A diaper-free Christian standing on the bathroom counter at the Taipei airport. All pees and poos on that 20-hour trip home went directly into the toilet.
I’ve been asked to speak on the topic of elimination communication to the moms of local attachment parenting group (AP Living) who meet weekly. These are the notes that I will expand upon during my talk.
I. Definition of Elimination Communication (the EC spectrum)
II. My Story – started full-time at 3 mo., used cloth diapers, graduated at 23 mo.
III. Tools and Accessories
a. Potties – several, for easy access (I like BabyBjorn), the sink, the great outdoors (rule of thumb: go where it would be appropriate for a dog)
b. Easy-access clothing – split crotch pants, vests, leg warmers
IV. Getting Started (often you’ll use a combination of these techniques)
a. Timing – upon waking, every half hour or hour, depends on time of day
b. Intuition – you’ll develop a feeling
c. Cuing – a sound, like hissing or shushing or grunting for poos
d. Baby’s signals and cues – squirming, crying, arching back
V. Tips for Success (from Ingrid Bauer’s book)
a. Offer potty opportunity as soon as baby wakes up.
b. Always offer potty opportunity before going out.
c. Make regular pit stops en route.
d. Try to potty when you arrive.
e. Offer potty opp. whenever you undress baby (for bath, changing, or sleep).
f. Choose clothes and diapers that are easy and quick to remove.
g. If using diapers, try cloth diapers without covers.
h. Make a cuing sound anytime you notice your child going, even if it’s a miss.
i. Act quickly on the slightest thought or intuition about pottying.
j. If one thing isn’t working, try something different; stay flexible.
k. If you encounter challenges, continue offering regularly, and respect a “no.â€
l. Avoid pressure; stay relaxed and patient.
m. Connect with other like-minded parents.
VI. Resources
a. Books
i. Diaper Free: The Gentle Wisdom of Natural Infant Hygiene by Igrid Bauer.
ii. The Diaper-Free Baby by Christine Gross-Loh
iii. Infant Potty Training by Laurie Boucke
b. Websites
i. http://www.diaperfreebaby.org
ii. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/diaperfreeoc
iii. www.womantalk.org (that’s me – search under the category of “elimination communicationâ€)
Christian is more likely to use the big potty now, but he also loves reading time on his little potty.
