Wanting to go 100% diaper free days

[mamatobe08]

I'm not sure I can do it. decided to give it a try because my son has been using the potty reliably(as in, not many misses IMO) for 6 months now. I thought maybe since I was using diapers backup, I could try diaper free and maybe it would finally kick in.

I can't seem to have the guts to go out of the house without a diaper on him! I was told by some friends that did traditional potty training that I should try no underwear/training pants either--because to a LO, they feel like a diaper, making them think they can pee. I need motivation mamas, I need support! My DS holds his pee for about 4-5 hours during the day, so when he pees, it's not just a little. I mean, the other day he went in his Gerber waterproof trainers and there was a puddle in there in addition to it being soaked!

I feel like he's good enough with the potty that if I just do it, he would be 100% daytime dry, but I need some support--stories about your experiences--anything! He does sign "potty" pretty reliably now BEFORE he goes, so I can take him to the potty and then he will go. But he has also been resisting the potty sometimes, but that seems to be only when he doesn't have to go. So help me--should I go for it??

[Lissybug]

What I find with my son is that he is actualy better at staying dry when we are out and about than when we are home. I have not EC'd all that much (but plan to with this next one! I am DONE with diapers.) But I can take L out and about and he just doesn't want to get his carseat wet. When I take him out without a dipe I do think about my timing of stops and try to take plenty of opportunities to visit a restroom. He finds it novel and fun to go potty in the grocery stores bathroom or the library. FWIW, I do find that when we're home he'll just pee in underpants, but he does fine in them when we're out. So Idunno- maybe you'll have as good of luck! Congrats on how well he's doing at home, that's great!

[gretchikin]

if you're worried about the carseat you can get these http://www.mypreciouskid.com/piddle-pad.html I'm pretty sure they have them at Toys R Us too.

Wow though, sounds like you should just give it a go. Maybe go to a park (is it warm there?) or something outside to build up your confidence, or to a friend or family's house that wouldn't mind a puddle. My kid (started at 5 months, she was completely done before 2 1/2 but I don't know the exact time because it was all so gradual that one day I realized she was just done and doing it herself..) was always BETTER when in public than at home.

You can dooo it!

[theboysmama]

you lo is just about 6 wks older than my dd. My dd isn't signing at all yet, we are doing everything based on timing and intuition but have been in underwear during the day since she was 7 months with great success. She still has around 2-4 misses a day sometimes more sometimes less and most of those misses occure while at home. She does great when we are out. for the car seat I use this and just lay a pre-fold over it. A lot of the time I can just put a new pre-fold down w/out switching out the piddle pad. I have 2 piddle pads in the car so that I can swap them out if one gets wet. I also keep a bblp in the car. In the "diaper" bag I carry 2 waterproof training pants (I don't use these but they are in case I run out of clothes, etc.), 2 pre-folds (I use these for the car seat, to sit under her if she is in a restaurant high chair, on my lap under dd if we are at church, to wipe up a big puddle (which has only happened once in 6 months) etc. I don't use these as much as I used to bcs I am less worried about being soaked as it just hasn't really happened), 2 full outfits (socks, underwear, pants, shirt), 2 extra pairs of pants, 3 extra pairs of underwear, a wet bag, and if you wish a spray bottle of bac out (or water) if you are worried about what people think about germs, etc. In the beginning I also carried a pair of pants for myself, first in the bag and then in the car but never used them so don't carry them anymore unless traveling.
Sounds like your lo is ready. "success" is really relevent it is just what you are comfortable with. I haven't had any problems w/ dd going somewhere she shouldn't and have never had a poo miss while out (watch we will have one tonight) Have fun and good luck. GO FOR IT

[hrsmom]

Are you doing diaper free at home already? I'd start there! It does sound like you can "go for it" while out and about it. My LO also is one to hold it while out and about. What's your LO's patterns so far when you're out and about? I'd at least put underwear on him, but that's a personal preference, since I wear underwear. It sounds like he already holds it while in a diaper, so he's not "diaper-trained" as it were. My babe at that age actually held it better while wearing a diaper. I say give it a try and if it's too stressful or messy, you don't have to keep doing it. I have read lots of successful stories!

