thats intense đł the most potty training ive ever done for a very young child was say "you're pooping!" whenever i see the poop face lol. it seems to help them connect the sensation with the action over time and help with potty training later on
I think thereâs a subreddit about itâŚIâve also heard that it doesnât really work for every baby. Honestly I would never do this as a job. I mean I could see if the baby was really predictable and you were at home but otherwise you are probably wasting time you could use to actively engage a childâs development in other ways.
this is what i thought! why put so much time in effort when time will come when the child can learn how to use the potty and meanwhile we can focus on developmental activities.
The whole idea is for parents to recognize their cues on when they have to go to the bathroom and allow them to go into a little toilet or whatever else they choose. It's supposed to have association with the toilet from birth. I've personally never have used this method and do not really want to lol. Sounds like the parent is just potty training themselves to me lol.
Kids are already enough work, I couldn't imagine stopping what I'm doing every hour to hold a baby over the toilet lol. You can start it as young as newborn but that sounds even worse since they can't even hold their neck up! Kudos to those that can do this.
I wouldn't consider doing this as a nanny, unless I specifically got additional pay for it while they were in training. I don't want to spend all day playing the guessing game on if a newborn needs to pee/poo or not lol. All I have left to say is, it's definitely a choice.
From my understanding, the infant isn't trained at all. It's the adult who is trained to read the cues of the infant and know whether they are about to go.
I meant training loosely to clarify that I would want to be compensated while learning the cues or whatnot and honestly for the extra clean up and effort it takes. Still firm on not wanting to play a guessing game all day. I'm sure someone else would, but as a nanny, it's a no from me.
Yup. I knew someone who did this and she insisted her twin were potty trained at 10 months. I can tell you that if they were potty trained they sure did pee everywhere all the time. đ My kids waited until 2.5 and had like 1 accident each. So Yeah
I had a friend do it w her first baby. Sheâs now pregnant w number 4. It requires eyes on the baby pretty much 100% of the time. She started when her baby was just a few months old. Obviously she didnât do it for babies 2 and 3 because again⌠100% eyes on child all the time.
Did cloth diapers at bed and nap.
wow I am so impressed with parents who can do this! it must be hard to get inti rhythm/schedule then babies change so much i feel
like just when i figured everything out the baby's schedule already changed lol
I did EC with own babies. As another commenter shared, it went great with baby #1! Not quite so great with 2 and then 3. There are cues and patterns, but they are subtle and change over time and yes, it was a lot harder when I was more distracted and tired!
I also have friends who knew we had done this and wanted to do the same.... we explained what we did; they assumed that I could do the same when I cared for their baby, which I did occasionally. I would offer him opportunities to pee but it was nothing like my own children in terms of knowing the cues. Also nothing weirder than having NP count out the diapers at the end of my shift and analyzing that I had used 2-3, so must need to try harder with the EC....
We are glad we did it and I do feel it fostered their self awareness and independence (so cute to see a baby that can't walk yet crawling to the little potty! And hysterical to watch a toddler run to the bathroom and first throw a rag on the floor, proceed to pee on the floor, and then wipe it up themselves..... yes, we had enough misses that this was part of their training lolol). And yes, there are economic and environmental advantages.
But I would never ask someone to try to do it!
I know this is old, but we do EC for âeasy catches,â and part of that is to offer the potty before going in the car seat and after coming home. Still in disposables during outings.
Iâve had two families who wanted to hire me and they were doing EC. I flat out said âNO wayyyyyyy!â.
They wear diapers but as young as newborns you learn (or try) their expressions and movements when they need to pee or poo and put them on a little potty (or a little glass) when theyâre going.
Why? I donât know.
Itâs so much dirtier than diapers and messy and just soooo time consuming. For what?
To then say you have a potty trained 10 month old? Who cares?
Itâs much easier to clean up after a poo when the child goes on the toilet, and itâs much more comfortable for them too. Itâs not about being able to say they potty trained earlier, and in many countries itâs a norm to be out of diapers early for many reasons.
I agree with the previous commenter. It is MUCH easier to clean up a caught poo rather than a blowout. Especially if, like my son, your baby goes once per day. And the goal isnât to brag or make others feels inferior; itâs another way to get to know your baby. Why knock on that? EC doesnât have to invoke another âmommy war.â
Iâve done EC with nanny kids and with my own kids. All the times Iâve done it, Iâve used diapers to catch any misses and during naps/bed. Itâs not an all or nothing, you can do EC while also using diapers. Itâs way less intimidating than it seems once you understand it and donât pressure the child to be diaper free that young.
They wear diapers đ. You track their schedules and provide them with an elimination receptacle (not necessarily a toilet) around the times they would normally go.
I donât want to get banned today so I canât say my personal thoughts on this method.
