How's it going? - Page 4

[mamainmotion]

Originally Posted by lexmas

Well, other than the fact that I seem to be the only one who wishes they had never heard of EC sometimes (maybe I need more friends with older, diapered children, all of my friends kids pretty much potty trained themselves by 2) I love reading all the updates, keep them coming!

Well we have made it through our first week or maybe a little more - I lost track of time with my newborn and 4 year old.
This EC knowledge is pretty crazy. I love it - really really do, but it is very hard. Just in the fact that it takes a lot of time.
I diapered my first full time in cloth - and changed ds when he was wet or every 2 hours when he was older. I pee my dd A LOT.
And she does not want to be wet and signals.

Or outings - which have been short and only 3 in a month are hard.
But I can't imagine taking away this communication.
This is a need she is voicing and we are here to tend to her.
I only WISH I had done this ds, my almost 4 year old who does not transition well and the potty was very scary to him.
He still won't use a big toilet, pee standing up, or outside.
It's scary and traumatic to him - and very frustrating for his parents!!!!
But every child has there 'thing' - which you will learn if you haven't already.
So back to the story.
This Ec thing is new to us and I know it would be easier to full time diaper my dd - but I can't now - I already KNOW to much - ahhhhhhhhhhhh

Children teach us so much.
My first dramatically changed my life. I can only imagine where little dd will take me.

Keep this thread going.
Amanda

[boogalu33]

How old is your child? 4 months

When did you start EC? about a month ago on and off

How's it going at this age? things were going so great but then she got a stomach virus and now is having a pee strike (she'll still poo). i think she was dehydrated and somehow that is linked. funny thing is is i had her in diaps during the illnesss and didn't take her potty at all, when we were all feeling better i took her potty and she had the biggest most explosive longest poo in the world. then i felt bad cause she was probably holding it for a long time since i didn't potty her

When are you having misses? alot of pee misses right now, she often goes minutes after i give her a pottyunity:, and i've been distracted with ds pottylearning as well

Does your child signal/ are you only using timing/ what is the signal? i'm using alot of timing but she does fuss and strain alot before a pee

What does dc wear (diapers, trainers, nakeybutt, whatever...)? nakeybum and cloth diap with a snappy around the house

What do you do for nights? still using diaps at night

What do you do for being out and about?sometimes diaps with wraps sometimes without and sometimes just a onesie and babylegs and no diap

Any insights about this age/hints for other parents? ecing helped ds pottylearn, talk about positive peer pressure!

What's your favorite part of ECing at this age? i have so few diaps to wash and i don't worry anymore if the diapers are not washed or dried anymore cause i don't need them

How have your expectations of EC changed this month? i just started ecing cause my girl kept getting rashes. i was sooo skeptical and thought it would be so hard and time consuming but its great! its as easy as changing diaps and so much nicer for my babe and myself and even for my toddler

Do you ever wish you had never heard of EC? what a strange question

[lexmas]

Originally Posted by mamainmotion

This Ec thing is new to us and I know it would be easier to full time diaper my dd - but I can't now - I already KNOW to much - ahhhhhhhhhhhh

Children teach us so much.
My first dramatically changed my life. I can only imagine where little dd will take me.

Keep this thread going.
Amanda

What a sweet response! I do think it's important for other people to realize that it IS hard sometimes, but it's worth it to us, so that's why we do it. Can it be a lot of work? Yup, but so are a lot of good things. The "do you wish you had never heard of it" question is one from the Yahoo update list, and honestly, I have been so encouraged reading there that even those who are really experienced at EC get frustrated sometimes, and acknowledge that while all their friends are just changing their kids every couple hours and can ignore all that, they have to be tuned in...and sometimes you just wish for the ability to diaper and not think about it! It is hard, and it involves communicating with your child all the time, which, while wonderful, is such a cultural mind shift.

I'm glad so many people are responding, I love reading about the EC journey. Our babies are so amazing!

[lexmas]

Alright, well I wasn't going to do a 1 year update, since I just did one, but things have been going well so I might as well curse it!

How old is your child? 1 year!

When did you start EC? 4 days part time, 1 month full time, 5 months nighttime

How's it going at this age? Exceptionally! If we leave him diaperless at home he is almost 100%. Even DH has been leaving him diaperless and he is a diaper kind of guy. I asked him about it the other day, and he was like, "Well, he doesn't need one now, he's doing good." If DS is in a diaper, he's more likely to pee in it...somehow he got the idea that a diaper was for peeing in anyway!

When are you having misses? Well, I'm sure I'll be having them as soon as I hit post... but other than that, in the car and at night.

Does your child signal/ are you only using timing/ what is the signal? DS crawls to the gate or crawls over to us and gets fussy. We do use timing a lot, and just take him when it's been awhile.

What does dc wear (diapers, trainers, nakeybutt, whatever...)? Long shirt and leg warmers or pants at home, occasionally a diaper.

What do you do for nights? He wears a diaper and I potty him. I was just REALLY tired for awhile and was doing horribly at pottying him and he started peeing at night. Now I'm trying to get more sleep and remember to potty him, and it's going better. Not 100%, but better.

