new with questions

[corrie43]

Hi, I'm new to this forum, I have been using cloth diapers on my newborn daughter, 3 weeks old yesterday, and I noticed she pees and poops alot while I'm changing her. It was like she didn't want to go until I got her diaper off. So I had been reading the EC threads with interest. At about 4pm last night she woke up from a nap and she happed to have a clean diaper, so I thought, what the heck, I'll try to get her to go over the sink. Well guess what she pooped right away. I caught her next two poops and a pee too. I was so enthused.
Now for my questions.
1. Is it sanitary for her to go poop in the sink. I disinfect after, but where does the poop go? Is it the same as toilet water?
2. I want to get the baby bjorn potty, but which one.The one with or without the high back?
3. How old does she need to be to use the baby potty?
I haven't told my husband yet what I am doing because he may think I have lost it, but once I get good, I'll show him.
Hope to hear some answers soon, Thanks, Corrie

[HeatherSanders]

Re: new with questions

Originally posted by corrie43
1. Is it sanitary for her to go poop in the sink. I disinfect after, but where does the poop go? Is it the same as toilet water?

Yes.

2. I want to get the baby bjorn potty, but which one.The one with or without the high back?

The Little Potty is best, IMO, for the wee babies b/c you hold them on there anyway. We have a 10 week old and he loves his!

3. How old does she need to be to use the baby potty?

You want her to be comfortable - and feel safe. As she is very small right now, it might be easier (and more secure) for you to hold her over the sink with her body cupped against your chest. As she starts to hold her head up better, become more 'stable' - then you can hold her on the Little Potty or 'like' potty. Kenny was 'secure' on his potty at about 8 weeks . . . I have it on the counter and I hold him and he sort of leans back on my chest. I find this is easier on my back than getting down on the floor every time, but I am very careful to not let him fall, of course. Plus, he loves to watch himself in the mirror.

I haven't told my husband yet what I am doing because he may think I have lost it, but once I get good, I'll show him.

Mine thought I had gone over the deep end until he caught his first pee. He's fully on board now!

CONGRATULATIONS . . . keep on - come back and talk with us about your progress!

[mrzmeg]

Hi! It's great that you're thinking about giving EC a chance.

Heather is right about the sink, but don't get discouraged if your baby doesn't like it. Tristan hated me trying to pee him over the sink. He just didn't feel supported enough.

OTOH, he *loves* his Baby Bjorn potty. We got the "little potty" and started using it when he was about four weeks old. At first, I would just support him under his thighs and only have his bottom touch the potty, but now he can sit fully on it with my help. It's been a wonderful investment.

I really started EC because my baby would do the same thing as yours---he would pee or poop as soon as I took his diaper off to change him. I started by just putting him on the potty each time I changed him; that worked wonderfully and really helped him get the hang of things.

Good luck! Feel free to ask lots more questions and tell us how it's going

[Ahleemah]

Re: new with questions

"1. Is it sanitary for her to go poop in the sink. I disinfect after, but where does the poop go? Is it the same as toilet water?"

If you let poop go through your washer, you can let poop go through your sink.. it goes the same place. However, you don't HAVE to poop her in the sink.... most of us who do that do it with those sweet, nice, couldn't-hurt-a-fly breastfed baby poops.

I kept wipes by the sink, and just wiped down the sink after a poop. I only rinsed after a pee. (See my website for info about baby pee.. it's sterile!)

"2. I want to get the baby bjorn potty, but which one.The one with or without the high back?"

For a smaller baby, get the "Travel potty" without the back. You can hold your baby under the thighs and hold her above/on the potty, with her back leaning against your front. Comfy snuggle!

"3. How old does she need to be to use the baby potty?"

Sitting up by herself? Well, whenever she is physically able. But with you helping her? From birth! :-)

Welcome, Corrie,

Ahleemah

[corrie43]

i have another question.
I have been catching a lot of her poops but not so many pees. She gets real upset right before she pees, crys and arches back, and then pees.I have caught three, but I wondered if she acts like that because she doen't like peeing in the sink, or if thats normal. I am holding her with her back against my chest and one hand under each thigh. I am getting the travel potty soon though.
I just don't want to upset her, and make her not like this. thanks, corrie

[HeatherSanders]

Corrie . . . have you tried possibly peeing her on the potty with you instead. You sit facing the tank, holding her thighs, with her body nestled between your legs. She might feel safer. Kenny at first struggled to pee - seems he had a hard time relaxing and just letting it go at first. Helped a lot to get his little potty. Now, he'll pee heading down the hallway on the way to the potty if he is being held in position.

[Raven7]

Originally posted by corrie43
i have another question.
I have been catching a lot of her poops but not so many pees. She gets real upset right before she pees, crys and arches back, and then pees.I have caught three, but I wondered if she acts like that because she doen't like peeing in the sink, or if thats normal. I am holding her with her back against my chest and one hand under each thigh. I am getting the travel potty soon though.
I just don't want to upset her, and make her not like this. thanks, corrie

Y'know, this topic comes up a lot. I know for me I never want to feel like I am "making" ds do EC, and sometimes if he's fussy about peeing I have to check in and see what my real take on the situation is.

Primarily I see it this way: Sometimes needing to pee is uncomfortable. (pay attention next time you go pee and see how it really feels to you. We do it so often we don't really focus on what a big transition it is.) And sometimes it is hard to start peeing (my dh has this problem big time, I sometimes have to cue myself by saying "pee", older ds likes to drink a few swallows of water to get himself to start). So when baby feels the need to pee, and is having a bit of trouble starting, they sometimes fuss.

So, my way of dealing with it is to use our cue sound, ask in a sweet mama voice "Do you need to pee?", and then if he's still really fussy with no peeing I keep his bottom naked and hold him close to me so that we can come right back and try again when he's ready. When he was younger I used to use diapers at home, and if he seemed really worked up I would put his diaper on and say something about how he could pee in that if that was more comfortable.