• Considering EC for third child - what are the details?
• I want to start Elimination Communication with my 3-month old
• Have you Elimination Communication?
• I'm very motivated to try EC for 12-month-old
• More advice about Elimination Communication
• More advice about Babies' Pee and Poop
• More advice about potty training

Considering EC for third child - what are the details?

As the arrival of our third child approaches, we have considered EC potty training. I have reviewed the archives, and while many people are genearly enthusiastic, there aren't a lot of details about the logistics. Can anyone take the time to let me know how this works day to day? How long does it take for your baby to be reliable enough not to have accidents? Is this possible to do with 2 other small children and their busy schedules? Can your infant ever wear a diaper Do you have to get up in the middle of the night? What books do you recommend? Thanks, Susannah

Right off the bat, I'd say check out www.diaperfreebaby.org; they have an FAQ under ''Practicing EC-EC Basics'' on the sidebar. Then the EastBayDFB yahoo! group is the next place to go, and possibly buying/borrowing one of the main books (Infant Potty Basics by Laurie Boucke, which I read and found very helpful, even though the photo and font on the cover are amusingly dated; and Diaper Free! by Ingrid Bauer, which I haven't read but it gets rave reviews from other ECers). There is also an EliminationCommunication yahoo! group, but this is a worldwide group and is thus very high-volume (read: overwhelming) and you don't get the benefit of attending local meetings and seeing EC in action--it has proved a lifesaver on more than one occasion to me, however, when my daughter and I had what I thought was a really weird problem and I was able to see the huge variety of approaches to solving it from ECers worldwide.

Anyway, the basic logistics of EC involve paying attention to your baby's signals and offering them alternative places to go potty (sometimes this may actually be a potty; sometimes it's the sink or a bush in the backyard or many other possibilities that don't involve the child sitting in their own refuse). Different people do this in different ways; some people spend a day with the baby in nothing at all so they can see when the baby goes and what kind of noises/faces/movements they make, others prefer to leave baby in diapers and just offer the potty when they change them. Some folks who have to work do EC part-time. There is no wrong way to do it, but it appears that the diapers send mixed signals so while you can do it and your child will likely be accident-free much sooner than full-time diapered children, you may have faster results with less diapering.

There are so many more logistical things that need to be mentioned, it's probably best to read one of the books or websites or post your question on the EastBayDFB list (I'm on that list so I could answer more completely there). Good luck! --EC mama

Now at 2y old, we are just trying to do the ''pipi'' on the potty, we have him use, Gerber training pants, and he will get very wet every time, but he comes to realize he can hold it aftes he feels he's getting wet. So I can't tell you just yet how long this is going to take me, since I have a younger one now. He might have an ocassional accident now that he gets so engage in his play,but we have been consistent on sitting him on the potty, and he will cooperate since he is so use to it. Please feel free to e-mail me directly with any question.

I want to start Elimination Communication with my 3-month old

Hi - I want to start Elimination Communication with my 3-month old and am looking for some pointers to start. I'm having some difficulty figuring out some of the details, such as how do I keep my baby naked all day without getting cold. How have other people done EC? Did they ask friends or did they read a book? Is there a class? I'd love suggestions or advice!

There's the Yahoo BIG list: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/eliminationcommunication/

And there's a Berkeley group that meets in the parks, I think. Congratulations! We love EC anon

Also on the main DFB site you can find the link for the ''eliminationcommunication'' yahoo group, sometimes referred to as ''the big list'', which has thousands of subscribers from all over the world. It is very high-volume, so I would recommend subscribing in digest mode or only checking for postings on the website. It can be very helpful to post a question to that list, however, because no matter how obscure the question, odds are at least one or two people have been through it before and can give you some pointers.

Also, check out the EC Store for all kinds of gear that facilitates EC while keeping your baby warm and comfortable (www.theecstore.com). Good luck, and know that you are doing a wonderful thing for you and your baby! --Barrie

Have you Elimination Communication?

Hi, Although my children are now older, I stumbled across the concept of elimination communication (EC) and found it fascinating. (You notice when your baby needs to go, and you hold it over the toilet or potty.) I would be interested to hear from any of you who have tried it, and your comments on it. A couple of messages on the site recommended it. Thanks! Curious

From birth, babies can, and do, signal their need to eliminate, just as they signal their need to sleep, to nurse, and to interact. It's just a matter of learning what to look for. The vast majority of ''fussy'' babies out there are just trying to get someone to recognize that they have to potty.

My son is 16 months old, we've been practicing EC with him since he was 2 months old. He hasn't pooped in a diaper since he was about 3 months old, and is nearing total potty independence now. At only 16 months, the fact that he will stop playing, walk over to his little potty, and point at his pants to indicate that he has to go, is not remarkable or extraordinary; just what all babies are naturally capable of.

I'm one of the moderators of a YahooGroup that discusses EC. If you'd like more information, or would like to check out the list, please drop me a line. You could also check out some of the fabulous resources on the web:

http://www.freewebs.com/freetoec/
http://seafish.freeyellow.com/
Or read either of the excellent books on the topic:
http://www.natural-wisdom.com/
http://www.timl.com/ipt

It's been great for us - we wash our own diapers now (one less bill!) and it's fun (our 5 yr old daughter enjoys accompanying us in the bathroom). More than everything else, it was wonderful to recognize how much she knew about herself and could control even at 3 months. ECer

I'm very motivated to try EC for 12-month-old

I read the advice given to the ''potty training 3.3 yr old'' posting on Elimination communication(EC) by ''Kathy''. I visited the EC website and found it very helpful, and would like to learn even more about it.

I have a 3 yr old just coming out of diapers(thank goodness!), and a 4 month old boy. I absolutely DO NOT WANT to see my second son in diapers till he's 3 yrs old! I was potty trained by 12 months old, and my mother who is Asian thinks its absurd to see any child ''who can chew food'' not going to the potty.

If ''Kathy'' or anyone else has tried EC and either been successful or not with it, could you please email me? I'm very motivated to try EC, and would like to hear other's experiences. Thanks! The potty's the place! maya

More advice about Elimination Communication

Re: Cloth Diapering - What Are My Options?
Another nice way to reduce diapering costs and hassles, no matter what type of diapers you use, is to practice Elimination Communication, where you start teaching your baby to eliminate in the toilet (or somewhere besides his diaper) as early as a few days old. This system is practiced in much of the developing world and was even common the US until 60 or 80 years ago. You can read about it on the internet or get a book about it (it is also called Natural Infant Hygiene, Infant Potty Training, and other things). One East Bay group that meets weekly and exchanges emails is at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EastBayDFB. EC has worked for us so far--with a moderate level of effort, our 14-month old now averages fewer than 6 diapers a day. A Dad

Re: Cloth diaper logistics
We EC (use Elimination Communication) but did do cloth diapers with the first 2 with a service. I simply placed all diapers in the service bag and left them with the service. ... Since you're not yet doing diapers, why not check out EC? I did it with my last two and would never go back to diapers.

http//groups.yahoo.com/group/eliminationcommunication/
http//www.vavoova.com/diaperfreestuff/links.html