Anyone started elimination training (early potty training) with their baby?

Gretchen - posted on 11/05/2011

8m I think is way to early but whatever works for you! I wish my girl was ready at 8m.

Alicia - posted on 05/14/2010

Would you want to sit in a wet diaper for hours? Gross. I change my son's diaper every 2 or 3 hours unless it is really dry. Interesting concept on the ET - don't think it's for me... yet!

Krystal - posted on 05/13/2010

thanx

Shanna - posted on 04/28/2010

Wow so many great responses and I must say I am amazed at the amount of mum's out there who do EC...I personally could not do it I don't have the patience!
Apparently in china and other places EC is the norm and there are garters and gardens to cater for babies when they go out!
Krystal there are heaps of sites available and stuff on youtube as well

Krystal - posted on 04/28/2010

im really intrigued by this. i think it sounds like a good idea, but im a little worried with my boy because i thought that baby boys are suppose to pee wen they have there nappy off, but my son refuses to pee unless he has it on, ive never had the peeing on me problem. it makes me wonder if this will be harder for me to try.
but you have inspired me to give it a go. ive never heard of it b4 so i might have to read about it first. maybe its not big in australia.
good luck!

Kristy - posted on 04/25/2010

i have never hurd this befor, and most the time i dont even know when my son has done a wee, because 9 times out of ten his nappy is still dry anywhere up to an hour after i change him, i didnt start toilet training mynow 4 yr old daughter untill she told me she was ready i think from memory she was about 2 yrs of age,now she still wears a nappy to bed of a night only becaue she is such a heavy sleeper, i wouldnt even be able to budge her to get her to go of a night, also with her about 4 mornigs out of 7 she wakes with a dry nappy,i just praise her, i think itsup to them when they are ready to potty train etc....

Amanda - posted on 04/25/2010

I should tell you all that my almost 2 yr old trained us to put her on the potty when she was just a few months (would cry or fuss BEFORE she wet/soiled her diaper) and now she will tell us if she has to go "poopoo" but fights us regularly about sitting on the pot to pee (or even get a diaper change)! I feel like all that time we spent putting her on the potty as a baby was wasted since she still goes through 4-5 diapers a day but I guess I never have to change the stinky ones!

Marynia - posted on 04/25/2010

START NOW! The earlier you start, the easier it is. If you wait until kiddo gets used to the feeling of wetted/soiled diapers, it will be way difficult to use EC, and you'll have to wait for the annoying traditional 'potty training.' My EC mom friends have their kids almost totally potty trained by the time they are a year old; starting after a year is incredibly difficult.



My son has been potty training since 4 months! We would have started earlier if I had been less skeptical. Of course, this isn't really "potty training," it's eliminiation communication, a different technique.



We do EC part-time, one of the few things that babies can do part time without getting confused... I'm lucky because kiddo is very vocal when he wants to poop, so it's just a matter of plopping in on his froggie pottie (the one made by fisher price; love it). Since he started eating baby foods and has thicker stool, the potty makes it SO much easier for him to expel, he really prefers it to crapping in his pants. :)



Peeing on the potty is harder to catch because, well, my son seems to be a water faucet, and catching each and every one is for full-timers. But after he wakes up, and after we play on the floor for a bit, I'll put him on the seat and he'll pee no problem.



I learned about EC from a mom meetup in Chicago. Having a community of other badass moms makes a big difference, especially for this! The U.S. is just finally catching on (or rather catching up) to this, it's a very exciting thing. Having an 8 month old *boy* that loves his potty is a true blessing!



And note: I am a single parent, grad student, working mom... and you better believe I can still do this! EC part time still works.



So get a pot (bjorn or the fisher price), and next time you hear you kid grunting, put him on there. Make a grunt noise for no. 2, a psst noise for no. 1. Follow your child's signal, and both of you will be very happy with the outcomes.

Diane - posted on 04/24/2010

I haven't done this myself but I hear it's awesome! One thing I've read consistently about it though is that it's a lot easier if you ditch the diapers completely rather than using them when you go out. Good luck!

Sarah - posted on 04/24/2010

http://www.diaperfreebaby.org/

There are several books on the subject. I used The DIaper-Free Baby by Christine Gross-Loh.

On a similar subject, when my older daughter was 20 months, I followed the method in the book Potty Training in Less Than a Day. In 4 hours she was potty trained and only had a handful of accidents in the following week. The book outlines a readiness assessment. That was a beautiful thing.

Sarah - posted on 04/24/2010

If you wait until your baby can walk, then he/she already is used to using the diaper, and maybe being wet for a little while and it takes a little extra effort to then break that habit. If you start very young, the child is able to retain the natural bowel/urinary control and awareness he/she is born with. That said, many people who begin EC at 10+ months still are very successful.

Melissa - posted on 04/24/2010

I have heard of EC But have never tried. I did train my 1st child (now 9) at a year. Potty training/elimination training takes a ton of effort on your part. Good luck. Personally, I think you should wait until your child can get him/herself on/off the potty. Not the big toilet but at least the baby potty. So wait until walking. BUT that is just me and if you can make it work before....kudos to you.

