We started using Elimination Communication recently. Elimination communication is all about learning to communicate with your infant by reading her cues when going to the bathroom. Many parents start EC at birth while others (like us) start a little later into infancy. We started when Lily was 6 months 3 weeks old.Elimination Communication is NOT potty training. It is mama and daddy training. It is learning to communicate with one another; potty learning.
How we do it: We are only EC part time. This means we put Lily on her potty after naps, when she wakes up, after she nurses and anytime in between when it appears she 'needs to go'. We watch for cues from her to tell us that she needs to pee or poo. Many times her belly will tighten and then blow up as if she is attempting to push. Lily also focus' ahead when she is going. Once we put her on the potty we watch, listen for her cues and say "Potty" with the sign for toilet. We also have a little bit of diaper free time each day to give us the opportunity to let it all 'air out' ;)
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| Lily gets excited when she gets to go potty! |
Our results so far: We do not expect any quick fixes, we don't expect our 7 month old to be potty trained. EC is all about that, communication. By reading babies cues we can better understand one another and have a happier baby and parents. So far we only get wet diapers on long trips out, naps and night time. We have not had any accidents at diaper free time nor have we had any poos in her diaper! It has greatly cut down on diaper laundry. EC has been so rewarding and exciting for us. I feel like I better understand what my daughter is telling me through her body language. Pin It Now!
I've noticed that one of the biggest blocks people have when it comes to EC is the idea that it has to be a full-time "mission". It's stories like yours that show everyone that EC is perfectly and practically doable part-time, with AMAZING results! Yay for less time with laundry and not to mention less time dealing with poop! Yes, the "goal" is to be diaper-free and potty independent, but it makes such a world of difference when we see it as milestones instead of as an end goal, and we celebrate each and every one. :) -Andrea, EC Simplified
ReplyDeleteNicely put, thank you!! It makes it easier when every catch is a success and every miss is a good try, not a fail. :)
DeleteIsn't EC fantastic? It's so much easier than I thought it would be. I'm also amazed with how much my son was cuing me, even though I wasn't looking for the cues before I learned about EC. Just like he cues for some 'na by rooting, he cues me to go on the toilet. Good for you for giving EC a try and having such a great attitude!
ReplyDeleteIt is so fantastic! It's great to see like minded mama's enjoying tha small things (even pee and poo!) in life.
DeleteJust found your post while reading about EC. My daughter recently completed 7 months and I started EC yesterday. I was actually thrilled when I managed to catch 2 poos and a few pees. Yes I did miss quite a few, but hopefully things will get better, and I will learn with time. Also wanted to say, we have the exact same potty! Good luck :)
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the start to an awesome and fulfilling journey!! haha As cheesy as that sounds it's true. With every catch you beam with happiness and a proud smile. We started about the same time and it has been going great! She is almost 9 months now and she only misses during naps mainly! Good luck to you and enjoy your little froggy potty ;)
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