Transitioning

[PeachBaby]

Is there a way to transition from being diaperless (and thus going to the potty) to wearing diapers (and not soiling the diaper, but continuing to go to the potty)?

If anyone has ideas, it'd be great to hear!

[heatherr30]

does your LO soil the diaper? I'd be surprised, how would he know what it is for if he's never used one?
If so have you tried using cloth? The wet feel might put him off going in it.

[PeachBaby]

Sorry for being confusing. He has used cloth diapers since birth. I did use disposables if we were going out or if he was sleeping or if I got too tired of changing him. I started part time EC with him at a very young age. It was only just several weeks ago that I started him going diaperless a whole lot throughout the day (although back into diapers if we were going out or if he was going to sleep). When I did that, he started going to the potty practically every single time

He is one of those babies that never seem to mind a soiled or wet diaper. That's why I am not sure what to do.

I have tried:
1. Telling him to sign me the potty since he knows the potty sign, but he doesn't.
2. Telling him he can pull off the diaper tabs (which he can do) and then go to the potty, but he doesn't.

Any other suggestions?

[emmaegbert]

I fasten diapers on fairly loose (fuzzibunz), so that I can yank them down and up like undies. DD can't do it herself though (she's 15m) and if she tells me she has to pee (that is an IF) she pats her hip. We can go all day in one diaper if things are going well- frequently we only end up with one wet dipe at most, or none.

DD definitely is *more* likely to take herself if she is nakeybum, but she does pee on the floor sometimes, and she is more and more often telling me if she has to pee when she's in dipes. I do a lot of timing and just offering lots of potty chances when we're out and about.

Someone in a thread a while back suggested using pullups if you are using sposies, for traveling, and you can fold the waist down if too big. Sounds like a good idea- we'll be moving in a couple of weeks and during the most packed-up and chaotic days, I think I'll just go to the smallest pullups for her (also I won't want to deal with pee misses on clothes).

[heatherr30]

He is one of those babies that never seem to mind a soiled or wet diaper. That's why I am not sure what to do.

I have tried:
1. Telling him to sign me the potty since he knows the potty sign, but he doesn't.
2. Telling him he can pull off the diaper tabs (which he can do) and then go to the potty, but he doesn't.

Any other suggestions?

When my DD was 12 months, she got a terrible, nearly chronic diaper rash. The doc would give us some stuff to get rid of it, but it would come right back. I had never heard of EC at that time, so the best I know how to do was change her IMMEDIATELY when wet or dirty. Even if she had just been changed 30 min or an hour before, I would still change her again when I noticed her going in her diaper.
I think that had a lot to do with getting her used to that dry feeling and helped me PT later on.
Other than that, I just have my experiences with PT at age 2... I would take DD to the potty before the accident happened (I guess that's called timing pees in EC language). If I was too late and the diaper was wet, I would repeat that the pee doesn't go in the diaper, it goes in the potty. DD caught on. I don't know what age your LO is though so I don't know if that approach would be appropriate in your case.

I think it's also important to mention, that DD tried to keep her diapers dry for the 3 weeks she was at home during Christmas and we were PT. When she went back to DC and saw the other kids wetting in their diapers, she started doing it too. I think sometimes there's no pulling the wool over kids' eyes!

[hrsmom]

Training pants or undies? What age, and why do you want to put diapers on? To keep him clean (that's why I put undies on my girl, who loves to sit in dirt!) or warm or for some degree of waterproofing?

[PeachBaby]

I tried putting underwear on DS (20 months) but that makes no difference either. He just wets/soils himself whether it be a diaper or underwear.

I guess I ask this question because I still keep him diaper free most of the time at home, but when it is time to sleep, I want to put him in diapers since he still wets overnight. But seems like he just waits until I put the diaper on and *then* he will poop. But then again, he also poops in the daytime and has no trouble going to the potty for that.

I guess I also just want to start having him wear clothes again instead of being naked. We are planning to visit family soon (will be there for quite a while) and so I just want to start preparing him to wear clothes without losing all that we have gained up to this point.

[emmaegbert]

hmm no more advice just that my DS was exactly like this at 20 months! didn't matter WHAT it was, he'd pee in it if it was on. I did sometimes have some success with very loose/baggy pants (no undies, etc). Mostly it was a time thing.

DD doesn't seem to have this issue as much... she's younger though so maybe its still to come... and I have done EC with her a lot more too.

[pixiepunk]

this was one of those things for my older two (who were PT, late-start EC'd) that just took time. i think a lot of EC'd kids go through this phase where they are more aware of their elimination needs when they are naked, and any cloth/clothing against their skin is like a diaper which they feel free to pee in. i don't have any brilliant suggestions, unfortunately, it was just one of those things that they eventually got over, and during the transition i offered more and always brought along a couple of changes of clothes just in case.

[carrie a.]

just reading this thread because we're going through the same thing. dd was naked for the last several months and had no misses but always peed as soon as anything was on her (diaper, underwear, pants). we decided to stop the naked time and do gerber trainers during the day and diapers at night. she pees through the trainers all the time but i'm hoping that she'll get it eventually if we're consistent. i just keep asking her if she needs to pee, putting her on after she eats and when she wakes up - just like the old days when we first started ecing. good luck!