First week of EC - how am I doing?

[Julia2879]

Okay, I read Ingrid Bauer's book while pregnant, was really excited about starting ec from birth, then I had dd and needed to get used to having a baby before actually starting. DD is 5 weeks old tomorrow; I started this week having a couple of hours of nakey butt each day before putting her back in sposies (trying to beat a diaper rash so we had to abandon cloth dipes for a bit). She doesn't seem to be sending any cues, so I offer her the potty when I think she'll need it, like after nursing or upon waking for a nap. During these nakey butt sessions, I'll hold her with a prefold under her for my protection. Just wondering if this is a good way to start out with ec or if anyone has any recommendations for me. I feel like all I do during these sessions is watch her waiting for her to pee or poop, which is why I have to limit it to a few hours a day!! Does anyone else feel this way? Also, she seems to poop only while nursing but she doesn't fuss or anything - I think she must be so relaxed from nursing that it helps her poop. So, I haven't been able to catch any of those!!! I'm a firm believer in ec, but I get so frustrated - dh has commented that maybe ec wasn't intended for perfectionists like me! Thanks for any help/advice in advance.

[orangefoot]

Perfectionism goes out of the window with little people anyway so ec is a good way to get into the swing of that!

You are doing well the the nakey thing even if you are on tenderhooks waiting for a wee. You could try just going about your business and if you see that she has weed changing the prefold for a dry one then going about your business again. After a while you might start to notice a pattern in terms of timing but you won't be so fixated on catching - more keeping her clean and dry. If you see her wee you can do the psss cue too.

If you get a potty bowl from the EC store or find a small bowl similar you can hold it between your knees when you feed her with her bottom resting on it and you will catch whatever she does when feeding every time and save a nappy! Feeding catches were 100% for us for along time as were waking wees. Dd is nearly 6 months now and has stopped weeing or pooing during feeding but we still catch on waking evein if she now prefers to wake up a bit before she can release: everything changes.

Its the communication which counts not how many catches you have so relax and see where the journey takes you. Good luck!

ETA Having said that don't pressure yourself to 'hear' or 'understand' her right away - it will come with time

[Leilab]

I'm new to this, too, having only been ec'ing for 2 weeks (it seems longer). I think you're doing great. It truly is about communication and knowing that you are responding to your dd's needs. I'm trying not to get caught up in catching pees/poos. When I do find myself in that mind frame, I just put a clothy on dd and watch for her cues to learn them better. Sometimes, she gives me no cues at all, in which case, I just go on my gut feeling and timing.

keep at it. EC was made for everyone!!

__________
Mami to Julieta Elisa (12/6/06) :2bfbabe: by day : by night

[granolalight]

Hello and Welcome! (I noticed this was your first post!)

I am fairly new at EC too. What I've learned is to not pressure yourself. Sometimes you catch 'em, sometimes you don't. Sometimes you get a cue, sometimes there is none. EC is about not just cues, but also timing and instinct, and "pottytunities." Just keep doing what your doing. It all sounds right.

I agree with you, sometimes it seems like you're just staring at them, waiting for a pee. Mine often poops while nursing too, and I often don't see it coming. I have never held a bucket under him while nursing. For me, that's just too much, too gross, and too uncomfortable. But I know some mamas do it. You have to do what's right for you. No one is perfect at EC, I think it is quite a long process, w/ many misses along the way. The way I look at it, there is a good chance that baby will be able to be completely "toilet trained" much earlier than if not ECing. And that seems worth it to me.

Good luck and have fun, and keep reading these boards, they are very helpful.

[EdnaMarie]

You asked how you're doing and it sounds like you're doing fine. We used cloth diapers and nakey-butt and in clothes and disposables on trips out when DD would be in a carseat for most of the time. For the first month I felt like I was kind of slowly making progress... catching something like between 50 - 90% of pees and poops. But every three weeks or so we seem to get missing our signals and she changes. Now I'm on a total instinctual level. But I just had to kind of go with the flow... even if the flow was down her legs and in my lap.

"Does anyone else feel this way?"

Yes. But I've finally figured out that perfection here is not a clean baby or 100% in the pot. It's perfect love and gentleness. If your goal is to keep pee off the floor, then EC is not for you. You will indeed spend all day waiting for pee. A miss is not a sign that you did something wrong- it's a sign that your baby and you are normal.

Sometimes, when I could not get the pot to fit under DD when she was nursing, and she didn't have a cloth on, I had to let her pee while sucking. That was the loving thing to do and I don't count it as a miss because we agreed together ;-) that that was where she needed to pee.

[cmg]

Originally Posted by Julia2879

I feel like all I do during these sessions is watch her waiting for her to pee or poop, which is why I have to limit it to a few hours a day!!

Hee hee! Three states: Waiting for her to pee, getting peed on, cleaning up after last pee.

I've been at this for a little over a month; at some point it clicked and I wasn't spending all my conscious cycles worrying about "catching". Still get peed on frequently, tho . I have more time, now, that I feel "safe" carrying her around w/o a diaper. If you're feeling stressed, you might try setting a 5 min timer just after she pees and let yourself relax until it dings.

But you sound like you're doing just fine. Just enjoy dd's smile when she gets a good poop over the sink!

[2 in August]

I just started this week too but with a 6mo old. You are braver than I for the nakey time. I've been cueing him just when I change him (even if his diaper is already wet) and he's went about half the time for me. I think, with my limited experience, it's just another one of those things that each momma/baby pair has to have their own groove for. Sounds like you are doing a great job.

[Julia2879]

Thanks for all of the encouragement! Update - DD is really picking up EC. I've taken her to the potty several times in the past couple of days after a diaper change and she pees and poops very quickly! She hasn't pooped nearly as much in her diaper - it's almost like now that she's experienced pooping in the potty and noticed she doesn't have to sit in it, she wants to wait to poop until I take her to the potty! This is so awesome! I'm really proud of her and loving EC! Can't wait until she starts cueing