started ‘Elimination Communication‘ or ‘Infant Potty Training‘ with Darius at 5months old on 17th Dec 2008.
Before that, I had never heard of this term. But I had heard from my mother a method of not using diapers during the daytime. That is to whistle at the baby and cue him to go. It was what older folks had always done with kids in the past.
I googled the term and found several sites on EC information and with some tips on hand, I decided to have a go at it. From then on, it opened up something in me. It’s hard to go back to diapering him in the daytime now at home once we started.
- My thoughts at start of ECing: I wanted to save washing cloth diapers and also get Darius to be independent of diapers soon.
- My thoughts at 1 week of ECing: I seemed to be washing even more than before! But I’ll endure for it’ll soon past.
- My thoughts at 1.5 month of ECing: Darius seemed much happier and able to move better without the diapers restricting him. ECing was tiring but it’s rewarding now that he seldom have misses.
- My thoughts at 2 months of ECing: Night-Time Elimination is worth it! He seldom wakes up crying for no apparent reason now. Now I know he just wants to pee.
- My thoughts at 6 months of ECing: You know how well it works when he wakes up in the morning with the same cloth diaper he went to bed with. And also come back home with the same cloth diaper he went out with!
- My thoughts at 10 months of ECing: He seemed to have lost control with his bladder. Potty pause- When potty training is not progressing has begun and we don’t know when it’s going to end.
See what it means and read about it:
- Charndra Sharing ‘How to EC‘ was a great help to me starting EC,
- Her new website which gives tips for people who can only do diaper-free with their baby part time.
- Meaning of Elimination Communication
- Infant Potty Training -Potty Whisperer
- Diaper Free Baby (Support group for EC with articles)
- A Parent sharing about her journey to EC
- Mothering.com – A forum for ECing mothers with great tips
I’ve also decided to write detailed reports of my daily EC with Darius. Read about them in the links below if you are interested to learn how I do it. Be warned though that it’s very detailed and may bore you because it’s for my own recording.
Diaper-Free(Daytime) — Week 1 (17 Dec 08 – 23 Dec08 )
(Is getting aware and able to stay dry for longer period)
Diaper-Free(Daytime) — Week 2 ( 24 Dec – 30 Dec 08 )
(Caught poo in potty/In flat nappy cloth/Able to wake up dry after nap
Diaper-Free(Daytime) — Week 3 (31 Dec 08 – 06 Jan 09)
(Stayed dry for even longer/Peeing less frequent now compared to wk 1)
Diaper-Free(Daytime) — Week 4 (07 Jan 09 – 13 Jan 09)
(Indicated his need to us while in diapers out-and-about & at night)
Diaper-Free(Daytime) — Week 5 (14 Jan09 – 20 Jan 09)
(Make sounds during peeing and voices some sounds to indicate)
Diaper-Free(Daytime) — Week 6 (21 Jan09 – 27 Jan 09)
(Lasting longer intervals/signals clearly for peeing)
Diaper-Free(Daytime) — Week 7 (28 Jan09 – 3 Feb 09)
(Waking often at night indicating awareness and also more aware of pooping)
Diaper-Free(Day&Night) — Week 8 (04 Feb 09 – 11 Feb 09)
(Started Night Time ECing)
Diaper-Free(Day&Night) — Week 14 (17 Mar 09 – 24 Mar 09)
(Started Outside ECing and making progress)
After These, I wrote More Updates Via Category ‘Elimination Communication’:
1) About 6 months of EC - On 15 June 09 (11 months old)
(About How It had been A Successful Journey into EC so far)
2) Upgrade of his toilet - On 10 July 09 (12 months old)
(About Him Upgrading to the Big Toilet for Poop)
3) Potty Training Regression - On 29th Oct 09 (15 months old)
(About How IPT or EC started going downhill, 10months after we started.)
4) 13 months of Elimination Communication - On 20th Jan 10 (18 months old)
(Updates on Darius’ progress after 13 months of EC.)
Wavesurfer & 
Dreamycat co-write this blog, documenting Darius' developments and happy moments with him.
This is a toughest part to tackle for most parents I think. My younger son is 70% diaperless now. He doesn’t wear diaper at home but still need to wear it at night & when he is out on a long day
:)
All the best to you
:)
Thanks Janice! That’s why I want to start early with him so he doesn’t lose the feeling being diapered too much and could control himself.
So far, I’m having great progress! ^_^
I just realised there is diaper free report. It is very interesting. I have seen older folks whistle to make the baby pee but I never thought there was purpose. It is indeed a long report, I am going to read when I have time. I am interested to know how you train Darius.
Hi Dreamycat,
I’ve just read of yr EC reports, great effort and congratulation on yr progress!
We started EC with our baby girl when she was only 2 weeks old and she was totally nappy free during daytime since she was 3 months old. I still put her on nappy at night as she sleeps on her own since she was 4 weeks old. Hmm… i know that one of these days i will need to start night EC. She is starting to fumble around in the middle of the night, i think she is asking to be carried to the toilet!
Glad to hear you doing EC and making great progress too! Wow..and right from birth too, that’s commendable!
If she is okay with night, then better don’t start it since it wouldn’t interfere with the process during daytime. We had to start because our boy just can’t stop crying and already woke us up anyway.
Now he is able to sleep sometimes from 1 plus all the way til 6 plus. Not consistently though but good enough.
Hmm i do think it it will be rather confusing for her when she is older in few months time though – having to be taken to toilet for elimination during day time but not so at nights.
p/s: Baby and i were on a bus journey from Johor Bahru to Kuala Lumpur (around 5 hours) today and i managed to catch all her wees and one poo all in a plastic bag! Usually i have my husband with me so it’s quite easy but to do it all on my own is a different story. She is going to be 7 months old now and is gives out very clear signs when she needs to eliminate, EC rules!
Wow, that’s pretty encouraging! I’m still embarrassed doing EC outside because it’s not common. Afraid people will mind. Was she only in pants or diapered?
I’m still having misses sometimes with my boy. Lately, he doesn’t hold during naps too…dunno why a bit regressing.
We have only started doing EC outside and trying to switch to training pants.
What signs does she give? I’m curious.