I think it's hilarious! Maybe I could use the same technique on my cat.

I think it's a bunch of overeducated women with nothing better to do but engross themselves in their babies lives. Wonder what the medical community has to say about this......

I'm afraid to ask what they do to the babies who "make a mess".
Wish i had that much time on my hands to spend with my baby.

I think it is crazy! It just sounds like someone has to much time on her hands and does not want to be bothered with changing her child's diaper.

one word...er...sound...EWWWWWWWWWW!

I didn't get my call in today in time, but the woman who answered the phone thought my comment was worth putting on this blog.  When my son was a toddler I was a divorcee and had to put him in a daycare while I worked.  They potty trained the little boys by letting them help hold empty coffee cans and they loved to hear the tinkeling noise it made in the cans.  They were really liking it and would go for the can whenever they had to go.  Meanwhile I remarried and it was wonderful because whenever we went on a trip and you didn't have to stop for yourself you could pull out the coffee can, let him do his thing and put the lid back on until you had to stop and then pour it in a toilet and wash it out and continue on your trip.  Hope this will help somebody with a boy that they are trying to potty train.  

I don't understand why you would want to rush and potty train your baby!!  To me its like you are trying to rush them to grow up.  Enjoy the diaper changing phase and then actually potty train them when its actually time and they actually know what is going on!!

confused I agree with you completely!

The kids are already growing up a lot faster than previous generations.  Why rush them further?  Enjoy their childhood and enjoy the time that they are little.  They don't stay that way for long.  

My daughter is 21 months old.  And we've just begun the potty training stage.  I could not have imagined trying it any sooner.  She wasn't ready or aware of what is going on.  And now she is turning that direction.  

LET THEM BE LITTLE and enjoy it.

We have been practicing EC since dd was 5 months old. I wish I had started sooner.  Its nice to know there is another family here in San Antonio  that practices EC.

Overeducated? How about the millions of women in developing countries that have never had a day of school that use this system of listening to their babies' cues with no ill effects?  (and "nothing better to do than engross themselves in their babies' lives" is hilarious. I'm a full time student and ambitious career mom, and I really can't think of anything "better" than my son! If I could, I wouldn't have had him.)

This shouldn't be confused with punitive "potty training." There's no punishment in EC! There's no "forcing" or "rushing"! What is it that people don't get? You see that your kid has to go, and instead of just sitting there and watching it happen, you hold them over a receptacle and save yourself a diaper. The PARENTS do the learning, and there's nobody making you do it 24/7. Here's a secret: if you've ever seen that your baby was about to pee on you and covered him/her up or quickly moved over the sink to avoid wetting everywhere, YOU'RE ALREADY PART OF THE "TREND"! Gasp!

Let them be DRY and enjoy it!

for me it's just a way to help keep the baby clean and dry -- she has very sensistive skin and this keeps diaper rash away.  

none of us want our little babies to grow up any faster than they already do!  I love her at this age; it's just more fun to take her to the potty and keep her sweet little bottom dry than to change poopy diapers and watch her skin get irritated.  this is what is done in many parts of the world and is just a normal part of babyhood, not a step into childhood -- why does babyhood have to include sitting in your own waste all day?  

"what they do to the babies who "make a mess""?  Nothing, of course!  they're babies!  none of us would dream of punishing a baby for anything, much less an accident.  we clean it up and go about our day.  (anyway my "diaper free baby" wears diapers full time, which we take off when she needs to potty, so there are generally no "messes" around here.)

as far as them not being aware of what's going on, this is true for a baby who's gotten used to going in her diaper.  after a while they do lose the instinct to keep from pottying on themselves.  but if you start early, YES she does understand!  My 4-month-old will keep her diaper dry for up to an hour while we're out and about running errands and then pee immediately when I hold her over the potty when we get home.  

as far as it meaning you have to spend a lot of time with your baby... well, yes, I'll give you that.  to me this is not a downside though!  I work 20 hours a week, so I treasure my time with her when I'm home.  

Every parent does what is right for their family at certains points in their lives.  If some parents want to spend their time communicating with their babies, than why does it have to be a bad thing?  EC for me is all about communicating with my baby.  Not "potty training" my baby.  I could care less how old he is when he no longer needs to wear a diaper. (My son wears disposable diapers 24/7 and we just take them off to go potty.....no messes here to clean up)  My daughter was 15 months old when she was completely trained....her doing, not mine.  I just listened to her needs and helped guide her into pottying in a much cleaner way.  You don't even have to start this when they are itty bitty babies.  I have friends who started EC when their kids were 12-18 months old and they still benefited from the "trend" because they became a lot closer with their baby.  Think about EC this way....you are giving your baby the opportunity to learn about the way his/her body works.  They will, eventually, be more intuned with themself as well as with you.  Regardless of the outcome your bond will be better because you are focusing more attention on him/her.  EC isn't about who can potty train their kids the earliest, it's all about communication.  The earlier potty training just comes as an added bonus!

