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This sounds like such a great idea. I'd love to save the waste and the expense of diapers and just teach my little man to use a toilet, but it just doesn't seem practical if you have to work or aren't totally focused on your baby 24/7.

Sounds to me as just another way for certain types of parents to feel superior.

Sounds like a terrible idea -- even if it does work well. So now we have to be focused on our babies' bums 24-7 for signs of excretion? Who wants to live that way?

wow, the comments are already starting to get feisty and judgmental!
i was raised with this method from 2 weeks old, partly because diapers were not available in eastern europe at the time (20 years ago). this method is not just "focusing on babies' bums 24/7." it's a two way street. yes you learn cues when your baby has to go, but your baby also learns cues from you when (s)he should go (like before or after a nap). i have soaked many of my great aunt's skirts when she'd forget my learned cue to go (which was to sit on a spread lap and go into a bucket underneath.)

I think the biggest reason this doesn't catch on in the US is that American parents don't have 100% contact with their babies all day. In places where they do this, I think babies are strapped to their moms every waking second. It won't be feasible for babies in daycare, but stay at home parents may be successful.

We used it with our third and enjoyed it very much, were delighted to start and finish sooner than we had with traditional delayed toilet learning.

Most parents do it part time--one or a few potty visits in the morning and/or evening for a while, then increase when you can.

It has NOTHING to do with "feeling superior" and it won't work if you obsess or focus on your baby's bum, lol. In fact, these are some of the no-nos that you can read here http://www.pottywhisperer.com

It boils down to a lifestyle choice. If it resonates, it's worth giving it a try to see how it goes. Obviously, it's not for everyone--no means of toilet learning is.

Here's a link for a summary of the practice in 11 languages http://www.TimL.com/ipt

I'm totally doing EC for my next baby. I'm convinced that it's worth a shot, even though it does sound like a bit of a time and energy investment. That effort, I believe, is small compared to the potty-training nightmare that many parents seem to go through with their 2, 3, and 4-year olds.

I agree with the previous comment. A lot of other cultures use Elimination Communication with great success (children are potty-trained a lot earlier than children in the US). I was raised using this method and I am now using it with my son who is nine months old. I have learned to listen to him when he tells me he needs to go to the bathroom and I have also guided him by taking him to the bathroom every time after and before sleeping/napping, after eating a meal, and before and after an outing. There are a lot of reasons for doing it, but for me it is just an extension of everything else (sleeping, eating, dressing, literacy development, language development, etc.) that I do to support my son in becoming an independent person.

Wow. I have always wondered about this. What a dream!
Anyone else willing to try and share the experience/results?

I'm so pleased you are discussing this. Our baby has been a lot happier since we started holding him over the potty whenever he woke up from a nap. It's not potty training exactly, and we still use nappies, but we do it because he likes it. If your baby is pulling on and off the breast or seems grumpy and preoccupied, you could try it. Understandably, he seems to like the feeling of being understood, and not to like the feeling of having poop in his pants. Most of the world does things this way - it's really not a big deal.

I started EC with my first child when he was 5 months old and found this to be a good age. By then he had an established eating and sleeping schedule, so elimination was pretty routine, too. And it was before he could move around by himself so lying on a towel in a warm house nakey-bum was easy. I learned his cues quickly (at 3 and half years old he still has the same full body-shiver when he needs to urinate). And he was out of diapers within a few months, except long trips in the car. My second son, coming 17 months after the first, also started at 5 months. I was less consistent with pottying him after he turned a year old, but once I put away the diapers (again) at 18 months, it was pretty smooth sailing, although there is usually at least one pee pee accident a day.
Having the boys trained to go poop in the potty at 6 months old made cloth diapers a lot easier on me. And I only saw one case of diaper rash between the two of them.
The truth of it the whole debate is that each child is different, as is each parent. EC is not as straight forward as it sounds, there are regressions and accidents for a long time. But it is doable and a worthy experiment, if one has the opportunity.
I'm having twins soon and plan on starting with them on the potty at 5 months. My main reason is to avoid poop in the diapers, so for me there is no illusion of superior parenting, it is just a matter of preference.

we did EC with both our children with awesome results. my daughter was fully potty learned a month or so after she could walk and my son (8 months old now) has been doing great, but at a slower rate. honestly, its not difficult and i feel it created a stronger bond with my kids. like someone else said...it is just an extension of our parenting. i encourage everyone to try it out, you really have nothing to lose.

from what i understand its practiced in third world countries. basically someone (mom) needs to really know there baby and when they need to go...just like parents quickly figure out that baby is hungery. it sounded like a really hands on watch that child every waking second...or nano second. and i wouldnt think that a daycare would take a babe with no diapers. but if you can actually pull this off in this lifestyle were living...may you use your best parent ever mug with pride.

Hi Sarah,
Thankyou for helping share the concept of EC to more people - you might just change someone's life - that's how empowering and wonderful baby pottying can be!

I'd just like to reiterate that yes, diapers are used when practicing EC in our cultures, I like to say that "diaper free is the DESTINATION, not the starting point".

