I thought you were all nuts...

[Perdita_in_Ontario]

I switched to CDs with my DD when she was 11 months, and discovered the EC forum soon after that. While I was impressed and believed that it worked, it was never something I could imagine doing. That was for seriously crunchy mums!

Then... DS was born with incredibly reactive skin, so I thought well perhaps I'd see if maybe I could take some lessons from EC and spare him a couple of wet diapers a day.

That was 3 weeks ago, when he was 4 months, and I've been doing it very haphazardly. He has obligingly peed on the potty quite often, and I posted asking how often 4-month-olds pee because I was realizing he was wetting his diaper every 15-20 minutes.

Today, we had only 3 wet diapers - two of them while running errands, and I caught 5 or so pees and two poops. He wore the same diaper for 4 hours - and I was NOT taking him to the potty every 15 minutes... is it possible that someone as young as he is can hold it? Most definitely at least once, he was getting fussy and I figured it was nap time, decided to change an expected wet diaper, it was dry, I peed him, and he was immediately happy again. I am amazed. I know we'll have ups and downs and my goal isn't early toilet independence (I adore CDs to be honest), but I'm blown away that this actually works!

Oh man... am I going to turn into one of those crazy women carrying around a potty for her baby?? LOL

[isabchi]

Oh! mama you makes me laugh..I supouse I was one of the crazy mamas that carried the potty. Welcome to the club!
Later, I didn't carried the potty anymore. I started to use a tupperware container w/lid in my bag, plus a potty in the car.

[newtomotherhood]

I have to admit that I am one of those crazy women carrying around a potty and I am proud to do it to, just like with breast feeding, CD and Babywearing!

I am happy to hear that it's going so well! I started at 6 weeks because I was tired of the armpit poops and figured if I could catch at least the poops it would make my life alot easier but DD had a different idea and we switched to full time EC within a couple weeks and I don't regret it one bit!

[lovepiggie]

Originally Posted by newtomotherhood

...I was tired of the armpit poops...

What are...the armpit poops? Dare I ask?

[theboysmama]

I think she is referring to those blowout breastmilk poops that go up to the armpits (and sometimes beyond).

[newtomotherhood]

Those be the ones (underarms and sometimes even to her neck), I was using sposies at the time and I think they were partly to blame! I also switched to cloth right after I started EC and that also seemed to help for the poop misses!

[adamom]

My whole family thinks I'm nuts for doing this, but now that I've started carrying the impossible to camouflage bblp around, they're very excited to see if I catch anything. I don't know if it's ironic or not, but it's definitely amusing.

[isabchi]

Oh! I forget complety about the breastfeeding blowout poops...yuck!..My oldest was on diapers all her first year, before tried EC...My second was EC from birth so the very few poops misses was just little poops. He liked to wait to poop in the potty. I think that poopy in the diaper it's different to go in the potty. He empty better (once a day), and need to push, makes an effort... Hard to explain?..LOL

[ariatrance]

Originally Posted by Perdita_in_Ontario

Oh man... am I going to turn into one of those crazy women carrying around a potty for her baby?? LOL

Yes.



I actually never carried a potty in the bag, just kept one in the car and used restrooms at stores/houses or outside at places with grass, including but not limited to Target medians as I had forgotten the car potty. Ahem.

Little ones quickly catch on to this, I think, and so yes, it is quite possible that he is holding his pee as long as possible to use the potty instead of his diaper. E has routinely napped without a diaper, as she can hold it for 2 or 3 hours when sleeping and has done so since she was quite young.

It's really quite amazing, isn't it?!

[N&M]

You mean it's not normal to carry a baby potty around? Or hold your bare-bummed infant over a patch of grass or behind a tree hoping nobody notices that your baby marking her territory?

[sapphire_chan]

Glad you kept it in the back of your head even though it wasn't right for you the first time around.

Yes, even little tiny babies can keep from releasing immediately. Especially if they've had a chance to develop those muscles by getting chances to not soil themselves.

With dd, I'd say that 4 months was when I could start asking her to hold it and be able to go a few more minutes to a more reasonable spot and be fairly confident of a dry diaper.

[Shanny2032]

I thought this was a crazy notion too but when my daughter showed signs as early as 9 months at being interested and able to use the toilet I came across EC. I now have a fully potty trained (not prefect mind you) about to be 20 month old who can nurse ALL NIGHT LONG yet hold her pee for 12 hours. So a little baby holding it and telling you he needs to go doesn't surprise me at all! Great job to both of you.

I still have an ikea potty in my car and a potette plus but she really doesn't use them much since most of the time we can get to a potty while she holds it. If only she gave the same courtesy to the playroom floor !

[zoebird]

look, everyone thought i was nuts until they saw it in action. days of using one diaper each day--completely dry the whole time. hardly any clean up involved, and quite frankly, fun to do.

and now, he's nearly two (end of August), and pretty much only goes in the toilet or next to it (if i don't help hiim on fast enough for his tastes). he signals clearly when he needs to go, and we have plenty of lead time to get to the toilet, get him undressed and on the toilet. perfect.

i'm not calling "grad" or anything, but seriously, it is no effort at this point. LOL

my sister, who is currently pregnant, is looking to do EC too. she noted that not only is it easier than cleaning a ton of diapers, but it is also easier at the potty learning ages. her friends are potty training their 3-5 yr olds now, and she's like--yeah, if i can avoid that, i will. so, hopefully she will enjoy ec too!