Side note: this picture is suppose to be much cuter, but my iPad decided it needed to look awful in quality.
I've been wanting to post for quite some time about our adventures in Elimination Communication or EC. I don't exactly know what I want to say, but I would love it if after reading this post you gained some information and maybe even some inspiration to give it a try!
By definition Elimination Communication is:
Elimination communication (EC) is a practice in which a caregiver uses timing, signals, cues, and intuition to address an
infant's
need to eliminate waste. Caregivers try to recognize and respond to
babies' bodily needs and enable them to urinate and defecate in an
appropriate place (e.g. a toilet). Caregivers may use
diapers
(nappies) as a back-up in case of misses some or all of the time, or
not at all. EC emphasizes communication between the caregiver and child,
helping them both become more attuned to the child's innate rhythms and
control of urination and defecation. The term "elimination
communication" was inspired by traditional practices of diaper-less baby
care in
less industrialized countries and
hunter-gatherer cultures.
[1] Some practitioners of EC begin soon after birth, the optimum window being zero to four months,
[2] although it can be started with babies of any age. The practice can be done full-time, part-time, or just occasionally.
We are the part-time ECing family. I set our bouncing baby boy on his pot at least three times a day, or whenever he gives me cues of needing to go poop. I am more interested in catching his poops vs his pee's right now because he's such a heavy wetter, every time I change his cloth diaper it is almost saturated with urine. However I will say every time I sit him on his pot he will pee, whether it be a little or a lot he will almost always go, and almost immediately when I sit him down (sometimes he pees up and over the pot but that's a whole other issue).
So here's how it goes quick and easy step by step since he was four months old.
1. notice the cue whether it be a grunt, flatulence, red face, or that funny concentrating face that means "don't bother me i'm trying to poop."
2. I take his pants and diaper off and sit him on the pot. I will do American Sign Language "T" for toilet and shake my hand at my wrist which means toilet in his ASL baby book and make a grunt sound, nothing like weird just a "uhhhh" and say "potty" as I sign toilet for him.
3. If he's got to go, he'll go almost within the first minute of doing that, sometimes it takes a bit longer. He loves to be diaper-less so I'll just let him hang out on the potty with his toys until hes done doing that.
4. Clean up and re-diaper for us!
Simple as 1-2-3-4 :)
* Also I'd like to note that sometimes even if he doesn't show cues I'll sit him on his potty because of the time of day. IE right after breakfast I'll sit him on his toilet because that's usually when he does poop as well as around 4:30-5:00
** And I know that this doesn't work for every one because of day to day life, scheduling, every baby is different etc, but I wanted to give you inspiration and information just in case you were wanting to do it!
If you have any questions I'd love to help you out!
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