Sadly, people think we who do EC simply never diaper our babies and let them then just go where they will - that's something else - and probably a mess!

Infant Potty training isn't like that - yep, you can ease into it part time, gradually build up your confidence and REDUCE the number of diapers your baby wears - think of it as keeping the diaper drier for longer.

They will still use the diapers - if it was as easy as not using a diaper, we'd all still be doing it!

I have members at my site practicing EC with their 8th child, their third, as working parents, urban parents - consistency is important, but hey, other kids use diapers full time as a toilet for 3 years and get over it, so peeing in a diaper now and then is no biggie for a baby having EC experiences!

The potty break is simply another activity in their day, a chance for fun, smiling and singing with Mom or Dad or big sibling!

About Potty Songs: http://www.parttimeec.com/potty-songs-for-baby-pottying-babies.htm

Charndra

i would just like to add that it is still possible to do it even if both parents work (mine did). while daycare would not work for obvious reasons, but if it's a grandparent or babysitter doing the part time care it would work. it's just important to make sure it's consistent (i.e. same cues) with all parties involved.

Been doing this since my boy was 2 months old. People thought we were crazy until they saw how well he responded.

At 15 months he now "signs" potty (the ASL "T" wiggled around) before he has to go maybe 50% of the time for pees. Poops have always been easier.

I recommend trying it out. You never know 'til you try.

Can't wait to be diaper free . . . maybe in a couple of months? Any good sources for itty-bitty underwear out there?

I don't think my daycare would go along with this experiment.

We did it from the time our second daughter was 4 months old until she started crawling (around 15 months), then she lost interest.

She hated being wet as an infant and would squirm and cry before pooping in her diapers. During the time we were ECing, she never pooped in her diaper. If we couldn't get to a potty in time, she just peed in her diaper though. No mess, no big deal.

She learned the sign for potty very early, but even before she knew that she had her own signals which were very clear to me.

We never felt superior to anyone who didn't EC. It was just what worked best for us.

wrencrain, I recommend this store. I never used the tiny undies she sells, but we really liked the trainers we got. I think they were the Bright Bots.

http://theecstore.com/

My fairly mainstream pediatrician suggested that we could try a very modified form of this, by holding our 13-month-old son over the toilet in the morning and before bed. I think this sounds very manageable. As our doctor pointed out, the goal is not to rush into potty-training or to apply pressure. It's just familiarizing him with using a toilet and becoming aware of his body's cues.

Our son is in daycare and wears diapers during the day, but I think we may give this a whirl as outlined above. Why not? Can't hurt and might help.

Anything that will eliminate more diapers in our landfills is great by me. I tried to start potty training too early and my son grew scared of the potty. Not sure what I did wrong, but I decided not to push it for a while. Now we're on to diapers at school and cotton underwear at home. Whenever I get the chance to spend time outside, I'll let him go naked, but unless you're watching your child 24-7, it's a real challenge to make this a "mess-less" experience, so you have to be prepared for accidents. We had way too many accidents in our house, that I had to stop the naked time indoors otherwise our house was going to smell like a urinal. I wish all the parents out there luck with this method, because I think it would be great to lessen the amount of dirty diapers in our world, but you just have to go with what works for you and your child. If that means using diapers for a while, then do it......if not and your child can be potty trained by 6 months, then that's wonderful! (But just so everyone knows, I used to work in a daycare and I taught preschool and it really is unrealistic to apply this at a group care facility. The teachers and care-takers have more than one child to care for, so it would be hard for them to maintain this approach. I would do this only if you can be with your child all the time until they're trained because it's unfair to them to be inconsistent and bounce back and forth between diapers and nothing...it can be confusing. Even my son is a little confused between the diapers at school and the underwear at home but I have to do it until he doesn't have accidents anymore.)

This has been the practice in most developing countries for millennia. Doesn't seem practical for most American families, though.

My mom used this method with me, and I was completely potty-trained by 6 months. At 7 months, I no longer wore diapers and only had an accident once when I was sick with fever. I'm happy to report I have no toilet-issues ::grins::

I did this.

With my dog.

I find it interesting that many commenter's think it is an all-or-nothing, 24/7 thing. It can be, but it does not have to be. You can do elimination communication with your child when you are at home, and when they go to daycare you can put a diaper on them. They may not be diaper free as fast, or have as much consistency, but you can definitely still do it, or at least try it.

I'm going to try it when my daughter is born because it will (hopefully) reduce the number of diapers I have to wash. If I end up having to send her to daycare I would not expect the staff to practice EC, I would put diapers on her, and continue practicing it at home.

yes, many other countries do this...and many of them have the privilege of being with their children more than we do. it is an honor, not drudgery, to be with your kids...some people here are almost making parental care of one's own offspring (as opposed to parental outsourcing to day care and the like) sound like a third-world relic of caveman days.

