How can I try diaper-free time?

[maba]

I started ECing with my 6 mo about 2 weeks ago and we've had about 75% success so far. I've been making the "Psss" with poops and pees from the time he was 1 month, so it was fairly easy to start. Today after peeing in the potty, he kept rolling and squirming when I tried to put the diaper on him, so I just let him be and he seemed really happy (he peed 2 times on me though LOL). I want to try having diaper-free time everyday. What precautions do I need to take, are there special water-proof sheets I can use, where can I find them? What other tips would you give a newbie ECing mom? I just checked out Ingrid Bauer's Diaper-Free from the library.

[nstewart]

Depending on how mobile your 6 mos old is, I'd suggest just getting either a thick wool blanket or a bed liner type mat and letting DS play on that without a diaper on for as much time as you're comfortable with or want to do on any particular day.  Doing this also at different times on different days may help you figure out elimination patterns (he seems to go every 20 mins in the morning, but every 35 in the afternoon unless he's just eaten type thing).

Other tips would be just to relax about it and not try to hard and to be consistent (which seemed to make a difference for me).  For example, I ALWAYS offer before and after naps, before we go in the car seat, as soon as we get home from somewhere, etc.

[maba]

Thanks so much Nikki. I've been letting DS have diaper-free time almost everyday but I haven't noticed any pattern and he ends up peeing a lot on the carpet/bed :/ He pees on cue after naps or if it's been sometime since his last pee. But when I take him to the restroom every now and then and cue, he doesn't usually pee but pees a minute or two after that! I have better luck with potty than the bathroom sink or the toilet bowl.

Some days are exceptionally good with ECing and on other days, I end up with puddles. But the poops almost always caught. If missed, they are in the diaper.

[maba]

Oh, and he's been sleeping through the night from the time he was 7 wo but he's been waking up once in the last couple of days and when I sit him on the potty, he empties his bladder. I even had a dry diaper once when he woke up after 6 hours!

[marija_jane]

Hi Maba
That is great. I think it is amazing that your little guy is waking to pee. So many three and four year olds have such a hard time with night times. My son started holding his pee for longer and longer times and I think by 18 months or so he was going 12 hours dry. I think it would have been earlier but I didn't realize and kept taking him when he woke to nurse! Anyway I wanted to mention that when he was a baby we went to Target and bought a waterproof mattress cover. Now I am more concerned about natural fibers so I bought a wool mattress pad for "his" bed. It was more expensive but its nice. I think I got it from Compostable Goods.
For floor time we used a large fleece blanket, but as he got older we had quite a lot of floor puddles. I know some people don't like puddles. When it was the wood or tile floor, I preferred to wipe the floor than to change a wet diaper. I read a post on here a few years ago-- someone said she saved so much money on diapers so when her child was potty independent she splurged on a professional carpet cleaning. That always stuck in my mind.

[heatherr30]

But when I take him to the restroom every now and then and cue, he doesn't usually pee but pees a minute or two after that! 

My DS does that too!  So after a failed attempt, I always take him again in a couple of minutes! ;) 

My DS is only 3 months old so I just throw a muslin diaper over his groin and let him kick his little legs diaper free to his hearts content.  I always "anchor" the diaper under his bum and around his waist so he won't kick it off.  Tummy time--the diaper goes under him to protect the mat (which I don't want to change every 15 min hehe)

When DD was mobile and had bad diaper rash I would let her go around the flat in sweatpants no diaper.  She still had far better freedom of movement and getting air on her bottom but the sweatpants would soak up most of the pee and protect the furniture a little.  I imagine they would be esp a good idea given a boy's peeing range. :)