Diapers have babies covered
Ray Wong - June 12, 2008
EL CAJON – The cloth diaper is making a comeback. No, not the old, white, ill-fitting wraps held together by safety pins that your grandmother used.
Linda Byerline should know. Byerline estimates that she has sold $6 million in cloth diapers and other baby products since she started making them in 2001.
Byerline, a La Mesa resident, said her Happy Heinys brand is environmentally safe, easy to use, made with a waterproof outer lining and healthier for babies than disposables.
Besides fitted cloth diapers, Byerline sells other styles, including one-size diapers that can adjust with snaps to fit babies from 8 to 35 pounds.
Byerline developed her brand of cloth diapers in 2001 after giving birth to her daughter Sarah, a premature baby who was placed on a ventilator.
The machine saved Sarah's life but caused a condition called chronic lung disease, Byerline said. For her first four months, Sarah spent most of her time in the hospital.
Another mother of a premature baby suggested Byerline try cloth diapers to help improve Sarah's health. Byerline did, and Sarah showed immediate improvement. But Byerline had such a difficult time finding snug-fitting cloth diapers that she decided to develop her own.
With sewing help from her mother, Byerline created the pattern for her first cloth diapers for Sarah.
Byerline, who participates in online parenting groups, found that people were selling cloth diapers on eBay and decided to give hers a go. With bidding that started at $5, she sold some for more than $200 each – that's right, $200 each. She saw a niche and launched an online store to fill it.
Within six months, people were asking Byerline about wholesale purchases of diapers for their stores. In 10 months, she was selling to retailers in Japan.
From 2004 to 2007, Byerline operated a wholesale cloth diaper business in Santee. In May 2007, she purchased a building at 1529 N. Cuyamaca St. in El Cajon and moved her business there. Her retail store, Baby Frenzy, opened at the same location in November.
Byerline said she is astounded at the success of her business.
“We are absolutely amazed at how well we're doing,” Byerline said.
For Byerline, an endeavor that began as an effort to improve her daughter's health has grown beyond her wildest dreams.
“We've improved the lives of a lot of children and the lives our children's children . . . ,” she said.
Byerline's customers have included actors Denise Richards, Melissa Joan Hart, Christie Lynn Smith and Alimi Ballard.
Customer Pam Broudy's 2-year-old, Benjamin, has been wearing Happy Heinys diapers for 18 months.
Broudy decided to try cloth diapers after reading a newspaper article that indicated they could reduce potty-training time.
Broudy's husband, Abraham Broudy, is a pediatrician at the Children's Primary Care Medical Group in Chula Vista. He said he recommends cloth diapers to patients.
“There is a definite advantage,” Abraham Broudy said. “We see a lot of kids that have diaper rash problems. One-fifth have eczema. Those kids have especially sensitive skin and stand to benefit the most with cloth diapers.”
Abraham Broudy said some of his patients are reluctant to try cloth diapers.
“People envision diapers that have to be pinned on,” he said. “The modern cloth diaper is no more difficult to put on than a disposable diaper.”
Abraham Broudy said there is an “ick factor” associated with soiled cloth diapers.
“People are a little hesitant about that. When you're having a baby, you're getting up front and personal with poop anyway. Part of being a parent is you're going to deal with a lot of poop.
“From our experience, the cloth contains the poop better. Poop blowouts are less prevalent,” Broudy said.
His patients frequently ask about the type of diapers or wipes to use, and Abraham Broudy said formal training didn't prepare him to answer these kinds of questions.
“Medical school and residency are completely devoid of training in relation to diapers. I think for most pediatricians, it wouldn't cross their radar screen to recommend cloth diapers for diaper rash. I try to educate my colleagues,” Broudy said.
Stacy Ciota of Santee, the mother of an 11-month-old girl, has been using Happy Heinys diapers for seven months.
Ciota is environmentally conscious, wants to avoid the rash-causing chemicals from disposable diapers and is reaping the financial savings from cloth diapers. She said she has a bigger reason for using cloth diapers.
“What are we teaching our children?” Ciota asked. “That this is a disposable culture? I want to show my daughter that we can do something different, and that's a good message to send to our children.”
Why cloth diapers?
What makes cloth diapers so appealing? Diaper developer Linda Byerline lists some reasons:
They save parents money. From birth to potty training, an average couple will spend $5,000 on disposable diapers for one child. For about $500, the same couple could purchase two dozen cloth diapers that would last until the child was potty-trained. Some parents use the same cloth diapers for more than one child.
Disposable diapers end up in landfills. Cloth diapers are environmentally friendly and washable.
Disposable diapers release chemicals called dioxins that can produce skin rashes. With cloth diapers, only cloth touches the baby's skin.
Cloth diapers reduce potty-training time.
