1-2-3 DiaperFree

Certified Coach Training Program 2016

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Many parents hate bloviations of the babyless. Nevertheless, here are my two babyless cents. Despite my initial quirked-eyebrow hesitation, this method makes all kinds of sense. I had no idea that this could be done, but it is done, and all over the world; it's mostly only here in America that something so sensible is so taboo. I like to think that I have a high aptitude for thinking outside the cultural box, and this method never occurred to me. In hindsight it's so sensible and intuitive.

Here's the conventional method for dealing with the waste of a baby You train her to ignore her instinct not to soil herself. Even a newborn wants not to sit in her own pee. You train her to sit in her excrement. Then two or three years later, you decide you want to train her out of all this that you've trained her into. If that's the only way, then why fight it? Here's the EC method: You observe your baby; you eventually learn when your baby is about to pee or poop many parents using the conventional method know their baby's signs without any special effort to observe them ; when you observe your baby signaling it's an opportunity to take your baby to a potty.

By the time baby is toddling she's probably toddling herself over to the potty when she needs to go. If you can't or don't observe every opportunity, that's fine. Diapers are a tool you can use and not the only one , not a necessity you must rely on at [literally] every moment.

How to bring EC to your town.

It's not stress-free, but neither is conventional diapering. I actually had to remind myself of this, when I at the beginning found myself comparing the dirty details of this strange, new method to my straw-man imaginings of a glossy, easy, zero-cost zero-stress conventional method. I unintentionally idealized and discounted the costs of the familiar. Parents who've done both report it's less stress and much less mess. EC beats conventional diapering in all but one measure. Widespread cultural support is a powerful thing; it's a big drawback to this method. But be the change, right?

I don't request that anybody use this method. Not Joe and Bob next door. I do insist that those who use disposable diapers are the first to live next to their diaper-filled landfills in the future, but I thought that before this book. Take responsibility for your shit. But anybody could use it.

Single parents, working parents, babies with developmental delays or health concerns, families in apartments without individual washers and dryers — all can potentially benefit from some measure of EC. Some families have advantages Swedes, Finns, Indians, Koreans, folk of leisure everywhere , but EC is designed to flexibly serve any family.

If anything, it evens the playing field, because housing amenities and the kind of diapers you can afford are not limiting factors. Probably as smart as dogs. I happen to know.

P Even with a puppy you can do this. Dogs, like infants, can't talk, and their signals can be inscrutable. Yet within a couple months you can get a system down. This book does not compare dogs and babies. It's much too sensitive. But I am not; the only creature I've ever pottied is a dog and the parallels do not escape me. Mar 12, Hallie Amatullah rated it really liked it. Tons of great tips. May 10, Abigail rated it really liked it Shelves: I've actually read a book on this topic before, but for the life of me I can't remember what the name of the book is.

Anyway, I was super excited to read this. The idea of training your child to use diapers, only to have to untrain them when they reach 2ish has never made sense to me. And now finally I've been presented with an alternative. This book is also eas I've actually read a book on this topic before, but for the life of me I can't remember what the name of the book is.

This book is also easy to read. It's broken down into manageable chapters, and is only pages long. Although I am a fan of shorter non-fiction, help books, TDFB didn't get bogged down and wasn't too repetitive. I really liked that this book presented the method of diaper free babies for more than one type of people. It gives you the option to go through a less rigorous method if you're a working mom or if the method just seems a little too overwhelming.

I loved that this method is so flexible. In the end I gave the book 4 stars and if you're an expecting parent, or just curious about this topic I would definitely say give the book a try! Jan 13, C. I first stumbled across the phrase 'Elimination Communication' on a blog some point during my pregnancy. I had never heard of it before so I looked it up on Wikipedia, thought 'that looks interesting but I don't know if it would work for me' and put it to the side.

It was my son who actually started me thinking about it again as I begin to realise that he really didn't like wet diapers. This reminded me of the idea of elimination communication and the fact that it really did seem silly to me to train children to go in diapers only to train them out of diapers later on.

So I began to look for some books to read to see if there was a way this might work for us. I was attracted to The Diaper Free Baby because it felt as if the author addressed the idea of 'part-time' elimination communication, something I was pretty certain we would have to do because of work schedules and the like.

I may eventually come back and change the star rating on this book after I've tried some of the things that it suggests, but for the moment I feel encouraged by what I've read. I've ordered a Baby Bjorn toilet and already begin some of the cueing and communication suggested in the book with my son. While she suggests using cloth diapers because it's easier to tell when babies are going I've also found that disposables with the line that indicates when the diaper is becoming wet can also work to help you maintain awareness of when they are going.