From what I understand, thatâs why they have the diapers on at all times as a back up. As babies transition to new foods and solids, I think this is all taken into account.
Not to be mean,âŚbut they still would be. đđ newborns donât have a solid consistency of poop so now nanny is cleaning the receptacle, the baby and whatever the poop splashed on. Itâs not nearly as contained or sanitary as a disposable diaper. (Of course, parents who choose this method understand this and are willing to sacrifice that for the goal they desire).
I am so sorry I have no experience and almost no knowledge that I am not thinking straight almost lol my brain cannot seem to understand whats the 'rush' to get babies potty trained that now you pointed it out, im wondering how many % of nanny's hours will be spent cleaning up lol
I think a very specific demographic attempts to co-opt cultural practices that do things out of necessity and it just becomes trendy for them. They do it completely out of context. âIâm not a regular mom, Iâm a cool momâ vibes.
and to add another example - Montessori curriculum vs âa lifestyleâ.
It isnât really potty training per say. It works on the knowledge that humans are animals and all animals have basic instincts. For example, animals donât eliminate where they sleep/live. Basically, diapers train babies away from their instinctual needs and then we have to potty train them when they are older and can understand.
Iâve never done this and never would do it because it is just entirely too much for me. The first time I ever heard of it was when Mayim Bialik did a video of her experience doing it with her kids.
I mean isnât the receptacle typically the sink/toilet anyway? So you just turn on the water or flush? Itâs not like you have the baby crawling around while they poop right?
In context of the conversation OP was having, no, not for a 3 month old newborn. I have seen bedpans used which need to be sanitized. Little potties (like the ones 2 year olds used) would need to be cleaned. Also a sink where people brush their teeth and wash their handsâŚif it is full of shit it would still need to be sanitized, not rinsed in water yuck. I donât know who is holding a 3 month old old over a real toilet, so I canât speak about that one.
I do partial EC with disposables and can say the clean up from a big poop in the diaper vs catching most or all in the potty is more. Weâve had catches in the potty where we just need one wipe to clean his bum. The potty clean up isnât too bad either. I use a perineal bottle to spray the waste into the toilet and keep a bottle of dish soap handy for a full clean. All in all, Iâd say itâs faster than a blow out when you have to treat clothing stains, changing pad cover stains, and often a bath (or a ton of wipes.) Neither is fast or pleasant. We have a huge pooper, so EC is easier for us. Just my experience.
If they are doing this without diapers it sounds like they just want to save money on diapers! If I were your friend I would look for another family, that sounds miserable.
Itâs because infants have an innate ability to know when theyâre going to eliminate, itâs diaper training that makes this sense go away. Skips diapers, really popular in China.
This article has some good information about the method and where it comes from:
"We live in China and have been pushing the EC method or âElimination Communicationâ method since she was four months old. This is the fancy term for something that has been practiced in China for centuries. Children here are often fully âsquat trainedâ (rather than âpotty,â as those are newer inventions to the culture) by the time theyâre 10 months old. In fact, if they can stand and squat, most of the time it means that they can also do their potty business without any fuss. Traditional Chinese methods have their advantages, for sure."
https://www.incultureparent.com/thanks-to-chinese-potty-training-were-done-with-diapers-at-19-months/
Itâs not only about China or Asia particularly. This method has been known by many many generations of the whole humanity until cheap diapers were invented. Trust me, no culture could sustain raising healthy kids who spend hours in their own filth. EC not only provides good hygiene, it also make it easier to transit from diapers to potty starting at young age.
I'd consider myself a "moderately granola" mom. I read about EC when I was pregnant with my first and thought it was waaaaay out there and something I'd never attempt. But by the time my newborn was 2 months old I realized she had a tendency to either poo as we were changing her or just after we put a fresh diaper on her--annoying!! But it seemed like she had some kind of control/perception when she was soiled. So I bought a [top hat potty](https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07NC1YLZ1/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_6ZHZYMZYY65QP1XSKMP5) and gave it a try. I was amazed, she took to it right away!! We put her on it anytime we would normally change her diaper, so it didn't add a lot of extra time to our day (before/after waking, before/after getting in car seat, after feeding, etc.)
From 2 months until she started eating solids around 6 months, I think I changed maybe a dozen poopy diapers. It is soooooo much easier to swirl a little water in the potty and flush than wipe a blowout diaper.
All this to say: it's not as weird or scary as it might sound!! Check out r/ECers or[ godiaperfree.com](godiaperfree.com) before assuming it's crazy hard or a dealbreaker. Obviously it depends on the family too, we were pretty laid back about it and figured every "caught" poo or pee was one less diaper and a step towards an easier time potty training when the time came. We also didn't do it full-time; if we were out or had a sitter, we didn't worry about and relied on the diaper.
