Elimination Communication.

This post has been drafted 3 months back and had not been posted until now. The reason being, I always decided to create a blog but never got a chance. Now! Blame it on time, energy, sheer laziness or me just being me sometimes. You may read it in two parts, one when I started elimination communication/ potty training-familiarizing-session and later after a month of training. I will write the dates for you to know exactly when I wrote this.

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Jan 4, 11.20pm

Two weeks back I decided on potty training my little one. I researched and watched a lot of videos online to pep me up. Actually the videos just kicked in the enthusiasm. So I went and bought a potty reducer and recently ordered a potty chair too. My enthusiasm was so evident that I decided to make him sit on it right away as soon as we got home. And believe me or not, he peed. Oh! Yeah he did. Ok! I thought this may be just a fluke ..so the next day I tried again, and he did pee again. What more did I want, I thought this is it! So now my aim was to maintain it. Ok did I mention Apple, that is what i call my son with love is just 11 months old. So that is my big challenge- challenge to train a 11 month old to go potty and to continue doing so. Phew! I said.

I did a lot of research and came across a term called "elimination communication". You can read more about it here. Ok! Now before you say isn't Apple too young to potty train. Am I not torturing him? Why force him so soon? Let him be "ready" .  Ok ok! First I am not forcing my son. I am just familiarizing him with the process and the potty. Secondly he has never been made to cry or forced to sit on it. Thirdly I don't think there is any thing that says babies have to be "ready" to go potty in a toilet. I think if you can teach a baby how to drink milk , eat food , sit in a car seat, then I think you can teach a baby to potty too. Yes ! Teaching a toddler may be easier than a baby as you can explain with words.


Feb 12, 7.48 pm

Ok! Sorry , I have been wanting to update on my progress but just didn't get a chance to sit it down and write. 

It's almost a month and 2 weeks since I have been potty training/ ECing my lo. I can proudly say it has been 2 weeks since I have changed a soiled diaper. He is now trained for pooping in the toilet. I am yet to train him to pee, though I started with it but have postponed it for summer. I did the training pants and all , but now since it is cold here on the east coast, it's not wise on my part to leave him in his onsie and underpants only. But poop yes! He does it and also become more regular in time.

Some of the goods and bads of my training experience. Again this my opinion based on my experience. I am sure everyone else has their own and will say differently.

- I started towards the end of his 11 months, which I think is a great age to start considering he was sitting steadily and was crawling pretty swiftly. He is yet to start walking. I also began early as I had friends who started late after 2 years and still are trying hard to get them to sit on the potty.

- we started with pee training as it was easier for me to get him to sit as you don't really have specific timings for peeing. Make him sit ( btw I make him sit on the toilet with a toilet seat reducer on top, and I have a reason why I did that first, will tell you as we go along) on the toilet, turn the shower on for a minute, he feels cold and shivers and pees.. I did this for a week and then he got the hang of it.

- continued doing this twice a day to thrice a day and I had no specific timings to do this.. It was random.

- in the mean time I started watching cues to know his poop timings. I would take him immediately and put him on the potty. Sometimes he would have done and completed in the diaper other times I was lucky to get him do in the toilet. 

- I continued doing this and my lo got used to the idea what he needs to do when he is on the potty. 

- by week 3 and four I didn't have to turn on the shower, he knew what he had to do. He also got regular on his poop timing rather i was able to recognize his signals and cues.

- by week five he was regular and would poop when I put him on the toilet seat.

Now all I need to say lets try and poop. He sits for a couple of minutes and poops. I am not specific on time..take him around his usual time though.

I slacked a few times. Not good on my part..coz with babies it's important to be consistent.

I did not incentivize this activity with toys or anything else. Reason being I didn't want him to get any other idea why we go to the bathroom. Kept it simple.we go to the bathroom to pee and poo..not play. But yeah I do appreciate and make a big deal! Yay! Look baby poo pooed / pee peed! Yay! Clap clap.

I also put a colorful magazine on his lap..now this is not a reward but to keep his hands off his privates. Yes he has not idea and keeps fiddling.

Ok, the reason I told you I put him directly on the toilet seat with a seat reducer is I didn't want another task, to transition him from potty seat to the main toilet seat later. Though I have bought one, the fisherprice froggy potty ( and its good, fits his lil tush perfectly) I plan to use it mainly for peeing. But this is once he starts walking and is trained to pee. It will be a easy one if he wants to go pee without my help. He needn't wait. But that is sometime from now.

One thing I learnt from this whole session is with babies, patience and being consistent are key to get them trained or make them learn anything. There were times when I would say, forget it! I ll wait till he can talk and walk..but then I didn't want to give up..it's easier for them to learn when they are young than later.

If any of you would like to know more, please feel free to ask. I would be glad to share.