What do you do for being out and about? He wears a diaper or trainers and we take him to potty. After all this time I do still get thrown off when I'm at someone else's house because I have my mind wrapped around what they're thinking. I really need to let that go!

Any insights about this age/hints for other parents? Mobility is going well for us. He has no problem dropping what he's doing to potty. On the other hand, I've found I really have to respect when he doesn't want to sit on the potty, because that way he'll let me know when he DOES have to go. At least for us, this is a good time to start putting it in his hands.

What's your favorite part of ECing at this age? Gosh, all of it! (Okay, other than the dread of walking I have in the back of my head...) I do enjoy that his bladder control is getting better! And the fact that DS had 3 birthday parties this weekend (very small ones!) and he was still dry all weekend. Nothing throws him! I love that he's starting to communicate. It makes me one proud Mommy!

How have your expectations of EC changed this month? Well, I never expected to be where we are at this point! And I'm trying REALLY REALLY hard to appreciate it, because I know it's not going to last very long!

Do you ever wish you had never heard of EC? Yup, but right now I'm feeling the payoff. In a few hours/days/weeks, I'm sure I'll feel differently. Wishing I've never heard of it doesn't mean I think it's not worth it, it mostly just means I'm feeling worn down and need a break!

[Leilab]

How elated you must feel right now! It's like these moments let us know that EC does work and is worthwhile.

My dd seems to signal more right as I'm feeling like I want to stop.

[snowymom]

I loved reading this thread!!

How old is your child? 3.5months

When did you start EC? 3wks, part time

How's it going at this age? Great! We went through a few wks where it was hard as she was becoming more awake ad her pattern cahnged a little...

When are you having misses? she is in her diaper most of the time, so I miss when I am too busy or we are out or at night as I don't take her often then

Does your child signal/ are you only using timing/ what is the signal? we use timing and a signal. We do the psss sound, but even if I just hold her over the toilet, she'd go. I also take her whenever I think she needs to go.

What does dc wear (diapers, trainers, nakeybutt, whatever...)? cloth diapers, nekkid butt...

What do you do for nights? she wear a cloth diaper. sometimes after 6+hrs, she is, but not often.

What do you do for being out and about? I put her in a diaper and try to take her to a toilet, but we don't go out often.

Any insights about this age/hints for other parents? be patient, I notice that her patterns have changed a little and sometimes she gets so excited to be over the potty that she an't go, so she has to settle down first

What's your favorite part of ECing at this age? not cleaning out poopy girl parts (i am sure she likes this too!), the softest baby bum, knowing that she is clean all the time, no poopy diapers, no poopy clothes, I guess everything is good about it!

How have your expectations of EC changed this month? I didn't expect much to begin with, so not too much change

Do you ever wish you had never heard of EC? no, i think it has to be one of the best things I have learned!

[BarefootScientist]

Going to update now, before we go traveling for Christmas and introduce solid foods, so I can look back at how great it was.

How old is your child? Will be 6 months next weekend.

When did you start EC? Few days after birth.

How's it going at this age? Great. The other day I had a moment where I was putting away the diaper laundry from the day before and was thinking "That's funny, they don't all fit in the drawer." Then I peeked inside the diaper pail and realized there were no dirty diapers! At that moment ALL our diapers were clean! And there have been a few days where DH comes home and comments that DS is still wearing the same diaper he put on him before work in the morning. Not that it's like that all the time, of course, we're still having our share of misses.

When are you having misses? In the high chair (no food yet but we put him there while we eat) it seems like almost a guaranteed miss. Also, naked time is free-for-all, evenings are more challenging, and if I don't move my butt fast I sometimes miss the early morning poop.

Does your child signal/ are you only using timing/ what is the signal? We use timing and signals. He usually becomes disinterested in playing and looks away if he has to pee. Or he makes loud velociraptor sounds (not sure if he does that just before or while he's peeing though, because usually that's a miss). At night he squirms.

What does dc wear (diapers, trainers, nakeybutt, whatever...)? Generally cloth diapers, usually without covers, sometimes just pants with no diaper. Not too much naked time lately as it's cold. :

What do you do for nights? Go with the flow. Seems like he is always changing his preferences. Currently he is in sposies at night due to peeing a lot, getting angry when taken to pee or a diaper change, and he was starting to get a rash from being left in wet cloth. However, lately he has been squirming me awake at 2:30 am. without fail and refusing to nurse until he is taken to the sink, where he pees a river and promptly goes back to sleep, then repeats at 5:30, usually with a poop. His diapers are still wet in between, but that may be a small step.

What do you do for being out and about? Cloth diapers with covers, or even sposies if we're going somewhere unfamiliar (or if DH dresses him). We try to use the toilet when out but mainly based on timing and not often successfully.

Any insights about this age/hints for other parents? It took a while for me, but I feel like the intuition thing kicked in a little bit finally! Although I could be reading subtle signals too. So be patient, it's a process, and it does get easier to communicate with your baby!

