Elimination Communication Support Thread

[qpaulina42]

Need some advice ladies - LO is still not asking for the potty in any way that I notice. She does look at me when she needs to poop or after/during she's done a pee but then again she looks at me other times too so I can't really use that as a cue. I was hoping she would make some of our cue noises or perhaps crawl over to the potty now that she is an avid crawler (she did once! but that was it). Perhaps it's my approach - We use potty after wakings and before going to bed/nap, also any time she seems to strain/be ready to poop and she is in diapers the rest of the time. Sometimes I've put on training underwear, the kind that gets wet but doesn't leave too huge a puddle and then I offer pee more often and miss more of them obviously. Perhaps I should switch to only training pants and see if I can notice her cues more? But honestly I thought she would vocalize or sign or just go over to the potty by now! sad face...

 

[qpaulina42]

Hey ladies, I really need your help right now

I really want to EC, and around 8 months DD was always pooping in her potty, but now she is only pooping in her sleep, and if by chance she poops during the day, she doesn't act like she is pooping, like doesn't make noise or indicate that she is going, I just smell it and I can tell that she has went. And if by chance she does go, she grunts once or twice, and she is already done, I try and rush her to the potty but she is so quick to poop. What do I do? We haven't caught poop in the potty in almost 3 months now I feel like I am failing. Today I put her on the potty when I heard her grunting, but when I put her on the potty, she didn't go. I had her sitting there for 15 mins, but nothing. She's not unhappy on the potty, she likes it. Am I doing something wrong? What can I do to correct this? Please help

Does her poop correlated with food intake at all, for instance mine tends to poop maybe 15-30 min after eating. Also I notice sometimes she gets into a weird pose before pooping, almost cat like, or sits down and pulls her chin towards her belly button. Is her poop particularly runny? Sorry, not sure if I'm any help...

 

[Hanskiz]

Need some advice ladies - LO is still not asking for the potty in any way that I notice. She does look at me when she needs to poop or after/during she's done a pee but then again she looks at me other times too so I can't really use that as a cue. I was hoping she would make some of our cue noises or perhaps crawl over to the potty now that she is an avid crawler (she did once! but that was it). Perhaps it's my approach - We use potty after wakings and before going to bed/nap, also any time she seems to strain/be ready to poop and she is in diapers the rest of the time. Sometimes I've put on training underwear, the kind that gets wet but doesn't leave too huge a puddle and then I offer pee more often and miss more of them obviously. Perhaps I should switch to only training pants and see if I can notice her cues more? But honestly I thought she would vocalize or sign or just go over to the potty by now! sad face...

I've found that my LO cues much more reliably when she is nappy free. For ages I had her in nappies and looked for cues but I hardly caught anything. Now I have her nappy free at home almost all the time and she cues really well and so I catch much more. I think sometimes they find having anything on a bit confusing. I certainly found that with my big girl when conventionally potty training her. She could only tell when she was going to go if she was bottomless.

I'd try going totally nappy and pants free for a couple of days and see if she cues more...

Good luck!!

 

[Mrs.Ping]

Hi ladies! I have just heard about EC and have just started today with lo and we caught our first pee this morning! Hurray I am so proud of my big girl! Haven't caught any more pees yet today but I am still offering about every hr or so she usually has a wee in her diaper when I do offer shoal I offer evey 30 min or so so we can catch more?

 

[Rmar]

Perhaps offer more often. DD was going less than half an hour at 4 months old.

 

[Mrs.Ping]

Thanks I will do! We only caught that first morning pee yesterday and missed it this morning so were gonna try harder to get her to the toilet today. Although she did take a nap yesterday fir an hr and came out with a clean diaper but when I offered her the sunk she didn't go but waited about 10 mins before she peed. She dosent really give any signals ATM that I can see. I put her on her play mat for about 40 mins before bath time but she will not pee. If I have her on the changer table she will pee but I can't keep her there for 40 min with out her crying to get off. We are gonna use cloth diaper while at home today so she can feel what a wet diaper feels like and hopefully she will signal stronger so I can get her to the toilet. Gonna buy her one a toilet at walmart in a few days can't wait! If anyone has any tips that would be great. I offer her the toilet before nursing at nappy changes before bath time and when ever I feel she needs it but have yet to catch one.