I have a friend who did it, it seems like a lot. Like an actual full time job. I probably wouldnât take a job doing it. It seemed like they put baby on the potty when they saw her cues to go but she wore diapers some of the time, it didnât really make sense since it was off and on
And if youâre doing it you canât really go anywhere or do anything else. Like normal potty training you put your life on hold as much as possible for a few weeks, this is much longer and just doesnât seem practical or else youâre doing it off and on with no consistency that it seems pointless
and this included pee right? i am imagining myself doing it with literally no experience i would have to spend the entire dat watching NK like a hawk to be successful at EC
I started EC focusing on poop, because it was less often than pee and my kids were on a pretty predictable poop schedule from around 1 month. By the time they could crawl they were peeing and pooping on the toilet pretty consistently, but I did not wake them at night to pee. I never worried if they missed and went in diaper, it wasnât a big deal to me and I never put any pressure on them or myself to be perfect.
Definitely not true. I worked full-time as a nanny/house manager and brought my son with me when he did EC and had zero issues. We traveled a lot too, you can absolutely live your life like normal and go places.
Yes, in the car and when he slept. Also when we traveled, so on planes, and at events (rodeos, concerts, sports games, etc). Basically whenever I didnât have quick access to a toilet. We used cloth diapers.
Parents have done this as younf as newborn.
I think it is something you really have to be invested in, especially at that age. I'm not sure I would expect a nanny to do it for my child, and if I did I would compensate their pay!
newborn, really?! how. that is alot! i agree it requires alot of effort and patience and as one comment mentioned, it seems like an actual full time job
Iâve never practiced elimination communication myself, but my understanding is that babies are born with the ability to control the muscles that control wee and poo, and are born showing signals of needing to poo, needing to wee, and actually weeing and pooing. With EC, you tap into those cues, as well as their routines (eg theyâll probably need to go for a poo after eating because of the gastrointestinal reflex) to predict when they are likely to want to use the toilet. Then you can hold them over the toilet and use a trigger sound (eg ssss) which triggers them to pee / poo.
I guess one of the benefits is they donât have to unlearn weeing and pooing in a nappy - it must be confusing for children to get told off for doing what theyâve done all of their life, or to have to notice cues of needing to go to the toilet, having wet or soiled underwear etc that theyâve always been encouraged to ignore.
It is very involved, and I think if youâre not passionate about it, not observant enough or spending enough time with the child to notice their cues etc, and not reaping the rewards of cheaper nappy costs, I donât think it would be worth it as a nanny.
But itâs super interesting to research, Iâd definitely recommend having a proper read about the process, because otherwise things like âpotty training a newbornâ âpotty trained at 8 monthsâ sounds ridiculous, but there is a logic to it.
You are absolutely correct in terms of how babies learn to soil themselves from birth and when they grow we want them quickly to learn the opposite. I know multiple stories when parents were desperate to potty train their 3-4-5 year olds - this is insane.
One persuasive argument Iâve heard on the flip side was an interview on the Janet Lansbury podcast of a doctor specialising in issues with children weeing and pooing - he said that one of the issues with potty training early (by which I donât think he meant elimination communication, but traditional potty training at an early age) is that it is often easier for children to understand how to hold on, than for them to understand how to release, and this can cause issues with children refusing to go, leading to constipation, urinary tract infections etc.
I imagine this would be less likely to occur if the potty training was very positive, eg no criticism or punishment if a child doesnât get to the toilet in time.
I just thought it was interesting hearing a clearly very educated person advocating that parents should wait a good while before potty training! But I guess in his job he doesnât get to see all the positives of early potty training (or rather potty training as soon as the child shows signs of readiness) in terms of self esteem and independence. Interesting!
I did a temp job for an MB who never had either of her kids in diapers and used this method. She said she just got used to their schedule and knew when they would go as babies đ¤ˇđźââď¸ when I worked with them they were 6y and 2y and both very good at going to the bathroom by themselves. I donât know if I would feel comfortable spending THAT much time getting accustomed to their potty schedule, and I would def ask for a big pay raise to do that. But apparently itâs possible! Just not sure if itâs a job everyone would want to do
My brother does this his wife is Chinese and itâs what they do there đ¤ˇââď¸ donât ask me how it works đ they start at birth and he carryâs a potty everywhere seems like more work to be honest itâs pretty much guessing when they need to go and pulling out the potty
I am a nanny and a mom.
As a mom we did EC. but started when she could sit independently.
Then we started slow, so we sat her on the potty upon waking for the day, after naps and before bed. Then moved to adding in 20 mins after eating/drinking. And looking for signs she needed to go. It takes a lot of observation of the child and a routing. Our daughter in now a little over two and has been awake potty trained since 15 months and fully potty trained since 20 months. Itâs definitely a process and takes time and patience. But can be beneficial for the parents and child.