What's your favorite part of ECing at this age? I just love getting that feeling that he has to pee, taking him and watching him happily pee. It feels so much better than finding him in a wet diaper. And catching the majority of poos is great too!

How have your expectations of EC changed this month? They haven't really changed much. As mentioned above, I'm kind of expecting an upset over the next month, what with traveling and starting solids, so we will see what happens.

Do you ever wish you had never heard of EC? Heck no.

[swellmomma]

How old is your child? almost 3 months
When did you start EC? about a week ago
How's it going at this age? hard, she still sleeps so much it's hard to do timing or signals
When are you having misses? all the time, I catch her first am pee then I miss the rest of the day it seems
Does your child signal/ are you only using timing/ what is the signal?mainly timing, she has signalled once that my dd read, otherwise I haven't noticed any
What does dc wear (diapers, trainers, nakeybutt, whatever...)?CD with no covers and a dress or a t-shirt and babylegs with a CD
What do you do for nights? sposies
What do you do for being out and about? sposies
Any insights about this age/hints for other parents? none I am still learning
What's your favorite part of ECing at this age?the closeness to her
How have your expectations of EC changed this month? I thought it would be so easy, boy was I wrong
Do you ever wish you had never heard of EC? no, I wish I heard of it sooner so it would have just been normal to her right from birth

[lexmas]

I'm so glad this thread was bumped, because I was prepared to go searching for it when I got online!

BarefootScientist--Have fun traveling! We always did okay when traveling. Solids also just made EC easier, not harder, because DS stopped pooping 4 times a day and just pooped once. And he had to push it out so there were no more surprise "where did that come from" poops in his diaper. Ah, grunting to poop, I don't know what I did without it!

Swellmomma--welcome! If your dd is still sleeping a lot, just try to catch the ones when she wakes up. She's probably not used to waiting for you to potty her, but she'll catch on.

And now to us. I'm adding two new questions again,
When are you having the most success? because I always feel like I'm updating about the bad times, and not the good times, and
Any interesting or exciting EC moments this month? because I always have times like vacations or a specific outing or something that I want to share but don't know where to put it.

How old is your child? 13 months! (How the time flies!)
When did you start EC? part time 4 days, full time one month, nights 5 months. (I wonder if I say the same thing every time lol...)
How's it going at this age? Considering that DS just started to stand alone 4 days ago, and is seriously thinking about walking, I think we're doing quite well. We average 1-3 misses a day, normally. And then there are the days where we have more than that, but it happens.
When are you having misses? In the car, at night, and randomly through the day.
When are you having the most success? This is actually a hard question right now! We normally have a lot of success during playtime, but then again that's when the misses happen as well! DS is usually dry in the highchair and the sling. Oh and we've been having an amazing track record with poops lately. (Hey, he's gonna start having poop misses with walking, so now is as good a time as any to curse it!)
Does your child signal/ are you only using timing/ what is the signal? We use timing a lot. We were trying to use timing almost exclusively (we tried the fortnight but got about 4 days. I was a quitter with that one). But now we're encouraging him to say, "puh puh puh" when he has to go. Which reminds me I'm ready to start a fortnight with that one!
What does dc wear (diapers, trainers, nakeybutt, whatever...)? He's in undies or trainers around the house, because that way I can spot a miss right away and change him. If he was in a diaper, it would take me longer to find it, so I figure this is better.
What do you do for nights? He wears a cloth diaper and I potty him. Sometimes this goes really well, sometimes it doesn't. Depends on how tired Mama is! He's generally okay with pottying at night, but sometimes I just can't be on the ball 3 or 4 or 5 times that he needs to go!
What do you do for being out and about? When we go out, he's in some sort of cloth diaper, usually a prefold in the car and a one-wet diaper wherever we are. At the store, we generally are using the public bathrooms now, but if we get somewhere without a bathroom we'll use the potty in the car when we get there because it's warm from the heat in the car to get there. At other people's houses, we just use the bathroom.
Any insights about this age/hints for other parents? Gosh, this is a fun age! DS is starting to communicate about everything, including pottying. But, as we're staring down walking, my only advice would be enjoy the good times while they last and expect misses while hitting milestones.
What's your favorite part of ECing at this age? Well, the potty is DS's favorite toy. That's not really EC, but it's still cute. He'll spend a good 30 minutes putting a block in the potty and then taking it out (there's a good tip for this age...remember to empty the potty! Oh, how I wish I always took that advice...). It's SO cute when he says "puh puh" when I ask if he has to go potty. And I love his tiny little undies and trainers. Seriously. I love them. I had a cloth diaper obsession, and now I have channeled that into undies. It's bad.
Any interesting or exciting EC moments this month? DS has learned how to properly crawl off the potty...he even lifts his butt up so he doesn't hit the splash guard and tip it over! Also, the other day at my Mom's house I came back into the room with the potty and DS started crawling toward the potty saying "puh puh puh"! (We'll ignore the fact that I didn't listen to him because he was playing with his grandpa who he doesn't see very often...we have lots of those "I should have known, but I didn't listen" moments lately).
How have your expectations of EC changed this month? I don't know that my expectations have changed, but my reality has changed, and I don't get preoccupied or upset with misses anymore, which is a good thing.
Do you ever wish you had never heard of EC? Not right now.

