This post was originally posted on August 12, 2015, and has been fully updated on January 19, 2021 to include an audio (Podcast) version, a video (YouTube) version, and to include some basic updates. Enjoy! xx Andrea

A new trend has emerged in the field of Elimination Communication:

Babies are learning to pee on the floor, whenever, wherever.

I've been doing a lot of work with my readers on my private support Forum and have been trying to figure out, for a long while now, why this has been happening.

The answer is simply that we teach them that.

Just like we teach them to go in diapers. Or to call us Mama or Papa. Or how to sing a certain song (by modeling it over and over again).

More specifically, once a parent chooses to begin ECing their baby or young toddler, they generally tend to go from one extreme to another...from exclusive dependence upon and use of diapers to --> completely naked all the time. (Not that all parents do this...but some do.)

This allows the baby to pee anywhere, anytime, and doesn't actually teach anything new.

It's kind of like allowing a child to urinate in a diaper for 4 years straight. Allowing her to pee on the floor for 4 years straight is no different, is it?

Some parents love the title of "ECer" and would rather clean up a puddle of pee than change a diaper. I totally get that. But, in the end, it's just as extreme as diapering full-time. (My apologies to those who might disagree.)

NOTE: Even babies in tribal villages are "shooed" out of the hut if they pee on the floor after it is certain that they both know where pee goes and are able to get it there.

The solution would obviously be to go from exclusive dependence upon diapers to --> using the diaper or another back-up (undies, trainers, or commando-just-in-pants) as a tool. Strategically. Responsibly.

We wear clothing in the Western world.

Having them in clothes or some sort of back-up (while doing EC) teaches them how to work with such things, which they'll have to do for the rest of their lives.

Sure, a college kid will get it, but a 2 year old will get mixed messages if he's just allowed to pee anywhere, anytime, while naked. We wear clothes.

There is, indeed, a way to do EC AND to do regular diaper-free time responsibly...we just need to re-examine what being "diaper-free" means to us.

And, to reverse the peeing on the floor habit? Well, you just turn that ship around. "We don't do that anymore. We wear clothes, and we pee in the potty."

Said out loud or not, it's really that simple.

I think that we really need to define what "diaper-free" means once more:

free from exclusive dependence upon diapers

Note that it doesn't say anywhere that this means "naked all the time."

There is a distinct difference between "diaper-free time" and "naked time."

In fact, using underwear or trainers or just pants qualifies as "diaper-free time." Yay! That's what we want, right?

Yes, it's cute to see that bare bum all the time, but when you're cleaning up yet another puddle of pee off the tile floor, doesn't it somehow feel wrong?

NOTE: If it doesn't, and you don't have this particular problem...awesome. Keep her naked! It's really only an issue if there's pee everywhere AND it bothers you personally.

So, I wanted to go ahead and share an excerpt of my (freshly updated for 2021!) book, Go Diaper Free, that addresses this issue and discusses some of the new perspectives I've taken about "diaper-free time" and how to do it more responsibly.

Version 6.0 of the book has 20 revised pages addressing this idea, questioning our present beliefs about it, and offering solutions of how to "un-train" your baby from peeing on the floor.

By popular demand...here is the excerpt:

I added this section because recent trends show that overdoing naked diaper-free time can actually hinder the EC process, teaching a child to pee on the floor. Read on.

IF your baby signals best while naked, including taking herself to the potty on her own, and you have no peeing-on-the-floor problem, then do naked time as much as you want!

If your baby doesn’t signal while naked, and there is pee everywhere, then you’re better off limiting naked time.

Diapers are commonly used as a back-up during the pre-walking months of EC, but it’s also good to incorporate regular diaper-free time into your baby’s routine at this time. We’ll cover why below. A half-hour per day is common, and before bathtime or after a miss or catch is popular. The most important thing here is to do any naked diaper-free time *responsibly*. Here’s how.

Once naked or modified diaper-free observation time has served its purpose – to inform you of your baby’s signals and natural timing, and to inform your baby of what her own elimination feels like, which is what the whole “Part 1, Step 1” was all about – you can decide whether you want to keep doing regular diaper-free time or not, naked or not.

To be clear, “diaper-free time” can be done naked-bottomed or it can simply be time spent without diapers, including regular clothing, undies, cloth trainers. So let’s first decide whether we want to do diaper-free time naked or not.

When naked, no one needs to signal, now do they?! Naked diaper-free time can become counter-productive if:

If you’ve got all this going for ya, naked observation time may have already served its purpose and begins to be counterproductive. Overdo naked time beyond this, and you could essentially teach him to pee on the floor (depending on how you handle things). When you think about it, letting baby pee wherever, whenever, when naked is not much different than letting baby pee wherever, whenever, in a diaper all the time. Too much naked time without communication or action or boundaries will result in teaching “pee wherever.”

If this is you, it could be time to add in some ‘resistance’ (think: opposite poles of a magnet): clothing. Since soiling his clothing will eventually not feel socially/physically/emotionally cool, wearing clothing can become your new “diaper-free time.” Remember, “diaper-free” means free from exclusive dependence upon diapers. It doesn’t mean having a naked baby or toddler running around peeing all over your floor 24/7.

Once naked observation time becomes unnecessary (and you’ve become more knowledgeable), you’ll want to know how to continue regular diaper-free and/or naked time responsibly. First let’s state the obvious.

Pick a time of day and a desired location to do some time with underwear or just pants (commando) as your “back-up.” Cotton training pants (like Tiny Trainers) are also a fine option if your baby doesn’t treat them like a diaper. Increase this non-diaper time over the weeks, and before you know it you will be done with dipes. Now, let’s continue speaking about whether and how to keep doing naked diaper-free time.

Why we should not overdo naked time

First, too much naked time could cause your baby to stop signaling as strongly, or at all, which makes sense. Why signal if I’m already naked?

Next, your baby might learn that peeing on the floor, or on the cloth pad he’s laying on, is okay. Which it’s not, really, right? Right.

Last, we wear clothing in our society, so your baby must also learn how to wear clothing and keep it dry.

If you are starting EC with a more mobile baby (5 months+, and especially 12 months+), you may decide to spend some additional time naked to reinforce cause & effect (they experience that pee comes out when they release their bladder). If you just like having a naked baby bum around, no matter the baby’s age, you might want to do more nakey time too.

If you have a baby who doesn’t pee on the floor when naked, go for it, ya’ll! If baby signals better when naked, awesome. Do it. If your older baby takes herself to the potty independently at home only (or mostly) when naked, do it! Also, if you struggle with diaper rash, naked time is one of the only things that helps. So you’d want to do it then, too.

