Where to start with EC... good book recommendations?

[PrenatalCoach]

We're expecting our first in June and I'd like to learn 'how' to do EC. I prefer a book to online resources (if possible) because I spend so much time at the computer during the day that curling up on the couch with a book in the evening is much more enjoyable :-)

I can't seem to find Ingrid Bauer's book anywhere, that's one that was recommended to me. Any others?

[phxgirl1009]

Hi there, I loved Diaper Free Baby by Christine Gross-Loh.  Here is a link to it on Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Diaper-Free-Baby-Natural-Training-Alternative/dp/0061229709/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330442458&sr=8-1

Our son is due in May.  Although I have not personally used the book's techniques because he hasn't arrived yet, I found the book to be very helpful with a lot of flexibility for parents looking to EC.  I will definitely refer back to it when we begin to EC him, and I am excited to start trying within a few weeks after he is born.  Good luck!

[emmaegbert]

I like Gross-Loh's book a lot, as I recall, its written in a way that is very open to you practicing EC in the way that works for you (I didn't feel like it pressured me to be "diaperfree" or 100% EC or anything. Or to judge myself as somehow failing at EC if that wasn't possible for me for whatever reason). For me the whole focus of doing EC is not on banning the use of diapers, but on providing my babies the opportunity to eliminate in places other than a diaper, and on it being a process of communication and learning between us. And of course, on making them as comfortable as they can be- I think EC does help them in that regard. And fewer dirty diapers to wash or dispose of-- well I am happy about that too.

[nstewart]

Originally Posted by emmaegbert 

I like Gross-Loh's book a lot, as I recall, its written in a way that is very open to you practicing EC in the way that works for you (I didn't feel like it pressured me to be "diaperfree" or 100% EC or anything. Or to judge myself as somehow failing at EC if that wasn't possible for me for whatever reason). For me the whole focus of doing EC is not on banning the use of diapers, but on providing my babies the opportunity to eliminate in places other than a diaper, and on it being a process of communication and learning between us. And of course, on making them as comfortable as they can be- I think EC does help them in that regard. And fewer dirty diapers to wash or dispose of-- well I am happy about that too.

Yes, I agree with this post entirely.  I really enjoyed "The Diaper Free Baby".  I did read Ingrid Bauer's book as well, and while it was beautifully written I found Gross-Loh's book to be more "practical".  Both books are available on amazon. 
 

[ENVIessentials]

Congratulations to you! I think it's wonderful that you are looking into EC. It can seem overwhelming but you can do it! I agree with others that diaper free baby is good, I actually checked out a few books from my local library to see which ones I liked best.

Good luck!

[nstewart]

Originally Posted by ENVIessentials 

Congratulations to you! I think it's wonderful that you are looking into EC. It can seem overwhelming but you can do it! I agree with others that diaper free baby is good, I actually checked out a few books from my local library to see which ones I liked best.

Good luck!

Good advice!  I did get both books at the library initially, then actually managed to find Diaper Free Baby at Value Village!!

[AndreaOlson]

Congratulations!! I read "Diaper Free Baby" by Gross-Loh and found it well-written but short on the direct how-to stuff (I'm a visual, hands-on learner, and had placenta brain pretty badly!). I've read the others (Boucke and Bauer) since then...also informative, almost encyclopedic. All well-written. All resources I've used! To toot my own horn, I wrote an integrated, visual, and super-easy-to-follow book with videos and a bunch of other stuff because I found it challenging to learn EC from text alone and wanted to help more parents begin with confidence and some well-deserved ease. DiaperFreeBaby.org endorses my book and we are helping loads of parents start with it (I'm a DiaperFreeBaby Mentor, too). Hope this helps you and others become aware of some starting points you might not have known about.

Best wishes!

Andrea

[Tjej]

This video

http://www.amazon.com/Potty-Whispering-Gentle-Infant-Training/dp/B000NJWANI/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

Is pretty helpful.  It is cheesy and the video quality isn't great, but it shows EC in action and makes some stuff clearer than books can.

The Gross- Loh book is pretty good - although I think it is a little overly casual about it - if you want it to "work" you do have to put some heart/time into it.  But even saving a diaper here and there and communicating with a kid about what is going on in a positive way isn't bad...

It was a long time ago that I read the book or watched the video (or EC'd before this most recent newborn), but my best advice is 2 fold:

be willing to "go for it" when you feel you might be at the next step, and be patient about the misses (and if you find you can't be patient, step back a step or two and expect less of you and kiddo).

Tjej

[Jayalove]

I love the book EC Simplified. Http://www.ecsimplified.com
It really helped me with my confidence in nelieving we could do yhis in a easy way that worked for us. At first, I was intimidated, but after reading it I was relieved. Theres many .pdfs with the program that you can print as well as an audio version. It's very nicely organized too. She may even have a printed version. I dont remember.