[Carlyle]

How old is your child? 13 months--yowza!

When did you start EC? about 3 months

How's it going at this age? Great--partly because she's started to hold it a pretty long time, she's started to care that it goes in the potty (I think), and because I've stopped caring so much about misses (and she always has at least pants on to catch the poops, so it's easier for me to relax about it!). In recent months, taking her to the potty when fussy has been a big NO NO (oh, the back arching and general pissed offedness!)--but nowadays she'll actually fuss when she WANTS to go potty, which is so nice!

When are you having misses? Scattered through the day--usually when I'm trying to get something else done and I ignore the ominous silences coming from her direction . Also many more misses if there are lots of people around (little or big people) because then one or both of us is usually pretty distracted with all the fun people to see

When are you having the most success? (Hmm...this one's thought provoking...when DOES it work best for us??) In the mornings when we're on our normal morning routine. When I'm carrying her we do well (if I potty her right after I put her down again!).

Does your child signal/ are you only using timing/ what is the signal? We use timing a lot too. Basically, if it's been an hour or so, I watch her closely, or ask her if she needs to go (tapping potty, putting her on, taking her into the bathroom). She has also started to fuss some if she needs to go, which is great (used to be that if she was fussy, we'd better not put her on the potty or risk her wrath!). She does sometimes make a puh sound too (I think...now that you mention it...it's rare, but I think she's started to do it very occasionally...since we do always say "potty?" when we put her on). Sometimes if it gets quiet (and I'm doing something else), that's a good sign that she's starting to think about peeing/pooping (or that she's already gone).

What does dc wear (diapers, trainers, nakeybutt, whatever...)? I've started leaving her in pants with no diaper around the house--mostly b/c I've stopped caring about pee misses as much (and they've gotten much rarer, especially if I don't have to fight her in and out of a diaper every time), but also because the pants will hold a poop long enough for me to figure it out! (I don't like poop in the carpet...ew ew ew)

What do you do for nights? We have been using cloth dipes as backup this month--mainly b/c we had several misses in a row last month (durned molars) and I'm feeling gun shy (pee misses at night are the PITS!) But I don't think we've had more than 1 or 2 misses at night this month! She usually pees once when I get to bed (around 10-12, depending on how much MDC I've been doing , and then once around 4-5am. Then a bunch of serial pees once she wakes up at 6:30.

What do you do for being out and about? Cloth dipes, and we just use the bathrooms (or the bushes if it's the park--if she looks like she's going to poop outside, I'll hold her over a cloth dipe--only had to use that a couple of times)

Any insights about this age/hints for other parents? Only the same advice I keep having to remind myself of every day...relax, relax, relax about it. Don't sweat the misses, don't pressure the baby to go. Wait for the signs if you can. They can often hold it longer than you think at this age!

What's your favorite part of ECing at this age? I love realizing that we already know how to potty train. We aren't going to have to "decide" to "start"...it's just part of our way of life. One less thing I'm going to have to learn in the future. I keep looking at many of my friends who cloth diaper and wondering when they will decide to start (to myself, of course, it's totally up to them--they're great parents!)...I always feel grateful that I'm already on top of it. And, as always, WAY fewer poopy dipes. Also, it doesn't stress me out as much if I haven't done the laundry and I'm running out of dipes (not that I'm EVER behind on the laundry, you understand! Hah!)

Any interesting or exciting EC moments this month? It's feeling more and more like just another part of how I run my life, which feels really good. Also, we have a spare plastic kiddie chair sitting around, and dd has climbed into it on her own (!) and pooped in it once (ick!)--it made me wonder about getting a chair potty (instead of our squatty potty) since she can obviously climb in and out of it on her own (she still can't get onto the squatty potty by herself yet, nor has she seemed to WANT to yet!)--one more step to independence! If it was summer and warm enough to leave her bare bottom, I would probably get a chair and leave her bare and see what happens! WOW...crazy thought, but she could be potty independent to a degree (I'm totally dreaming here...can you tell?)

How have your expectations of EC changed this month? What lexmas said (as usual)

Do you ever wish you had never heard of EC? Nope. I've always felt really grateful that I heard about it enough times to actually look it up and TRY it once or twice (and that it worked). I really think it's a blessing to be doing things this way! (But I've also never ec'd a newborn either )

[lexmas]

Hey Carlyle! Sounds like your DD is doing so well! But...Molars? Yikes, DS still only has four teeth! I keep swearing the next top two are going to come in soon, but they seem to have decided otherwise. I can see them low in his gums, but they haven't moved in awhile. Oh well. And this is totally OT from the other thread, but your DD pauses before she eats cat food? Like, you can stop her? DS just crawls toward it as fast as he possibly can and shoves it in his mouth. I don't think he's actually swallowed it yet, but he can get it in his mouth. Better cat food in his mouth than litter...that may have been the grossest thing ever. At least now we can tell him that he needs to stay away from the litter box because that's the kitty's potty and the kitty doesn't mess with his potty, so he shouldn't mess with the kitty's potty. See, this is a conversation I couldn't have with him if I didn't EC. I would be missing out!

