While looking back through my journals after Brennan's birth I noticed quite a few entries on my experience using Elimination Communication with him.
I thought you might enjoy the entries – they start when he's about 1 week old. He was “potty trained” with the exception of needing help wiping by around 2 years old.
6/29/05
I started EC'ing Brennan yesterday (He was born on 6/21). I'm mainly jotting down timing today and trying to get a feel for his elimination, but we did catch a pee this morning. I hope so much that we can work on this. It was so nice with Cassy and I deeply regret not EC'ing Asher.
7/6/05
EC'ing has been going well. We catch 1-3 a day, sometimes pees, and usually at least 1 poop a day. I can tell he really understands what we're doing! I noticed he would often wet when he was fussing, so yesterday and today I've been offering the pot and cueing him if he's been been fussy, unless he was actively rooting. Surprisingly, I caught a couple of pees that way, and then he's relaxed. So he was fussing because he needed to go! Amazing for a two-week old.
7/7/05
He usually needs to go within a few minutes of waking. I think sometimes his hunger is very strong too, upon waking, and that conflicts with pottying. He started to poop during nursing (just after waking and rooting desperately), so I nursed him while sitting over the toilet. He'd nurse, then poop some, them poop some more, then he stopped nursing and relaxed several seconds to pee.
I was in the bathroom anyways bathing Cassy and Asher. I didn't have another diaper in there with me so I just held him diaperless against me. It was so nice. I almost wish he could stay a sweet newborn. I hope to work up to going diaperless most of the time. I want to get the book Diaper Free. Maybe if we get some extra money next month I'll order it.
7/9/05
I've caught a lot of pees today because he definitely gets fussy when he needs to go. He also goes within a few minutes of waking. He pees more quickly over the toilet, I think the little bowl is uncomfy for him to pee in. I'm going to look for a better “pot” when we go shopping tomorrow.
7/13/05
The past few days we have done really, really well with EC. Today not as well so far. I'm more nervous about peeing Brennan with Curtis home. I guess I just worry that he thinks it's weird. But it's becoming a lot more like “second nature.” It's really easy.
My parents gave me a “Pack and Play” that I've been napping Brennan in, and it allows me to let him sleep in a diaper without a cover. I mostly still miss naptime pees because I'm reluctant to bother him if he's stirring – I think he pees then – but I don't want to force him wide awake. I need to work on how to resolve that. It's easy to still swaddle him, I just leave the bottom half of him unswaddled.
7/18/05
EC'ing continues to go really well. We're definitely saving diapers now, which I really like. He always needs to go upon waking and I can usually tell about when to offer if he's been up awhile – or if he starts fussing. I'm still working out naptime though, and haven't done anything with nights or out of the house travel yet.
10/30/06
Brennan nursed for 2 hours early this morning which was a little draining hehe. I was worried he might be feeling bad but when he decided to get up he was happy and chipper as ever so maybe he's just having a growth spurt. We only had one potty miss this morning which was great. I've been letting him just wear little shorts around so we can potty more easily. Luckily he happened to be sitting on a towel when he had his miss. I've been diligent about offering the potty.
11/1/06
OOOOH – news flash! Brennan just toddled into the den and sat down on his potty by himself and peed – no prompting from me at all! Woot! Hopefully that continues…
12/7/06
Brennan is also doing well. Still going strong with nursing. And we are also working on the potty a whole lot right now. He's quite enthusiastic about peeing in his little pot and also enthusiastic about taking it to pour in the big pot when he's done
6/7/07
Brennan is starting to talk well and has an intense fascination with dirty dishes. I am trying to redirect this into cleaning dirty dishes. We're also steaming ahead with potty training. Thankfully he has taken to the concept of going to the potty very easily. I am sure this is because I used elimination communication with him. I did with Cassidy and with Brennan and both of them grasped the potty thing very easily. Asher I didn't for whatever reasons and potty training him was probably the most frustrating thing I have ever experienced.
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