[mamatobe08]

Thanks for the replies! He does do pretty well holding it while out. I do offer the potty when we're out, but I haven't been carrying the Potette lately so I offer the big toilet, and he does NOT like that, so he won't sit there, and he usually holds it until we get home. I guess I'll start carrying the Potette again(I was so enjoying no diaper bag and getting to have my cute purse again!) and just switch him out! He has been incredibly moody the past few days, and I was hoping that it would get better and then I'd start, but he's still being moody so I better just do it since the mood swings may last a while. Today he did sign "potty" while he was playing for the first time, and I brought him in and he peed! Usually he only signs "potty" when he's eating. Ok, I will start on Wednesday(we're going to be out of the house too much tomorrow). You all have my word--and I have to keep it, right??

[mamatobe08]

I just have to share this because it must be a sign that I need to do this--Today we went out to lunch about 45 minutes away. DS peed in the potty an hour before we left and refused to go again before we left. So we got there and I admit I didn't think about pottying him, so we eat and are just hanging out talking to our friends, and suddenly he signs "potty". I took him to the bathroom and he was dry--sat him on the Potette and he peed shortly after! Stayed dry for the next 2 hours until he had a poop miss on the way home. I'm glad we had a diaper on for the poop, but I'll just have to be more willing to pull over the car when he starts grunting!

[theboysmama]

Originally Posted by mamatobe08

I just have to share this because it must be a sign that I need to do this--Today we went out to lunch about 45 minutes away. DS peed in the potty an hour before we left and refused to go again before we left. So we got there and I admit I didn't think about pottying him, so we eat and are just hanging out talking to our friends, and suddenly he signs "potty". I took him to the bathroom and he was dry--sat him on the Potette and he peed shortly after! Stayed dry for the next 2 hours until he had a poop miss on the way home. I'm glad we had a diaper on for the poop, but I'll just have to be more willing to pull over the car when he starts grunting!

The bolded is why I found that switching to underwear totally helped dd to have less misses. I was way more willing to give her a potty opportunity anytime she made a strange face, noise, etc. and I rarely forget to offer or else I might end up very wet. She went through a period where she would grunt and i would pull the car over get her out of her seat and then she would refuse the potty but it didn't last long bcs she realized I always made her go back in her seat
I think you guys will do great! GO FOR IT!!!!!!!

[BlackSheepPDX]

Go for it. Expect to be paranoid, and offer potty-tunities frequently, before and after you get in the car, etc and have back up (a prefold on the carseat, a change of clothes, a willingness to potty on the side of the road if needed). If you're feeling inclined to try, chances are you're both ready.

I probably could have been braver with my DD, and gone "diaper free" closer to 14 months than the actual 18 we did make the jump. As other posters have said, as long as they're not "diaper trained" it doesn't REALLY matter if you have a diaper on and they're staying dry anyway, but man is it cool when all you have to do is pull down some underwear when it's time to potty.

[mamatobe08]

Originally Posted by BlackSheepPDX

As other posters have said, as long as they're not "diaper trained" it doesn't REALLY matter if you have a diaper on and they're staying dry anyway, but man is it cool when all you have to do is pull down some underwear when it's time to potty.

I think that's part of the issue--he isn't diaper trained, but he just doesn't seem to be comfortable in a big bulky diaper. Which I can't blame him for.

We did make the switch earlier this week. He is having a few misses a day, but today we have been dry except for once when I was doing some work online and had him in a diaper. I saw him sit down and start playing with the diaper, so I figured he had to go, but I was doing some business stuff so I couldn't take him right then. Sure enough, 5 minutes later, it was wet.

[riboflavin]

What helped me feel more comfortable with going out of the house without diapers or a trainer, was to leave the house right after DS went to the bathroom; then I knew he wouldn't have to go for a while. At first I would only leave for a little while, and then come home. It really helped my confidence to start by going for diaper free walks, or to a coffee shop diaper free, etc. Then eventually we got the rhythm, so if we stayed out longer than usual I made sure to take a potty stop.