Infant Potty Training/Elimination Communication

[Maquenzie]

Who else here does infant pottying?

We are doing it with my 11 month old and really love it. We did it with DD1 too (3 years). With DD1 though, we didn't bring any pottying supplies with us away from the house (besides change of clothes, etc.). And she usually wore cloth diapers out of the house. I think this delayed her toileting independence.

I really want to start bringing pottying supplies with us for DD2. I haven't decided between a baby bjorn little potty in a bag and a potty seat adapter (would need to be for an infant, I suppose).

For those here that do infant potty learning, what's your system in and out of the home?

[Maquenzie]

And, in particular, what do you do in public?

[Wolfwind]

We started ECing my daughter at two months and absolutely love it.  I'm trying to convince my (pregnant) sisters-in-law to try it too.

So far we're only reliably catching poops, though, so she still wears cloth diapers when we're out.  I just sit on the toilet with her, at home or in public restrooms, holding her between my thighs..  But that won't work when she's bigger, so I'll have to think about this too.  I like using the big toilet, so I'd prefer a potty insert, but it will depend what she's comfortable with.

I'm hoping after the holidays to start catching pees as well, so maybe at 4-6 months we'll need options for out of the house.  Does anyone have a successful method for a baby that size?

[khatty]

I did part time EC with my DD starting at 6 weeks.  I used cloth diapers in the house when I wasn't ECing.  I used either cloth or disposables outside of the house.  Not sure if it is because I only did it part time, but my dd still isn't fully fully potty trained at 3 years.  I still have a pee miss about once a week.  We are close, but still not there.  However, I realize that EC is about more than potty training, it is about connecting and bonding.

I started ECing my DS at 2 days old.  He is now 10 days old.  I am catching most of the dodo's but very few pees.  I have been using cloth diapers as backups.  Outside the house I have been taking a baby bjorn potty with me for the dodos and using cloth diapers because I miss most of the pees.

Taking the baby bjorn with me means a bigger diaper bag, but I would rather that than clean up a dodo cloth diaper.  He seems to associate that green potty with dodo and was happy to see it during the Christmas holidays.

Outside of the house with my dd I did lots of holding her over the toilet and she didn't seem to mind that.  Of course, once she could walk she didn't want to be held anymore, but that did work from about 1 month to 10 months old.

[2010BEBES]

When you say EC is it Elimination Communication? I never heard about that and are amaze of your work teaching a baby so young. We use to teach our kids around 10 to 18 month old depending on his birth date trying to coincide with summer time because it was easier haveing less clothes.
Can you give me a summary on what is it al about.?

[Maquenzie]

With young babies, a parent just holds the baby over the toilet (or sink or little potty or wherever they use). As time goes on (and not being in a diaper speeds this up), the parents can see signs that the baby is about to go. After awhile, the baby may also begin actively communicating that he/she needs to go or has gone.

One major benefit is that the child has not gotten used to diapers.

For my 11 month old (not walking), our EC day looks something like this: wake up, take overnight cloth diaper off and she sits on a baby bjorn little potty while I sit on the big toilet next to her. She often poops at that sitting. Usually about 20-30 minutes later she will say "I want puh" (which means potty...some kids sign potty, mine happens to be very verbal and doesn't tend to sign back a lot). She's been using some form of potty her whole life. She usually goes about once an hour. At her age, and particularly because she is learning a new skill (walking), she has a lot of misses, if left to only her cueing. I typically take her every time I have to use the bathroom. We have a book basket by the her little potty and she will happily sit and listen to a book before trying to get off. (every child is different of course, and would need to find a system that works for you).

We haven't yet done a whole lot of pottying out of the house. I'm still deciding what to bring.

Here's more information: www.diaperfreebaby.com

[DannyandAmy]

I did EC for my daughter at 9 months. She is now 22 months old. It worked great--until about 15 months. She actively communicated to me when she wanted to go, both number one and number two. But we had trouble when we were out.