I don't remember, is your DD walking? Probably, since she's been like, 5 steps ahead of DS developmentally, but she's a girl, so that's pretty normal, right? If she is did you have a potty strike with walking? Just curious. I can tell DS is becoming a toddler because he can do that whole "turn his body to jello so you can't move him the way you want" thing. Only children can do that, I don't understand it. But I fear the day that moves from protesting a nap to protesting the potty!

[Carlyle]

Lexmas--Yeah, molars, can you believe it?! She got her first tooth at 3 months old and hasn't stopped for very long since--phew! She's got 2 molars through and is working on the third--the bummer is that each molar has 3 points to get through...ah well. It must be frustrating for you that the teeth are there, but just won't hurry up, poke through, and be done with it! I'll be glad when we're done with this round--it definitely makes it harder for her to think about the potty when she's teething (see, I'm not totally off topic here )

And cat food? Well, yeah, she doesn't really pause before putting it in her mouth, but occasionally I can catch her before she swallows... And yes, the most brilliant piece of childproofing I did on our house was to wedge the door to the closet where the cat pan lives so that it is stuck open in a position that allows his head through, but not dd's!

Okay, back on topic (mostly )...My dd is JUST starting to think about walking--she's standing on her own occasionally, and creeping all around the room, but only a few steps so far. I don't know if it will affect ec or not. It doesn't seem to have made a major impact yet, but then again, I'm blaming most things recently on the molars, so maybe it is partly due to walking too . We'll see. I'm curious whether it will make a big difference too--part of me is thinking that once she's walking, she may start to go to the potty on her own (dare to dream, right?). But that jello/boneless chicken maneuver? OH YEAH does she have that down--usually when I'm trying to wash her hands when she's covered with oatmeal or something. It's total payback though, since I can remember doing that to my aunt...

For us, it seems like the thing that makes the biggest difference (potty resistance wise) is having me offer too often...that's when she starts to resist. If I can wait until she's actually signaling, she's much happier about the whole thing, and will actually GO right away when I put her on the pot (I'll go by timing and then just watch her more closely when it's been a while by playing with her directly or wearing her, then wait for her to signal....when I have time and patience!).

I missed 3 in a row yesterday and this morning though--one on my bed, which is unusual, and one while she was in the ergo, which is also unusual. And morning is when I said we were doing best too! Ah well...I AM letting it go and getting more relaxed. I AM. *sigh*

[lexmas]

Looks like we'll be going through EC and walking almost at the same time then Carlyle! Yikes.

I'm glad you have the perfectionist problem too. I mean, not glad for you, but glad that I'm not alone. Repeat after me..."EC is not potty training. Misses are expected and normal. I am an EC expert, there is no such thing as failure." Breathe, and repeat. LOL.

How are everyone else's babies doing? Any new updates?

[srs]

Okay, jumping in...

How old is your child? 8 months

When did you start EC? about six weeks ago

How's it going at this age? There are hits and misses. On the one hand, we're starting to get into some of the "beyond the basics" stuff: actual signaling, and nighttime and out of the house ECing. On the other hand, DD is getting what I think are her molars at eight months (she's had the first 8 teeth for two months already), and we've started to have some resistance to pottying this past week. I'm not sure if it's the teeth or it she just doesn't have to go then. I suspect that she's actually getting better at this than I am, because most of the time when she resists she's still dry the next time I offer.

When are you having misses? Early morning before she is fully awake and for about an hour or two after she wakes up, DD pees every 10 minutes, it seems like. There's just no way to catch it all. Also in the car and when we go out we usually miss.

Does your child signal/ are you only using timing/ what is the signal? I've been able to see signals for maybe the past few weeks. She'll look at me, or look at the potty, or fuss to get out of the high chair or her jumper thing. She definitely gets the deer in the headlights look when she pees, but by that time it's too late. Otherwise we offer first thing in the morning and after naps and nursing, and when we change activities (usually coincides with the fussing).

What does dc wear (diapers, trainers, nakeybutt, whatever...)? Cloth diapers, usually with a cover and pants or longies, although sometimes at home we do babylegs. I've tried trainers a few times but it tends to make me overpotty, so I'm going to hold off for awhile longer.

What do you do for nights? We just EC'd at night for the first time last night. Yay! DD is always restless in the early morning, and I hate it, and for awhile I've been suspecting that that is when she pees. Sure enough, last night she woke up at 5am and was still awake after I nursed her, so I brought the BBLP to the bed. Her diaper was totally dry (about 6 hours since she had fallen asleep), and then she peed a little and went back to sleep. I was so excited it took me a long time to go back to sleep. Then of course we missed the rest of the pees and her diaper was soaked when she woke up for good at 9am. I've been afraid that pottying in the early morning will wake her up too much to go back to sleep, but I think I'm going to try again tomorrow if we get an opportunity.