I'm looking forward to offering 'pottytunities' after I get one of those 'sort of wet' diapers that frequently is followed up by a fully wet diaper. I also know that at this point in his life my son almost always has a diaper within ten to fifteen minutes after a feeding. I very much appreciate that the book is not so much an emphasis on training, as an emphasis on communication and keeping young ones aware of their bodily functions.

This is something that feels very healthy to me and I'm excited to try out. We'll see how it works! Dec 09, Wendy rated it really liked it Shelves: Don't let the title scare you. This book is not actually advocating never putting a diaper on your baby. Instead it's about Elimination Communication EC which is a different way of toilet training. What it amounts to is watching for your baby's signs when they need to go just like you learn when they are hungry or tired and providing a "cue" when they go which can then be used to let them know when it's a good time for them to go, like once you have them positioned over a potty.

This system Don't let the title scare you. This system makes sense to me because: Naturally they don't want to soil themselves, so why not work with that early on? Why not take them somewhere they can go and save yourself and them the messy cleanup? The book is encouraging and presents lots of options for doing EC full-time, part-time or occasionally; beginning with a newborn baby, older infant or young toddler. There's info on gear you can use and lots of quotes from parents about their experiences with EC.

It may seem slightly repetitive, but that's only because you can pick up the book and system at different developmental stages and skip to the section most relevant to your child. Definitely something I'd like to try. Jul 02, Hilary rated it liked it Shelves: I have to say that I would never have picked this book up based on the title I wouldn't have really guessed what it was really about. I came across the book when I went to a cloth diaper workshop and it came up when elimination communication was mentioned - which is really what the book is about.

I thought this concept sounded interesting but wasn't really sure about how much work it would be and if my husband would be on board. The book is really good at introducing EC as something that you I have to say that I would never have picked this book up based on the title The book is really good at introducing EC as something that you can just do occasionally or full time, and that you really don't need to be as consistent as one would think for there to be some effect. It is also very clear that you can use disposables, cloth diapers or no diapers, depending on what you want.

The big message is "what ever works for your family"! The book is a pretty quick read, and while the writing is fairly repetitive it is meant for people to be able to read the section that pertains to their baby and stage of development, so the repetition is understandable.

Anyways, the book makes EC sound totally doable so I am sold on trying it. The author also reinforces not becoming stressed about it or disappointed if there are setbacks, so right off the back it helps you keep things relaxed and remove pressure from yourself. I'm pretty sure I'll refer back to some of the helpful tips in the book as I go, so I will be revisiting this book over the next few years. Jan 26, Michelle rated it really liked it. I came across this book when Brynja was already potty training, and highly verbal, so we were not able to do most of the things in this book.

However, I thought this was a great book and I implemented what I could in Brynja's potty training process, and I hope to EC with my next child! EC stands for elimination communication. The basic idea behind it is that all babies are born with the instinct not to want to soil themselves. Ever wonder why they always seem to pee the instant you t I came across this book when Brynja was already potty training, and highly verbal, so we were not able to do most of the things in this book. Ever wonder why they always seem to pee the instant you take the diaper off??

EC allows you to help her with this desire to stay clean rather than just train her to tune out what goes on down there. Like most parenting books, I find you have to take what works of your and disregard the rest and not feel bad about it , so I do recommend it as long as you keep an open mind and realize that if you are reading this book it's because we are just trying to be better parents. Oct 31, Jennifer rated it liked it. This second part of this book, the 'how to' was awesome and I wholeheartedly recommend it. Depends on where you are in your journey.

Very helpful and realistic Great insight and information into the world of elimination communication. I have said many times that I want to raise my baby as close to natural and pure as possible. This book has made this goal even more attainable! Feb 16, Stephie rated it it was amazing. I highly recommend this book to every parent-to-be, new parent, or parent with a kid in diapers You know, I recommend it to anyone with diapered or non diapered children in their lives! Mar 05, Tania Shevchenko rated it it was amazing. Oct 18, Mikhai Vasile rated it liked it.

There definitely were a lot of good things Bauer says but there's also a lot of things that just don't hold water. Read with a grain of salt, and try to apply only the advice that you find useful. Otherwise, this book is a recipe for the overwhelmeds which no mom needs. Oct 17, Charissa rated it really liked it Shelves: I so enjoyed reading the words of this gentle, wise mother.

I appreciate her thoughts, not only on the subject of natural infant hygiene, but on mothering, raising kids, and life in general. Feb 27, Ricki rated it really liked it. Here's my conclusion after reading several potty-training books. I think that no matter what you do, there is a very good chance that potty-training is going to be a long time commitment and huge hassle. You can do the work in the beginning EC, from birth to possibly only up to a year , the middle early potty-training, from 6mo to 2 years , or the end after 2 years.

