Beginning EC with an older baby or toddler

Baby Awearness EC Support Group - every 4th Sunday of the month
Next session: August 22 at 10:30 a.m. led by Holli Shiro

If your baby is past the ideal window (first 6 months) for starting EC, don’t despair! You can start with older babies and toddlers too. Here are the basic steps to starting:

1. Older babies may have become so accustomed to using diapers that they have lost awareness of their elimination functions. Providing diaper-free time each day (for at least 20 minutes - as long as you want) can help them re-gain this awareness. If you don’t want to go completely diaper free, a cloth training pant or coverless fitted diaper will work too. This will help your child experience wetness or actually see what their body is doing when they eliminate. Diaper-free time allows you to observe your child’s elimination patterns and signals, which will help you know when to offer the potty later on.
   
2. When you notice your child eliminating, acknowledge it out loud. You can say, “look, you’re going shi shi” and you can even sign “toilet”. If the potty is close by, you can attempt to catch it, but don’t worry if you don’t, because this stage is about helping your baby learn what their body is doing.
   
3. Once you feel that you have a good grasp on your baby’s patterns and your child has become aware of when they are eliminating, try introducing the potty. It can be helpful to have multiple potties in the house or child-size toilet inserts in the big toilet. Some children do better if you can bring the potty to them. Not every baby will use the potty willingly at first. If your baby doesn’t, be creative! Try other containers or bottles or going outside or just waiting a little longer before introducing the potty.

Remember, EC does not rely on bribes, rewards or punishment. Instead, elimination is treated very matter-of-fact, like sleeping and eating, and is about helping your baby retain (or re-learn) awareness of their elimination. If it gets too stressful for you or your baby, scale back your efforts to a previous step until you’re ready to move forward again.

~ Holli Shiro

Also, don't forget to come to our EC group on Sunday, August 22 at 10:30 am.

Elimination Communication (EC) Support Group

EC Support Group at Baby aWEARness
Sunday, June 27 at 11:00 a.m.
FREE

We talk about diapers in every shape, size, and form every day, every hour but what happens when baby is ready to move up to the next step in life?

Find out how you can make potty training easier for you and your little one at our EC support group led by our veteran mom and team member, Holli Shiro. Some of you may remember that we held our first meeting way back in February, and we are hoping to make this a monthly discussion forum for all parents. Join us this Sunday to learn as well as share what you may already know.

We can help you make this often seemingly formidable task less stressful by presenting tips and suggestions as well as introduce you to eco-friendly options for potty training.

Oh, our babies grow up so fast, don't they?

Elimination Communication/Infant Potty Training

Elimination Communication (EC)
a.k.a. Infant Potty Training, Natural Infant Hygiene

Interested: Join us for a FREE workshop this Sunday, February 21 at 1pm

What is EC?
EC is communicating with your baby about their elimination needs, just as you communicate with your baby about other needs such as hunger or sleep. Babies are born with the instinct not to soil themselves and parents can assist them with elimination by learning their cues and baby’s natural rhythms. EC is gentle, non-coercive communication and does not rely on rewards/punishment. While early potty training is not the goal of EC, it often results in children being potty trained at a younger age or at least without the struggles some parents have when they need to “untrain” their older child from diapers. Ideally, EC is started early in infancy before baby becomes mobile. EC can be practiced on a full-time, part-time or occasional basis.

Hawaii is an ideal place to practice EC. Baby can stay comfortably warm wearing just a diaper, underwear or nothing at all. This makes it easier to quickly potty your baby or observe their cues and elimination patterns. Many houses have hardwood, bamboo or tile floors making it easy to handle “misses.”

Benefits of EC
• Babies fuss and cry less when their elimination needs are addressed. The need to pee, poop, or relieve gas can cause fussiness or colicky behavior in some babies. EC can provide instant relief!
• No diaper rash from sitting in a soiled or wet diaper.
• Great way for parents and caregivers to bond with baby (especially dads).
• Parents are in tune with baby’s rhythms and can identify digestive or urinary problems early.
• Saves money! Less diapers to buy and/or wash.
• Less disposable diapers end up in a landfill.
• Human waste goes into the toilet where it can be safely processed.
• Reduces struggles associated with conventional potty training.
• Respectful of baby’s needs and developmental stages.

Helpful Tools for EC
• Infant size potty, potty bowl or other vessel for elimination.
• Cloth diapers make it easier to practice EC, but disposables can work. Some parents use training pants or infant sized underwear.
• Baby sling – wearing your baby makes it easier to pick up on their elimination cues.
• Cleaning solution and wipes for misses.
• Baby leg warmers, crotch-less pants or other clothing that makes pottying easier.