In any case, just see #3, below, to learn how to modify it with an older baby, so you don’t teach her to pee on the floor (again, a common problem faced by some ECers).

Okay, so you’ve gathered your info (signals/timing/awareness), cleared up the diaper rash, want to continue having a nudist child, whatever (no judgment!). Your child is becoming more mobile by the day, and her brain is building permanent pathways on how to do stuff.

Letʼs modify naked time to place some building blocks for eventual potty independence into your EC practice....

I'll just leave you hanging there. :)

If you'd like to read the rest of this section in my book, AND the new Troubleshooting Section called: "How Do I Untrain My Baby from Peeing on the Floor?"

...then get my book right away. It's all in there. Version 6.0, baby. I can also help you personally in our group when you buy the book.

Would love to read your thoughts about this ground-breaking news in the EC world: that diaper-free doesn't necessarily mean naked!! Thoughts? Please add 'em to the comments below....

And please share this with others via the fancy new Like buttons. Thanks a million! And here's to less pee everywhere. xx Andrea

If you want to watch the recording of today’s podcast episode, you can do that on my youtube version right here:

To help out the show and help more parents find out about EC:

xx Andrea

Disclosure Note: As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from purchases made through the links on this page.

This is a re-post of an article 1/19/2021

The post Diaper-free time appeared first on Go Diaper Free.

When doing elimination communication with your baby, how much bare bum, naked time do you allow, and how much “diaper-free” time (with some type of a back-up) do you do...and does any of this even matter?

Yes, it does.

Today I answer this question from multiple mamas in our audience who wonder how to balance these two very important parts of infant potty training: bare-bum and diaper-free time!

(And, psst...I’ll continue this conversation by addressing how to get your baby to stop peeing on the floor in next week’s post!)

Q: How do I strike a balance between bare bum time and diaper free time (and why does it matter)? ~ Heather B., Ontario, Canada

A: What a succinct and important question, Heather! I’m so thrilled that you asked.

You see, most parents who’ve done Elimination Communication based on past publications, advice, and winging it off of information from the internet have ended up with a problem:

“YES! I do have a question about diaper free time. I guess it helps them learn faster to feel the effect of it when they go. But does it not kind of train them that it is okay to go on the floor when you miss getting them to the potty in time? I’ve been doing more diaper free time with my baby lately, but this question is always in the back of my mind. Love, Jessi”

First off, I address it in my book that it only teaches them “cause and effect” for the first few minutes or hours…depending upon how long your baby/toddler has been diapered. After that, it teaches them to pee on the floor (which is exactly what Jessi intuited in her question).

Many of the EC resources out there suggest that diaper-free time equals naked time…and encourages you to do it all the time. I thought similarly until I saw all the complaints and calls for help in my private EC support forum…there is a BIG problem doing this.

It does matter and you can strike a balance between the two.

Super-duper-basically? You only use naked time to gather information (like natural timing or signals), and then you use a back-up or clothing…always…until you might need more information. That’s called “diaper-free time” - or time without an actual diaper, but not naked.

Hope that makes sense!

To further expound about why it matters (and how to balance it), I want you to know that I actually recently updated and recorded a podcast version of a blog post on this and, instead of further answering your question here and repeating this advice, I’m going to post the detailed answer next week and air it on the podcast as well….

In next week’s post, you’ll find out how to further balance naked time and diaper-free (free from dependence upon diapers, ie: in underwear or clothing) time…and you’ll read a whole bunch of easy-to-understand info on why it matters:

Again, there is no other EC resource that actually discerns between naked and diaper-free time. I’ve examined the difference (through the folks on my private forum, and my research), made it easy to prevent negative habits resulting from this lack of discernment, and I’ve made it easy to correct any damage already done.

See you next week with more info on how to prevent baby from peeing on the floor, thru too much naked time!, and thanks for your question, Heather. It’s a super-important one!

If you want to watch the recording of today’s podcast episode, you can do that on my youtube version right here:

The post How do I balance bare-bum time and diaper-free time appeared first on Go Diaper Free.

If this is the first you’ve heard of Elimination Communication, it probably sounds a bit weird! But once you get used to the idea and consider the benefits for baby, parents and the environment, you might never look at nappies the same way again!

There can be a misconception that EC only works alongside attachment parenting, and that it takes constant attention and work. I pottied my two little boys from 4 months and from newborn. I absolutely love EC, it made our life easier and I can’t imagine doing it any other way. I wanted to share a brief introduction to the basics of EC, along with a more in-depth personal account of our experience of part-time mess-free EC.

*Disclaimer* I’m not a healthcare professional (although you will find medical professionals among the active advocates of EC). If you have any medical concerns about your child you should always seek professional advice.

As new parents these basic functions will quickly seem to become your whole world. While most parents become very attuned to cues for hunger or tiredness, the cues for toileting are mostly overlooked. It’s something parents can be instinctively aware of (how many times have you heard parents point out a baby’s ‘poop face’?!), but it’s not acted on until after the deed. Instead the focus is on dealing with the aftermath (sometimes with catastrophic results, and a once adorable onesie going straight into the outside bin!). Most parents probably aren’t even aware that there is another option.

Potty habits vary historically and across the world – and have been massively influenced by the introduction of disposable nappies. In other societies around the world, parents will notice a toilet cue and act on it. When you think about it, this makes more sense. Instead of waiting then cleaning up the aftermath, why not help babies eliminate more comfortably with less mess? If you’ve ever changed a newborn’s nappy (particularly boys), you probably know the jeopardy of timing it right so you aren’t in the line of fire! This is an instinct babies have from birth to avoid soiling themselves. It’s not unique or remarkable, it’s a fact of nature that many animals have.

In a nutshell, EC is giving babies the opportunity to ‘eliminate’ outside of their nappy, usually in a potty or toilet. To help figure out when baby will most likely need to go, carers can use a combination of cues, common timings, and natural timings by observing baby’s own rhythms. For example, on waking and after a milk feed are good times to offer the potty. If baby pees or poops in the potty, it’s often called a ‘catch.’ A newborn baby can be cradled snuggly over the toilet, a baby that’s sitting confidently can sit on the potty or seat reducer. Go Diaper Free offers loads of information and resources to find out more and to help you get started, including an easy to follow EC handbook.

There are so many fantastic advantages, this barely scratches the surface. You can find more benefits here.

