how and when did you make your 1st catch?

[heatherr30]

Ds is a week old.  I was excited about doing ec with him but now I dont know how to get started.  He sleeps or feeds all the time!  Is it too early?  Please share your stories of how you got started.  I do not really see myself going hard core yet it is too cold here to remove clothing for very long...  I would just like to offer a few pottytunities during the day but Ds mostly cries whenever he is not being fed!

[PeachBaby]

The first time I held DS over the sink (he was 2 weeks old at that time), he immediately peed and I was so thrilled!  Prior to that, I had been cueing him with the psss sound everytime and I think that helped him know to go.

Not too early to start at all!  I only waited 2 weeks to hold him over the sink because it was when I was finally feeling better, more energy after the birth.  Take your time, no need to go hard core if you're not ready.  Best is to be relaxed and not all uptight, for both baby as well as you.

[porttack]

Brand new to EC myself. DS is 5 1/2 weeks and we've been trying since about 2 weeks. We catch the occasionsal pee over the sink mostly because by the time we check the diaper he has pooped (or we can hear him poop) and he often pees right after. It's cold here too, but we try to keep the house and especially the bathroom warm. Cool air encourages them to go anyway. Don't expect too much from a 1 week old, it will definitely get better with time. At one week dh and I had to hold him together as he was so floppy.

[heatherr30]

Thanks for the tips.  Porttack how do you hold an already poopy baby to cue him/her without getting poop on yourself?   

[MoonStarFalling]

With this babe I started on day 3. I just held him over the sink and cued during diaper changes. I waited till he was a couple weeks before I started diaper free time. He's only 7 wks now but we're starting to introduce sign language. He was a pretty sleepy newborn, still is, but I find time to do a few pottytunities a day.

[DawnStarling]

I wasn't planing on doing EC, but my baby started to get a really bad diaper rash and I went a couple days without diapers on, just letting him pee and then cleaning it up, he was 11 weeks. I thought, may as well try, so one day everytime he peed i made the "psss" sound, then the next morning I held him over my toddler's potty and he just did it! I was so friggin amazed, and then I held him over and he did it again. The third and four time that morning I was thinking to myself, "No, this can't really be working, just a coincidence, can't be this easy" - but i held him over the potty and made the sound and he did it again. I had to call my sisters long distance to tell them, it was the most special and amazing thing i've ever been apart of (besides him growing inside me and giving birth that is). It's such a natural thing, it just works!

[Calliope84]

Ten days old, but I haven't done it again because I really need my husband to help me hold her. She is very predictable now for her 7am poo and can sort of sit now with minimum help, so once we get our stuff from storage (and our mini baby bjorn potty) I may start trying to catch again. ;)

[heatherr30]

OK I have had several "catches" on the changing table now and starting to pick up on DS's cues (mainly after he goes but still it's a start...) 

I haven't managed to figure out how to get him to relax while being held over a receptacle.  I hope this will improve as his upper body control gets better.

Thanks everyone for the posts!

[riboflavin]

We started at 5.5 weeks. I didn't really know about EC before that. I read a bit about it and then tried it one morning. Like DawnStarling, I was amazed at how easy it was and how it just 'worked'! So don't stress yourself, and just try when the time seems natural and easy. I imagine for some people and babies it can be a little tougher when they are that young. Also baby legwarmers and nightgowns are savior for winter ECing.

[riboflavin]

Hi! We must have just posted around the same time, so I responded to your first post rather than the last update! In getting him to relax over a receptacle, it might help trying different positions if possible. For us what worked great was having my DS with his back resting against my belly. I would sit on the floor with my legs tucked under my butt. I had the receptacle between my legs. So baby would be comfy and stable and warm. We had a full length mirror in front of us so I could see what was going on and so we could coo at each other :)

[PeachBaby]

Originally Posted by riboflavin 

In getting him to relax over a receptacle, it might help trying different positions if possible. For us what worked great was having my DS with his back resting against my belly. I would sit on the floor with my legs tucked under my butt. I had the receptacle between my legs. So baby would be comfy and stable and warm.

This is also what we did when DS started refusing the potty at about 3 months.  I would sit him on my lap on the floor with a big sized styrofoam cup.  He preferred this position for another 3 months or so before going back to the potty.

[Shannie77]

I started at 6 months with DD1, by a year she was basically graduated and she hasn't had an accident since she was 18 months.

With DD2 I wanted to do it from birth.  I had several catches when she was 7-9 weeks and then I gave up.  I just found it too overwhelming and discouraging that I wasn't doing better.  I have just started her back up and we have had 3 misses and 7 catches today. :)  

[heatherr30]

I tried squatting on the floor holding DS over a big basin yesterday.  DS seems to like the position, we can look at each other even though he is "aimed" at the basin!  In fact he now seems to be waiting to poo till I hold him in the position.  EC is so amazing!