Any special tips for someone just starting EC at 8 months?

[GuavaGirl]

I went over The Diaper Free Baby and I'm starting EC with my 8 month old boy. I still kinda feel like I don't know what I'm doing, so I just thought some of you mamas might have some tips for starting at this age.
He's currently in disposable diapers. I'm thinking about getting something different for when we're at home, but part of me wants to wait until he's pooping in the toilet only. I'm not sure.
I've got 2 seat reducers for the toilet and on the first day we caught one poo and one pee. I just take him once an hour, and/or after nursing, eating, and napping. I'm also trying to teach him the sign for potty.

Any pointers?

[isabchi]

 I just want to say that 8 mo could be a busy stage for babies. They're very busy learning new skills. I never started with an 8mo baby, but just for my babies was an stages that requiere lots of flexibility and patience, not just EC. I personally don't like disposable especially for EC, 'cause they can't feels the wetness. Looking at the cues, many babies are their own signals if not go for timing and as a say many time over here, be vocal and say what's happening with words and full sentences.

 Good luck!

[Lineymom]

I started at 7mo with my now 12mo.  I second the CD!

I don't really have much insight.  It is an age when they are learning to explore etc, so I guess that is an issue.  I got her a bblp because she could sit in the living room and watch her brothers play, play with her own toys, look at books., crawl off, if she wants.  I think it takes less effort from me than if I had to stay right beside her on the big potty.  That said, we are a slave to the bblp and take it everywhere.  She doesn't like anything esle.

Something that I have learned/have to keep reminding myself is that it is not linear like potty training my other to children at 2 and 2.5.  They got better and better everyday and it was done.  With ECing a baby we have a couple of days with no misses then suddenly 5+ misses a day for several days.  Or just as soon as i say.  "Man, i don't remember that last time I had to clean up poop, its been weeks" .... BOOM! LOL!  It is not a steady "progress" toward toiliet training, and that has been something I have to overcome in my thinking.

[SaturnsMoon]

Don't worry, I think you will find ways to make EC work for you and your little man!  We started at 9 months and it's been going amazingly well (although  he hasn't started crawling yet...)

   I agree with the PP about getting a BBLP (Under $11 at amazon right now!) or another small potty.  My DS likes to sit on his and play with a toy or look at a book and it is nice having the option of sitting right there with him or doing something in the same room while he sits.  I put ours on a towel (sometimes he sprays even with the splash gaurd!) over a capeted area so if he rolls off it's ok.Also, it's great to have it nearby rather than to have to take him all the way to the bathroom since he hates being interupted while playing. 

   Naked time didn't really do much for us since I could never see him peeing as he likes to be on his tummy lately and I would only see the puddle later.  So I couldn't cue him effectively.  And I never really saw any reliable signals before he goes.  Just during, which is too late for me to act on and take him to the potty!  So for us it has been all about timing (after waking up, after an hour or so of play, before the bath) and frequent pottytunities.  The timing will depend on your LOs patterns but pottytunities can be whenever it's convienient for you.  I usually have DS sit on his potty when I am changing a diaper anyway and he will often go even when his diaper is wet. 

  Have you been cueing?  I really like using the "psss" sound; he caught on to what it meant really quickly.  And it's easier to be consistant using a sound rather than words which can be rephrased.  I just cued him when I caught him peeing in the bath or during a diaper change.  And then when he sat on the potty and peed I would cue to get him started and cue when he started to go.

  I love having DS wear babylegs at home because it makes it so much easier to get his diaper off for sitting on the potty.  When I have to pull of pants he gets annoyed about the whole production sometimes and I want potty time to be easy and happy for him.

  CDs are a huge help.  We use fitteds with no cover at home so I can see when he is wet right away.  Check out diaperswappers.com for some cheap gently used dipes to try and lots of tips if you are interested (they also have a good EC forum).

  Lastly, I liked the video "Potty Whispering" especially to share with DH since he thought I was nuts at first and I knoew I would never get him to read a book on EC.  It is so amazing to see EC in action!  Also, check out the book "Diaper Free by 3" since it focuses more on introducing the potty at 6 months +. 

  GL!

[revolting]

For eight months, I actually found pooping and peeing in the bathroom sink easier than using a little potty. Crawling makes it hard to keep a baby who has to go to stay on the potty. We ended up using the potty more at five months when he could sit but not crawl than we did at eight or nine months.