There was one time we were on our way to some place. She was in her stroller and looked up to me and said, "Potty." Though I did have a potty seat with me, there were absolutely no bathrooms nearby (and she was still too young to sit on a portable potty), so I had no choice but to tell her, "I'm so sorry there are no potties nearby, your diaper is the only safe place to go." (My other option was to let her 'go' out in the middle of the sidewalk like a dog.)

And since then things went downhill. After unlearning to use her diaper and learning to use the potty, she had to realize that there were times to use the diaper also. So she felt free to use her diaper when while we were out. (Believe me, I was mad at the whole society for not installing child-friendly toilets all over town! ) And then, at around 18 months, she learned to say the word 'no.' That's a whole 'nother obstacle that slows down the EC process.

So try to aim to have your child completely potty trained by around 14-15 months of age! 

[2010BEBES]

... After awhile, the baby may also begin actively communicating that he/she needs to go or has gone.

One major benefit is that the child has not gotten used to diapers.

... We have a book basket by the her little potty and she will happily sit and listen to a book before trying to get off. (every child is different of course, and would need to find a system that works for you).

We haven't yet done a whole lot of pottying out of the house. I'm still deciding what to bring.

Here's more information: www.diaperfreebaby.com

I get the picture, thanks maquenzie. I never heard that before and wil go and read more in the link you kindly point me. I think using the basket with books besides that baby's potty is a very good idea. There is so much to learn even at my age (close to but not 60 yet.)   

[2010BEBES]

...So try to aim to have your child completely potty trained by around 14-15 months of age! 

DannyandAmy, i understand how frustating it is to handle the potty issue while going out of your house. It surely makes you go back if your baby has to go on diapers. That age is the most suitable especially around spring or better summer time.

[Ezhik]

I am always very impressed by people who are successfully ECing their babies!

I have been doing a very patchy attempt at EC since my son was four months. Unfortunately I never managed to get into a good routine with it, although I do always put him on the potty at change times, so he is at least used to sitting on one, and will often try to go, even if he doesn't manage it. He makes absolutely no attempt to tell me when he needs to go and I could never figure out his clues for wees so after a week or two of puddles around the house, I gave up and he now only sits on the potty a few times a day. I am going to try again in the new year, now that he has started communicating his needs more clearly, and hope to be nappy-free once the weather has warmed up.

I plan to put a bit more effort in if I have another baby!

[DannyandAmy]

Sign language helps tremendously! It doesn't matter what sign—any sign, you can even make it up—can take all the confusion away.

[Ezhik]

This thread, combined with Nicholas' recent tantrums when it comes to re-applying his nappy, has inspired me to try a bit more than part-time ec. Thus I spent the afternoon cleaning up wees. 

He was absolutely determined that he didn't want *anything* on his bottom - neither big boy pants, nor trousers were acceptable  I have cold laminate floor, but he is a stubborn little monster and after two or three re-dressings after potty time, where he stepped out of the trousers as soon as his feet were in them and had to be pinned down to dress him, I gave in to his stubbornness and he got cold legs. I am currently making him some open-bottomed fleecy trousers to wear around the house so he will (hopefully) not repeat the experience.

Fingers crossed he will get used to the idea of cueing me, rather than being too distracted with his toys. I've been trying to get him to sign 'toilet' but I can't tell whether he is repeating it or just clapping at the moment We didn't do too badly, though - he only had one puddle and two wet pairs of trousers for three hours, which is not bad considering he never has to think about it during play time. He even shouted at me and successfully used the potty for a number two!

update: I swear he was using the sign for 'potty' today - I only introduced it yesterday afternoon! And we don't do signing so it is something completely new for him!

