ECing while out and about

[carriee1977]

My seven month old has done who I consider as doing really great with ECing.  She is frequently dry after naps and recently signaling for #2s.  When we are at a restaurant or at the mall, she has the shiny object syndrome.  :)  What can I do, if anything, to stay on track even while out and to make sure I have a warm meal! :) 

Also, is there any baby gear that you've found helpful while ECing.  She's put on the toliet for now.  I hear Baby Bjorn potties are good for once she move to one indpendently.  I

[NewBeginnings1]

I'm just a PT EC mum. Right now my goal is to increase offerings while out and about instead of depending on diapers, so no help there. I just wanted to comment that I've been ECing my DS since 3.5 months on the regular sized BB in addition to the sink and toilet.  I just sit and hold him up since he's still working at sitting. At 5 months, he now associates the BB with going to the bathroom and tries to go even if he doesn't have to. That's a plus in my book!

[emmaegbert]

personally I didn't worry too much about out-and-about. For many months DD just totally refused to use potties if she wasn't home- even her own potty if I brought it. I just backed off and offered whenever I was using the toilet- and by the time she was about 1 she accepted potties out-and-about, and frankly now (at 21m yesterday!) she is generally better out and about than at home-- go figure.

Someone did show me to rest a piece of tp over the electronic "eye" on the autoflush toilets, b/c no babies or little kids like to have that giant swishing flush happen while they are sitting on the toilet.

If you are in the car, sure, get an extra BBLP or an Ikea potty (DD was using both from 2m on)

The other choice is something like the pottette plus- its a portable potty, VERY small, and can also be used as a reducer ring.

Hope that helps!

[Momasauras]

Agree with all of the above, we aren't great at offering when out and about either.  At first, when I was all gung ho - we did and often it worked - thankfully never dealt with an electronic eye toilet, because yes... that's scary!  I actually think the flush in general is scary on a commercial toilet!

We do use the Potette Plus regularly, with some success.  I especially use it on road trips where I know she will probably fall asleep because she almost always pees (and sometimes poops) after a nap.

Otherwise, when she was a little younger/smaller, I have peed her in sinks in public - of course, I probably wouldn't have done that if anyone else had been in the restroom at the time for fear they would think it was gross.

As it gets warmer, I also like to offer her our grass or a plant when we get home and did this quite a bit when younger as well (also when we were house shopping, I would sneak off to the side of the house an allow her to pee before we went inside).

So now that my DD is a year old, I'm toying with trying to offer more out-and-about pottytunities... especially because we are having fewer successes during the day (she's on the verge of walking).  I wonder if this will contribute to more successes at home as well?

Whatever you decide, know that part-time at home is enough for your little one to "get it" and from what I hear from others, your little one will be begging you for the toilet once you are out and about!

Good luck with your journey!

[nstewart]

OP, I'm in the same boat as you, trying to figure out how to offer more while out and about. DS is doing well but I want to "step it up" so to speak since he is doing so well.  I'm struggling with night time EC right now too.

DS gets pretty spooked in big public restrooms.  No wonder, they are so loud!  And then there is the scary flush and the electronic eye...(I'll start putting something over it now!) and then the logistics of getting the pants and diaper off and back on in the stall...so I find we get very few catches while out and about but I'm also trying to offer more.  

If you're able to, maybe try finding a quieter restroom (not always possible, but I find it helps) and if no one is around pee her in the sink and run a bit of water while you cue. Sometimes handicap stalls have sinks in them. I find DS can't help but pee when I do this if he has to go.  Between the sound and then watching the water it really gets him to focus! (We do this at home, too).

I'll be watching for more ideas too!