Do you know your DC's signals, or do you mostly go on timing?

[granolalight]

We have been doing EC for about 3 weeks or so. I still don't really know his signals, aside from occasional squirming. Generally, if he starts fussing for any reason, and if it's been a while, I'll take him to the potty. But for the most part, I just take him when I think it's time. We've been pretty successful lately. No poopy dipes in about 2 days! We've caught them all on the pot. Even DH caught one today!

So my question is this: do y'all know your DC's signals, and if so, did it take a long time to figure them out? or do you just go on timing and intuition like I've described?

[heatherRN]

Same here, mostly timing, but today after about a month of EC I noticed that he seemed to be holding it for the next potty time. I used to catch poops by signal (grunts), but now when I put him on the potty then he starts to bare down. Good potty boy!

[riboflavin]

Timing, signals and intuition. He does so many different things to indicate he needs to go, and some are the same for other things too. Like if he wants to get up and have me walk him around he looks at me wide eyed and flails his arms, but he also does that for pee sometimes too. So, I end up taking him to the potty way too much...But we do catch about everything.

I was wondering if there is someway to teach a dc so young (3 months) to somehow have them answer you with an arm movement or something when you ask them if they have to go. I read an article somewhere where some group taught the kids to move their arm in the direction of the potty when they needed to go. Maybe I'll post this as a question tomorrow to see if anyone has done anything like this. By the way, glad its going well Becky!

[mrskingred]

We use timing with the occasional flash of intuition. DS used to signal very clearly in the beginning esp for pees. He's never signaled for poops, but as he's gotten more active, he tends to only signal while he's in the act, so I know he's gone and can change him straight away but there is no advance warning.

[EdnaMarie]

It changes. At first it was all about signals. I mean we really had them down. Now she's more signally- she will signal if her gums itch, if she likes the lamp, if she has to pee, whatever. So signals for poops- which are more actually her moving around to get the poop through her large intestine- are in, but signals for pees are out.

I use timing a bit- like if I feel it's been awhile- but now I"m mainly on intuition and it's working pretty well. However every time she changes I have to re-develop my intuition. :-) At least I know she's developing.

[granolalight]

Originally Posted by heatherRN

Same here, mostly timing, but today after about a month of EC I noticed that he seemed to be holding it for the next potty time. I used to catch poops by signal (grunts), but now when I put him on the potty then he starts to bare down. Good potty boy!

Yes! Same here. I think my son is beginning to trust that he will be taken to the potty and holds it for when we get there. That is so exciting to me. Of course we don't catch them all, but we are all learning together as a family and it is sooo neat!

[cmg]

We're just timing, with an occaisional signal. Sigh. But at least her timing is very regular, and she's pretty good about pooping during pottytunities.

[lexmas]

I like to think we operate on signals, as we only use timing for wake up pees and after feeding pees, and when I think about it that way, it seems like we use signals all the time! However, wake up pees and after feeding pees pretty much compose most of the baby's day...so I'd say sometimes signals...but mostly timing...despite the denial that I'm in that says otherwise!

[IntoTheBliss]

I have to do a combination of 3... intuition, signals and timing. My intuition is almost always right but do I ever listen to it? Usually not. Silly me. If he grunts then it is too late. By the time he says "Uh" the poop has already 'left the building' so to speak. Timing is pretty good. He can pee even when his bladder isn't full so he'll usually go whenever I offer.

In the mornings he "chatters" when he has to do his morning poop. He's 2.5 months old. We've been doing this for 6 weeks. If he's nusing and keeps popping off the nipple it is usually because he needs to pee or poop.

He LOVES peeing and pooping outside! Men! He's always more than happy to pee when held in position outside... even if just pee'd 10 minutes ago. I think our communication will really take off once the weater is consistantly warm.

[AngelBee]

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[rumi]

for us signals, timing, and suggestion (cueing) were all interactive . btw timing is not just by the clock it is circumstantial. like, we just ate / woke up. or we just reached our destination (best time for us). or we are about to leave the house. often i would have to go simultaneously.

and lets not forget props. books / shampoo bottles etc for potty time fun

see also old post on signals: http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=136066