One of the top reasons that makes me want to share EC is the easier transition to potty training. It’s something that a lot of parents dread, and I know many families who’ve had stress and tears all round. Waiting for signs of readiness, failed attempts, waiting longer, worrying it’s been too long. If a child has only ever experienced ‘going’ in a nappy, no wonder it can be confusing and scary. Of course some kids aren’t phased at all, but for others it can be genuinely distressing. Potty training is very different for children who’ve used a potty from infancy and who are used to peeing and pooping without a nappy. EC helps to avoid the confusion and fear of introducing something brand new and scary. Children should already have a positive relationship with the potty/toilet, it’s just a case of building on skills they already have.

‘Waiting for readiness’ is the most common method currently in the UK. This usually means nappies being used for 100% of waste up to around 2 or 3+ years, with little emphasis on building any familiarity or skills before starting the process.

EC approaches vary widely and can be flexible to suit your circumstances. At one end of the spectrum, some families practice full time EC. This can involve little (or no) use of nappies, and using the potty whenever possible. It takes a firm commitment, and is best suited to parents who are laid back about accidents!

Part-time EC usually means using a combination of potty and nappy, with various tools at your disposal to help – such as using cloth nappies instead of disposables, regular nappy-free time, baby wearing, co-sleeping and special clothing for quick easy removal. While these tools can work well to tip the balance from nappy to potty, it’s important to know yourself and what you’re comfortable with, and to be realistic and relaxed to help make it a positive experience for your baby and family. Again, accidents are to be expected!

Within the spectrum of part-time EC many families choose to potty less regularly, but with enough consistency to bring many of the benefits. This could involve using disposable nappies, limited nappy-free time, more reliance on common timings over natural, perhaps pottying during the day at home but not when out and about or during the night. Even if the potty is used just a few times a day, children become familiar with the process. This can develop into naturally building up more potty visits over time, or can continue part-time until ready to potty train – without fear of the unknown.

There are also other alternative methods of potty training, such as the hybrid approach, the Montessori approach, and many more, which may offer benefits over the readiness method.

Before the introduction of disposable nappies in the 1960s there was more of an incentive to keep babies clean, due to the workload involved in washing cloth nappies. Ask an older relative or friend and they might be able to share their experience of pottying young babies. Methods varied and throughout history there were practices that were rigid or even punitive. The concept of waiting for readiness was introduced as a more gentle child-led alternative by pediatrician Dr Brazelton (who worked with Pampers – the study was used as the cornerstone of their marketing campaign. If you find this conflict of interest disconcerting, read more here).

The readiness method is the only one currently endorsed by the NHS. At the outset of my EC journey I got in touch to find out their position on EC. The response was that they would take it under consideration if new guidance was published by the Institute of Health Visitors or ERIC. While ERIC acknowledge EC as a recognised technique, they conclude that few people’s lifestyles are conducive to EC in the UK.

However, EC is increasing in popularity as more people become aware of the benefits. Celebrity parents Mayim Bialik, Alicia Silverstone and Gisele Bundchen all practiced EC. There are many thousands of members of EC Facebook support groups, including from Yorkshire based Little Bunny Bear (25.7k), Born Ready EC UK (5.9k) and Go Diaper Free (3.3k – previously restricted to book owners, recently opened to all). It’s my hope that in the future EC becomes recognised by healthcare organisations as an accessible approach, so that new parents can be given more balanced information on their options.

Like most things with kids, there will be obstacles. Like when your sweet little angel suddenly hates the pram and/or car seat, or starts throwing their favourite food on the floor, etc etc. Most people will experience resistance at some point with EC. A ‘potty pause’ may come along when you least expect, when things have been going fine then all of sudden it goes downhill. There are ways to try to get back on track, or it’s fine to scale it back to just the easiest catches, or to even take a break to reset then try again later.

Bear in mind that if your early experience of EC doesn’t go well, it doesn’t mean it won’t ever work. Children change so much over a short time, it could be a different experience a few weeks or months later. It isn’t any sort of failure, and nobody should feel undue pressure to make EC work. However, it doesn’t mean being restricted to the readiness method. By keeping an open mind you may find that over time EC (or a different alternative approach) works for your family and circumstances.

To read Louise’s full EC story with both her boys, visit the original place of publication of this post over here.

If you want to watch the recording of today’s podcast episode, you can do that on my youtube version right here:

To help out the show and help more parents find out about EC:

xx Andrea

Disclosure Note: As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from purchases made through the links on this page.

This is a re-post of an article originally published by Andrea Olson on January 5th 2021

The post Mess-free potty learning from birth, Using part-time EC appeared first on Go Diaper Free.

Maybe this has happened to you: you’ve been doing just the morning pee or just poops and feeling pretty good about part-time EC, but now your situation has changed, or your energy has picked back up, or you’re just tired of using diapers anymore...how do you move from part-time elimination communication to full-time ECing?

What, exactly, is the next step in potty training our infants and moving towards being truly “diaper-free?”

One of our readers asked this question, so today I’m gonna give it a full answer:

Q: How do you know/decide when to take things “up a notch”? We have been part-time ECing our daughter O (8.5 mos) for 2.5 mos, and we’re doing really well with pottytunities (post-nap, post-nursing, etc) and catching her poops (it’s very clear on her face when she’s pooping). We just don’t know how to transition to the next phase — working toward F/T? — from here. ~Sarah R.

A: Hey Sarah! Thanks for submitting your question to the EC Q+A…I think it’s a wonderful one.

My first thoughts are that you already know that you are ready to take things up a notch because you sent me this question as your top EC question. :)

So, there’s that one….

You “know” that it’s time to move from part-time EC to more full-time EC when you start to ask yourself or your husband or your best friend, “Sally, we’re doing really well. I wonder how I can step this up a notch?”

The first thing I’d suggest is to consider why you’re doing so.

Is it because you are having success and would genuinely like to try extending EC across a longer time span, more diverse situations, and maybe increasing pee catches along with your poo success?

Or is it because you want to “master” EC and be done with it already?

Or perhaps you want to become perfect at it?

Maybe you’re just wondering if you’re doing “enough”…or if you’ve built the confidence to move forward and take on more?

Or how about our top reason - are you tired of using diapers?

No matter what the reason, when you make your decision, take a few deep breaths and feel into your body at that very moment that you consider it….Do I feel excited and content, relaxed and self-assured, tense and anxious, afraid and nervous?

Your body will always tell you which decision to make.

Oh, and btw…you can’t make the WRONG decision. It’s all a learning process. If you decide to take on more and it doesn’t work out, you can always go back to what you’ve been doing already…knowing that you at least tried, and forgiving yourself (because elimination communication is not all-or-nothing...it’s about “communication” not catch rate).

