newborn cues/communication

[emmaegbert]

So I am doing EC with my newborn which is awesome! I never did it this young before. But lately I am wondering... I will be holding DD over the toilet or potty and she is squirming around, and I am not sure, is she done going potty or is she working on a poo? I haven't been able to really tell the difference...

[escher]

I have similar questions sometimes. Is he fussing because he is working hard on a poo or because he is done and wants to get off the potty?

[theboysmama]

my dd has very clear "i'm done clues". Not only will she fuss but she will arch her back and push off with her feet. She has been doing this since she was about a week. (dd1 did that as well). If she starts to fuss and I am not sure she is done I try a different recepticle/position and then she will usually give me a clear "i'm done" or will go, usually she goes.

[emmaegbert]

hmm, thanks for the feedback. I am trying to see if DD still seems to be "trying" or if she is just generally grunting because she is a few weeks old...

I feel like I am getting a little better at being able to tell the difference. Also, if I think she has to go, and I am pottying her, and she is just not going, I am trying to be cool with that and let her not go, you know? rather than trying to wait her out.

[escher]

I agree that being ok with him not going when I think he has to go is important, and it is definitely something I'm still working on. I have this sense that if he has to go, then I should make it so he can go in the potty, but I have to remember that it is ok with us if he uses his diaper instead (or signals again two minutes later) if that works better for him right then. We're not trying to be diaper free right now, we're just trying to help him use the potty when he wants to use it. But like you I definitely have a desire to wait him out if I think he needs to go!

[emmaegbert]

another thing... I don't feel like she gives "cues"... if she seems uncomfortable for no reason I can discern, then I try potty. Also just when I think of it, upon awakening, coming home, going out, etc. Do your young babies give clear cues BEFORE they pee? (today is her 1m birthday so she is still very young).

I did EC at 2,5m with my second baby, and I never really felt like she gave much in the way of cues for a loooong time. And even then, they seemed as much conversational as anything ("hey look, there is a potty!" as likely as "I need the potty"). I don't know if that has to do with our part-time ECing (which is all I will ever do) or her personality, or not starting at birth, or me being inconsistent with my own cuing... so anyway, I am curious if this one will start doing more in the way of cuing on her own...

[seraf]

Besides waking up, my 6 week old's only signals are popping off the nipple but holding it in his mouth, sudden fussing with leg kicking and whimpering in his sleep.  His cues are reasonably in advance of his need.  When we are out shopping I have time to find the bathroom, undress him and get him to a toilet before he goes.

My daughter's first clear, deliberate signal was to blow raspberries.  She started that at 5 months on the day I introduced it as a signal.

My oldest's first clear signal was to crawl to the door and smack it.  He liked to pee outside but that cue went away with the warm weather.