 

[qpaulina42]

Need some advice ladies - LO is still not asking for the potty in any way that I notice. She does look at me when she needs to poop or after/during she's done a pee but then again she looks at me other times too so I can't really use that as a cue. I was hoping she would make some of our cue noises or perhaps crawl over to the potty now that she is an avid crawler (she did once! but that was it). Perhaps it's my approach - We use potty after wakings and before going to bed/nap, also any time she seems to strain/be ready to poop and she is in diapers the rest of the time. Sometimes I've put on training underwear, the kind that gets wet but doesn't leave too huge a puddle and then I offer pee more often and miss more of them obviously. Perhaps I should switch to only training pants and see if I can notice her cues more? But honestly I thought she would vocalize or sign or just go over to the potty by now! sad face...

I've found that my LO cues much more reliably when she is nappy free. For ages I had her in nappies and looked for cues but I hardly caught anything. Now I have her nappy free at home almost all the time and she cues really well and so I catch much more. I think sometimes they find having anything on a bit confusing. I certainly found that with my big girl when conventionally potty training her. She could only tell when she was going to go if she was bottomless.

I'd try going totally nappy and pants free for a couple of days and see if she cues more...

Good luck!!

It seems unhygienic for her to sit on the floor without anything on though. I wouldn't sit naked on the floor.... Are you not concerned?

 

[Hanskiz]

It seems unhygienic for her to sit on the floor without anything on though. I wouldn't sit naked on the floor.... Are you not concerned?

She can't sit yet so she lies on her playmat/blanket with a cloth nappy under her (sometimes), so not in the least bit unhygienic! When she can sit, it'll be the same. When she starts moving around I'll just wash the floors and hoover more often!

 

[canadabear]

Hi all..
We are doing great with EC.. but LO has resently 'found' his willy and now when I take him for a wee he tries to grab/play with himself at the same time.. .. any advice? I am still doing the holding behind the knees over the toilet, we don't have an actual potty right now. But I find LO gets upset and won't finish on the toilet when I am trying to keep his hands away.. FRUSTRATING

 

[jcg0506]

Hi all..
We are doing great with EC.. but LO has resently 'found' his willy and now when I take him for a wee he tries to grab/play with himself at the same time.. .. any advice? I am still doing the holding behind the knees over the toilet, we don't have an actual potty right now. But I find LO gets upset and won't finish on the toilet when I am trying to keep his hands away.. FRUSTRATING

My LO plays with himself too, amd just today DH said he grabbed himself as he was peeing and got it all over himself. That doesn't usually happen though. I often give him a small toy he can hold in his hands and it keeps him occupied long enough to pee. We also do in arms over the sink.

On another note, i feel like we just took two steps backward. We just got back from an unexpected trip for my grandmother's funeral, only a week after we had got back from our vacation, and although we had two miss-free days just before we left on our vacation, I've only caught like one pee a day for the last few days. Its like he's not holding it at all. I know travel always sets us back, but it's so frustrating. He's also working on mobility more and I'm sure that's not helping. I think I'll try an observation day this week and see if his timing or signals have changed.
QPaulina42, how old is your LO? Mine is 7 1/2 months and he's never really signalled much at all. I think some babies are like that. Mine is really laid back and doesn't even protest a wet diaper. I'm trying to teach him the potty sign so eventually he might start telling me when he needs to pee. For now, I just rely primarily on timing. You might try wearing your baby more. Most (although not mine) will signal more when being worn.

 

[Mrs.Ping]

My lo is laid back also and does not seek to signal either although I did catch a pee signal yesterday but I only out lo on the potty because I thought she may Have to pee! So think that one was luck. Lo used to grunt and push before she pooped but now I see nothing before she poops! When you say wearing them makes them signal more do you mean fussy and squirmy? I am still waiting for the rings for my sling so can't wear her yet !

 

[jcg0506]

My lo is laid back also and does not seek to signal either although I did catch a pee signal yesterday but I only out lo on the potty because I thought she may Have to pee! So think that one was luck. Lo used to grunt and push before she pooped but now I see nothing before she poops! When you say wearing them makes them signal more do you mean fussy and squirmy? I am still waiting for the rings for my sling so can't wear her yet !

Yes, they usually put up a fuss before peeing in a carrier. Mine did this while a newborn, but no more. He's an exception, I think.