The first thing you’ll want to do is make an inventory of where you *are* with EC, right now. What things do you do? What things don’t you do? What times of day are you active? When are you not? Where are you? Where aren’t you? You get the idea.

Then, look at which specific aspect you’d like to move toward: I’d like to begin to catch more pees; I’d like to teach my child to signal; I’d like to teach her hard skills that will move her toward potty independence more gracefully and effortlessly; I’d like to ditch the daytime diapers, etc.

Then, fill in the gaps between where you are now and where you’d like to be.

You can use your intuition and brainpower to figure this out, or you van use my book and private, off-Facebook forum.

I also offer 7 minicourses on the biggest EC challenges, including nighttime, outings, getting back on track, wrapping it up, potty pauses, etc., in case you already have my book and want a deep dive.

Do some observation time (episode 83.5a) and find out your baby’s current natural timing and rhythm, and signals (if any). No matter your focus, do this re-observation as a rule!

You can read or listen to this post on how to get your baby to signal (episode #47).

You can read my book for the brand new section on the building blocks to potty independence (what to teach, and when to teach it, to get your baby on the easy road to potty independent).

You can also refer to my book for how to stop using diapers, and when to do it. This podcast also covers the topic (episode #41).

You can look into which EC clothing, undies, and back-ups I’ve used for all my babies (episode #53), and see what you would like to change to next.

You can assess moving to the big toilet (episode #40), or transitioning away from in-arms pottying (episode #39).

It really depends upon what you envision to be next.

(And btw...full-time EC still doesn’t mean “all or nothing.” It just means you’re now, during waking hours, fully open to pottying your baby and doing your best to respond. Especially if you’re done with diapers...you’ve kind of got to be “on,” right?)

If all it is that you want is to do MORE EC, MORE OFTEN, then just start doing EC more!

If any of you have shared this experience of moving from part-time to full-time EC, please post your experiences in the comments below.

xx Andrea

If you want to watch the recording of today’s podcast episode, you can do that on my youtube version right here:

To help out the show and help more parents find out about EC:

xx Andrea

Disclosure Note: As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from purchases made through the links on this page.

This is a re-post of an article originally published by Andrea Olson on 12/29/20

The post How do I move from part-time ECing to more full-time ECing? appeared first on Go Diaper Free.

Is praising during potty training good or bad? Should we praise our babies when they use the potty while doing elimination communication?

This is a great question and one that I feel fairly strongly about.

Praise can be communicated in many ways, and depending on the way it’s used, and whether it’s for internally-motivated or externally-motivated behaviors.

Elimination communication and toilet training both involve internally-motivated behaviors.

If your child is externally-motivated to use the potty, to please you or earn a sticker or M&M, then the potential for rebellion and a dysfunctional relationship to toileting is nigh!

Here’s an excerpt from my book about why I no longer praise. I hope it helps you lots:

Lots of people have differing opinions on this. Some people praise the baby, some people praise the action, others reflect what they see/saw, others state their pleasure, and still others say nothing.

After much research, experience, and thought, I recommend that you either (1) Reflect & Notice, or (2) Say Nothing. Before I get to those, here’s a bit about why I no longer praise my babies.

After a catch, I used to praise and [albeit positively] judge. In the beginning, I would excitedly say, “Good peepee/poopoo!” and praise my first baby for going. You can see proof of this in most of the videos I taped before I had this epiphany.

After about 5 months, I reassessed this choice and decided to stop praising and start reflecting. Why? Well, I learned that as we praise children (for anything) they begin to do things to receive our praise and thus become extrinsically motivated. My hopes for my babies are the opposite: I want them to be motivated from within themselves.

Further, when I would say that a peepee is “good,” I implied there is also a “bad” version out there. The child may think, If I don’t do it “right,” am I “bad?” This type of positive or negative language comes across as criticism, even if well-intentioned.

I did not do any permanent damage – my tone was appropriate. We all say “good job,” right? It’s okay sometimes, I guess. But going to the bathroom is a natural process stemming from an inner motivation to take care of one’s hygiene and is not meant to happen out of a motivation to please you.

1. Reflect & Notice

The alternative to praise is reflecting or noticing. This means describing what you see baby do without making a big deal out of it. You can even notice how you feel inside and express that. Some examples of how to notice and reflect are:

“You’re peeing.”

Even words as simple as “Yay!” or “Wow!” will communicate the satisfaction you feel when she pees in the desired place.

2. Say Nothing

In cultures where infant pottying is the norm, most parents say nothing upon a successful potty. It’s expected that the baby should ask to go pee, and the parent should take her (or that an unspoken intuition should guide it all). It’s not really an exciting event because it is so socially ingrained as part of the “norm” and thus there’s never a big deal made of pottying. It’s a natural given.

Laurie Boucke writes in Infant Potty Training that some parents in intact cultures become upset about a miss in the middle of the kitchen, after the baby is old enough to “know better,” but never do they become upset with the child, nor make her feel wrong. They are only displeased with the activity. This displeasure clearly & honestly demonstrates to the child which behaviors are acceptable and which are not.

Simply weigh whether you want to raise your child to be intrinsically (reflect or say nothing) or extrinsically (praise) motivated. Many of us have been conditioned to say it, so if “good job” slips out, it probably won’t obliterate baby’s internal desire to do what’s socially expected. But avoid “good boy” or “good girl.”

If you’ve had a miss (i.e., baby peed before you could offer her the potty), acknowledge that by saying something like, “You peepeed in your pants. Let me know next time, and I will help you put it in the potty.”

Be easy on yourself. It’s not the end of the world if you have a miss. (Remember, EC is all about communication! Not your catch rate.) You want to model the kind of self-love that your baby will have, right? Be nice to Mom/Dad.

Ask yourself, “Now what did Mommy/Daddy learn from that?” The best information is gathered by a miss!

If you have mis-guessed his need to potty (i.e., he didn’t have to go after all), acknowledge that gently. You can say to your baby, “Oh, you don’t need to go peepee after all. Okay.”

Never feel like you have to apologize; you didn’t do anything wrong by offering. So long as you are gentle, open, and non-coercive, you are trying your best.

Next, ask yourself, “Now what did Mommy/Daddy learn from that?” Great information can be gathered from a mis-guess!

After a smooth interaction (baby signals, I offer potty, he pees) I often say, “Thank you for letting Mama know you had to go pee.” If it feels right for you to do that, gratitude is an awesome thing to model for your children.

So there you have it. If you want to raise a child who is not using the toilet to please anyone but him- or herself, I highly recommend you avoid praise. Again, this is for internally-motivated behaviors and bodily processes like using the potty during toilet training and elimination communication.

