[moonshine]

The leader of a mothers' group I attend, who is generally very AP in all of her advice, was talking about potty training (when to do it) and basically said that if you train before say, 27 months, or whatever the going age is right now, that the kids are using different muscles to "hold it." Another person, a teacher of mine, said that you create all sorts of issues by traing too early (and I don't think that she was thinking of ECing, but of early potty training).

I ask because I investigate ECing a number of months ago and tried it with DD, but didn't get very far because we were starting so late (DD was about 15 months or so at the time). I am now expecting baby #2 and am considering starting with EC from the beginning. I think that I will get a book on the subject, but just wondered what you ladies thought of the above arguement.

I do have a really hard time understanding how different muscles could be involved, you know??

 

[AmyB]

Dr. Spock is responsible for the notion that early potty training causes psychological issues. He thought that early potty training was related to constipation. However, a 2003 study tested the hypothesis and found that it was not true.

There is one study that says that lack of early potty training delays bowel control by about 16 months. The authors make the bizare conclusion that this is due to lack of maternal control and claim it is actually evidence that potty control is a maturational process.

As the mom of a 23 month old EC baby I'll buy the notion that dd will have fewer accidents when her muscles are fully mature. However, since she really doesn't have many accidents I do not buy the notion that immature muscles have no control at all.

--AmyB

 

[nadia105]

I don't think the muscles are different, they probably are more developed. My guess would be that an EC baby gains greater control b/c he/she uses them! Babies can't hold it for very long, but they do have control of when they release. I usually undress dd on the changing table and take her to the bathroom and she has never once peed in transit but she sometimes pees the instant her butt hits the potty.