How To Sort-of EC at 8 Months?

[brainysinglemom]

So I'm coming to ECing a little late (8 months) . Not out of lack of awareness or desire, but just because I had my little one on my own and I just thought it was one more thing (besides CD, cosleeping, non-violent sleeping, etc.) more than I could handle.

And truth be told, I'm *terrible* at non-verbal communication. I'm very verbal and very into words and I'm awful at recognizing her signs. I have pretty much never once been right -- either way (think she's going when she doesn't; think she hasn't when she has). My much more corporeally aware friend who has only seen her once can tell better than I can!

Still, I would like to try a very rudimentary form of EC. Maybe it's not even really EC. But I just read through Diaper Free Before Three, and I really like the idea of starting to use a little potty together and giving her a chance to go between diaper changes. I have no idea if she'll know what I'm talking about when I put her on the little potty and sit on the real potty and make psss, psss, whoosh, whoosh sounds and pee myself, but we'll see .

I've been looking through the messages, but there is so much information, and I can't seem to find the posts that mostly pertain to our situation. So any and all advice and tips is so super appreciated!!

Also, I will post this separately, but in case you only read this post, I'm wondering which kind of potty to get (EC place is sold out of the clear ones). Is there a difference between the teeny Baby Bjorn and the (almost equally teeny looking it seems) Baby Bjorn Smart Potty?

Also, where do you clean your potty. Bathtub seems like a potential feces-while-bathing issue. I clean my CD in the toilet, but not sure how I'd clean a potty in the toilet!

Thanks all so so much!
Julie

[emmaegbert]

I just dump then rinse potty. then spray with vinegar and wipe clean for poos.

I'd suggest you start w/ potty chance upon awakening. Its pretty reliable and gives baby a chance to make the connection. and go from there...

[emmaegbert]

oh and I don't think 8m is so late to start, btw.

I started w/ my son at 15m, knowing nothing about EC, just following his cues (he hated dirty or wet diaper), and he picked it up fast esp for poop, and was totally out of daytime dipes by about 21m with no fuss or struggle. Current baby we actually read up about EC and started at 2m. I am not sure she'll actually be out of dipes any earlier, though she recently (at 13m) started sometimes telling us or even taking herself to potty. Not reliably yet though- its still mostly up to the adults caring for her to anticipate her need for elimination.

Good luck! I think any potty is better than none, and IME they really do figure out what it is for very "naturally" long before the mainstream age of 2 or 3. And each catch is one less diaper to wash! It adds up- a catch or two a day is 30-60 per month... and that sounds a lot more like success to me!