If you do praise, praise the activity or show your joy (I always do! yay!), but do not say “good girl” or “good boy” because that implies that they could be bad if they don’t do it, and the possibility that they will act out against that idea as a 2 or 3 year old is very high! Rebellion may be heightened. But more than anything, it’s manufactured. This type of praise isn’t based on truth. We are not good or bad for using the toilet. We use the toilet to have good hygiene. It’s just what we do. Matter of fact.

If you want to watch the recording of today’s podcast episode, you can do that on my youtube version right here:

To help out the show and help more parents find out about EC:

xx Andrea

Disclosure Note: As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from purchases made through the links on this page.

This is a re-post of an article originally published by Andrea Olson on 12/22/20

The post Praise. appeared first on Go Diaper Free.

Clean-up, clean-up, everybody do your share...how do we clean up during observation and after pottying our babies with elimination communication, and are there any tricks? Today we’ll answer this question from one of our readers.

Q: As a first time mom and therefore first timer at this EC stuff; can you please tell me what is the best way to clean up the pee and/or poop when you are just starting out and observing your child for his/her “signals”?

My son is almost 10 months old and we are starting very late but I’m hoping for at least a little bit of success. Thanks for the advice :) ~Anonymous

A: Hey Mama! First off, congrats on starting Elimination Communication with a mobile, older baby.

It is never too late to start EC, so long as you’re still beginning prior to 18 months. (If over 18 months, see my other book for young toddler potty training that’s in line with EC.)

When you, the parent, are ready to ditch the diapers, that age becomes the right age to start potty training your child.

Being that you’ve begun at 10 months, and in the middle of a LOT of developmental changes for dear baby, I do have some tips for cleaning up during naked and “diaper-free” observation time.

But, first, let’s cover:

1. Only do as much naked time as is necessary to gather information (such as your baby’s natural timing and intervals for peeing and pooping [after feeding and after waking], your baby’s signals or peepee dance [if any!], and to check in with your intuition).

Once that info is gathered, STOP doing naked time immediately.

This step is often missed, and is one that will help you lessen the need to clean up.

At the point that naked time becomes defunct/unnecessary, you’ll want to either (a) put your child in 100% cotton trainers (I prefer Gerbers’ 18 mo size, shrunk down with a hot wash/hot dry) and regular pants and clothing, (b) use a Sumo-style diaper back-up so you know right away when your child is wet (this means using a diaper belt around the child’s waist that holds a folded cloth prefold diaper in place, or (c) continue to use the diapers of your choice (cloth is preferred to retain or build sensitivity to wetness) as a tool (a “back-up”) whenever you wish (just be consistent…like: every morning she’s just in pants, but in a diaper the rest of the day).

2. During this range of naked time, do your observation in a “safe” space with a potty in the room/area. This could be a room in the house that has tile or hardwood floors; an outdoor area if the weather is warm enough; or even a carpeted room with towels, blankets, or yoga mats covering a vast majority of the carpet.

This way, any mess will be “contained” in the larger sense. :)

3. Since baby is mobile, I do not recommend just letting him pee wherever. What does that teach? This is a major downfall of how most EC has been done (up until my revised book came out).

Instead, do this: I recommend (gently, like a calm air-lift) transporting him to the potty each time he begins to pee or poop while saying (firmly but gently) “wait” and sitting him on the potty every single time. This teaches him pee goes in the potty and models how to get there himself when the time comes. Do it midstream. Do it when you see the peepee dance or signal come, or when you feel the intuition.

This will lessen your mess to just what drips between where you were sitting and playing, and where the in-the-room-nearby potty is.

4. While you’re observing, resist the urge to be potty-centered. This will save you mess now and in the future! Instead, have a diffuse awareness around pottying, just as you do around eating and sleeping. Do not helicopter! Focus on connecting with your child while noticing the pee and poop patterns without overdoing it all. A fine balance.

If you want to watch the recording of today’s podcast episode, you can do that on my youtube version right here:

To help out the show and help more parents find out about EC:

xx Andrea

Disclosure Note: As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from purchases made through the links on this page.

This is a re-post of an article originally published by Andrea Olson on 12/15/20

The post Clean-up appeared first on Go Diaper Free.

When we were expecting our firstborn, Elimination Communication wasn't even remotely on our radar. So, when clothes shopping, we figured *of course* we needed onesies…and plenty of them.

If you're like me, the moment you started practicing EC, those snaps became one of your biggest headaches, right? I mean, snapping and unsnapping every couple hours….no big deal. But every 30 minutes?!?! Forget it.

And so…the snaps were left hanging unsnapped, they were snapped to the side, sometimes snapped over the shoulders. Snapped everywhere except where they were meant to be snapped.

AND, to pile on the offense, if you switch from disposables to cloth diapers, the onesies you had been using no longer fit, and you have to size up early. Ugh!

THEN, if you make the jump to using Tiny Trainers (which we did at 10 months), even the thought of using onesies gets thrown out the window. I definitely don't want a miss to involve an entire outfit change.

There's a practical solution to this difficulty - turn your onesies into t-shirts! The pattern I'm going to share with you today is SO easy - anyone can do it, even if the only sewing tools you own are a needle and some thread.

It actually took us until our baby was almost 12 months old before we finally broke and cut a onesie apart…I was so scared of ruining them. To be fair, at that point we basically only owned tops and bottoms in her size, so it was a matter of saving a favorite onesie that would otherwise never ever be worn again. But with this pattern on hand, maybe you can make the jump a lot sooner!

A word of caution: Before you go and destroy your entire stash - maybe just try one. You may find you actually still prefer onesies, especially if your baby isn't mobile yet, so they don't ride up your baby's belly when you carry them all the time. And if you find it doesn't quite work for you, the one onesie you’ve modified will still make a great PJ top with easy diaper access.

If you're worried this might be too much for you, let me assure you, I am NOT a seamstress by any means - if it was simple enough for me, you can do it, too. It would definitely be faster with a sewing machine, but I don't have one, so hand-sewing does the trick (and it's relaxing too!).

Alright, enough with the backstory. Let's get to this pattern!

Items needed:

To begin, cut the onesie at the lowest point possible, while maintaining a mostly-straight line across. You want as much room to work with as possible.

Then, flip your onesie-turned-tshirt inside out. We are going to hem up the bottom to prevent it from rolling, and add some extra cuteness.

Fold up all the way around the bottom of the shirt just a hair - I folded mine up a little more than I should have here, but I had to because the bottom was a bit too curved.

Then fold it up a second time. It should look like the picture below. Pin that roll of fabric in place - be sure to avoid accidentally pinning the two sides of the shirt together. You should still be able to put the shirt on your baby (If you wanted to, that is. Definitely don't try it with the pins still in.).