With my twins, I waited until the end, because people told me to "wait until they're ready" and basically they would train them Here's my conclusion after reading several potty-training books. With my twins, I waited until the end, because people told me to "wait until they're ready" and basically they would train themselves. Well, the kids are a few months away from 3, it's been a mess of toddler power struggles, and they still aren't really potty-trained yet one of them is still peeing her pants regularly. At this point it's obviously a mental problem rather than one of physical readiness, which is a bit aggravating because they have proved they CAN do it and for some reason now just won't.

But obviously it's an individual choice to decide when a person wants to put in the work of potty-training. Therefore, here are my recommendations: If you have a new baby and are intrigued by the idea of EC, I recommend: The Gentle Wisdom of Natural Infant Hygiene by Ingrid Bauer - makes elimination communication sound very appealing, although a heavy up-front commitment.

If you are interested in early potty-training and avoiding toddler power-struggles, I recommend: I appreciated the scientific studies and medical evidence that supports early potty-training. I actually think this might be the easiest way and it's what I'm doing with kid 3. If it works for my newest bub, I will start giving this book out at baby showers, with the caveat that the author is totally wrong about cloth diapers.

She knows that cloth diapers with natural fibers such as cotton against baby's bum are conducive to early potty-training because baby will feel the wetness when peeing. However, she still advises against cloth diapers because she thinks they're a big pain and don't really help the environment—when in fact they aren't a big deal and hugely save the environment AND a ton of money. But besides that, this book is crammed with good stuff and it's my fave.

If your kid is already 2 or over, I recommend: Potty Training by Jamie Glowacki. This book described my toddler twins to an absolute T and really helped me. I wish I'd discovered it six months earlier than I did. It's very funny and for my children at least it was eerily accurate. Huge recommendation to anyone starting with a toddler—read this ASAP!

Jul 02, Heather Boyd rated it really liked it. What a sensitively written, supportive, and informative book! Though initially skeptical of the entire idea of early potty training, I explored the idea of listening to my son's bowel and bladder cues through chatting with another mom about her journey with EC. Still not convinced, the gentle push to try EC came from a recent article in Mother What a sensitively written, supportive, and informative book! Still not convinced, the gentle push to try EC came from a recent article in Mothering magazine June The article had me running out to get a potty just shy of my son's 6 month birthday with excited curiosity.

The basic premises of EC --that infants are born with an awareness of their elimination, that infants if given the means will avoid soiling their immediate environment, and that parents and infants can develop an awareness and relationship that enables early elimination habits that don't involve diapers-- make a lot of sense to me from an evolutionary and animal-based approach. Non-human animals demonstrate all of these abilities, and many non-western cultures practice EC as a matter of natural course though there is no name for it in cultures where it just 'is the way it is done'.

Although much of how I got started came from 'sitting in' on on-line chats, Bauer's book clears away any of the confusion that arises as on-line parents apply, adapt, and analyze the various successes and challenges that come along with this relatively fringe in North America, anyway idea of offering a potty to a newborn, and not using diapers.

Bauer is sensitive to the realities of living in a culture that does not make it easy to apply EC in the same way as non-western cultures. These barriers include maternity leaves that may limit one-on-one time for developing the skills of communicating with an infant about elimination, parents working outside the home, and a culture in which we are not only unaware that infants and parents can develop such a relationship, but also where we have not seen it practiced or modeled for us.

It is important to point out that EC is an approach that is about communication and respect, and is very different from 'potty training' where a child is taught and rewarded at a later age for developing toilet skills. Bauer uses the analogy that breastfeeding mothers gradually develop a breastfeeding relationship with their infants that allows them to 'know' intuitively when their infant is hungry, and that eventually infants develop ways to indicate this need.

It is not 'taught' and is not forced or coerced. The same is said of EC. This book helped ground me in some of the ideas about EC early enough in my own EC journey to feel that I can move forward with more confidence and enjoyment in a process that has already proven to be a fun and rewarding experience.

Feb 25, Kayla Strata rated it liked it. I only read the beginning chapters of this book. I find most self help books have some level of repetition to them, but this book seemed particularly repetitive in the beginning. Coupled with my inability to go fully diaper free due to being a working mom, I chose to set the book aside early on. I do agree with the concepts and principles, however, and think there is good information here for anyone who can really embrace the lifestyle parenting choice.

