Anyone else EC'g?

[TangoMama]

We just started on Wed. when DS was just over 6 weeks old. I had read about it during pregnancy and felt it was time - I don't like him sitting in soiled diapers and I felt like we were ready to try. So I read a little online again and the next time I thought he needed to go, I took him to the toilet and he peed and then pooped a little too! It was so freakin' cool.

So I started taking him whenever he shows signs - after waking, during nursing, after nursing, during nakey bum time. I caught 9 pees yesterday and he woke up from 2 naps dry! Of course, I've had a crying baby several times because I took him when he didn't need to go (kind of cool he lets me know this) and I got peed on today because even though I was convinced he needed to pee, he started wailing and as I moved away he peed on me and the bathroom floor. But overall, it's going well and I can only imagine it will get better as I learn to read his signs better.

[amyrobynne]

I am, sort of. He wears diapers, but we offer the potty when he's cranky and first thing when he wakes up. I've been catching a lot of poop lately--I like knowing he doesn't often sit in poop long. And when we miss, we change him right away. We started at birth. I did the same thing with my second son--he peed really frequently (still does at 4), so we'd catch a lot and miss a lot.

[MonP'titBoudain]

We are. This is round two for us. With DD I started getting serious with it around 6 weeks. This time we started at day 1. I'm averaging about 5 catches a day though no poop catches yet. DS2 has major reflux & colic and that's definitely interfering with my ability to read his signals. However, he gets chagned immediately when we do miss and that alone is a major part of the learning curve I think. This time around, while I do tend to keep DS2 covered with a diaper (either snappied on or with an EC belt, I don't put a cover on the diaper unless I've wrapped him onto my back for a long nap. I think that's helping a lot with our earlier success.

[TangoMama]

MonP'titBoudain - that's exactly what we're doing, but with cotton fitteds, so he's coverless several hours a day. I find he actually doesn't pee when he sleeps on us; it's actually quite amazing to me. I don't know anything about EC wear - can you share your wisdom? I just kind of dove into this bcs it feels right (and apparently my mom did it w/ us!)

Amy-that's awesome you're catching so many poops. Those are the worst to change but they're so clean when it's all in the toilet!

[amyrobynne]

I like a lot of stuff from the EC Store--I haven't bought things for this baby, but I did last time. I have the "top hat" potty -- it looks like an upside-down hat and it's easy to hold a tiny baby over it in your lap. They also sell things that look like big hair scrunchies that will loosely hold a prefold on, making them easy to put off and on. I haven't been going coverless with Tim -- I think I must have started doing that more once ds2 started crawling at 6 months. Or maybe just when he was old enough that he wasn't always in-arms. I had two kids in diapers then and had them both in t-shirts and coverless fitteds to minimize effort for changes. We use fitteds, but they're very trim and only hold one pee well.

[somegirl99]

We just started trying...I just ordered the potty bowl and prefold belt but haven't gotten those yet. He doesn't yet like being held over the toilet so we are starting by holding him over loose prefolds and have had quite a few catches that way. He is much happier, he really hates wetting his diaper (although he doesn't mind waking up in a wet diaper).

[amyrobynne]

Something else I thought of -- ECing has really helped my husband feel like he's useful. If the baby starts crying out of nowhere, chances are pretty good that he's going to pee or just did. With my first baby, I'd nurse every time he started crying. Now, we usually try potty/diaper first. It's nice to have something where both of us can fix the problem -- my husband gets frustrated that the baby prefers me (or more specifically, my boobs) but he's just as capable at dealing with pee issues.

[MonP'titBoudain]

TangoMama, I'm a fan of wool split crotch pants and a prefold for winter EC and the prefold belt and a t-shirt for summer EC. I also quickly prefer using thick trainers (ones that will truly hold an entire pee, versus undies which hold nothing), especially for ECing while out & about. Juggling diapers and the toilet, baby, etc is a bit much compared to pulling down pants and trainers. We just kept gobs of extra pants in appropriate sizes and I'd always carry a couple spares with me. I'm also a huge fan of the BBLP (Baby Bjorn little potty). It's portable and my 2 1/2 yr old still uses it so it's useful from the time they can sit supported til at least 2.

Really, as far as equipment goes, in theory you'll need less. I've tried really hard not to get too bogged down in buying gear that I may /may not use. And if you're at all crafty, this blog is awesome for doing things yourself.

amyrobynne, we've discovered the same thing with dh. It's nice to have something that's responsive to the baby and obviously comforts them that my dh can do. It's also a really good reminder that I can't do everything and that dh's relationship with our babies is just as important!