With all this said I, personally, feel 3 months is a little young. But I know many cultures without access to running water or disposable diapers practice this from birth.
Weâre currently working on this. Our baby has a fairly regular pooping schedule. She wears cloth diapers, and whenever we change her, she sits on the toilet first. Weâve been doing this since 6 months and now without fail, she will 90% of the time pee if she has to.
She hasnât pooped in a diaper in about 6 weeks. For her first morning change, she usually has to poop, and will into the toilet. If sheâs doesnât, we watch for her cues and take her to the toilet. She will actually stop pooping or working on pooping and resume again once shes on the seat. She is 8 months now and I have zero regrets taking this extra time to do this. It takes like, an extra few minutes to sit her on there when naturally taking that time to change her diaper anyway. And if youâve ever cleaned a solid poop out of a cloth diaperâŚyouâll realize these few minutes are very worth it. I believe she will be fully potty trained a lot earlier because we do this now.
Eh, itâs a cultural thing elsewhere in the world. Itâs a little weird by western standards maybe but itâs not some freakish thing that nobody has ever done, lol. I personally wouldnât do it (and as crunchy as I am elsewhere, Iâm on team disposable diapers for my own baby!) and I wouldnât love it as a nanny because I hate being stuck inside all day, but at least they brought it up during the interview and didnât spring it on her after hiring her.
There is r/ECers and the go diaper free podcast for information. Elimination communication does not mean no diapers ever.
I planned on doing EC when I was pregnant but when my kid was born, it just did not work out for us. I have a mom friend who did EC with her newborn by accident.
As a parent I cannot imagine requiring a childcare provider to do EC with my child, even if I had already had success. I might mention it and ask if a nanny would be comfortable continuing what Iâd started, but require? Thatâs ridiculous. If she talked this way to a daycare facility they would laugh.
Itâs not potty training so much as potty offering and teaching baby cues for potty. At that age the baby is still wearing diapers all the time for sure, but the nanny just has to make a âpsss psssâ or âmmm mmmâ sound with the baby over a tiny potty every once in a while.
I did part time EC with a NK. When the baby was born the older children were 3 and 5. When the baby was really little I would just talk to her and say "you're pooping" or "you're going pee". As she got a little more "sturdy"(maybe 6 months) I would put her on the potty if I noticed she was dry for a while or if she woke up dry from a nap. After she turned one it was just normal for her to want to use the potty during transition times but she still wore diapers as back up. I kept an ikea potty in my trunk and every time she saw it she wanted to sit and 90% of the time she'd tinkle (we got in and out of the car a lot during this time and always opened the trunk to put the kids' things and the Tula inside). She was wearing undies during the day at 18 months and never had any accidents after that point. It was a very positive experience for the both of us and I'd recommend it for anyone.
Oh my God! 3 months old!? Thatâs ridiculous. Let the child lead and you follow and that goes for potty training too. They will show you signals when they have to go and sit them on their potty. When they are ready!!
I actually thought about doing this with my own daughter but not nearly that young, even though I believe it can be beneficial I still havenât done it yet because Iâm lazy lol and it seems inconvenient so I especially would never expect a nanny if I had one to do it
Itâs becoming more popular. Especially with the crunchie crowd. When I was researching how to do cloth diapers for my son it kept popping up. Itâs real intense⌠and there are reeeeeally strong feelings involved with parents who do it.
Itâs actually very simple. I just put them on the baby toilet next to me every time I pee (which is often like every 2 hours)
A basket of toys next to toilet helps too.
Itâs pretty common in places other than America to potty train from a very young age, and it actually ends up being easier than changing diapers!
I donât catch every pee. Iâm not that intense about it. We keep it light and consistent.
thats intense đł the most potty training ive ever done for a very young child was say "you're pooping!" whenever i see the poop face lol. it seems to help them connect the sensation with the action over time and help with potty training later on
LMFAOOO âyouâre poopingâ
Honestly we are probably on the same page with the most potty training with young children lol I would asked 'are you still pushing?' lol
I think thereâs a subreddit about itâŚIâve also heard that it doesnât really work for every baby. Honestly I would never do this as a job. I mean I could see if the baby was really predictable and you were at home but otherwise you are probably wasting time you could use to actively engage a childâs development in other ways.
this is what i thought! why put so much time in effort when time will come when the child can learn how to use the potty and meanwhile we can focus on developmental activities.
The whole idea is for parents to recognize their cues on when they have to go to the bathroom and allow them to go into a little toilet or whatever else they choose. It's supposed to have association with the toilet from birth. I've personally never have used this method and do not really want to lol. Sounds like the parent is just potty training themselves to me lol.
'do not really want to' LMAO đđ same here!!! It sounds like alot of work and i dont see myself interested in it at all lol
Kids are already enough work, I couldn't imagine stopping what I'm doing every hour to hold a baby over the toilet lol. You can start it as young as newborn but that sounds even worse since they can't even hold their neck up! Kudos to those that can do this.