Other news, Rowan is making strides in learning to crawl, and consequently our success rate is plummeting. Anyone have advice on ECing mobile babies? It seems he's peeing all the time now and won't really hold it; I guess he's too distracted. I thought I'd do some diaper free observation time to see if I can discern new timing patterns, but when diaperless he started holding it again. I'm kind of befuddled. He is getting mobile and we have carpet so I don't really want to go completely naked. Maybe it's time for undies.

Also, I'm curious what recepticle you use at this age. We still do in-arms at the sink since he's not really interested in the little potty. I sit with him on the toilet for poops, but a few times he has surprised me with a poop while over the sink, which was not much fun to clean up has anyone has success with a toilet seat reducer at this age?

 

[morri]

I havent got my own experience yet, but from what I have read at other times is just to wait till things have normalised and the growth spurt has finished (or what else he is working on)

 

[SpringerS]

I sit with him on the toilet for poops, but a few times he has surprised me with a poop while over the sink, which was not much fun to clean up has anyone has success with a toilet seat reducer at this age?

Maybe something like the bumbo toilet seat would be useful? I've read of people using them with even younger babies.

https://www.bumbo.com/index.php?nav=products&view=3

 

[Mrs.Ping]

Oh we finally caught a poo the other day! So proud!! W have only caught 2 pees and 1 poo the whole time but that's better then none I guess. Nice we get the cloth diapers I think it will be much easier to get her to the potty in time. We took the diaper changing table off her pack and play because she is getting to heavy for it. She used to pee while on the changing table so this was the only place I could give her the signal association. We don't quite have it down yet or she just stuborn. So while we have nappy free time every night before bed she would just pee on her mat so I could see her signals but now she will fuss and I take her to the sink and signal her but she will not pee so I put her back down and she will fuss again after a few mins so I will take her again and still nothing. So I put her in her bouncy chair with a preefold under her and she will immediately pee ! She has done it twice so far. She didn't have any problem pooping in the sink but for some reason she will not pee.

 

[cheese lover]

We have the little potty but as soon as Isis was mobile it was out the window! We bought https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002SG7JRG/ref=wms_ohs_product prince lionheart weepod. It goes on the potty and it's so comfy that Isis doesn't want to get off the potty! Definitely worth the money!

We're doing good here. Catching the first morning pee and poop every day before work and on the weekends. We're not doing as well during the day but she'll get there. I'm happy with one less poopy diaper a day!

 

[canadabear]

Haven't been on for a while, but just wanted to let you all know that LO is doing GREAT with EC.
We hardly have wet nappies during the day anymore, and haven't had a poopie nappy in so long I can't remember the last time.
LO has just started waking up in the night when he has to do a wee. The only problem with that is it is really hard to get him to go back to sleep. But I would much rather do that than encourage him to just wee at night. Just so proud of my little monkey.

 

[cheese lover]

I need some advice. I really want to get back to EC much more than we have. I've been pretty lax lately and only offering theotty a couple times a day. I'm dealing with a toddler that wants to do everything for herself including getting on the potty so I've bought a new potty that's on the floor but is the same brand as the weepod that she loves. When that arrives I'm going full time and will be asking daycare to do similarly. I'm going to start putting Isis in cloth trainers as well so it's easier to pull on and off. My problem is that in a couple weeks we're flying to my parents house and they won't have a little potty for her. I could bring her travel potty but she really doesn't like it. I dont really want to wait until we get back. Life is never going to slow down, it'll never be the right time to be more committed. What would you do?

 

[katrinalorien]

Hi! I am hoping someone is still subscribed/reads this thread. DH and I have started this with DD, she is 3 weeks. The only issue is that she cries on the potty. She really just cries anytime her diaper is off, so I think she is just cold. Any suggestions? I don't want her to hate the potty!

 

[Hanskiz]

Hi! I am hoping someone is still subscribed/reads this thread. DH and I have started this with DD, she is 3 weeks. The only issue is that she cries on the potty. She really just cries anytime her diaper is off, so I think she is just cold. Any suggestions? I don't want her to hate the potty!

I used legwarmers with my LO so she didn't get so chilly as we started from birth in January. Worth a shot?

Some little babies just don't like being undressed, she'll probably grow out of it pretty quickly. Maybe try the in arms position over a sink or loo rather than the potty for a bit so she feels more secure.

Just experiment, you'll find a way that works for you soon enough...

Good luck!