[Vaquitita]

I plan to EC part time. I started with DS1 when he was 5-6 months, with DD when she was 2-3 months. Not sure when I will start with DS2 (he's 3 days old). We'll see how it goes. Right now he's in disposables, in another week I'll switch him to cloth. I'm not up to the laundry yet.

With my first I tried to EC full time, but found it frustrating. With DD I never attempted more than part time, kept it real laid back. When she signaled I'd take her and at certain times like after naps. I did it when it made my life easier and didn't when it made things harder (like out all day at an amusement park). I was very happy with it and plan to do it the same way again. Both my kids let me know when they were ready to wear undies full time, DS at 28 months and DD at 18 months.

[BlackSheepPDX]

We're doing it. Caught her first couple of real poops and quite a few pees. She's very vocal about not liking a wet diaper, so that's helpful, and there are times already that she fusses until we take her diaper off so she can pee.

We started at 4 1/2 months with DD1 and were in underwear full time by 18 months with minimal accidents. We didn't know if we'd start with DD2 right away, but she seems to be requesting it, so we're doing it.

We are not "diaper free" ECers, but rather cloth diapering (prefolds and covers or soakers) with offerings at times that seem to have good odds of a catch (pee fuss or poop due). I don't believe you need to be 100% with it to have great success...it's about communicating and responding and maintaining body awareness. As far as I'm concerned, it's fine to eliminate in the diaper at times as long as you're making an effort to notice and change ASAP.

We're using snappies to hold the prefolds snug and a lot of soft wool knit soakers (shorts and sleep sacks) when we're at home, or more waterproof covers when we have to use the carseat.

[miss_nikki]

I want to do this. I did it a little with DS1. I haven't started yet, though.

[lunarlady]

I'm thinking of starting this with DD, but not really sure how to go about it. And with a toddler in the house, I'm not sure how much patience I have for holding baby over the potty until she goes.

[MonP'titBoudain]

Originally Posted by lunarlady

I'm thinking of starting this with DD, but not really sure how to go about it. And with a toddler in the house, I'm not sure how much patience I have for holding baby over the potty until she goes.

I started with newborn DD when DS1 was 2 1/2. I'd encourage you to begin to try by offering the potty for a couple of minutes just once or twice a day. Pick a time when babies often have to go (often just after waking or after feeding) and only offer for a few minutes. Most babies will go within a couple minutes if they need to go. And (if your baby is still very little) don't be alarmed if she cries before actually eliminating. A lot of newborns are uncomfortable with the sensation of peeing and will fuss/cry/arch until they pee. This seems to only last a few weeks and can be gotten around by having baby lie more comfortably and eliminate over a loose prefold. There's lot's more info on part-time EC here (it looks like she's selling something, but it's all free). Remember it's about keeping the lines of communication open. It doesn't have to be all or nothing!

[princesstutu]

We're doing it pretty part-time. That means she's usually diaper-free at home and peeing on the floor.

Second kid to EC. I'm not as interested this time. Didn't expect to feel that way. Maybe it's b/c she generally screams when I put her on the potty or she sits for a second, stands up, and pees on the floor beside the potty. Doesn't bother me, much. All my kids peed on the floor a lot.

[Vaquitita]

well i said this in the pp thread, but i thought i'd post it here too...

i can't believe i'm ec'ing with a 2 week old. i started with ds1 at 5.5mos, dd at 2?3? mos. after the 1st week i noticed joshua squeaks/fusses a bit right before he pees (when having nakey time), so i started making 'ssssss' sounds while he was peeing. next when i was changing him or doing nakey time and i noticed he needed to go, i'm tell him he could and say 'ssss' so that he would pee before i put on the dry diaper rather than afterwards. well 4-5 days ago, while getting him ready for bed, i held him over the sink- and he peed and pooped and then pooped and peed. every day since he has not pooped all day, then at bedtime i take him to the sink and he goes (and goes and goes...). and i am amazed all over again with how smart babies are.

[somegirl99]

We're doing pretty well with peeing here, I hold him over the little potty and cue him with 'ssss' and a little song, and he goes if he has to.

Not so many catches with poos, mostly because he usually does it during nursing, and I haven't figured out how to do that yet. He screams if I try to potty him before nursing, and nursing sessions are constant back and forth between lying down at the breast and upright for burping, so if I tried it without a diaper things would get very messy.