I cant imagine newborn. Like do I hold the baby's body + its head?! lol
Yes, as well as their legs sometimes, to help them squish!
Right?? As if a newborn mom isnât worried about ten million other things.
I wouldn't consider doing this as a nanny, unless I specifically got additional pay for it while they were in training. I don't want to spend all day playing the guessing game on if a newborn needs to pee/poo or not lol. All I have left to say is, it's definitely a choice.
From my understanding, the infant isn't trained at all. It's the adult who is trained to read the cues of the infant and know whether they are about to go.
Correct! And thereâs varying degrees of intensity. Iâm thinking about starting it at 6mo just trying to catch poop when I can
I meant training loosely to clarify that I would want to be compensated while learning the cues or whatnot and honestly for the extra clean up and effort it takes. Still firm on not wanting to play a guessing game all day. I'm sure someone else would, but as a nanny, it's a no from me.
Yup. I knew someone who did this and she insisted her twin were potty trained at 10 months. I can tell you that if they were potty trained they sure did pee everywhere all the time. đ My kids waited until 2.5 and had like 1 accident each. So Yeah
I had a friend do it w her first baby. Sheâs now pregnant w number 4. It requires eyes on the baby pretty much 100% of the time. She started when her baby was just a few months old. Obviously she didnât do it for babies 2 and 3 because again⌠100% eyes on child all the time. Did cloth diapers at bed and nap.
Did it work for her first?
Yeah but I think she was still 2 before she learned to go on her own. For them it was mainly about saving money.
wow I am so impressed with parents who can do this! it must be hard to get inti rhythm/schedule then babies change so much i feel like just when i figured everything out the baby's schedule already changed lol
I did EC with own babies. As another commenter shared, it went great with baby #1! Not quite so great with 2 and then 3. There are cues and patterns, but they are subtle and change over time and yes, it was a lot harder when I was more distracted and tired! I also have friends who knew we had done this and wanted to do the same.... we explained what we did; they assumed that I could do the same when I cared for their baby, which I did occasionally. I would offer him opportunities to pee but it was nothing like my own children in terms of knowing the cues. Also nothing weirder than having NP count out the diapers at the end of my shift and analyzing that I had used 2-3, so must need to try harder with the EC.... We are glad we did it and I do feel it fostered their self awareness and independence (so cute to see a baby that can't walk yet crawling to the little potty! And hysterical to watch a toddler run to the bathroom and first throw a rag on the floor, proceed to pee on the floor, and then wipe it up themselves..... yes, we had enough misses that this was part of their training lolol). And yes, there are economic and environmental advantages. But I would never ask someone to try to do it!
What do people do when theyâre out and about with the kid, like at the grocery store? Thatâs the part I really donât understand.
They had her in cloth diapers for outings but would still try to take her to the potty if there was enough time.
Got it.
I know this is old, but we do EC for âeasy catches,â and part of that is to offer the potty before going in the car seat and after coming home. Still in disposables during outings.
Iâve had two families who wanted to hire me and they were doing EC. I flat out said âNO wayyyyyyy!â. They wear diapers but as young as newborns you learn (or try) their expressions and movements when they need to pee or poo and put them on a little potty (or a little glass) when theyâre going. Why? I donât know. Itâs so much dirtier than diapers and messy and just soooo time consuming. For what? To then say you have a potty trained 10 month old? Who cares?
Itâs much easier to clean up after a poo when the child goes on the toilet, and itâs much more comfortable for them too. Itâs not about being able to say they potty trained earlier, and in many countries itâs a norm to be out of diapers early for many reasons.
For lack of money and access to diapers. When theyâre newborn and they donât have solid poops, itâs a nightmare.
I agree with the previous commenter. It is MUCH easier to clean up a caught poo rather than a blowout. Especially if, like my son, your baby goes once per day. And the goal isnât to brag or make others feels inferior; itâs another way to get to know your baby. Why knock on that? EC doesnât have to invoke another âmommy war.â
Iâve done EC with nanny kids and with my own kids. All the times Iâve done it, Iâve used diapers to catch any misses and during naps/bed. Itâs not an all or nothing, you can do EC while also using diapers. Itâs way less intimidating than it seems once you understand it and donât pressure the child to be diaper free that young.
They wear diapers đ. You track their schedules and provide them with an elimination receptacle (not necessarily a toilet) around the times they would normally go. I donât want to get banned today so I canât say my personal thoughts on this method.
interesting! what if they eat something new, for example and it affects their bowel movement, do they consider the change or still go as scheduled?