Jan 16, Laura rated it liked it Shelves: It was less about potty training and more about attachment parenting than I realized. It made me feel bad for wanting to use diapers, as mothers that do Elimination Communication "obviously" want to have such a close connection with their child that they intuitively "know" when they need to "go. I did like Very interesting book. I did like that it emphasized that rough days and mistakes are okay.

That all learning processes are just that - processes that ebb and flow. I was encouraged that anything I am trying to teach Cannon does not have to be learned and mastered overnight. Overall it was an interesting read on a new perspective for me. It's a gentle ebbing and flowing, moving back and forth between the new and familiar, striding toward independence and stepping back to familiar safe ground. Only then do they add other times of day: Sep 05, Rebekah rated it really liked it Shelves: Diaper Free provides a LOT of interesting background information about EC elimination communication and has been encouraging to me in various ways.

The Diaper-Free Baby: The Natural Toilet Training Alternative

The mention of unassisted birth, breastfeeding, babywearing, co-sleeping, etc was all very comforting to me because I feel rather alone in those different matters and it encourages me to see that I am not the only one who does them. Also, the information she presents about disposable diaper marketing in the US, toilet training myths, and EC in othe Diaper Free provides a LOT of interesting background information about EC elimination communication and has been encouraging to me in various ways. Also, the information she presents about disposable diaper marketing in the US, toilet training myths, and EC in other countries is VERY eye-opening and fascinating.

The first couple of chapters discuss infant care as nature intended and intuition. Another chapter discusses the physiology of elimination - highly interesting and provides a different aspect as to why EC works. There is also a chapter about special situations such as single parents, adopted babies, children with special needs, parents with physical challenges, bed wetting, etc.

This book is very thorough and goes beyond just the matter learning and implementing EC. Last year we used Monkey Doodlez which is not padded but snug fitting but I think they went out of business because the pickings are slim and the sizes are too small. I keep looking though! In my perusing of EC related articles and blogs, I cam across an an interesting pattern for homemade training pants: Blue Boo Balloon Bwwo or Bloo …8 much more clear than her first attempts.

Baby Ky Baby cry? Imaydamess With naughty finger — I made a mess! Hereitis Here it is, or there it is very melodic. It seems that our Potette Potty is missing. Also, now that I have enough underwear or she is nude most of the time, the training pants have been retired from service. It goes against biological sense. And what about the original EC communities? Do they just suddenly have toddlers that poop and pee all over them?

It is usually us …the adults, our behavior and our environment, that confounds babies and toddlers. I think we misinterpret it because we are a diapering culture and no matter how thoughtful we think we are, we are creatures of habit and we will revolve our solutions and ideas around the familiar. Our issue is that diapers are our benchmark.

Who May Join Us

It is this we go back to when we are in a crisis or impasse or minor obstacle. It is what we know. But it is not the model nature used. And therein is the problem. Babies are primitive creatures with primitive drives. We are the ones who misunderstand with our modern notions. Sometimes the tots need to take a more direct approach. Likewise, a sudden bout of misses signals a need for the parent to take back more responsibility temporarily until they get Things hashed out.

Primitive babies were naked and could get to the nice potty hole in the ground by themselves or a special place was provided for them. No labels, no worries…. We need to remember that pottying is like walking. Babies have an instinct to do both. They are processes that grow and develop as the baby does. We instead take it in stride. We brag about those first steps to whomever will listen, we help the baby to stand, hold them up, provide them with places to pull up on their own, and let them guide us. One day they need to hold your hand a lot, the next they get mad if you help too much, the next get livid if you offer without being asked, and then are back to requesting your hand so they can explore more.

Of course, along comes an inventor who creates the baby walker and soon an entire generation erroneously thinks babies need them to learn how to walk properly or to encourage babies who seem to have lost interest in taking steps unassisted! One day you have a bladder of steel, the next you are peeing every hour, the next you sneeze and pee, and one day that little toot-toot turned out to be more than just gas….

I calmly changed her pants and waited it out. If you are going to be changing something, why are pants perceived as more difficult than diapers? Same amount of laundry, but different and important unspoken message. I had her be part of the clean up process in some way like getting dry clothes — not as punishment — to model that the mess needed to be set right. Re-diapering would have sent the message that it was acceptable and desirable to go in your pants.

I did not put on any pressure to perform, instead I changed my behavior. If I had been offering a lot, I backed off and gave the baby the reigns. If I had not been active in reminding and found that accidents were rising, I took more responsibility back. I tried my best to follow her lead. Woe be to me if I offer a hand up for some stairs and she can do it herself — I get some lip for that! Change your view and you change your solution options. Allergies are another issue. When allergic to certain foods children may not be able to control their bladders efficiently.