Poop in a potty is not as gross than poop in a diaper that's been squished and sat on. Then, you have to wipe their entire butt cheeks because they have squished poop on them. If they poop in a potty, you just dump it in the toilet and flush.

My mom is from Taiwan and she did EC with my sister and me. I am in my 30s. So, this is nothing new for people in other countries. I'm sure my grandmothers did it too.

First off - for those people who don't have to work 40 hours a week you may be able to do it a lot easier than those who do work.

I, however, work 40 hours a week and spend at least 10 additional hours in traffic.  I drop her off at daycare in the morning usually by 7 and then don't get there to pick her up until 6.  And then we have maybe an hour or two before she gets extremely cranky is ready to go to bed.  So, the little time I am able to spend with my child is completely precious.  

The point is - EVERYONE is going to raise their children differently.  No one should critcize or put down other people because they choose to raise their children in a different way.  That is what makes this world go round.  The only time other people should get involved in someone else's child rearing - is if it is dangerous to the child.  

Hi everyone- I'm the mom who was on the show.

EC isn't for everyone, but as some of the posters have pointed out 1) it's how EVERYONE was trained before disposables or being able to wash cloth diapers.  2) it's how a majority of the babies in the world are STILL trained 3) it's a flexible practice that can be done by SAHMs OR working moms.  I word 45+hrs a week too.  I don't spend 10hrs in traffic, but I do spend another 4+ hours on fitness each week.  I did EC part-time and enjoyed each and every success we had and so did Megan.  

I don't pan people who use diapers, I just presented another option to parents who are interested- an option MANY people aren't aware exists.

Please visit my yahoo group or the www.diaperfreebaby.org site if you want more information.

Thanks!

We've done this with our daughter since she was a week old.  We simply take her to the potty at times that it's likely she'll need to go--after waking up and after eating, and then at regular intervals.  I could tell right away that she was learning what we were doing and now most of the time she is clean and dry.  We still have misses at least a few times a day (pees), but she's usually in a cloth diaper so it's no big deal.  She's 6 months now and the whole process just keeps getting easier.  I'm glad we've been doing it because it's easier to wipe up after going in the potty rather than cleaning up after poop goes everywhere in the diaper.  As far as what happens if she "makes a mess"--nothing.  I clean it up.  We're not pressuring her to be "toilet trained"--this is just how we handle elimination in our house.

There is nothing gross about EC.  It's much more disgusting to wipe smeared poop off of your baby's bottom.  It's not about having too much time on your hands.  It's about paying attention to your baby and not just plopping him/her in a swing or carseat somewhere.

it doesn't make sense to train your child to ignore their elimination sensations by going in a diaper, and then train them to pay attention to them and potty train them when they're two or three... a time when they're learning independence and often not interested in potty training. i see EC as being a lot like breastfeeding... more difficult at the very beginning, but SO much easier for mom and baby in the long term... and natural. it's also better for your baby's skin, better for the environment, better for your pocket book. have you tried changing even a 14 month's old diaper? they absolutely hate it... and it only gets worse.

EC is a win-win situation.  Imagine more communication with your baby, helping their skin stay dry, saving money and helping the environment.  We are a family that did conventional potty training w/ 2 older children and turned to EC with the 3rd.  It has been a wonderful journey.  I wish that those of you who doubt it could see it in action.  Please check out www.diaperfreebaby.org and learn more about EC.  Most of us are skeptic when first hearing of it but it works and babies prefer to go in the potty to going in the diaper.

Devin -
I think only one person has made a comment about EC being "gross".  You're right - it is disgusting to wipe poop off the butt.  But we as adults do it usually on a daily basis - wiping it off our own butt.  We don't touch it.  And I don't know about you - but I don't touch my daughter's poop when I change her poopy diaper.  

And I'm upset that you implied in your post - that just because I don't practice EC with my daughter, I don't spend time or pay attention to her and that I just "plop" her into a carseat or swing.  

My daughter is my life and there isn't a thing in the world I wouldn't do for her.  But just because I don't practice EC does NOT mean my daughter sits in a swing all day - or that she did when she was an infant.  The few times my daughter was in a swing as an infant is when she was having trouble breathing and it was the ONLY way I could get her to sleep.  

And to cz - let's not even get people started on the breast feeding issues.  I was only able to breast feed my daughter for 8 weeks.  And after that - I was unable to.  Not because I didn't want to - I wasn't producing enough to satisfy her.  And while it's cheaper, better, etc.....some women can NOT do it.  

And yes I have tried changing a 14 month's old diaper.  I did it to my daughter.  She dealt with it and so did I.

The bottom line is that EVERYONE is entitled to their own opinion.

Although some good info about EC was presented, I thought the video clip was overly fixated on presenting EC as a way to get your kid potty-trained as early as possible. To me, the goal of EC is to learn more about my child's elimination needs, and to use that knowledge to keep my child clean, dry, and happy. I am focused on the process, not the eventually product that will be years down the line. The video clip also stated the false information that EC is a "new trend," when in fact it has been and still is widely practised in many countries.

