you write in your web site about using cloth diapers but I have an even better idea. One that is practiced in different parts of the world and used by some in the US. It is called elimination communication (EC) and it involves the gentle practice of communicating about eliminating. Babies give cues when they need to go but parents often don’t recognize them until they know what to look for.. There are also the easy times like when the baby wakes up from a nap or in the morning. Imagine the environmental impact if all diaper users could do with 1 or 2 less diapers a day! Imagine if some people decided to practice EC full-time!
I also consider breast feeding to have no impact.
This post was submitted by Rossana.
I did this with my two babies, and it worked extremely well. I think some of the information about EC on the Web is overly scary because it implies that once you start you need to do it all the time, but you really don’t. My kids went to daycare and babysitters in diapers, but they could still be diaper-free at home. I never had to potty-train either of them. They just gradually got bigger and more coordinated and one day they could go themselves without Mama helping.
I realized after a while that in the days before disposable diapers this is the way everyone used to do it. Grandmotherly women would tell me approvingly that that’s the way the potty-trained their kids (while the current generation of moms who constantly diaper their babies would all share stories of potty-training nightmares with toddlers).
Like many things, it’s not either/or. Sometimes diapers are a great convenience, but if you use them all the time and never potty the baby, diapers end up becoming a huge inconvenience and expense.
Comment by AmyB — September 15, 2009 @ 1:18 pm
Good tip, Rossana!
In case anyone wants to read more, here are a few links:
http://www.pottywhisperer.com
Potty Whisperer short overview
http://www.TimL.com/ipt
Infant Potty Training Fundamentals, in 11 languages
Comment by Laurie — September 15, 2009 @ 2:37 pm
That’s right! Great idea. I first came across this idea when I read The Book of Negroes but strangely enough, didn’t think it was something people would do nowadays. Goes to show what keeping an open mind can do.
Comment by Francesca — September 16, 2009 @ 8:29 pm
in india,when i had babies,i had a small frying pan to place below my stretched out legs.the baby is laid out at the time she/he usually does its business,and the stools just fall into the pan!while waiting for the job to get done, mother and child have a nice time commun icating..mother can rub the baby’s tummy to help in the process.
the mother has to train herself,to recognise the time and signs.
Comment by preeta rao — October 22, 2009 @ 7:44 pm