Fiona - posted on 04/23/2010

Wow!!!!!! Very very interesting, i have never heard of it, i worked in a childcare centre for a few years only ever started to train children from 18months. Would love to know more about it if anyone one has more info or websites to go please let me no. Thanks

Sarah - posted on 04/23/2010

Some tips from a grandma who EC'd: Let the baby take ownership of the potty. She might want to carry it around. That's fine. You can get her a baby doll with a potty and she might prefer to carry the doll potty or even play with it while she is on her potty.

Put the potty into your routine. If you go out to run errands, put her on the potty after you leave the store and get back into the car. Until she either can sign or speak, put her on the potty at regular times.

It might help to use the potty/toilet at the same time. You can put your baby on her potty while you use the toilet. You can make the sound you choose "pssssss" and she will hear you go too. (This works for babies that can sit unassisted.)

Sarah - posted on 04/23/2010

I've been doing it with my 8-month old since she was 3 months. She absolutely knows what the potty is for and when she has to go, she does so right away. We're very relaxed about it and just offer the potty either when we know she likely has to go (a few minutes after nursing or if it has been awhile since she last went) or of she signs "potty". Now that she's very mobile, she's not too interested, but we still get 2-4 times in the potty per day.

My friend has been EC-ing her son since birth and he uses the potty a lot. She even uses the toilet whenever they are out at a friend's house. She's more successful than I am in it and a few months ago when I asked her how she knew when he had to go and she said he breathed fast. That intense awareness is a bit beyond me, so we use diapers most of the time and give the potty a try at logical times.

For those people who say it's weird, I say it's weird to train your baby to soil him/herself. We're using cloth diapers with this (our 3rd) child and it is a bit more work. For eons people have been highly motivated to get their babies out of diapers as soon as possible (imagine washing dirty diapers by hand!) and they often did so by 1 yr old, using techniques very similar to EC.

To those who say babies don't have the muscle control: they are born with the muscle control but in our culture we train them to use disposable diapers (as I did with my 1st 2 babes) which absorb pee after pee and babies soon loose their control. In EC, the idea is that you respect babies' natural instinct not to soil themselves or you and you respond to their need to eliminate in an appropriate place.

It totally can be done. It's not always easy, especially if you become a bit sleep deprived or distracted, but in the long run it will save you a lot of $$ and hopefully deepen your connection to your child.

Best of luck. It's good to know there are other people trying this.

JANEINE - posted on 04/23/2010

I'll be waiting until my baby is atleast a todler, ie walking.

Penka - posted on 04/23/2010

http://www.white-boucke.com/reviews/late...

Chloe - posted on 04/23/2010

3-4 nappies a day for an 8 month old is perfectly normal!! So i dont think anyone should fret!! You change them once in the morn....once around lunch, once in the arvo and once b4 bed. Whats so unhealthy about that. Unless ur child pees like a dog then their nappies arent always going to be full. I know my 8 month old only has a full nappy from his night sleep as he sleeps for 12 hrs straight. He has never had a rash, a spot redness or anything. So I think in the end.........every child is different. And why get ur shild to use the potty at such a young age........why make ur child grow up any faster that they already do. I feel like nappy changing time is good eye contact time with ur baby where u can really interact with them. Your child will only depend on you for so long. Why fasten the process?? (Unless ur a mothe rof mutiples or have many children......there is no point.....is there??!!)

Lorena - posted on 04/22/2010

I think is too early

Brittany - posted on 04/22/2010

3 Diapers a day doesn't sound healthy to me either!! My Pediatrician said he needs at least 5 really good wet ones a day minimum at this age.

Christina - posted on 04/22/2010

Reply to Renea. She was using about 8 diapers a day before we started ET. I am a stay at home mom, and she is my only child. She actually chose to use the potty on her own. Everytime we were in the bathroom, she would crawl to her potty, pull up to it, and say mamama. So one day, I just pulled her diaper off and set her on the potty. She went pee and has been doing so ever since. Now the only time she wets herself is when she is asleep. So I have the early morning diaper, and a bowel movement each day, and every once in a while, a wet diaper when she wakes up from a nap. Your son only uses the bathroom 3 times in 24 hours? That does not seem very healthy, but like I said this is my first child so IO could be wrong.

Janelle - posted on 04/22/2010

Thanks for all the responses. I really appreciate the support. I am a stay at home mom and will be until September when I go back out to work. Although I have read it can be done part time - ie for working moms. I am not looking to wake my baby up to go potty nor am i expecting her to say she needs to go. I have been reading up on it and it seems like a good way to become more aware and in tune with my baby as you have to monitor he closely. This isnt like I am going to be upset if it doesnt work but if it does more power to her cause I am trying to recduce the idea of going potty as being such a traumatic thing as it is for some kids. She has a potty that sings, gives stickers and makes flushig noises and tells her wash her hand so she enjoys it. I usually sit her on it while I am 'going potty' Getting her used to the idea of using a toilet.