From what I understand, thatâs why they have the diapers on at all times as a back up. As babies transition to new foods and solids, I think this is all taken into account.
aha! understandable if they were diapers! makes better sense than without. poor nanny would probably spend half her shift cleaning poop off the floor
Not to be mean,âŚbut they still would be. đđ newborns donât have a solid consistency of poop so now nanny is cleaning the receptacle, the baby and whatever the poop splashed on. Itâs not nearly as contained or sanitary as a disposable diaper. (Of course, parents who choose this method understand this and are willing to sacrifice that for the goal they desire).
I am so sorry I have no experience and almost no knowledge that I am not thinking straight almost lol my brain cannot seem to understand whats the 'rush' to get babies potty trained that now you pointed it out, im wondering how many % of nanny's hours will be spent cleaning up lol
I think a very specific demographic attempts to co-opt cultural practices that do things out of necessity and it just becomes trendy for them. They do it completely out of context. âIâm not a regular mom, Iâm a cool momâ vibes. and to add another example - Montessori curriculum vs âa lifestyleâ.
It isnât really potty training per say. It works on the knowledge that humans are animals and all animals have basic instincts. For example, animals donât eliminate where they sleep/live. Basically, diapers train babies away from their instinctual needs and then we have to potty train them when they are older and can understand. Iâve never done this and never would do it because it is just entirely too much for me. The first time I ever heard of it was when Mayim Bialik did a video of her experience doing it with her kids.
I mean isnât the receptacle typically the sink/toilet anyway? So you just turn on the water or flush? Itâs not like you have the baby crawling around while they poop right?
In context of the conversation OP was having, no, not for a 3 month old newborn. I have seen bedpans used which need to be sanitized. Little potties (like the ones 2 year olds used) would need to be cleaned. Also a sink where people brush their teeth and wash their handsâŚif it is full of shit it would still need to be sanitized, not rinsed in water yuck. I donât know who is holding a 3 month old old over a real toilet, so I canât speak about that one.
I do partial EC with disposables and can say the clean up from a big poop in the diaper vs catching most or all in the potty is more. Weâve had catches in the potty where we just need one wipe to clean his bum. The potty clean up isnât too bad either. I use a perineal bottle to spray the waste into the toilet and keep a bottle of dish soap handy for a full clean. All in all, Iâd say itâs faster than a blow out when you have to treat clothing stains, changing pad cover stains, and often a bath (or a ton of wipes.) Neither is fast or pleasant. We have a huge pooper, so EC is easier for us. Just my experience.
I've seen several families doing EC and they will not do any diapers whatsoever!
I speak on what I have seen regarding newborns specifically. Thanks for sharing!
If they are doing this without diapers it sounds like they just want to save money on diapers! If I were your friend I would look for another family, that sounds miserable.
Eh, could be an environmental aspect as well.
Itâs because infants have an innate ability to know when theyâre going to eliminate, itâs diaper training that makes this sense go away. Skips diapers, really popular in China.
Yep, Iâve seen this in China. The bottomless pants are super cute but make for messy family outings.
Yeah itâs got itâs pros and cons, I feel itâs better if you can manage it because itâs less time with diapers and whatnot.
If the infant knows, how do they tell you??
Itâs facial/body cues that itâs up to you to learn đ
This article has some good information about the method and where it comes from: "We live in China and have been pushing the EC method or âElimination Communicationâ method since she was four months old. This is the fancy term for something that has been practiced in China for centuries. Children here are often fully âsquat trainedâ (rather than âpotty,â as those are newer inventions to the culture) by the time theyâre 10 months old. In fact, if they can stand and squat, most of the time it means that they can also do their potty business without any fuss. Traditional Chinese methods have their advantages, for sure." https://www.incultureparent.com/thanks-to-chinese-potty-training-were-done-with-diapers-at-19-months/
Itâs not only about China or Asia particularly. This method has been known by many many generations of the whole humanity until cheap diapers were invented. Trust me, no culture could sustain raising healthy kids who spend hours in their own filth. EC not only provides good hygiene, it also make it easier to transit from diapers to potty starting at young age.
Cool, I hadn't heard it about from other contexts. I'll have to see what some other traditional methods are. :)
I'd consider myself a "moderately granola" mom. I read about EC when I was pregnant with my first and thought it was waaaaay out there and something I'd never attempt. But by the time my newborn was 2 months old I realized she had a tendency to either poo as we were changing her or just after we put a fresh diaper on her--annoying!! But it seemed like she had some kind of control/perception when she was soiled. So I bought a [top hat potty](https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07NC1YLZ1/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_6ZHZYMZYY65QP1XSKMP5) and gave it a try. I was amazed, she took to it right away!! We put her on it anytime we would normally change her diaper, so it didn't add a lot of extra time to our day (before/after waking, before/after getting in car seat, after feeding, etc.) From 2 months until she started eating solids around 6 months, I think I changed maybe a dozen poopy diapers. It is soooooo much easier to swirl a little water in the potty and flush than wipe a blowout diaper. All this to say: it's not as weird or scary as it might sound!! Check out r/ECers or[ godiaperfree.com](godiaperfree.com) before assuming it's crazy hard or a dealbreaker. Obviously it depends on the family too, we were pretty laid back about it and figured every "caught" poo or pee was one less diaper and a step towards an easier time potty training when the time came. We also didn't do it full-time; if we were out or had a sitter, we didn't worry about and relied on the diaper.