Though this is not a lack of interest, it is a medical issue preventing continence. What about regression with a new sibling? Again, not a lack of interest in being clean but a request for attention. As with any regressive behavior, once they get what they need it resolves. This entire month my husband had me thinking that our baby was turning 22 months when in fact she is turning 21 months.

And also from Australia Nappy Wars: Mommy taking a shower and trying to take care of flossing alone in the only bathroom. Baby angry that anyone is doing anything without her supervision. The bathroom door opens with a scree. Baby is smiling broadly. She peed on me. She wanted to be in here with you so I took her upstairs to play. She climbed into my lap, looked right into my face, and peed! While little bitty was assumed to be playing in the living room, I was in the kitchen washing my 1 millionth dish, because the magical dish elves are on vacation, when I hear from the bathroom some splishing.

It sounded like someone had dropped something in the toilet and was lifting it out letting it drain back in the water. I left the door open! What do I see?

I see my Little Bitty Monkey sitting on the big toilet grinning from ear to ear and having a massive whizz. She used the step stool and the sink to get herself situated on the toilet on top of the Potette Potty insert. The very same stool that is just an inch shy of being a proper boost. That girl must have worked it! That was hard work! And what did Little Bitty Monkey do? She got down and walk away as if it was no big deal — except that big smile said otherwise. For example the animals on the kitty towels she now knows are cats.

Mickey Mouse is immediately recognized on cards, toys, and other pictures. Mommy, Daddy, and Baby. She prefers to be naked but when she has clothes on she tends to pull down her pants in the living room and shuffle to the bathroom with them around her ankles. Getting her baby butt on the potty takes a little balancing effort and a couple of tries before she plants herself on it properly.

It is juuuuuuuuust enough for her to use the step stool to hoist herself up and also stretch down off the toilet, especially, if she happens to have shoes on if we just come from an errand. If the Potette insert is not on the toilet she opens it and puts it on. Could it be that the end of night nursing will be upon me? My baby needs me so much less this month. Words of the Month: Cheeze for the camera! As we think about adding another spawn to our family, I wonder how my experiences with EC will translate to two.

Baby Girl can most certainly be of help. The little ones are always eager to help the Diaperless so why not?

It is like asking when a toddler has reached Walking Graduation or Talking Graduation. When do we consider babies to be graduated walkers? When they take their first steps? Stop crawling as their preferred method of locomotion? Get up without holding on? Take strides rather than shuffles and a series of almost falls?

Likewise, if we hold their hands or assist with stairs are they non-walkers? What does it mean to be potty graduated? How is that measured? By… the least amount of diapers used per day? Does that include nighttime with… night awareness? Can a baby be potty learned without being potty independent? Can a baby be considered a walker and yet hold your hand as they walk beside you? Potty Learning has a set of its own milestones. There is advice which insists that you must wait until a child has expert verbal skills and the fine motor control for buttons, zippers, and clothing manipulation.

That they must be tall enough and coordinated enough to get on and off the toilet and not need you. But on top of that, with modern potty training practices and the average age to start at 2. So many things to learn on top of just going forward with one foot in front of the other. And even then they are not done with Locomotion School — there are advanced levels to master. It is something they learn on their own by practice, trial, and error.

Potty learning is no different.

See a Problem?

Babies are primitive creatures and they are not adapted to modern standing toilets, modern clothing, or other conveniences of life in the 21st century. Babies are adapted to the natural word and holes in the ground, it is unfair to base toileting prowess on learning to navigate a modern toilet!

The toddler personality is really beginning to shape itself.

Throwing herself on the floor in full body protest has proven to cause some skinned knees — on top of the skinned knees from the playground. The girl plays hard. Her impulse control is in its early stages — just enough for us to release the barricade in the living room so that she has the run of the living room, dining room, and kitchen even though the stairs block the line of sight. On the potty front things are steady with the rare piddle leak that slightly dampens her underwear.

Hardly noteworthy to mention and not big enough to really call an accident. Potty coordination is getting steadily better and she is starting to increase her use of the small potty on her own rather than to ask us to help with the big toilet. She is so pleased with herself and she always fetches us to see her leavings and babbles excitedly, though, the only words we can make out are poo-poo and pee.

The little step stool is cute, functional, and fits in our teeny bathroom quite nicely. She understands the concept, however, and does try to use the step. As babies grow into toddlers it is important for us to remember to grow with them and accommodate their new size, needs and skills. Sometimes it is too easy to see these normal transitions as negatives, but really we do this sort of thing quiet naturally in other areas. It is no different than noticing when an outfit is outgrown and a new size is needed.

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