Anyone thinking of going WITHOUT diapers?

[zebrabelly]

We used cloth since Margie was 6 months old and now that she's potty trained, I'm toying with the idea of not using diapers at all (or much anyway) with the next one. Anyone else?

B

[annakiss]

toying with it, yes... but also buying new pretty covers... so I thought about it, but I"m also just afraid of EC - that I could only stand it part time, you know? I guess I could just make an effort and go with part time though...

[AmandaBL]

This is probably a really stupid question, but how do you go without diapers?

[annakiss]

It's called Elimination Communication.

Elimination communication refers to the process of an infant and parent communicating together, both verbally and non-verbally, to assist in elimination needs. Human infants are born with the awarenss of their need to eliminate, parents only need to tap into their own awareness of that child's needs to communicate with them. Also known as Natural Infant Hygiene, Elimination Timing, Trickle Treat and Infant Potty Training.

http://www.freewebs.com/freetoec/

There's also an elimination communication board here, I think... http://www.mothering.com/discussions...play.php?f=227

[AmandaBL]

Thanks!!! I'll look into that.

[Raven]

Not me - to nervous! Noah will be 18 months when this babe is born and I can see myself handling it too well :LOL

[Raven]

I meant to say CANT see myself handlinig it too well. Pregnant brain syndrome anyone?

[slightly crunchy]

Yeah, ec is my plan now. Although, I don't know that I'll be so super committed to it. I think I'll just give it a shot and see how it goes.

From what I've read, many moms who ec still use some diapers at the beginning, especially going out.

I sort of tried ec with ds when he was close to a year old, because he went through a period where he really seemed aware of his urination and such. So, we did it for a few weeks, watching his signals and making the sound when he went. Then, he hit toddlerhood and it was all off. But, I do think using the principles off and on may have led to him potty learning on his own, practically overnight, at 24 months.

[impromptukiss]

we've been part time ec'ing with kayliegh sinc eshe was 8 months (late starter by ec standards). she LOVED it in the beginning & was using the little bjorn potty more than diapers at one point, but by 10 months when she was RUNNING she no longer had the time for it. we'll give ec a try with the next baby, but do what we can with a 2 year old running around. i think it is a wonderful way to bond with your child! i've never felt so in tune with her needs as when we were ec'ing, and ec'ing often!

[jensoko]

Hello everyone

I EC'd my first (ds three today! And completely potty-trained since age two). I started ECing him at 2.5 mos. Truthfully, we used diapers quite a bit...just not in the way you'd think! We put the baby on the diaper, rather than the diaper on the baby.

What most people seem intimidated by is the fact that ECing is a *process* and just like breastfeeding (or parenting in general), it's an ongoing thing...a switch will not flip one day and you'll suddenly both "get it" and never have to worry about figuring things out again. It's a part of understanding your child and his or her needs, whether they be nourishment, affection, or the need to go. And like any process, you don't have to choose once and be locked into how much you're doing it. There were times when we used more diapers, and times when we used none at all.

I made the decision to EC after I tried it as a lark, on a suggestion from a friend. I'd been unable to really come to terms with the fact that I raised royal he!! when my grandmother was left sitting in her own waste at the rest home, yet I was expected to routinely leave my baby the same way.

Once I saw how much easier it was for me to not have to clean smeared poop off a bum (and how much more comfortable it was for my DS), my mind was made up. Now, we didn't have a perfect 100% catch scorecard, but overall, I had fewer diapers to wash, and a happier, rash-free little boy for whom potty training was a process, like any other social situation, rather than an event.

And when Next One comes (due late may '05), I'll use the same technique, because as another poster has said, it makes me feel like I'm in tune with more of my child's needs.

ECing isn't for everyone, but don't rule it out without looking into it.