What EC Looks Like Around Here

We've practiced elimination-communication (EC) with both our kids. But maybe it was hard to tell with Mica, because he's been wearing diapers his whole life.

That's right! It is possible to EC and have your child in diapers.

Especially when you are the totally overwhelmed laid-back mom of two children under five.

Here's how EC has looked for Mica.

[But first here's a quick explanation of EC... elimination communication is the process of responding to your baby's need to go to the bathroom and providing a place for them to do it outside of their diaper, from as early as birth and usually starting before six months of age.]

The First Day
The first day after he was born, I was sitting up in bed nursing Mica when I decided to put him over the potty.

The tub lady was there taking down the tub (we had a home birth).

I had the potty bowl between my legs, took off his diaper, and held him over. I didn't think anything was happening and started to lift him off when the tub lady said, "Oh! He's going!"

And thus I caught Mica's first poo.

Mica (3 days old) on potty bowl

First few months

Days
I held him over the potty bowl (and made a sound like "psss psss") at most diaper changes. Sometimes I held him over the bathroom sink. He often had wet diapers but the poo almost always went in the potty/sink. I think this is because it is much easier for the baby to poo in an upright position rather than reclined.

I just want to clarify that when I say I held him over the potty, I was holding him in a very supportive position. You basically cradle the baby in a squatting position, supporting their back and head against your forearms or chest. Here is nice article about positions.

To summarize... he would wake up and I would nurse him. Then I would take off his diaper, potty him, often leave him naked with a diaper between his legs. Nurse again, potty again, put a diaper on and he would sleep. Repeat.

Nights
At night, I got up to nurse him in the rocker and did the same routine.

After a few months, I stopped pottying him at night when I stopped getting out of bed to nurse him. He now wears a disposable at night, though I hope to start pottying him night again... sometime... when I'm not so tired.

Three months to one year
Every morning, when we woke up, I took off Mica's diaper and held him over the big toilet. He almost always had his morning poo. And he almost always poo'd only once a day.

I tried to potty Mica when we were out and about (I carried a little tupperware container in my back-pack)...

** Please note: not all tupperware will be leak-proof, so test with water first **

... but because we were on Orlando's schedule (and because I was a little bit tired, to say the least), I often used a disposable when were out and about, and little underwear when we were home.

The underwear is super-absorbent and will hold one pee. I would change him as soon as I could after he wet. But to be honest, he went around with wet undies (or a wet cloth diaper with a cover) way more than Orlando ever did.

The underwear also holds a poo. If he happened to go, we would hold him over the potty to finish pooping and then clean him up.

One year to eighteen months
Pretty much the same as above, but I started relying on disposable diapers during the daytime even more. I tended to use only one a day, but once I would put one on him, it was really easy to "tune-out" and I would end up keeping it on even after we got home.

Eighteen months to almost twenty-two months
I started using the Baby Bjorn potties during the day (with Orlando I used them from three months on). I put one out where the kids are playing and every so often show a little stuffed animal going pee-pee. Pretty soon, everyone's peeing in the potty!

Also, summer is great. And having an older brother to model on. The boys often run out and pee in the grass together.

Now Mica comes and tells me if he is starting to poo in his diaper/undies, and we finish up in the potty.

I also stopped using disposables on outings. Now, I have Mica pee before we go out and once we get to where we're going. He is often dry in his underwear and even during naps.


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Maybe I could have just started traditional potty-training at eighteen months, but it has been important to us to allow Mica to stay in touch with his bodily functions and to show him that we won't (completely) ignore his elimination needs.

Not using as many disposables as we otherwise would is also important to us.

Oh, and not cleaning a poopy bottom every day for the last year and a half wasn't so bad either!

If you want to give it a go, here's some more info...

Our gear

• Newborn size prefold diapers, and regular size prefolds.

• Imse Vimse and Pro-Wrap diaper covers.

• Two potty bowls, and two baby bjorn potties.

• A dozen pairs of absorbent underwear.

Resources...

• The EC Store carries the EC basics, including potties and undies.

• Continuum-Family: Natural Parenting Essentials carries many EC supplies, including the potty bowls for newborns.

• DiaperFreeBaby is a comprehensive clearing house for all things EC-related: support groups, articles, how-to information, photos, links for more gear, etc.

More info...

• The Really Easy Way to Get Started with EC, written by me!

• How to do Part-Time EC from a mom who's done it.

• Natural Infant Hygiene by Ingrid Bauer.