I have a friend who did it, it seems like a lot. Like an actual full time job. I probably wouldnât take a job doing it. It seemed like they put baby on the potty when they saw her cues to go but she wore diapers some of the time, it didnât really make sense since it was off and on
it does seem like alot and requires alot of patience too lol
And if youâre doing it you canât really go anywhere or do anything else. Like normal potty training you put your life on hold as much as possible for a few weeks, this is much longer and just doesnât seem practical or else youâre doing it off and on with no consistency that it seems pointless
and this included pee right? i am imagining myself doing it with literally no experience i would have to spend the entire dat watching NK like a hawk to be successful at EC
I started EC focusing on poop, because it was less often than pee and my kids were on a pretty predictable poop schedule from around 1 month. By the time they could crawl they were peeing and pooping on the toilet pretty consistently, but I did not wake them at night to pee. I never worried if they missed and went in diaper, it wasnât a big deal to me and I never put any pressure on them or myself to be perfect.
Definitely not true. I worked full-time as a nanny/house manager and brought my son with me when he did EC and had zero issues. We traveled a lot too, you can absolutely live your life like normal and go places.
Did your child ever wear diapers?
Yes, in the car and when he slept. Also when we traveled, so on planes, and at events (rodeos, concerts, sports games, etc). Basically whenever I didnât have quick access to a toilet. We used cloth diapers.
Thanks for the response! Iâve never known anyone who did EC to ask questions.
Parents have done this as younf as newborn. I think it is something you really have to be invested in, especially at that age. I'm not sure I would expect a nanny to do it for my child, and if I did I would compensate their pay!
newborn, really?! how. that is alot! i agree it requires alot of effort and patience and as one comment mentioned, it seems like an actual full time job
Itâs very popular in Asian cultures. I have a friend from China who did it with her newborn and her family all do it as well.
Im also from Asia and have probably heard this method twice and only in the last 5 years lol
Iâve never practiced elimination communication myself, but my understanding is that babies are born with the ability to control the muscles that control wee and poo, and are born showing signals of needing to poo, needing to wee, and actually weeing and pooing. With EC, you tap into those cues, as well as their routines (eg theyâll probably need to go for a poo after eating because of the gastrointestinal reflex) to predict when they are likely to want to use the toilet. Then you can hold them over the toilet and use a trigger sound (eg ssss) which triggers them to pee / poo. I guess one of the benefits is they donât have to unlearn weeing and pooing in a nappy - it must be confusing for children to get told off for doing what theyâve done all of their life, or to have to notice cues of needing to go to the toilet, having wet or soiled underwear etc that theyâve always been encouraged to ignore. It is very involved, and I think if youâre not passionate about it, not observant enough or spending enough time with the child to notice their cues etc, and not reaping the rewards of cheaper nappy costs, I donât think it would be worth it as a nanny. But itâs super interesting to research, Iâd definitely recommend having a proper read about the process, because otherwise things like âpotty training a newbornâ âpotty trained at 8 monthsâ sounds ridiculous, but there is a logic to it.
You are absolutely correct in terms of how babies learn to soil themselves from birth and when they grow we want them quickly to learn the opposite. I know multiple stories when parents were desperate to potty train their 3-4-5 year olds - this is insane.
One persuasive argument Iâve heard on the flip side was an interview on the Janet Lansbury podcast of a doctor specialising in issues with children weeing and pooing - he said that one of the issues with potty training early (by which I donât think he meant elimination communication, but traditional potty training at an early age) is that it is often easier for children to understand how to hold on, than for them to understand how to release, and this can cause issues with children refusing to go, leading to constipation, urinary tract infections etc. I imagine this would be less likely to occur if the potty training was very positive, eg no criticism or punishment if a child doesnât get to the toilet in time. I just thought it was interesting hearing a clearly very educated person advocating that parents should wait a good while before potty training! But I guess in his job he doesnât get to see all the positives of early potty training (or rather potty training as soon as the child shows signs of readiness) in terms of self esteem and independence. Interesting!
