Want to try EC from the beginning

[Mommie22]

I'm due to have this baby boy at any time and have been reading up on EC. I'm just looking for advice from people who have been there done that. What should I know?

[Leningradka]

I am due at the end of March, and I read the "DiaperFree Baby" by Christine Gross-Loh, Its only about $10 on amazon, and it has great info. I am planning to use that as my primary reference. Unfortunately, there are no EC support groups in my area, but if you look on diaperfreebaby.org, may be you can find one in your area?

[seraf]

That's a pretty big question. 

The beginning is a great place to start. If you have certain struggles with nursing you can offer the potty. It's an easy time to go without diapers because they are immobile and they go infrequently before your milk comes in. They go at predictable times and once your milk comes in you have many opportunities to observe signals. 

If you have any more specific questions I would be happy to try to answer them. 

[Mommie22]

I just read through Diaper Free Baby and I'll use it for my reference guide too. I want to start from the beginning. I'm a SAHM and I figure there's nothing to lose. I have cloth diapers as a backup. I guess I want to know what you wished you knew when you first started. I'm sure I'll be on this board asking more questions after this little guy makes his appearance. 

[seraf]

I haven't read that book. You are probably starting out with an advantage l  I learned most of my stuff on the yahoo group and in the trenches, so to speak. A few thoughts. 

Poop comes in waves. Makes sense when you think about parastalsis. 
 

Often wiping stimulates more poop. Makes sense when you think of puppies. 

Sometimes babies poop a little when they sneeze, cry or otherwise engage their abs in the beginning.

Putting a cloth wipe between his bum and the diaper saves a lot of laundry.

Often a baby in pants will give a warning pee. They don't seem to like the wet so they stop after the first squirt and may be ready to pee again in the next few minutes.

Elastic belts that  hold a diaper on are, IMO, the easiest system for frequent potty trips.

Sometimes a foreskin twists or gets tighter and pee goes an unexpected direction.

Babies signal more clearly away from the house (at least mine did).

My DP ads that she didn't know that it was possible to go from 2 half misses one day to 2 catches the next.

She also says that it's much easier than she expected.

I didn't expect to love it as much as I have.  We're expecting our 4th in May and I can't see doing anything other than EC.

I'll come back as I think of more.

[tri31]

Hi there! I will be starting EC right from the start again with this baby. She will be my 3rd EC'd child (out of 5). I have been thinking about what I need and different things that worked or didn't work with my last LO.  In the early learning days, it's just trial and error. That's not to say it's been easy, I have made plenty of mistakes. They have been mostly due to doubt and judgment,which had an effect on my disposition.They all do their own thing, so remember you are not doing it wrong as long as you are just lovingly offering. Don't focus on catching, because in the end it is the awareness of pottying that is the important thing. That's the majic bullet, is that your LO will have always been aware of their elimination. Remember the path of least resistance, babies are vibe readers so your body language will be calling the shoots.

[mum2sarah]

My advice would be don't set too high expectations in the beginning.  You never know how your labor will go or initiating breastfeeding, etc... Personally I needed a few days to just focus on catching up on sleep and not worrying about much other than eating, sleeping and nursing.  I just did a little diaper free time and trying to observe his elimination patterns but not much else.  On day 5 I finally started with the potty.  This was nice because by then, no more meconium and I was caught up on sleep and had a good idea of his elimination patterns.  With DD seven yrs prior I hadn't discovered EC til she was 7 wks old but it was still an easy time to start...