Bumbo for elimination communication

[shutka]

I was excited about ec since I was pregnant. I have read The Diaper Free Baby by Christine Gross-Loh and initially I thought I would start ec from day one but when the LO came out I decided that I would start ec at about 3 to 4 months when I will roughly know the pattern especially for his pooping times since it was way too often and very unpredictable when he was a newborn...

During about 4th week he started grunting very loudly and scream in pain trying to poop. It was heartbreaking to watch him and trying to pacify him but there was very little I could do except for some "bicycle" exercise. I thought he was constipated but our pediatrician said it was due to immature digestive system and they need to figure out which muscles to relax and how to push and as long as the consistency is soft (it was) there was nothing to worry about. I was still worried...

Once I decided to hold him above the sink. First time I tried it when he was smaller, about 2 weeks as well but it was very uncomfortable for me and for him and I was worried about propping his head properly... The second time I tried it was much easier (he was about 6 weeks then) and he pooped right away and was very happy after that. Since then every time I change the diaper I hold him over the sink and he usually does his business right away. The only funny thing is that regardless of the cue I give him (psssst sound or grunting sound) he first starts grunting and tries to poop and then sometimes he pees as well.

I am very happy that I was forced to start ec early since frankly I was a little afraid of it  but in the end it was not that bad.

Now as the LO is getting heavier I am considering a potty and I have read many many reviews before settling for a bumbo toilet training seat. Did anybody use it for ec? If yes then at what age/how many pounds did you start doing it???

I also found this great toilet training system - the baby throne, but it costs 5 times bumbo's price and is shipped from Africa. Not sure if will get to try that one... Here is the link for those interested (this one can be used starting 4 months)
http://www.knightsbabytraining.com/

Anyways, anybody is using Bumbo for ec??? Any thoughts?

[TeachingMyToddlers]

What a neat idea for EC, I can see how a bumbo style chair would support the baby much better. In the throne link, the toilet looks square. Will it still fit standard US toilet seats? That would be my first question if it were me. 

[elaida]

I too was excited to start EC from birth but was unable to hold my son over the sink (found out later that I had a bad case of "Mommy Thumb" in both hands/wrists). I was unable to use the two potties I had (unbranded models from Europe that were marketed on an EC website) because they were too wide for him to straddle and I couldn't figure out how to use the top hat potty without making a mess all the time. So, I gave it a rest. My son also had screaming fits during bowel movements, but finally outgrew them (it seems to last a long time during that time, but now, looking back, we don't think it was really that long, maybe 2-3 months).

I started again consistently three weeks ago, when he was just past 6 months, in the Baby Bjorn potty chair. By then, he was able to sit on his own, and it has been much easier and quite successful. I had gotten the potty chair instead of the more compact smart potty since I had gotten it before he could sit up and wanted the high back. As it turns out, he hasn't used the high back and you want the boys to lean forward anyways to keep the pee in the toilet, as I've learned from experience. So, wish I had gotten something more compact instead.

Based on this, I think if you can find the bumbo trainer locally, I would recommend taking your baby to the store and seating him on it to see if it seems like he would be comfortable in it. The design of the bumbo trainer is pretty different from other over-the-toilet seats. It seems to be designed for the child to sit in the very back of the seat and tilts the child up a little (similar to the Bumbo floor seat). Given that, you'd want to check if your son is big enough to sit that way and straddle the pee guard comfortably. If he is not all the way back, you would still want to put him an inch or two back from the front guard, otherwise the pee is likely to splash. There are a number of Amazon reviews from people who said they have used it to EC early on, though many such reviews seem to be for daughters.

I don't know how similar the bumbo trainer is to the Bumbo floor seat (whether they have the same angled bottom base). We have the Bebepod flex seat (alternative to the Bumbo) and had tried to use that as a seat starting around 4 months and my son just hated it. He's o.k. in it now, but we don't use it very often since he can sit on his own now and we have a high chair that attaches to our table. So, I don't think he would have liked a Bebepod shaped toilet trainer at that age (but who knows).

Just some things to think about.

Good luck, and let us know how it turns out!

[shutka]

Thank you for your input. As far a the baby throne is concerned, I really like it but the shipping alone is more than the Bumbo toilet seat. Besides now that I looked at it better it does have a squarish bottom (but no reviewers or facebook moms mentioned it as a negative).
I will probably go for a bumbo when my LO will get a little older. I also looked into baby bjorn and I would totally go for a chair but now after reading about your experience, elaida, I would go for a smart potty
Thanks again... will keep you posted

[Korrale4kq]

We used this potty. When my son was really little, 4-5 months old he was able to sit on this chair independently. The handles on the front were helpful and he needed them.
My son is now 3 and has been completely potty trained on te toilet for well over a year, however I keep this potty in his bedroom at night incase he needs to go. We have taken off the removable front handles and he still fits the potty well, albeit he sits on it backwards. He started using it backwards (hs idea) at a little over 10 months when we removed the front part.  It worked perfectly because he couldn't spray over it so I just let him do it his way.
Oh and as for the size of the potty, it is small. I think it is about the sir of the bjorn tiny potties. It would make a good cr travel potty too.

http://www.amazon.com/Potty-Scotty-Riding-Chair-Blue/dp/B002RXSZ8W/ref=sr_1_18?ie=UTF8&qid=1361124367&sr=8-18&keywords=Potty+Scotty

[shutka]

Thanks, korrale4kq,
This potty looks very cute too Apparently it is not so easy to find something that will work well for boys...

[Korrale4kq]

Yes. Many boys I know have spraying issues.
Another trick I learnt years ago. If you straddle them backwards on a toilet when they are old enough (about 2 years) it prevents spraying over the front. My 3 year old now stands to pee but will still sit backwards to poop.
It works fine for us. It is easier for him to get up independently. And he can't fall in.

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