Advice needed - EC stike after 6 months

[mtravelgirl]

This is my first time on the blog and my first time doing EC. I've been working with ME since she was 6 months old and we've had strings of great success and lots of "it's going pretty well". 

Lately however she doesn't sign at all and often when I put her on the potty, she gets up and pees on the floor 2 minutes later.

She's 13 months and just started walking 2 weeks ago.

I've read on this blog that many babies go through a period of "strike" that often coincides with a new skill.

She's gotten to the point now where she will cry if we even go near the potty.

I don't want this to be a negative experience for her (or me!)

What have you done specifically to weather the storm? Do you give it up all together for a week or so or resort to cleaning up pee and poo on the carpet or other ideas???

I'd love to hear them! Thanks!

[nstewart]

If it were me I would back off on pottying her on the potty. This will likely just lead to frustration for both of you and potentially a longer strike.  Try again in a week or so. Have you tried a different receptical, such as a bathtub or sink?  Maybe the novelty would appeal to her.  I would just try holding her by the thighs like you may have done when she was younger and cueing her and see what happens (if you aren't sure what this looks like, I think there are photos on diaperfreebaby.org).  I know with DS, when I KNOW he has to pee and is distracted or acting like he doesn't have to, turning on a bit of water and peeing him in the sink works quite well.

If that doesn't work, I wouldn't just chase her around cleaning up after her.  I would just make sure to say something (not scolding or emotional one way or the other) when you change her diaper that next time if she wanted to stay clean she could use the potty instead and maybe give some diaper free time where clean up is easy and you can cue or let her know as soon as she's gone (Ex. "Oh, Sally went pee pee.  Let mommy know if you want to use the potty next time") for a part of the day.

If that doesn't seem to be working, then I'd maybe try going back to super basics and just aiming for a catch a day at first, maybe first thing in the morning or after a nap.  Go back to doing what you did when you first started.

Good luck!

[mtravelgirl]

thank you so much!

i really appreciate the details and i'll certainly give them a try!

xoxo, m 

[hrsmom]

Pretty common, as you noted.  Just back off and change her as soon as you realize she's wet.  We survived a VERY long potty strike (seven months?) and by 19 months she was a "poop grad" and relatively consistent for pees by 21 months.  :) 

[Snapdragon]

I was just coming on here to write about my ds's EC strike! ugh- he is 11 month and has been EC'ed since birth. For the past few wks to a month he just does not wantto go on the toilet! He will pee in it occasionally but rarely poop- but usually with both he arches hi back and screams when we hold him gently over the toilet! And he used to be very good at EC. I tell myself at least he understands the concept. But poopy diapers vbs poop in a toilet is a big difference.

[nstewart]

Snapdragon, have you tried a different recepticle?  Such as a bblp or the sink?  DS went through a phase where he refused the toilet for pees and would only pee in the sink.  You could also cue DS over a prefold diaper or something like that.  If you can try something different for a week or two then maybe DS will forget about the strike.  That seems to be what worked for my DS.  Good luck!