[lorenp77]

We were late starters with DS1, started cueing and using the potty after naps and at regular intervals from 12m old.  He was reliably finished potty training (even dry at night) until DS2 was born when he was 18mths.  Then we had a 3m regression which was frustrating.  With DS1 we would take him to the potty immediately upon waking, then every 20 mins thereafter for the first hour, then hourly and again after each nap.  It helped to have him go pants free for a few days and note down the times he went to find his particular pattern.  We also would sit and read books while he was on the potty and had a verbal reward for successes.  If he didn't want to stay on the pot, we didn't force the issue.

DS2 we started from birth.  He really disliked being wet and had clear physical signals when he needed to go.  I could go to the store without a nappy, and we would use the garden if we couldn't find a better place to hold him.  We used a verbal association cue for pottying and generally would do it over the sink when he was smaller.  He started to say ssss (potty cue) at about 4m and this made it easier for me especially when we weren't at home.  At 9m he started to learn to walk and forgot all his cues !! we started to use cloth nappies more, but used them without a cover so we could tell him when he was weeing and take it off straight away - same for #2's.  We live in a mild climate so he is also without pants for a majority of the time.  Now at 16m he has been using the potty for about 3m and will tell us if he needs to wee or poo using either signs, answers to questions, or his own words.  Poos are very difficult to catch because he usually is squatting to play with something when they come out - and they catch him unawares.  We take him to the potty when we need to go, immediately after waking, and if he hasn't wet for a while.

Some notes:

with DS2 we used EC overnight.  This was very tiring, and I can see no perceptible benefit with this child.  It made both of us cranky! even though he would squirm and complain in the night when he needed to go.  We ended up using coverless cloth nappies held on by an elastic waistband, sleeping on a waterproof mat, and changing him after each wee. 

We keep a potty, or little bowl, in the back of the car to use when we are on long drives or in a carpark without a toilet nearby. My sister knows that she will never eat out of our green salad bowl!!!

The key was the communication, not the potty training.  When I would start to get irritated about all the puddles or piles, we went back to nappies until I was in a better frame of mind.  Same when he wasn't into being held or sitting on the potty.

Catching is fun!  Even my nappy phobic spouse liked catching onto the cues and getting a success in the sink/potty and it is SO much easier to clean up!  Enjoy

[HavingFun]

We pretty much did infant pottying fulltime, with a few adaptations.  We used a bowl for catching pees/poos when our daughter was around 1 1/2 mo. old.  I would make a "pshhhh" sound each time she peed.  We also followed the Babywise routine of  sleep, eat, play, sleep, eat play, etc.  So when our daughter woke up, we'd take her diaper off and have her try to pee. Then she'd eat and by the end of nursing/eating, we'd have her try to pee again.  Then before going down for her nap, she'd get a "pee opportunity" again.  Once her wake times were longer, I'd give her pee opps. every half hour to 45 min.  That was how I viewed it - I gave her pee opportunities.  Between the holding her bare bottom over the bowl and making the "pshhhh" sound, I think she just figured it out and would go.  I didn't catch them all but we got better as time went by.  We used the Baby Bjorn little potty from the time she could sit (around 5 months).  We haven't had a dirty diaper to change since!  We still take the little Baby Bjorn potty around now as a potty for when we're out and about and can't find a bathroom (i.e. on the road, on a walk).  In our house, we put plastic easy-to-wash toys in a basket by her potty for her to occupy her time if she doesn't go right away.  Some are bath toys and some are just misc. toys like a shape sorting toy.  Every now and then we rotated the toys so they were by different potties.   

So we used 2 little Baby Bjorns from the start and then moved up to the larger Baby Bjorns.  Right now we have 3 potties in the house for her to use - 2 are Baby Bjorn large potties and one is another brand with a lid (this one is in her bedroom).  At age 2 1/2, our daughter does go pee and poo on the big potty when we are out and about.  But I have found at home having the toddler potties as opposed to the potty seat on the big potty has been preferable so our daughter can simply go and use her little potty without help.  She will even empty the ones that are in the bathroom (w/o making a mess too)!