I like to double the string, thread it through the needle, and then bring the ends together and knot it. This makes it 4 threads wide which gives you a sturdy, thick thread to work with. It's nice to have your thread (after the doubling and knotting) measure about double the width of the shirt, which will get you through half the hem and leave you enough to secure it at the side seam instead of in the middle of the shirt.

Start near one side seam and poke your needle down into the top part of your fold. Since the shirt is inside out, this means the extra thread left after your knot will be hidden on the inside.

Then hand stitch all the way across the top part of your fold around the shirt, taking pins out as you go. This will keep your hem secure, and leave a very cute little line of stitches at the bottom of the shirt. It WILL be visible, so be sure to keep it as straight as possible.

I found that as opposed to pushing the needle down and pulling the thread through, then up and pulling it through, it was much easier to keep a straight line if I went down and up before pulling the needle through.

I would poke the needle through downward, then leave a millimeter or two of space and poke it upwards, like in the photo below. Then I would pull the thread all the way through.

This allowed me to have neat even stitches, and helped speed up the process because I wasn't flipping the fabric back and forth over and over again.

When you are getting low on thread (maybe with 3-4 inches left), secure and knot the thread, like I will explain in the next couple of steps. I had enough thread to get through half the hem (from one side seam to the other), tie it off, and then rethread for the second half.

8.a) To begin finishing off the end of your thread, stick the needle into a teeny bit of fabric and pull through, but not all the way - leave some string still loose and not pulled through the fabric, like in the picture below.

Then place your needle inside that loop, pull through, and pull it tight.

8.b) Repeat step eight a second time - this time instead of poking the needle into the fabric, thread the needle into the knot you just created before sticking it through the loop and pulling it tight. This will create a strong, lasting knot that won't come undone.

Now, go back to step five and repeat for the other side of the shirt (the second half of the hem), unless you used a really long thread and got all the way around the shirt the first time - then you're done!

Once you've finished off the knot on the other side, and all your pins have been removed, turn the shirt right-side out and try it on your sweet baby!

A couple other notes:

The shirt I used for this post turned out to be a tiny bit short. We saw a lot of our baby's belly button that evening - oops! The onesie from my first try seemed a little bit longer, and covered her appropriately like a regular shirt. So this t-shirt will probably be used exclusively on top of dresses - to make our little Spring dresses more Fall-friendly.

It's held up well in the wash, and I'm so happy to finally be getting some use out of my favorite onesie again!

Definitely play around and see what works well for you - I hope this inspires you to give it a try!

If you want to watch the recording of today’s podcast episode, you can do that on my youtube version right here:

To help out the show and help more parents find out about EC:

xx Andrea

Disclosure Note: As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from purchases made through the links on this page.

This is a re-post of an article originally published by Andrea Olson on 12/8/20

The post How to Transform Your Onesies Into Tiny T-Shirts (guest post) appeared first on Go Diaper Free.

Many people say “I can’t start EC because I am too busy. This baby pottying business is NOT for busy moms.”

But I say, “Baloney!”

I have 5 kids spanning 8 years and run two businesses...busy is my middle name, and I’ve pottied all 5 of my babies from birth. Not to brag, but I’m definitely fully qualified to share some tips about how to start EC when you’re super-duper busy in today’s show.

I received this specific question from one of our community members:

Q: We’re in the starting phase of EC and I’ve just begun observing and letting my baby be without a diaper for some time during the day. How do you EC in the beginning when you’re going on a trip, or just have things to do one day that fills the whole day? ~Linda N., Karlstad, Sweden

A: Greetings, Linda! Thanks for writing in your question about scheduling in the beginning steps of Elimination Communication.

I think it’s important to point out how vital the beginning phase of EC is…and exactly how to do it so it doesn’t take over your life (or so it will fit into an already-busy schedule).

The very first thing I’d do is start with ONE of the 4 Easy Catches.

They are:

If you are able to commit to any one of these catches, make it a habit! Just offer without expecting a catch, consistently, every day. This will do wonders for your budding EC practice, and might make observation time either (a) unnecessary or (b) much more doable.

You can learn about the 4 easy catches on my free Easy Start Guide. Get one here:

EC is an “exposure” technique, so any single pottytunity done with regularity and a calm attitude WILL make a difference over time!

First, you’ll want to schedule in some naked observation time.

ONLY do this naked time for as long as it takes to gather the necessary information.

Any longer than that, and you’re going to teach your baby to pee on the floor/bed/wherever.

You can, however, continue diaper-free time without it being naked. (Definitely check out my book for more details on this very important topic.)

Okay, back to starting…

So, yes, schedule your naked time.

Find a 2-3 hour block of time that includes at least one feeding and one wake-up.

Turn off your phone, your computer, and Facebook.

Do not invite friends over. Do not do the dishes. Do not multitask.

During this time, make note of your baby’s natural timing and rhythms by recording the intervals between pees and poos as compared to waking, and also as compared to feeding.

Using feeding and waking as starting points will help you make sense of what you’re recording!

Also, make note of any signals your baby makes right before or during the pee or the poo.

There may not be any because the baby is naked. But see for yourself!

Lastly, make note of any feelings or thoughts YOU have right before or during the pee or poo. Is your intuition actively telling you something? This could be used as a resource later.

Then get on with your busy day!

Keep scheduling and doing this 2-3 hour block any time you need to gather more information. IF that need arises.

Though I don’t think you were asking about this, here’s something I have to say to everyone out there:

Just doing naked “observation” time whenever and simultaneously perusing the internet or calling your mother isn’t the same as focused observation time.

This is not EC. Being “diaper-free” does not mean “let him be naked, peeing wherever all the time, and maybe try to potty him here and there when I’m not distracted.”

If you’re going to do EC with your baby, you’d be best served by scheduling a time, actually paying attention, and thus reducing your overall upfront time commitment to the practice.

That said, don’t just throw it around like a new toy. Actually do it! Clear your schedule, 2-3 hours at a time, and learn how to begin.

If you’re at a loss for exactly how to start, my book will walk you thru step by step. As will I on my Forum.

I’d advise any parent to pick a time to start EC when the least “life changes” are occuring.

Having a new baby is not without its ebb and flow. There is always something new happening.

Consider starting EC as the same thing as starting to know your baby’s signs for hunger or sleep or needing warmth or holding. Integrate into the whole beginning if you can.

Get some guidance to help you know exactly how to start in the most streamlined, stress-free way (yes, another shameless plug for my own book).