Laura - posted on 04/22/2010

I've been doing it with my son for about 2 months now and we have been very succesful. When I put him on the potty he waits about 30 seconds and then goes. The only time in the last few weeks when i've had to change a poopy diaper is when we're not at home and I haven't taken him to the potty. Some of you may think its strange, but I certainly don't miss having to change poopy diapers.

Ashley - posted on 04/22/2010

I've never heard of this. How is it different fro actual potty training? I can't imagine starting this with my 8 month old baby girl. She still hasn't even started crawling yet, much less get her to go to the potty.

Penka - posted on 04/22/2010

Hi to everyone! Did you remember at the beginning (first month) when you change dippers to your baby? Did it make its things exactly at this moment? Human babies are born pure! The earlier show them that you can do the work of the pot, the more quickly they learn. Please, try to endure (or on potty) after their child's sleep and see if it will get it done.

Natasha - posted on 04/21/2010

I dont think I would potty train my 8 month old. She cant walk or talk so I don't get how she would communicate with me that she has to go as would an older child. If you feel your 8 month old can then more power to you and your baby. I do suggest that you wait until your child can either walk to the potty and sit or say I have to go potty. They usually learn this by watching you-so do like I do and tell your child mommy has to go potty and go to the bathroom, every once in a while take them in the bathroom and show them the potty/toilet and reference it then just wash their hands. My daughter likes it.

Renae - posted on 04/21/2010

This is to Christina's reply... 3 diapers a day? Um... my baby is 8 months old, and that's all he goes through in a day anyways! So, how many did your baby go through before that? My baby is pretty regular with his bowel movements, but i'm not about to wake up at 5 am to catch his first poop of the day! I think if you know your kids routine for going potty, that's great, even better if you can save yourself a poopy diaper once in a while, changing a peed in diaper isn't so bad. As for me, I barely get myself to the bathroom myself during the day after chasing three kids around. I agree that this kind of thing is for someone who has time to devote to it.

Nicole - posted on 04/21/2010

I think potty training a baby now is strange. The only person you are training is yourself. Your training yourself to know when they go and when to put them on the potty. I think a kid should be able to walk and able to say "I have to go potty" then its a good time to start that. Half the time people sit there with there babies for hours while they sit there looking at you like....umm what the heck am I doing on here?! But if you want to try it, try it, I just think its a waste of something else your baby can be learning.

Andrea - posted on 04/21/2010

I do not believe potty training should be started until 1 1/2 to 2 years old.

Hayley - posted on 04/21/2010

i agree i think it kinda strange! Babies just aren't babies for long enough anymore! but if you think your baby is ready then u can always give it a try as many have said u cans till use nappies also

Lisa - posted on 04/21/2010

A friend of mine did it on her now almost two year old. If you started them on cloth diapers it will work kinda as in you will know when it's about that time and just put her in on the potty. You pretty much have to be a SAHM with no school and no other kids for it to work well though. Paying attention to the time of day will get her to start doing it for you but that doesn't mean she gets the connection. she likely won't till about 1.5 when all kids start getting curious.

Pam - posted on 04/21/2010

more power to you moms who try EC, but honestly I think it is kinda strange. ;o)

Christina - posted on 04/20/2010

I started with my daughter (almost 8 months old) a while back, I would say about a month ago. I have to say it has been a great success. We only use about 3 diapers a day now. She still does not tell us about bowel movements, but when she has to pee, she will bounce up and down and say ma ma ma ma ma I know it is not fool proof, but it works for our daughter. If you feel that you want to try, then try. All that can happen is either it works or it doesn't.

Kelly - posted on 04/19/2010

Hi Janelle - thanks for bringing this to my attention, I have never heard of EC before, but it sounds really interesting! I do know that babies have habits or routines, for example my son (7.5 mths) pees after his bath, we stand him up and say 'do your pee' and he usually goes before we lift him out. I also have a friend who knew their daughter had a bowel motion every night after dinner, so they used the toilet for this rather than a nappy from about 8-9 months. So, why not give it a try - you can still use nappies as a backup while you try it out. Let us know how you go! :)

Heather - posted on 04/19/2010

honestly, i'm pretty skeptical about elimination training on the whole. children don't even develop the muscle control to consciously control their bowels or bladder until at least age 2.... and they have to be pretty self aware to recognize the sensation of having to go. keep us posted if it works for you, i'd like to hear about it!

Bonnie - posted on 04/19/2010

Hhhm, my daughter is 8 mths and I'm not sure if she is aware enough to start potty training. From the skills we have been teaching her through play ( taken from Fun Start by J Oberlander ) it takes a good 4-6 weeks for her to grasp the more agile activities. Early potty training is based on a gradually developing awareness and I just don't think she is capable of the required level of awareness yet and won't be for at least another 4/5 months.

She seems to enjoy learning but if I were to start potty training her now I can see hands in the potty, having it knocked out of my hand as she tries to grab it and basically a whole load of mess.

Would be interesting to see how you progress if you decide to have a go. Good Luck