EC: A Retrospective

For all intents and purposes, Cece is "potty trained" during the day. The night might take a while and I'm ok with that. I used to EC Cece at night when she woke up frequently and seemed to need to go. When she still woke up, but didn't go, I stopped EC at night. As a mom in my Diaper Free Baby group once said, "Sleep trumps pee.". But, back to the potty success story. EC was a practice I learned about from a friend when I was halfway through my pregnancy and as I am apt to do, I read EVERYTHING I could find on the subject. Which, maybe not surprisingly, was not a lot. Hmmm, a book I could write that may have a growing market...but, the book I suggest to inquiring friends is Christine Gross-Loh's "Diaper Free Baby". It is the one that is the most practical, not too loaded with "theory", it makes it all seem very do-able. Which is good. Because it is. Looking back, I don't know that I would have tried this had I not known someone who had done it. It made it so much easier to justify to others. Well, so and so did it, so I am trying it. That was another key, telling people I was trying it sounded very non-committal, though to be honest, I was bound and determined. The first time I held Cece over a potty, she was six days old. Prior to eating solids, we caught mostly pee. Around 7 months, after being introduced to solids, she pooped only in the potty, but still peed in her diaper too. Gradually, over time, she has learned to signal that she has to go. During the time of her terrible teeth, she went on a potty strike, telling us she had to go, but really just washing her hands. But since then, she has been consistent, and dry through the days. She is now sleeping in gdiapers, which means the few disposables we have are reserved for babysitters. She is in underwear at home, and cloth diapers out and about. But they stay dry. Monday, she had a milestone wherein she signaled to the awesome Miss Jamie at our gym's daycare that she had to go, and let Miss Jamie help her go potty. Then she did it again on Tuesday. Cece consistently goes #2 before (or during) barytone, and always in the potty. She still prefers to face backward for #2, but since watching a friend go independently facing front, she has made the switch for pees. She has always wanted to go on the regular toilet. Even though we have a Baby Bjorn little potty, pink IKEA potty, see through little potty, foldable potty insert seat, and the Potette plus, Cece will have nothing to do with any of them. To look on the bright side, I never had to clean out a potty as she went direct to the source...or end...source doesn't make much sense there.

So, while I am still careful to never pat myself on the back, I look at EC as a healthy choice for my daughter, both psychologically (she's happy, proud of herself, and was never cajoled, pressured, or rewarded for using the potty) and physically (she has never had diaper rash or any other related issues). We will not have two kids in diapers because she'll be out of them by the time number two is a glimmer in my eye. Note: not yet folks.

For any friends, or strangers yet to be friends who are wondering, EC is short for Elimination Communication and I would encourage you to give it a chance...the rest of the world does.