Starting EC in the middle of world travel might be difficult.

Starting over Thanksgiving at Grandma’s? Not really the best idea.

Scheduling 2-3 hours of observation time before or after Thanksgiving weekend (but not putting it off til Spring)? Great idea!

You don’t have to commit a full 7 days of non-activity to start EC.

(And remember the 4 easy catches...so easy!)

You’ll want to decide how much or how little of EC to do EVERY day…and then do it EVERY DAY. Commit to it and start as you mean to go on.

You can use the tools you gathered during naked time and during the times you’ve committed to ECing every day.

Like I said in the beginning, start with the easy catches, such as upon waking, before or after putting in the carseat, upon diaper changes, just the poops.

You’ll also be using the diaper as a tool, or back-up, and to reduce the stress on *you* so that EC runs more smoothly.

Okay, so all of this is a gross over-simplification of what you may need more guidance to truly wrap your head around.

The main point is, if your life is too busy to adequately feed or rest your baby, then maybe you are too busy to start EC.

Because I’m CERTAIN you’re feeding and resting your baby, I’m CERTAIN you can start EC!

Reframe the diaper as a backup, not a toilet, and simply start with ONE of the easy catches.

If this super-easy way to start doesn’t work for you, do some observation and see what you can see.

Again, if you are feeding and resting your baby fine, even amidst travel, and you have the ability to learn EC AND do the easy catches. If you get that under your belt, you can definitely carve out some time to observe and implement a more substantial start to the practice.

If you can feed and nap your baby, you are not too busy to start EC and should begin right away. (Obvi you just didn’t know how - but now you do! Yay!)

Hope it helped clear up some things for you about starting Elimination Communication with your baby.

If you want to watch the recording of today’s podcast episode, you can do that on my youtube version right here:

To help out the show and help more parents find out about EC:

xx Andrea

Disclosure Note: As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from purchases made through the links on this page.

This is a re-post of an article originally published by Andrea Olson on 12/1/20

The post Starting EC and observing a naked baby if really busy or traveling appeared first on Go Diaper Free.

Elimination Communication often puzzles new parents because it doesn’t fit in with what we have heard or seen about parenting. In our culture, babies wear diapers. They wear diapers all day long, all night long. Babies have a diaper on their butt practically from the moment they are born until they are “ready” to potty train, usually around age 3.

(Learn here why “readiness” is a myth.)

To reinforce this diapering habit and delay potty training, we are told things like:

These messages come from family and friends, caregivers and pediatricians, books and parenting blogs. When people we trust say such things, we tend to believe them. Therefore, we wait and wait and wait before we introduce our children to the potty.

Elimination Communication is based on a different vision of the child than the one we usually have in contemporary Western cultures. EC parents firmly believe that their babies can feel, control, and communicate their elimination needs. We try to answer their basic hygienic need by offering the potty to them.

EC can start as early as birth. It can be practiced full-time or part-time, in combination with diapers or not.

What parents love most about Elimination Communication is that it helps them understand their child and strengthen their relationship with them.

To understand why EC works, we need to forget everything we heard about full-time diapering and delayed potty training for a second. If we change our paradigm for a moment, we can see that EC actually makes a lot of sense. Let’s look at 4 reasons this is true.

Natural infant hygiene (another term for elimination communication) is based on four basic principles that explain why EC works. (Maybe learning these four principles will inspire you to start pottying your baby sooner than you thought.)

When babies are born, everything is new for them. The cold air, the bright light, the loud sounds. The world is a scary place for tiny humans. That’s why it’s so important to cuddle them and carry them skin-to-skin. By submerging ourselves and our newborns in a dark and calm environment, we re-create the sensations of the womb.

We know babies can become upset when their diaper is wet or dirty, but few of us know that babies can feel the need to eliminate BEFORE it happens. This feeling is especially strong for newborns, since defecating is a totally new sensation for them (babies don’t poop in their mother’s womb).

Just like digestion and gassiness can make newborns uncomfortable, the feeling of elimination can also cause a strong reaction. Young babies will express this sensation in a particularly vocal way in their first few weeks and months of life. They might scream or cry not before they are wet or dirty but because they NEED to go NOW.

Of course, it’s not a clear sensation for them. Babies don’t have the full cognitive capacity to understand what is happening in their body. Nonetheless, they do feel it. Newborns do feel their need to pee or poop.

Want to start EC with your new baby? Get the minicourse Potty Time.

However, this sensation can be lost if it is not encouraged by frequent or occasional potty visits. We have created disposable diapers with such an efficient stay-dry effect that babies completely lose the sensation of eliminating. Then they become toddlers, and after that preschoolers, who have no clue when they pee or poo.

The ongoing habit of constantly wearing highly efficient diapers for 2-3-4 years leads kids to disconnect themselves from their bodily functions, namely elimination. That’s why potty training can be so hard with older kids. They just have no clue what’s going on.

Starting early with even occasional visits to the potty (upon waking, after meals, before bath) will keep your baby connected and conscious of the feeling of his own elimination.

Yes, you CAN start EC even if your baby is older than 6 months! It’s never too late to start infant potty training. You just have to adapt the method to the age and development of your baby.

Learn how to potty train at different ages in this blog post.

We used to believe babies were simple. Feed them, change them. What else could they need?

Fortunately, we now know babies are highly complex individuals, with both physical and emotional needs. This ancient wisdom has made a comeback under the name attachment parenting. This parenting approach encourages parents to be fully aware of their babies’ needs and to try to satisfy them as soon as they arise, or, even better, before.

Whether or not you practice attachment parenting, it’s good to recognize the variety of babies’ needs and the ways they can express them. We know babies try to communicate with us when they are hungry, tired, cold, wet, etc.

Well, it happens they also express signals before they need to go potty. These signals are often confused with other primal needs because their communication capacities are not as refined as ours. Indeed, a baby may be crying for various reasons.

However, many EC parents report that their babies have specific ways to communicate about their elimination. Yes, babies DO tell their parents about this very specific need.

Their capacity to communicate will get better as our babies grow in age and in developmental stages. Newborns may just scream or cry when they need to poop. But older babies can grab their crotch, crawl towards the bathroom, or point the potty. When they get better at communication in verbal and non-verbal ways, they may use baby sign language or simply say the words “peepee, poopoo, or potty.”

If you want to learn more about baby signals and other pottytunities, I strongly recommend Andrea’s Easy Start Guide. Read it, print it, put it on your fridge. It’s a great tool all EC families should have. (And it’s free!)

Watch out. We are about to explore the most counter-cultural EC premise.