What do you do for being out and about? I'm a big weenie about being out and about. Last weekend we did have two pees on the big potty at my inlaws house (with no one else in the house having a clue), but I haven't tried a public bathroom yet. Part of the problem is that there are very few changing tables where we live (it's ridiculous - even the airport doesn't have them), so it's awfully hard to maneuver all the clothes and diaper and such.

Any insights about this age/hints for other parents? Don't give the baby toys she can drop in the potty!

What's your favorite part of ECing at this age? The excited look on her face when she goes on the potty. And that I now consider it unusual to change a big messy stinky poopy diaper (you know, the huge one with the "just started solids" consistency and smell). DD still poops 3-4 times a day, and I can't believe that most people would have to change a diaper for each poop.

How have your expectations of EC changed this month? EC became a regular part of our lives this month, and I stopped feeling weird about it. We've even told a few people.

Do you ever wish you had never heard of EC? I do when I feel guilty that I'm purposefully not offering the potty (like when we go out or are on an airplane or something). I feel like I owe it to DD to consistently offer, but our culture is so dang out of touch with this that there are times when I feel like I can't offer (at least not without major culture clash), and that makes me angry. It's kind of like the NIP discussion for me. I feel like we should be able to incorporate this into our society, but when you never see anyone else doing it it's hard.

[Carlyle]

Originally Posted by lexmas

Looks like we'll be going through EC and walking almost at the same time then Carlyle! Yikes.

Yes, and whoever gets there first has to tell the other how to handle it!! But I expect that the answer is...

Originally Posted by lexmas

Repeat after me..."EC is not potty training. Misses are expected and normal. I am an EC expert, there is no such thing as failure." Breathe, and repeat. LOL.

srs--molars at 8 months!!! Yikes, now that is just not fair. Yes, definitely blame the molars. That's the only plus I could see to teething--it gives you a scapegoat Although, it does sound like she's getting good at telling you when she doesn't have to go if she's still holding it by the next time you offer...pretty cool!

Originally Posted by srs

I feel like I owe it to DD to consistently offer, but our culture is so dang out of touch with this that there are times when I feel like I can't offer (at least not without major culture clash), and that makes me angry. It's kind of like the NIP discussion for me. I feel like we should be able to incorporate this into our society, but when you never see anyone else doing it it's hard.

I totally agree with this--it's so hard when I don't know many people in real life who DO this! That's a big reason that this board is so valuable to me. EC is just such a weird, misunderstood thing for most people (I find myself hiding it many times 'cause I just don't want to have to deal with explaining what's really going on to random strangers!) I wonder what our culture will have to say about EC in 20 years....will it be more mainstream? Will it be like NIP is now? Stay tuned...

[Twwly]

My first post is on page #1, made when DS was 8.5 months old. He's now 14.5 months.


How old is your child? 14.5 months

When did you start EC? Birth

How's it going at this age? Great! DS will go to the bathroom when he needs to go, will sign if you ask him if he needs to go, will sign MORE or ALL DONE on the potty. 100% of his poops are on the potty and 99% of his pees.

When are you having misses? 3-7 am

Does your child signal/ are you only using timing/ what is the signal? He'll point to his penis, he'll go to the bathroom. We still do use some timing too.

What does dc wear (diapers, trainers, nakeybutt, whatever...)? Imse Vimse training pants (yet to find undies small enough)

What do you do for nights? CD still since we have a new mattress and his only pee accidents are at night (although VERY infrequent).

What do you do for being out and about? Training pants.

Any insights about this age/hints for other parents? Enjoy it! This age is great since they can really communicate!

What's your favorite part of ECing at this age? How easy it has become and how clearly DS knows when he has to go.

How have your expectations of EC changed this month? They haven't really. We're just enjoying DS keeping up the communication.

Do you ever wish you had never heard of EC? Nope!

[lexmas]