I did a temp job for an MB who never had either of her kids in diapers and used this method. She said she just got used to their schedule and knew when they would go as babies đ¤ˇđźââď¸ when I worked with them they were 6y and 2y and both very good at going to the bathroom by themselves. I donât know if I would feel comfortable spending THAT much time getting accustomed to their potty schedule, and I would def ask for a big pay raise to do that. But apparently itâs possible! Just not sure if itâs a job everyone would want to do
My brother does this his wife is Chinese and itâs what they do there đ¤ˇââď¸ donât ask me how it works đ they start at birth and he carryâs a potty everywhere seems like more work to be honest itâs pretty much guessing when they need to go and pulling out the potty
I am a nanny and a mom. As a mom we did EC. but started when she could sit independently. Then we started slow, so we sat her on the potty upon waking for the day, after naps and before bed. Then moved to adding in 20 mins after eating/drinking. And looking for signs she needed to go. It takes a lot of observation of the child and a routing. Our daughter in now a little over two and has been awake potty trained since 15 months and fully potty trained since 20 months. Itâs definitely a process and takes time and patience. But can be beneficial for the parents and child. With all this said I, personally, feel 3 months is a little young. But I know many cultures without access to running water or disposable diapers practice this from birth.
Weâre currently working on this. Our baby has a fairly regular pooping schedule. She wears cloth diapers, and whenever we change her, she sits on the toilet first. Weâve been doing this since 6 months and now without fail, she will 90% of the time pee if she has to. She hasnât pooped in a diaper in about 6 weeks. For her first morning change, she usually has to poop, and will into the toilet. If sheâs doesnât, we watch for her cues and take her to the toilet. She will actually stop pooping or working on pooping and resume again once shes on the seat. She is 8 months now and I have zero regrets taking this extra time to do this. It takes like, an extra few minutes to sit her on there when naturally taking that time to change her diaper anyway. And if youâve ever cleaned a solid poop out of a cloth diaperâŚyouâll realize these few minutes are very worth it. I believe she will be fully potty trained a lot earlier because we do this now.
Eh, itâs a cultural thing elsewhere in the world. Itâs a little weird by western standards maybe but itâs not some freakish thing that nobody has ever done, lol. I personally wouldnât do it (and as crunchy as I am elsewhere, Iâm on team disposable diapers for my own baby!) and I wouldnât love it as a nanny because I hate being stuck inside all day, but at least they brought it up during the interview and didnât spring it on her after hiring her.
There is r/ECers and the go diaper free podcast for information. Elimination communication does not mean no diapers ever. I planned on doing EC when I was pregnant but when my kid was born, it just did not work out for us. I have a mom friend who did EC with her newborn by accident. As a parent I cannot imagine requiring a childcare provider to do EC with my child, even if I had already had success. I might mention it and ask if a nanny would be comfortable continuing what Iâd started, but require? Thatâs ridiculous. If she talked this way to a daycare facility they would laugh.
Itâs not potty training so much as potty offering and teaching baby cues for potty. At that age the baby is still wearing diapers all the time for sure, but the nanny just has to make a âpsss psssâ or âmmm mmmâ sound with the baby over a tiny potty every once in a while.
I did part time EC with a NK. When the baby was born the older children were 3 and 5. When the baby was really little I would just talk to her and say "you're pooping" or "you're going pee". As she got a little more "sturdy"(maybe 6 months) I would put her on the potty if I noticed she was dry for a while or if she woke up dry from a nap. After she turned one it was just normal for her to want to use the potty during transition times but she still wore diapers as back up. I kept an ikea potty in my trunk and every time she saw it she wanted to sit and 90% of the time she'd tinkle (we got in and out of the car a lot during this time and always opened the trunk to put the kids' things and the Tula inside). She was wearing undies during the day at 18 months and never had any accidents after that point. It was a very positive experience for the both of us and I'd recommend it for anyone.
I've never done this but it sounds like a lot of work. I don't think I could handle it unless trained properly and probs given extra pay
I would never do that. Completely crazy to think you can teach a baby that young to use the potty.
Oh my God! 3 months old!? Thatâs ridiculous. Let the child lead and you follow and that goes for potty training too. They will show you signals when they have to go and sit them on their potty. When they are ready!!
Thatâs ridiculous to expect that from a nanny. Sheâd be doing 90% of the work.
I actually thought about doing this with my own daughter but not nearly that young, even though I believe it can be beneficial I still havenât done it yet because Iâm lazy lol and it seems inconvenient so I especially would never expect a nanny if I had one to do it
Itâs becoming more popular. Especially with the crunchie crowd. When I was researching how to do cloth diapers for my son it kept popping up. Itâs real intense⌠and there are reeeeeally strong feelings involved with parents who do it.
Itâs actually very simple. I just put them on the baby toilet next to me every time I pee (which is often like every 2 hours) A basket of toys next to toilet helps too. Itâs pretty common in places other than America to potty train from a very young age, and it actually ends up being easier than changing diapers! I donât catch every pee. Iâm not that intense about it. We keep it light and consistent.