“Babies get uncomfortable when they have to go. Ok, I can get on board with that. Babies may cry because of it. Sure, that still makes sense. But come on, there is no way they can control it!”

Yes. Babies can control their elimination.

Any EC parent will tell you that their baby can control his sphincter and bladder. Even if your doctor tells you babies can’t hold it, when you witness it every day, how can you doubt it? Natural infant hygiene is the norm throughout cultures and history. Babies across all of human history have been born with the ability to control their sphincters.

If you are interested in the cultural variations of EC practice, listen to Andrea’s podcast series “How people potty their babies in countries without diapers”. It is fascinating!

Now, I’m not saying a newborn can hold his pee for hours. Far from that. Babies’ capacity to control their elimination is very limited at first. Chances are you will have some misses.

As your baby gets older, and especially when a baby is given regular opportunities to use the toilet, he or she will get better and better at it. Just like their sensation and their communication skills get better with practice and habit, so will their control over their bladder and sphincter muscles...and how long they can wait before releasing.

No matter how sophisticated the human species is, we remain mammals with primal needs and instincts. This is especially important when we try to understand babies. Because they are so new in the world, they are much more influenced by nature than by culture.

Babies don’t like being wet or soiled. That’s why they cry when their diaper is full. But that’s not the only thing. As mammals, human babies have the instinct to not soil themselves and the people who care for them. Aren’t they well-made?

So to recap, we saw that babies can feel their elimination, they can communicate about it, and they can control it.

Now I’m telling you that not only can they do all these things, but they will do them because they want to.

Still skeptical? Tell me if this scenario is familiar. Your baby cries, but her diaper is dry. The second you remove the diaper, your baby pees on the changing table. That is their instinct at work. They want to remain clean and dry, so they wait for you to remove their diaper to do their thing.

As we put all the above 4 reasons together, we start seeing that EC makes a lot of sense. If we can decode our baby and offer the potty at the right moment, our baby will take this opportunity to relieve himself in an appropriate place. This will allow him to remain dry and clean more often and for longer periods of time.

As weeks and months go by, our baby will get better at communicating and holding it. We parents will also begin to know our babies better, and we will get better at EC, too.

If you have a hard time pottying your baby at the “right” moment, the Potty Time Master Minicourse is just for you. It will help you find the right moment to offer the potty, even if your baby doesn’t signal his or her need to go!

I often hear parents say they don’t want to pressure their baby to use the potty. And I totally understand that. But the thing is…we don’t have to pressure them. Infant potty learning is the most normal, natural, and satisfying way to respond to our babies’ hygienic needs, no pressure necessary.

These premises may not make lots of sense in our culture right now, but they do when we examine them alongside the experience of all the EC parents around the world and across time. It is our mission at Go Diaper Free to bring back this knowledge and to integrate it into mainstream parenting...for the good of all parents and babies!

If you want to watch the recording of today’s podcast episode, you can do that on my youtube version right here:

To help out the show and help more parents find out about EC:

xx Andrea

Disclosure Note: As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from purchases made through the links on this page.

This is a re-post of an article originally published by Andrea Olson on 11/24/20

The post 4 Reasons EC Works (guest post) appeared first on Go Diaper Free.

Placing the potty in each room, potty here/there/everywhere...how does pottying your baby in multiple locations affect elimination communication, and should we be pottying our babies in the same place every time?

Today I’m going to answer that specific question from one of our community members:

Q: I potty my 3.5 month old all over the place. First thing in the morning she seems to need to ‘go’ at about 5am so I ‘potty’ her on the bed, leaning on me with the potty between my legs. Sometimes we’re in the lounge room, sometimes her room or the bathroom. Should I start to try and potty her in the on place (the bathroom) so she begins to recognise that as the place to ‘go’? I noticed in your book you mention that once baby can begin to move, they can communicate that the need to ‘go’ when they crawl to the ‘potty’ place.~Sarah, Sydney Australia

A: Hey Sarah! I’m glad that you asked this question…it comes up a lot for a variety of reasons.

My advice is this:

At 3 1/2 months, your baby still doesn’t have the (brain) capacity to maintain long term, repetitive tasks/thoughts/processes (this happens for the short term memory at around 6-9 months, long term around 14-18 months).

It might seem like she’s consistently doing new things…which is right, because she’s learning new skills all the time. But, the brain isn’t quite “there” yet at this age.

A long way of saying that you don’t need to worry about place just yet.

However, your hunch is right about eventually needing to begin to potty her in a consistent place.

At the age your gal begins to crawl, it might be a good idea to start exclusively pottying her in the bathroom.

The exception to this would be if you’re hanging in the living room a lot and the bathroom is too far away for your baby to hold it that long. In that case, you’d also have a potty available in the living room.

Also, if you should ever need to do a naked day to re-learn her timing or signals, or to teach her the motion of “going towards the potty” by placing her on there for each pee, then you’d want the potty nearby (obviously).

For nighttime at 3.5 months, keep pottying her where it’s least disruptive for you. IF she should begin to fuss about it, it might be an indication that she knows she’s peeing over the bed and would like to do it in the proper place (the bathroom). In this case, put a dim nightlight in the bathroom and potty her over the sink at those times, at that age.

Nighttime EC shifts so often that this advice isn’t really applicable to every baby at these ages…but these are some things to keep in mind, anyway!

Keep pottying her wherever convenient and sensible while she’s young.

When she hits crawling, begin exclusively pottying her in the bathroom (whether in-arms or on the mini potty or toilet set reducer…or in dire situations or pauses, on the floor).

At nighttime, do what’s least disruptive (if anything) and note if she shifts to wanting to potty elsewhere in the wee hours.

And as a final note, we now have 5 children and over the years accumulated many potties, especially because I brought the top hat potty back to market and created a super-short mini potty as well.

Needless to say, we have had potties scattered about the house for years and a baby moving toward one of these potties has usually indicated a signal that they need to pee...and the presence of all these potties has never confused any of them.

Potty your baby wherever it’s convenient. That’s the #1 thing that will make EC work: your consistency!

I hope it helped some other ECers know what to do when practicing Elimination Communication in multiple locations, with multiple receptacles.

I’d love to know your home potty station set-up(s). What do you do at your casa? Please write them in the comments below.

And here is a little gallery of some of our readers’ potty stations. Enjoy:

If you want to watch the recording of today’s podcast episode, you can do that on my youtube version right here:

To help out the show and help more parents find out about EC:

xx Andrea

Disclosure Note: As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from purchases made through the links on this page.

This is a re-post of an article originally published by Andrea Olson on 11/17/20

The post Potty Location appeared first on Go Diaper Free.