I find it strange that there is so much controversy over peeing and pooping. I find EC easy to do part-time. Diapering is also easy. I am not hurting my child either way as long as I am gentle in my approach. People who are harsh in their methods are another story, but harshness is contrary to EC.

As for what the medical community has to say about this, according to a review printed in a 1999 issue of "Pediatric Annals," "there is little question that children can be toilet trained by one year of age." Hmmm ... that was only 8 years ago ... The idea that you need to delay potty-training is a new one then, wouldn't you say? Does that make it a "new trend"?

This is not a "new trend".  It is what is done in at least half of the world.  It is more natural than wearing diapers all the time.  Wearing diapers does NOT "keep them babies longer" - it makes them sit in their own waste.

That being said, we do use diapers, as well as the potty.  I started EC when my baby was about 6 weeks old.  I work part time, so she uses diapers as well as the potty.

I do not do this in order to potty train my child earlier - it is really about NOW and our communication.  It's amazing what babies know at such a young age!  My 7 month old uses sign language to tell me when she has to use the potty.  She doesn't like to poop her diaper, in particular, and will really fuss to get my attention so she can use the potty.

It's not for everyone, but even busy moms can put baby on the potty when they're changing their diapers.  Or if they see "that face" - why not let them poop on the potty rather than messing up their diapers and having to clean a huge mess?

So People what is wrong with you fighting over EC when you should be loving your kids instead of fighting with other people over EC.

we are not fighting we are saying our opinions

We do EC - it is a great option - with diapers / nappies is what most people do - it makes sense to use the tools we have. Nappies are a great tool to help you be relaxed as you discover your baby's signs and patterns. They catch 'accidents' so misses don't become messes. EASY! When practicing EC, nappies/ diapers gradually become a 'tool' that use use rather than an essential you can't live without.

Yep, our Grannies dis it too - my granny thought everyone STILL did it - she did it with 7 children. Full time? - no of course not. But if she noticed the baby had a need, she helped them so they didn't have to mess themselves. They went on waking, 10 minutes after a feed and she tok them when she went to the toilet - they sat on the potty at the same time in the appropriate room - learning from their early days that it is normal to take a moment out of your day to relieve yourself. How lovely! Here's my record of our chats: http://www.tribalbaby.org/ECaskgrandma.html

It's all about the communication, as lots of PP have said - EC bears little resemblance to conventional potty training - it is a paradigm shift that takes some mental adjustment at first. Hopefully this blog has helped a few of you to see and understand that - this is knowledge that was once so common it had no name. You can still add a little 'elimination communication' to your relationship with your baby.

Perhaps you do a little diaper-free time on a mat? That's a great way to start - choose and use a cue sound such as 'sss' or 'pee pee' when baby does a wee. It will help *them* to make the connection about what their body is doing and how it feels - keeping their instincts alive. As simple as that, you've begun.

Charndra

Ive seen so many mothers look at their child making funny faces and say "are you doing a poo?" Then they just let them poo in their nappy. From the look and behaviour of the child they are obviously embarrassed and humiliated to have to poo themselves in front of everyone AND have it pointed out. I know children who are not yet even one who go off to another room and hide when they go. And yet it NEVER even crosses any of these parents minds that (since they know when their baby is going) they could take them to the toilet! I agree with what everyone else has said....since when did excreting all over yourself become "natural" and the key to a happy life as a baby??!! Ive never seen any other animal in nature who forced their young to do that.....

Ok, so my daughters are just 15 months old, and yes I do have twins.  From my knowledge of potty training don't you have to constantly keep taking them to the potty?  They learn from repitition, so my question is this:  How is it you can teach a 12-18 month old this techinque when they spend 90% of their time in daycare,  Where they refuse to do this or any type of potty training until a certain age? Maybe if you had a nanny at home who was willing to contenue the training while the parents are away at work, but I don't see how teaching my kids to do this at this point in their lives is going to do much more than confuse them.  I'm really not trying to start a debate, I am generally confused.  
To the lady who said kids who wear diapers sit in their own waste all day long, thats a stereo type if i've ever heard one.  I change my children as soon as I know they are wet, and I check them often.  Just because they use diapers to go does not mean my children are any less "clean" than yours.
And to the lady who said children are ashaimed of themselves when they go potty in their diapers.  This is also a stereo type.  Maybe if you have a 6 year old who isn't potty trained yet, but a 1 yr old baby only knows shame if Mom and dad make it shameful.  My daughters do hate to have thier diapers changed, but they think its funny when they go poo.  Once I smell it I ask them if they made "brownies" for mommie and they laugh and try to play the come and get me game.  There is nothing shameful about going potty in a diaper just as there is nothing shameful about going potty in a toilet.  Just like many other people have said we are all going to do whats best for our children.