How old is your child?14 months
When did you start EC? Part time 4 days, Full time one month, night time 5 months
How's it going at this age?Umm...it's going alright. Lots of new things and insights this month.
When are you having misses? : All the time. Randomly. And also in the hour or two after DS's afternoon nap and before DH comes home. I think I'm just checked out by then.
When are you having the most success? Nights, strangely because they were going so poorly a little while ago.
Does your child signal/ are you only using timing/ what is the signal? We're working on signing, patting the chest. (Thanks Lia & Eva's Mommy!) We only started a week ago, and he definitely understands the sign, and has attempted it a time or two. If I leave it up to him to tell me that he has to go to the bathroom, and he waits a looong time, normally he just cries because he has to go.
What does dc wear (diapers, trainers, nakeybutt, whatever...)? Undies at home, trainers at other people's houses, thin diapers (one pee) or regular prefolds in the car and at stores.
What do you do for nights? Nakey baby in bed! Finally! And I potty him two or three times a night.
What do you do for being out and about? Potty in the store or wherever we go. Occasionally we potty in the car upon arriving when the potty and car are still warm.
Any insights about this age/hints for other parents? Beware the potty pause! And keep on going right through it.
What's your favorite part of ECing at this age? I like that I know he understands a lot of what I say, so I can truly try to verbally communicate with him...I've been doing lots and lots of communicating this month!
Any interesting or exciting EC moments this month? It's been like EC boot camp for me. The past 13 months were so easy and care-free with EC, and this one has been a challenge. I've spent the last week sitting on the floor with him, watching to see what he does before he pees, or if he's signaling. He has really surprised me with how quickly he's picked up the potty sign. The other day he had JUST peed, and I had to go to the bathroom, so I took him with me and sat him across from me, saying "Mama has to potty. Mama potty." and making the potty sign when I said potty, and he makes this little grunt and pees right there in his pants! I was actually so proud because I didn't know if he had made the association yet!
How have your expectations of EC changed this month? Oh my, it's certainly not about potty training this month! I actually think this pause has increased our communication, and forced me to let him take control a little more. Never before would I have just watched to see if he signaled, and if not just changed his pants and been happy for the chance to reinforce that he had peed and make the potty sign. But right now it's not about getting the pee in the potty, it's about communicating about what's going on and how he can tell me that. It's not bad.
Do you ever wish you had never heard of EC? When there was no communication at all from him for a week or two, I realized that THIS is what people who are skeptics thought I was doing all along! And of course they thought that was crazy, that was a lot of work! So I actually value the communication more from him now. I did get frustrated during no signaling, and probably wished it then, but the times of wishing have really become much less than when he was younger. I'm actually thankful that EC has given me the chance to realize that I can communicate with him this way, and work on it!

[wake_up]

How old is your child?
5 weeks.

When did you start EC?
Haven't really yet... I'm working up to it.

How's it going at this age?
DH is all about the concept since I told him about it during my pregnancy, but since DS arrived, I'm suddenly skittish to start. I didn't realize he'd be peeing and pooping ALL THE TIME...

When are you having misses?
When are you having the most success?
Does your child signal/ are you only using timing/ what is the signal?
I've caught two pees and a poop so far, but he fusses so much about whatever potty I put him on (sink, bucket, toilet) that it makes me feel mean for doing it... so I haven't done it more than that. He fusses and grunts a lot when he has to poop, but I haven't figured out his cue for pees.

What does dc wear (diapers, trainers, nakeybutt, whatever...)?
PFs without a cover when we're at home. Today I got out the extra package of chux pads we had from the birth, and he had his naked time on one of those. I think that might be a good way for me to ease into the EC action.

What do you do for nights?
What do you do for being out and about?
BG OS for now.

How have your expectations of EC changed this month?
I'm just trying to remind myself frequently that each time he uses an opportunity to potty, it's one less diaper to change and wash. I really wish I could find a potty position that didn't bug him, though. Any innovative ideas, mamas?

Do you ever wish you had never heard of EC?
Actually, this is exactly what I was thinking last week. DH is so excited about the EC idea that he's told everyone we know, and I think I'm feeling pressured by that, since I'm the one who'll be doing the ECing for the most part (DH works during the day, and doesn't wake up at night) BUT I do still think it's a great idea, and I know we'll get into it eventually.

[Carlyle]

I just had to go find this thread 'cause we had such a great few weeks there and I want to remember them...*sigh*

How old is your child? 15 months

When did you start EC? about 3 months

How's it going at this age? Well the LAST few weeks were fabulous...she was TELLING us when she needed to go by using the ASL potty sign and saying "pah-ee." It was fan-friekin-tastic (I was so impressed with my little girl--she only knows like 10 words total and potty is one of them!). I got really relaxed about it and really waited for her to tell me that she needed to go, which I think helped her rely on herself even more. She even crawled onto the "pah-ee" a few times by herself (with and without pants on ). I stopped putting her in diapers unless we were going to someone else's house (and she would still tell me even with diapers on).

Then two days ago she peed in I think 6 different places all in one morning/afternoon: two spots on our living room floor, in the wagon, in our neighborhood's common kids room (), in the potty (hooray!), in a diaper, and I'm sure I'm forgetting a few others...it was actually pretty funny because I kept thinking each one was just a fluke miss since we'd been doing so well, so it took me a WHILE to put a diaper back on! We've been hit or miss since, so she must be getting ready for something big (she's been starting the Frankenstein walk lately, so maybe she's going to get serious about walking!!!). So I am trying to hold onto my Zen relaxation (and am actually doing a fairly good job of not caring whether we miss because now I know that she DOES get it!!! WooHOO!) but have gone back to asking her if she needs to go using timing a bit if it's been a while.

When are you having misses? I don't really see any pattern . Even with lots of people around to distract her she's gotten pretty good at holding it, so as long as I keep from offering too frequently, she's actually pretty good (that is, she's as random as she is the rest of the day )!

When are you having the most success? In the morning (daddy has the morning pee/poop scene dialed) and when I am carrying her.

