Thanks to Toddle Along Tuesdays I've found great new mommy blogs which have kids near in age to Blaine. Lots of new followers around here too which is awesome. Since some of you are new to my blog, I thought I'd do a series of posts to update you all on something I have yet to see on any other "Toddle" Blogs: Elimination Communication. A topic I feel VERY strongly about!
Lots of "Toddle" Bloggers have been talking about "making the switch" to cloth diapers now that their kids are a bit older. That is so great! But I'm hoping after reading this, a few of you will "make the switch" to putting your child on the potty!
When pregnant, I had no idea what EC was or what it was about. I discovered it on a blog and was skeptic of it working, but figured heck the potty is $10 and it would be great to possibly have 1) less diapers to change and 2) have baby potty trained earlier.
I have been doing EC with Blaine since he was two weeks old. The very first time I put him on the potty he peed in it. No joke. I was in disbelief and so was my whole family. Things only progressed from there and by time he was 4 months old he was using the potty for almost 95% of poops and the lots of pees. That is still where we stand. I probably only have to clean a poopy diaper once or twice a month. [Wouldn't that be great for all you cloth users!].
FAQ (and excuses):
Lots of "Toddle" Bloggers have been talking about "making the switch" to cloth diapers now that their kids are a bit older. That is so great! But I'm hoping after reading this, a few of you will "make the switch" to putting your child on the potty!
When pregnant, I had no idea what EC was or what it was about. I discovered it on a blog and was skeptic of it working, but figured heck the potty is $10 and it would be great to possibly have 1) less diapers to change and 2) have baby potty trained earlier.
I have been doing EC with Blaine since he was two weeks old. The very first time I put him on the potty he peed in it. No joke. I was in disbelief and so was my whole family. Things only progressed from there and by time he was 4 months old he was using the potty for almost 95% of poops and the lots of pees. That is still where we stand. I probably only have to clean a poopy diaper once or twice a month. [Wouldn't that be great for all you cloth users!].
FAQ (and excuses):
- "I work fulltime so can't do EC" - Kids relieve themselves after every wakeup. Even if you only put your child on the potty once in the morning when he / she awakens, you will start teaching him what the potty is used for and have one less poopy to change. In fact, Blaine usually only poops once a day and it is in the potty when he first wakes up. [and it is a HUGE poop].
- "My cloth diapers are just too cute" - Yes I heard this as an excuse on why not to EC. To do EC you don't need to go "diaper free" like some of the books say. I have carpet and Blaine is RARELY diaper free unless he JUST pooped and peed and I'm for sure for sure he won't go soon. So keep on using those cute diapers!
- "It is too much time" - It takes no longer to put the kid on the potty than it does to change the diaper. Just start small. At all wakeups. Kids dont pee / poo when sleeping, only when first awakening. When you take your child to the changing table after a nap or in the morning, just stick them on the potty to see what happens!
- "I don't know why 'sign' my child gives when he / she needs to go" - NEITHER DO I!!! LOL. I just put him on the potty and go "pssssssssssssssss" and he goes when I tell him to!
So my challenge to you, "make the switch"! Put your child on the potty once today after he / she first wakes up [or hold them over a sink or tub], say "psssssss" and see what happens!!!
P.S. There are books and websites on the topic if you google "Elimination Communication" or "Infant Potty Training". I have never read one book about the subject.
12 comments:
We just got LD's potty this week and we're giving this a shot too. So far he's peed nearly everytime. Do you have a sign that you use with Blaine that he can sign to you so you know it's time, or do you just rely more on your motherly knowledge of when he needs to go? We're putting him on the potty when he wakes up and anytime we change his diaper. Just looking for some experience from an expert!! :) We're going on a cruise in January and LD can't swim in the pool on the boat unless he's PL'd. There's always the beach but we figured we'd give this a shot.
YAY KARI!! That is sooooo awesome!! I did look up the sign language sign for "potty" and try to teach it to him but he hasn't used it yet. I just keep an eye on the clock and put him on every hour or so when he's awake. When he was with my MIL and she was babysitting he actually grabbed his little blue potty and she put him on it and he went pee. I've heard of people keeping multiple potties around the house so kids can grab them to signal when they need to go but I'm not that extreme. LOL.
I must say you really have me thinking about this. I wonder what my husband will say when I talk to him about it tonight. I worry about comments from my in-laws or even my own parents, as well as the logistics of EC while traveling, since we travel to the in-laws or my parents most weekends.
definitely dont worry about the grandparents! as soon as they see logan "perform" they'll be like "THAT'S MY BOY!!" and all skeptic / snide comments will be out the window.
p.s. we eat at my mom's house every single night [heck i'm sitting in her living room now!] so going there on weekends is definitely no excuse! potties are portable ;)
Thanks so much for sharing your experience about this. I will be honest say that I am very skeptical....but at the same time, I totally agree that it can't hurt to try. I think it's awesome that it's working so well for you!
Also, could you share what potty you use?? Thanks so much!!!
Thanks for the great post. We are trying to transition Sadie into communicating when she goes. We have done e.c. in the mornings for quite a hwhile, but now we are working on doing it throughout the day. I agree it is far better to put baby on the potty than it is to change a diaper. We are going diaper free around here these days... which is how my yoga mat got pooped on yesterday LOL!
What brand of potty do you use?
I'm in awe of you for doing EC. More power to you :)
So glad it's working great for you! Avery is a champ and I almost never change poopy diapers either. Every once in a while he'll poo during a nap or something but I catch most of them.
Pees are another matter. I catch many but sometimes they just happen!
I love EC so much though seriously. If I have another child soon I can't imagine potty training a toddler and having an infant at the same time. So much easier just to have them potty trained from the start!
I've been thinking about this lately and wanted to ask you, and then I saw this blog. Thanks for writing it. You'll have to fill me in on any more details when I see you but it seems pretty straightforward.
I would also like to know what kind of potty you are using and where to get it. I don't think I would be able to get my husband on board with this, but maybe it's worth a shot.
Your husband might suprise you! Mine is super into it now and reads Blaine books while he has baby on the potty!
I own three different potties and Blaine's preference has changed over time. He just likes sitting on the big people potty now with a kids seat overtop they sell almost anywhere. Got mine at Walmart.
When he was little I used the Baby Bjorn potties like these two:
http://www.amazon.com/BabyBj%C3%B6rn-050021US-BABYBJ%C3%96RN-Little-Potty/dp/B0009OLSYO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1283875285&sr=8-3
http://www.amazon.com/BabyBj%C3%B6rn-055115US-BABYBJ%C3%96RN-Potty-Chair/dp/B000056J7L/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1283875511&sr=1-1
Just to give you an idea of where he might be by 18 months: Oliver was nearly 100%. At 21mo he still has an occasional miss at night, and if we are out and forget to potty him (usually if it's been more than an hour). Our only big problem is when my godparents (or other people) watch him. They insist on keeping a diaper on him at all times, and then forget to potty him. So he'll have like 3 wet diapers when I pick him up after a few hours, which is more wet diapers than I will have in a week! Will definitely be doing EC with baby #2!
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