using the sink as a potty?

[heatherr30]

I keep reading comments from people who do this but..... isn't that really messy if it turns out they need to poop?

[tankgirl73]

Not if you're talking about breastfed infants.

DD pooped in the sink lots when she was tiny. The yellow poo just squirted straight out - it's quite fascinating lol... Usually it would go straight down the drain, or we'd just have to run some water and swish it around the sink bowl to wash it down.

By the time she was older and starting solids and her poop started to thicken up a bit, she was pooping far less frequently. So it was rarely even an issue. But if by chance we were holding her over the sink when she had to poo, you can usually tell before anything comes out that they're working up a poo, so there's plenty of time to shift her over to the toilet instead. Or, worst case scenario, it goes into the sink -- if it's soft, it still will just rinse down. If it's solid, then it's no messier really than poop in a potty. I guess I would pick it up with some toilet paper and dump it in the toilet. But honestly, I don't recall that EVER happening. Her poos were pretty much always when she was sitting on her potty, or held over the toilet.

I think as she got older and poos got firmer, we just naturally started holding her over the toilet more often instead of the sink, whereas the sink was the most natural place when she was an infant.

[heatherr30]

Thanks I had really been wondering about that! I guess I'd forgotten how runny BM poo is... and it makes sense that by the time they are really onto solids, they are also able to sit on a potty.

[lilypond]

Originally Posted by heatherr30

I keep reading comments from people who do this but..... isn't that really messy if it turns out they need to poop?

we use the sink 90% of the time if poop its EBF which washes out anyways. For pee, I just turn on water and rinse, same with poop. But we also spray disinfectant after.

We have been ec'ng since week 9, and DD is almost 7 months. EBF poo we catch in the toilet at this point.

If we catch ebf poo in sink its usually a surprise poo

[Snapdragon]

I thohught the sink sounded gross too before I had ds- we use the toliet 95% of the time. We have one utility sink next to the washer and dryer that I find it easy to use. And I always use the sink in public bathrooms- now way would I hold ds over a stinky public toilet! And so far (6 months old) he has just peed in them. but yeah- breast milk poop can just wash down the sink

[Nova0929]

We did this with fully breastfed baby and early on I thought it was okay, but later when poo started getting thicker the sink really clogged up. Pouring vinegar or other non-toxic stuff down didn't help and I ended up having to use Draino, which I felt terrible about. That cleared it out and after that I only used a tiny potty seat from Baby Bjorn for poos, and dumped them down the toilet.

[sgmom]

A different perspective...

I EC'ed my son from birth, and my daughter from 4 months. I never used the sink with her, but I thought it might be easier with a newborn. I honestly don't know HOW you do it. I find it awkward, and just uncomfortable.

My son is now almost 4 months, and for AT LEAST 3 months, I've been sitting on the toilet, facing the wall, while holding him between my legs. I find that it offers more support for him, my arms don't get tired, and all I have to do is flush.

I HAVE potty'ed him in the sink, but I found the poop to be just gross to wash down. It's slimy, so you have to "wash" the sink with your hand. Plus I never liked the idea of putting poop in my drains without a large "flush" of water to rinse it all down.

What I do like though, is the sink is an easy place for a quick bum wash after a poop. Hold with one arm, rinse with the other.

[mamakaikai]

I've never used the sink for poop. My babes ebf poop is like toothpaste and would not just rinse out...and I wash my face in the sink...so I am personally not comfortable with it at all. I'd have to wash out the sink with more than just water to feel comfortable...and then I would be concerned about the poop that probably did not wash out from the drain properly. And I just don't have that kind of time to put the baby down and keep the toddler out of trouble while washing the sink at random time.

Sink as potty just doesn't appeal to my family.

For our family, it's the bblp all the way. Some pees have been in the sink, though not many. And plenty have been just in the bush while out walking and hiking.

[sapphire_chan]

I only EC dd in public sinks if it's a situation where no one's around. So if there is a surprise poop, I just scoop it out with some TP and dump that in a toilet for flushing. Then wash the sink with soap and water.

[hrsmom]

I was lucky enough to have two sinks in my bathroom, so I had one dedicated to pottying, and one dedicated to face-washing and teeth-brushing! And in our case, it was easy and not a big deal! It was the most comfortable position for me, but that could be because I'm 5'10".

[heatherr30]

Thanks for both points of view ladies!
All things considered I am still a bit hesitant to use the sink as a potty... I think I will try other options first.

[T-man's Mama]

Originally Posted by tankgirl73

Not if you're talking about breastfed infants.

DD pooped in the sink lots when she was tiny. The yellow poo just squirted straight out - it's quite fascinating lol... Usually it would go straight down the drain, or we'd just have to run some water and swish it around the sink bowl to wash it down.

By the time she was older and starting solids and her poop started to thicken up a bit, she was pooping far less frequently. So it was rarely even an issue. But if by chance we were holding her over the sink when she had to poo, you can usually tell before anything comes out that they're working up a poo, so there's plenty of time to shift her over to the toilet instead. Or, worst case scenario, it goes into the sink -- if it's soft, it still will just rinse down. If it's solid, then it's no messier really than poop in a potty. I guess I would pick it up with some toilet paper and dump it in the toilet. But honestly, I don't recall that EVER happening. Her poos were pretty much always when she was sitting on her potty, or held over the toilet.

I think as she got older and poos got firmer, we just naturally started holding her over the toilet more often instead of the sink, whereas the sink was the most natural place when she was an infant.

This was exactly my experience also. I preferred the sink to the toilet because a.) it's a comfortable height, and b.) my boy seemed to have a knack for peeing over the toilet rim. (Since my arms were both occupied holding him, I couldn't "direct traffic" too well, and found I was always wiping pee off the wall/tank). But yeah -- once the poo starts to thicken, you will have drain issues. By that time, though, I was sitting him on the BBLP and dumping in the toilet.