Does your child signal/ are you only using timing/ what is the signal? When things were going so well we were relying almost completely on her signaling, which was great, b/c I think it helped her learn to rely on herself to monitor her bladder. If it had been a long time and we were in a crowd (distracting), I would ask her "Potty?" and make the ASL sign, and if she needed to go she would sit for a minute to think (DO I have to go?) and then make it back at me or get excited. For the past few days I have been using timing a bit more (i.e., if it's been over an hour or two I'll ask her and then take her regardless of what she says, and she usually goes).

What does dc wear (diapers, trainers, nakeybutt, whatever...)? She's still out of diapers most of the time (unless we've had a LOT of misses in a row or I'm tired/frustrated). She wears diapers for 2 afternoons at daycare and when we go over to other people's houses.

What do you do for nights? Nights are going well again and she's out of a dipe! It's just so much easier to potty a diaperless baby at night. Usually (unless she drinks a ton at dinner) she will pee once when we go to bed and then hold it until she wakes up in the morning. (Ironic to write that since I got peed on in bed this morning, but I knew I was pushing it by trying to keep her from waking up...).

What do you do for being out and about? Cloth dipes, and we just use the bathrooms/bushes if she needs to go.

Any insights about this age/hints for other parents? Same advice as last time...relax about it. Don't sweat the misses, don't pressure the baby to go. Wait for the signs if you can. They can hold it longer than you think!

What's your favorite part of ECing at this age? Well, when she was signaling reliably it was SO EASY!!! I got a glimpse of what it would be like to have a potty trained girl. I also like how relaxed I am about it now. I know that she "gets it" and no matter how any particular day goes, I'm just here to support her in staying dry--whether that means taking her to the potty or cleaning up diapers (or messes...*sigh*).

Any interesting or exciting EC moments this month? The signaling was fab. She climbs onto both pottys now (occasionally), which is also really exciting and I'm looking forward to leaving her naked bottom this summer.

How have your expectations of EC changed this month? Um...I dunno. Maybe I guess I let myself start to hope that maybe she will graduate early.

Do you ever wish you had never heard of EC? Nope. In fact, at least once a week I find myself saying aloud how glad I am that we heard of it!! (Usually after some crazy icky poop went into the toilet)

[BarefootScientist]

How old is your child? 7.5 months

When did you start EC? A few days after birth

How's it going at this age? It varies. There are days where we only have one or two misses, and there are days when it seems like we only have one or two catches. It's weeks between poopy diapers (um, except for this past week, two days in a row ) There are times when we seem so connected, I know he needs to go and he does, and there are other times when something is just off.

When are you having misses? In the high chair. Whenever I use the bathroom myself. And if he gets involved in playing with new things - he doesn't seem to signal at ALL when he's playing with a new toy or anything of mine or DH's.

When are you having the most success? I don't know. We have strings of successful times throughout the day, some nights, some outings, but it varies a lot. I think when I am the most relaxed we have the most success, but then again, if he's not signaling I'm likely to miss pees when I'm relaxed. :

Does your child signal/ are you only using timing/ what is the signal? We use timing a lot still. But he also signals when he's not too busy - gets agitated, looks away, or makes angry noises. At night he squirms.

What does dc wear (diapers, trainers, nakeybutt, whatever...)? During the day at home I guess I would say he's in cloth diapers with a cover 20% of the time, homemade trainers 40%, and just pants 40%. It totally depends on what I'm feeling like and what we're doing. For naptimes in the bed and if he's on the floor playing he's more likely to be in a diaper. If I'm wearing him or keeping a very close eye on him, he'll be wearing pants.

What do you do for nights? We've switched back to cloth diapers. And the success varies (see my numerous posts on nighttime woes). Last night for example, he peed in the potty twice and kept his diaper dry all night. I think the night before we woke up to a VERY soaked diaper and a puddle at about 2 am.

What do you do for being out and about? Diapers, cloth or disposables. We're trying to get better about taking him to the bathroom, but it's so easy to just rely on a diaper when we're out.

Any insights about this age/hints for other parents? Not really this time I guess. It seems like we are in a pretty variable time so I don't even really know what to think.

What's your favorite part of ECing at this age? No poopy diapers! Well, very few. And I like the connection, when we actually make it. I think it's cute when I take him and set him on his potty while I'm using the bathroom and he goes when I go. And I like it when DH asks him if he has to go potty and I say something stupid like, "He just went 10 minutes ago," and then DH takes him and he pees. I like being able to meet his needs, at least some of the time. And I love it every time I take a diaper off and it's still dry!

Any interesting or exciting EC moments this month? With more solids, the poop is getting easier to predict (sometimes) and so I am finding I can get him to the TOILET when I think he's going to poop, thereby taking one more cleaning step out of the equation. And there have been a few entirely dry outings which I thought was really exciting. I think you're right Carlyle, when we're out they CAN hold it longer than you think.

How have your expectations of EC changed this month? Expectations of nighttime have changed many times. For the better and for the worse. Still working on that.

Do you ever wish you had never heard of EC? Nope. I love EC.