As for increasing her potty independence, once our daughter was about 15 months (during summer), we let her go bare butt a little when playing outside.  We had a little Baby Bjorn nearby and when she started to pee, we'd point it out (or she would) and usher her to her potty.  The next 4 or 5 months became a transition of having her go potty whenever I went, or when I thought she needed to go, to watching more for her cue.  When she was about 21 months (January), I went through a week of dressing her down, keeping it nice & warm in the house and letting her pretty much cue when she needed to go.  I had a potty in the living area as well as the bathroom and her bedroom.  After a few accidents, she caught on.   By age 2, she was pretty much trained although she still had to have help pulling down her pants and pulling them back up.  Now at 2 1/2, she can do that by herself for the most part. 

One thing I did to help with the nighttime was to get my daughter up (no talking) to go potty in a little potty right by her bed each night.  She barely woke up when I'd do this.  It ended up being usually about 3 hours after she went to bed.  Since I'm a night owl, it worked for us that I had her go before I went to bed.   Now I only get her up if I know she had a lot to drink for dinner or soon before bedtime.  I also have used a monitor in our room and hers to hear her in the night.  On a few occasions she would wake up and call for help to go pee.   We are happily at the point that in the mornings, I don't need to rush to help her go pee because she can take off her own sleeper and use her little potty in her room all on her own! 

Regarding diapering, we had lots of disposable diapers given as baby gifts.  So I used Kushies AIO diaper inserts inside of the disposable diapers.  Since I pretty much took her diaper off right after naptime, eating, etc., I often caught our daughter with a dry diaper or not too wet.  As long as the disposable was dry and as long as the waist straps held the diaper on ok, I would reuse the diaper.  Eventually I got Kushies pocket diapers but did the same thing with those - I just laid the Kushies insert right inside the diaper and reused the Kushies if it wasn't too damp.  Around the 18 to 21 month stage, I used Kushies training pants and around 22 to 26 months switched to Gerber cloth training pants with the Kushies at night.  Since then we made the change to regular undies all the time with only a few minor incidents. 

For us, EC has been worth it.  Since she has gone on a potty since 5 months, our daughter pretty much knew that was where to go.  Having the toys to entertain helped on any occasions where she didn't go right away or was working on poo poos or just didn't want to sit and try to go.  The transition to no diapers was only a matter of time as to when she could identify that she had to go, then make it to the potty in time and get her undies/pants down (first with our help and later on her own). 

When out and about, we try to have our daughter go before we leave home, when we arrive at the destination (store or someone's house) and before we leave.  We're giving her a little more say so - if she says she doesn't have to go, we don't always make her try, depending on the situation (i.e. how much she's had to drink & when; where we are and how easily accessible the bathroom is).

Here are a couple sites that might be helpful regarding EC/infant pottying.
http://www.diaperswappers.com/
http://diaperfreebaby.org/

Best to all who try it.  You might face skeptics (spouse, friends, family) but once they see how it works, they might see it's worth the effort in the long run.  I share about EC with my friends and family mostly because it's not so common so if no one suggests it as an option, others won't know about it.  Now that we have a baby boy due to arrive, I have to figure out how the ECing will differ for him than it did for his sister.   

[mko]

I do EC with my little boy (19mths/ with Down Syndrome) and we both love it.  I used a great baby bjorn potty at home (the one that has a back /arm rest shape) and wanted to buy the little potty, but couldn't get it here in Japan, so I went with a little toilet seat adapter.  The toilet seat adapter is actually smaller than a potty, so it cuts down on the luggage.  However, if your little one has any constipation issues (which was why I started ECing - in the first place), you would be better off providing some foot support - so maybe the potty is the better option.  Ever since we started (over a year ago) my little guy will only do #2s in the potty, but will pee on the potty if given the 'potty-tunity".  As with all things, it changes over time, from using the toilet seat adapter when we are out, he now uses the toilet seat adapter at home too, so no more potty to wash!   

HTH,

mk

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