast from the past? According to Spence, cloth diapers are much better than disposable both for the baby and the environment. "Cloth diapers are better for babies because you are putting natural fibres against your baby's skin." All made with 100 per cent cotton and hemp, cloth diapers are better because "the material is breathable so you have less risk of diaper rash. Your child gets to feel themselves wet so babies tend to potty train faster. There is also the added benefits of cost. It is significantly cheaper to cloth diaper your child. And it's better for the environment. Our landfill is already overfilled and for each child we are sending more than 6,000 disposable diapers, plastic that takes a minimum of 300 years to disintegrate."

Varieties

Cloth diapers come in five varieties.

All-in-ones. This is a one-piece system similar to disposable diapers, sometimes referred to as the 'daddy' diaper. This can be closed with either velcro or snaps. They mostly come in one size, and you use snaps or toggles to change the size depending on the size or weight of the baby, and do not require a cover.

Pocket diapers. This two-piece system carries a waterproof shell (cover) with a pocket for inserts. Inserts or prefolds can be used in the pockets for different levels of absorbency.

Prefolds and covers. Another two-piece system with a prefold diaper and a waterproof cover. Prefolds can either be folded in three or in other fold patterns for better absorbency. They can either be placed in the cover or they can be fastened with a Snappi (diaper fastener) and then the cover is put on.

Fitted and covers. A two-piece system, the fitted diaper has no waterproof layer so it needs a cover to be waterproof. The advantage of a fitted diaper is that the entire diaper is absorbent so it is best for use at night when your baby sleeps for more than eight hours.

AI2 (All-in-twos). Sometimes referred to as the hybrid system, consists of a waterproof shell and an absorbent insert. The shell usually has a button that the insert can be snapped into. It may also be used with disposable but biodegradable inserts.

The diapers are best if washed with phosphate-free detergent.

She adds that, so far, the response has been good, and parents are glad to know that they have options that are available locally.

Check out the cloth diapers on facebook at: www.facebook.com/stooshbums.