Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Addicted

Everybody, elimination communication is like crack cookies. Oh so sweet and addictive. We've been working on EC with Doozer for about a week now and it's amazing. We started with holding her over the sink during a diaper change and making our cue sound for pee, psssss. Every once in a while she would pee and we would cheer! Sometimes she would poop, then we would make the cue sound for that, a grunt. At night after BuggaBoo went to bed I would hold a diaperless Doozer on my lap on a towel and make the appropriate cue sounds for whatever elimination she did.

The Hubby in now in on the act since it's his weekend and he takes great pleasure in holding her over the sink to try to potty. I enjoy taking her outside to fertilize our grapes. And, guys, she's pottying like a champ! I feel like my baby is a genius. She pees when we cue, she poops when we cue, and...she's holding everything in until we can potty her. We are catching about 75% of her pees and 85% of her poos. Who says babies don't have control over their elimination muscles?

She's starting being this super baby yesterday. And I have found, so far, that EC is no harder than doing cloth diapers but waaaaaay more fun. And cloth diapers are already fun to use. So elimination communication must be 100 times cooler than disposable diapers. It's a scientific formula.

Mostly EC is just a slight change in thinking. During the day I normally thought, "She's gone long enough that she's probably wet/soiled again." Now I've shifted my remembering to, "She's gone long enough she probably has to potty again." That's it. Same amount of brain power, all that's changed is the time frame. Doozer is also talking to us when she needs to go. The cry that she used to reserve for wet diapers has become her "need to potty" cry. How smart is that?

And we've covered this ground during a time where Doozer has been extremely uncomfortable with an icky cough/snotty nose/fever virus AND cutting two teeth within a week. I'm sure when she's feeling better our communication will be smoother.

So that's where we're standing with EC. It's already become such a part of our routine that I'm sure that I can still take on another project while continuing with EC. And I'm giving all of you my full endorsement that ya'll should try this with your next baby. Because it is so addictive.

3 comments:

  1. Oh, how fun! Now I'm really hoping I'll get the chance to try this with a future child. Do you diaper her in between pottitunities? or leave her bare-bum? just curious. And glad you are sharing your journey. And that your little ones are on the mend.

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  2. Thanks for sharing Krista :) You're making me want to try it now!

    But yeah, more details would be great, like, do you keep her in diapers, what do you do when you're out and about, etc :)

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  3. Krista, I'm gonna say it: I think that's cool, and pretty darn weird. I think that's something I would never want to do. I love your au natural style :)

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