anyone eventually regret EC? - Page 2

[kavitha]

i don't regret EC, i love the benefits and helping dd do what she needs to do........but i am sometimes jealous when mom friends never seem to have to change a diaper or anything, and i am trying to pee dd every hour in a public rest room or in the car or outside the car or some other difficult place

[ShaggyDaddy]

we have a lot of regret some mornings about EC...

DD wakes up dry eaaaarly in the mornings often. She wakes up because she has to pee, then she fusses till you take her out of bed. She would get VERY upset if you tried to potty her, and end up being up for the day at 4am.

It is getting MUCH better recently because we found a trick that keeps our DD from waking 10+ times a night like she used to, so we are not so sleep deprived anymore, which helps with everything. But also she is big enough to sit on the potty insert instead of potty hold or bblp, and for whatever reason in the morning, she will do that without too much fuss.

So now the mornings that she decides to wake up dry, I potty her, rock her back to sleep then take her back to bed with dw and DS before I leave for work... it is much better now, but there were about 4 months where we were cursing ourselves daily for doing EC.

[Aletheia]

It is getting MUCH better recently because we found a trick that keeps our DD from waking 10+ times a night like she used to,

Shaggydaddy, do tell! What trick!??

[cmg]

Yes, please!

[CrunchyGranolaMom]

I saw this thread last night and have been thinking about it all day.

Aside some of the other positives that have been said, I feel a tremendous satisfaction over the good thing my dd and I have done for the environment by EC'ing (or maybe it's "less of a bad thing"?!). Every pee or poo that goes in the potty is one less CD that has to get washed. And think for people who use disposables....

My hat (and I do wear one!) is off to everyone on this forum, no matter how much or how little you EC. I really believe "something is better than nothing", for you, your baby and the world.

[ShaggyDaddy]

Originally Posted by Aletheia

Shaggydaddy, do tell! What trick!??

She has special needs, and sensory issues, we found out (quite by accident on Easter) that a hat or bonnet will help her calm down and stay asleep better. She has slept in a hat every night since a few days after easter when we realized why she had been calm... We have had only one "Stay up all night rocking the baby" night since then! (we used to have 2-4 per week, and no days of more than 5 hours in bed). Now she sleeps "like a baby", hah whatever that is supposed to mean.

But we have always had a routine of having her potty right before I rock/bounce her down, she often makes it the next 5-6 hours without going in her diaper, but we put her in a pocket at night, so if she does go, she stays dry, because sleep is more important than EC at this point in our lives.

[3MF]

I haven't read all of the replies yet but I was wondering if this thread could have a poll added? I'm expecting my first next month and have planned to try EC since TTC, so I would be interested to get a clear sense of just how many regret trying. I don't know whether it would change my mind though... Thanks.

[Sillyca]

more plusses than any regret

Our ds was doing great at just over 2- last fall he would wander over to a potty on his own and sit, pee or poo if he was bottomless. We really wanted him to learn how to pull down his own pants and do it- he did it a few times- we also tried to emphasize, just say "pee or poo" or pick any cue word you want and we will help you pull your pants down. We ec'd from birth, I really always tried to tune in and keep him dry- had made my own poquitos...then put him in reinforced or padded underwear, no liner so would have to change outer pants as well.
He went from being aware...and dry a lot to just peeing through and on the couch, wherever.. and not caring if we were wet. We always have caught poops and he has seemed to wait until he was on the toilet.
He would also race to the bathroom at times and I would follow him and help him on the potty- and he would go- still does sometimes.
He was peeing through the reinforced underwear and I was getting really tired of the extra laundry so I added gerber plastic pants as a middle layer. Maybe they made him feel sweaty and damp so he got used to that? Anyway I just sort of felt he would get his own inspiration and switched to disposable pullups- tried the cool feel and learn (did not work) and have just stuck to generics. (we are getting ready to move and waiting for showings on the house just did not want piles of undies waiting to be washed or being mid wash- in fact I packed the whole lot in frustration. I did keep a few Thomas underwear out- and he pees right through them now when I try and tell him Thomas does not like being peed on.
We also tried charting his progress, every time he peed in the potty he got a train car added to the refrigerator to see how long of a train he could make in a day- there was no prize attached to it- and after awhile he did not seem to care about that either.

He just turned 3- and I feel when I get him in an environment of other kids who are asking to go and wearing underwear he will have a lightbulb moment. His focus is just not on keeping his pee going only in the potty. All day every time I go, I announce that "I have to pee or go poo or go in the potty" and he will race after me and I will rub on the outside of my pants and show how they are dry- yay for me... (sigh) lately when dh has told him he lost his carrots (dissapear on pant when they get wet) he says "yay"
Am pregnant again and probably will still ec the next- I just can't turn off the awareness.
LJ

[Synchro246]

I can't decide whether or not to EC this baby who's coming any day now. I pretty much enjoyed ECing my son, but I got busy when he was about 7 months and by the time he was 10 months our success had dwindled considerably.
He's 2 now and he communicates well about pee and poop, but he doesn't seem particularly motivated to be dry. Sometimes when he has poop in his diaper I ask if he wants me to change it and he vehemently says "NO". I respect his wish (for a while). He will poop and pee on the potty occasionally though.
I sorta feel all the time I spent ECing was a waste. I don't even think I saved that many diapers. I used cloth with no cover and changed them any time there was any pee. Sure, I could load the washer a bit fuller because the waste-load wasn't as high per diaper. Sigh. I did get to spend a lot of time with him because of EC, but I just don't know if it's a method that works well in our culture/society.
If I lived in a place with no carpet and no expectations for baby's to wear clothes I think I would love it. But I like cute baby clothes. I don't like cleaning up pee messes (I don't care if it's sterile, I just don't enjoy it).
BUT I feel guilty making my next baby pee in a diaper if I know I'm capable of helping him not do that.

It's not regret, per se, but I'm not sure EC's benefits were sufficient. I am glad to have had the experience though.

[arizonawillow]

I sort of skimmed. But in response to the last post I want to remind y'all that you can EC *and* keep a diaper on your baby all or most of the time! I'm not around here or the big EC list like I used to be very often but they used to say that EC done half-way is STILL EC!

I stressed a lot about whether I was doing EC right with my older son. I think I worried about it too much. But it doesn't matter at all now; he's 7 and I just want him to put the seat up when he goes. My younger one, I was more laid back with him and don't regret that I was that way. I still have to remind him and take him potty but accidents are rare. I believe that if he was still not graduated (he's almost 3) that I would not regret having done EC with him because I tried to be respectful to him and also do it the best I could which sometimes meant he stayed in a wet diaper for a bit and he was even in disposables a lot when we went out up to a certain point.