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EC with an Older Baby

You can begin EC (elimination communication or natural infant hygiene) even if your baby is older. It may be challenging but it's completely possible!

Many mothers have been able to establish a special bond and awareness of their older infant's needs to eliminate. Some parents have even started when their baby was over a year old!

Observation is a Solid Start

Start by observing your baby. You may want to use a chart like the one found inInfant Potty Training to help yourself get a feel for when your baby is eliminating. Watch her patterns in relation to when she eats and when she sleeps. You will probably find that your baby has a regular rhythm.

You may want to put your baby in a cloth diaper without a cover so that you will know exactly when he wets. One of the challenges of starting with an older baby is being right there with your baby to watch his cues. Older babies are just more on the go!

You may want to try carrying your baby around in your arms or in a baby carrier to increase closeness between the two of you. Co-sleeping is also an excellent way to build a strong bond with your baby, as Ingrid Bauer points out in Diaper Free!.

Catch it When Baby Wakes

A good time to begin working on natural infant hygiene is as soon as your baby wakes up. Take your baby to the potty or offer the potty bowl when your baby wakes each morning or after naps. Babies often need to go as soon as they wake and will automatically go when you cue them.

If your baby doesn't go as soon as he wakes you may want to walk or play with your baby for a few minutes and try again. You will soon get a feel for how long your baby waits to eliminate.

Working on natural infant hygiene when you know that your baby needs to go will also help your baby recognize your cues.

Another thing you might try with your older baby - take her with you when you go to the bathroom. If your baby can sit on a potty herself and feels comfortable let her sit on the potty while you sit on your toilet. Or you can offer to EC before and after you go.

Be Patient

If you feel like your baby needs to go but is resistant try walking around, reading a book, or playing for a minute and then give an EC cue again. If your baby is happy to sit on the potty you can try running some water, or dribble a few drops of warm water over his feet. These things sometimes stimulate a full bladder to release.

If your baby still resists going just move on to something else. Place a clean diaper on your little one, or go outside and let her be diaper free.

If she goes in the diaper or without the diaper you can simply clean it up. It's just part of natural infant hygiene - sometimes there will be misses!

If your baby doesn't eliminate for a bit you can offer to help her potty again.

Starting natural infant hygiene with your older baby is a big job, but it is rewarding. You begin to learn his signals and he'll begin to learn your cues. Your baby will enjoy being diaper free and you'll love the freedom that he has!

A Few More Resources

There are many resources as you get started with your older baby. Diaper Free! has a small section devoted to starting with the older baby. Infant Potty Training has a good sized section on how to help the older baby get started with elimination communication. You can also find many, many stories by parents who started later online.