@Pencils - thank you. i get sooo sick of hearing other moms brag about how they are such a good parent because of stupid stuff like this. like i am a sub-par mom because i don't 'wear' my baby and i have a job, etc. i have said this before and i will say it again....in my book, this EC is a waste of time. i would much rather enjoy taking my kids to the park or library or to their dad's office for lunch than spending all my days stuck in the bathroom, trying to get my infant to understand my "cues". i have priorities and this is simply not on the list.

Pencils, sounds like you're being a little judgmental yourself, with calling things other parents do "stupid stuff".

that's cool

(goes without saying one would have a set up where you can stay wt the babe 24/7)

so neat....

wow, the only ones feeling superior in this thread are the ones against this method...

We tried to do this with my son. It didn't work well for us for a number of reasons. He did learn to use the potty early but not as a baby. I went to a lot of local meetings of families trying it and I'm certain it works for a lot of families and avoid not just the environmental problems but much of the power struggles associated with trying to get a preschooler to use a potty.

I'm always amazed at how much anger it stirs up though. Sure it's not for everyone but in all of my parenting experience this is the choice I've gotten the most judgement and criticism about. From strangers and friends alike.

This is all well and good in warm climate countries like India (excluding the north of course - Darjeeling gets mighty cold) - however, can you imagine doing this in a long New York winter? Layers upon layers of clothing to remove and no bathroom in sight? Fun.
My neighbor used this method and boasted about her daughter being potty trained at 6 months. At three and a half she is wearing pull ups because "elimination" is the one thing she can control in her little life and her "regression" is simply an act of defiance. The rest of the children in our playgroup are potty 'trained' at this age while her daughter will have an adult size "elimination" at the dining table! Not socially acceptable. My advice is choose your battles carefully.
There are more important issues that parents should concern themselves with.

My mother did a version of this on me and my brother (20-30 years ago), and I was potty trained by about 10 months. She would still put diapers on us when going on long trips, etc., just to avoid accidents.

One story from my childhood that she'll never let me forget was when she put a diaper on me when I was about 2 and a half - it was for a long trip that involved a flight, and she didn't want to go through the hassle of taking a toddler to a gross airplane bathroom. But I refused to "go" in the diaper even though she encouraged me to, and I stubbornly held it for 4 hours til we landed because not peeing into a potty/toilet was unimaginable to me. Needless to say she didn't waste her money on diapers after that.

If you can make time for it and it works - why not.

Anything that gets 2.5 to three year-olds out of diapers is great by me. Seems demeaning to let them crap their pants because the parents lost control before they turned two!

Now can we talk about the 3-year-olds talking through their pacifiers?!!!?? So disturbing.

We did EC with our second child (now 3). It was nothing short of amazing. I was tentative at first, nervous mama not wanting to startle my wee babe, but finally put her on the potty when I sensed her need to go at 2 weeks. She NEVER pooped in a diaper again. She was waiting for me to "get it" and when I did we never looked back.

EC is about honoring, respecting, and responding to our babies needs and nothing less. It was easy, even in cold Wisconsin winters (yeah, legwarmers!). Seriously - which is harder - wiping poop from tither and yon several times a day, or literally dabbing a tiny bum with some toilet paper after they've requested a visit to the lou? I will blog about our EC experiences soon (www.lusaorganics.typepad.com)!

We've been doing EC part time since our son was about six weeks old, so for almost six months now. I initially began by trying to catch all of his cues, but he isn't particularly demonstrative when he has to go (or maybe I'm not perceptive enough, lol).

What ended up working the best for us is putting him on the potty during diaper changes. He usually goes #1 when we put him on it and sometimes he'll go #2, which is awesome. We cloth diaper and it help keeps his diapers more dry, plus we almost never get peed on when we're changing him or during baths.

EC came pretty naturally to us. I have a small BabyBjorn "Little Potty" right on his changing table, next to the pad. Since his diaper is off during a diaper change anyway, it takes maybe an extra minute to have him sit on his potty. We've found the biggest benefit of this is that his diapers stay fresher, which is easier on his skin.

And this might sound silly, but he seems to enjoy sitting on the potty. I think there's something about sitting upright, looking around the room, taking control of himself. Whatever it is, he digs it.

I think people who don't EC tend to think it's some weird thing where parents try to control the elimination of their child. That's essentially the opposite of what EC is. My son barely notices when I put him on the potty and if he isn't interested in using it (he often isn't) then I carry on with his usual diaper change. The only real change for him is that he's periodically provided with a place to potty other than his diaper.

There are many ways to EC and almost all of them involve listening to your child, respecting him or her, and just letting them do their thing naturally.

I've been EC'ing my baby boy since birth, he is now 9 months. I caught most of his meconium in an empty parkay tub! Some days or weeks it seems he goes in the diaper mostly other times he hardly soils a diaper. I will say he poops in the toilet about 90% of the time. Its easy and quick. I just put him on the toilet for a few minutes and he goes, I use super cute cloth diapers for back-up.

And I do feel superior to anyone who bashes something they have NO experience with.

Definitely sounds interesting. I don't think I would be adventurous enough to try this unless I was a stay at home/work from home mommy.