Getting Started With EC'ing

Getting Started with EC'ing

Parents discover natural infant hygiene, or elimination communication (EC), at all different times in their baby's life.

Some discover this gentle method while their child is still in the womb.

Others hear about it when their babies are very small - and still others don't hear until they have an older baby or toddler.

How do you get started EC'ing? The first step: make a choice that you want to communicate with your baby about his or her elimination.

Cultures all over the world practice natural infant hygiene beginning with babies of various ages - and all begin with simple unspoken affirmations to communicate with their children.

Newborn Nurturing

Many parents who have EC'd an older baby and later a newborn baby say that they're glad they started in the newborn period with the second child.

Picking up cues in the very beginning may be easier than with an older child - and you have more time to learn your own baby's signals (though it is entirely possible to start with an older baby.)

Go ahead and decide where you'll toilet your newborn. You may want to have a small container with rounded edges, such as a small plastic bowl or a small mixing bowl. Prefold cloth diapers are great to use at first (you can also use small towels, though prefolds are inexpensive and very abosorbant). It's up to you.

Have plenty of diapers or cloths handy where you'll be spending most of your time with your baby (in bed would be the best place to spend that first week!)

You can use a waterproof mat or "chux" pad underneath you and your baby if you will be in bed much of the time. An absorbent sheepskin will also work - place a cotton blanket over it.

At first simply enjoy your baby and learn her signals. Watch your baby and you'll notice when she starts to eliminate. Lying with your baby stretched across your soft abdomen is ideal for this. When you feel the prefold between you grow warm, give your baby a slight verbal cue, such as a "psssss" sound.

Use this same sound for bowel movements or choose a different sound. Your amazing baby will quickly come to associate this sound with eliminating. After you've watched your baby and begun to learn his cues start offering to potty your child when you think he needs to go.

At first it may be helpful to keep a log of when your baby eats and when she eliminates. This can help you identify her body's timing. This isn't necessary but it may help some parents. You can find a helpful chart in the book Infant Potty Training. I used this chart with my third baby during his second week of life and it helped me realize his patterns very quickly.

Don't get stressed out when you have a miss - that's why it's so good to have prefold diapers or small towels as backup. Simply replace them with a dry prefold and continue to enjoy your baby.

Some newborns will have a bowel movement while they are nursing. You can either keep a diaper wrapped loosely around your baby for this or you can nurse them over a small bowl. Choose whichever is easier for you.

Many newborns have tiny bowel movements whenever they pass gas - if this is the case with your baby simply keep a prefold diaper underneath him. My third child did this often in his early days and I found it simple to keep a prefold under his bottom.

The Early Months

Getting started in the early months is similar to the newborn period so review those suggestions. Before your baby is able to roll and crawl you have an advantage - it is often easier to pick up cues while your baby is still content to be in arms or in the baby carrier.

Begin learning your baby's cues just as you would have in the first few days of your baby's life. You may find it helpful to chart your baby's elimination and nursing patterns for a few days, as was discussed above.

Beginning at this point may be easier because the stress of the immediate newborn period has worn off a little and your baby is a bit stronger. She can hold her head up and it may be easier for you to hold her over a receptacle to eliminate.

Some parents want to hold their babies over a toilet and this is fine. However, you may find your baby does not like to be rushed to the bathroom every time you think he needs to go. My second baby protested greatly to this! In this situation a small bowl that can be kept near you and your child is a good solution.

Get started gradually if you feel that works better for you. Target after sleep and after naps when you know your baby is likely to need to go. Many babies also need to go within a short time of nursing.

Watch for fussing, grunting, bearing down, or any other signs that may indicate your baby needs to eliminate and offer the potty or bowl. You can use the gentle cue sound to help your baby associate it with elimination.

Starting with an Older Baby

If your baby is older you can still learn her elimination cues. Thus far you have taught her to use her pants as her toilet - and you may not have been tuning in to her cues. However, you can begin to pay attention to those cues now.

Keeping a cloth diaper on your baby without a cover can help you learn when he is eliminating. You'll be able to tell immediately when your baby wets and can gently use the cue sound so that he begins to associate it with pottying. A cloth diaper with snaps or velcro (aplix) is ideal for this purpose.

Using the "after nap" and "after sleep" times to try cueing your baby can work very well - she most likely has a full bladder. You can also turn water on lightly to encourage her to go.

Cradling your baby to your body may be the best position to start with because it gives your child extra security. As you become more confident in learning her signals you may want to introduce a potty to her.

Again, watch for cues that your baby needs to go. If he is grunting, bearing down, or seems to be fussing a lot, you may want to offer to potty.

If you think that he needs to go but he resists your offer, you can try walking or dancing with him for a few minutes and try again. Don't force your baby to try and potty against his will.

Simple Starts

Starting to EC your baby at any age can seem stressful. If you find yourself getting stressed step back and look at your motivation for natural infant hygiene.

EC is used to communicate with your baby and help her eliminate in a natural and clean way. It is not about "early potty training."

There will be misses at first. But if you tune in to your baby recognizing his elimination cues can become as simple as sensing when he is hungry. If you do miss a cue simply clean it up or change the cloth or diaper.

Soon you and your baby will be communicating well enough to go without diapers much of the time and some may choose to be totally diaper free! If you want to learn more read the rest of the elimination communication pages. In addition, I have never had a mother tell me she regretted picking up Diaper Free! - an excellent and clear resource on elimination communication (you can also read my review on the Diaper Free! review page.

Natural Birth and Baby Care.com