Elimination Communication Support Thread

[mumnbean]

Cheeselover- I think I'd try sitting her on the toilet with or without nappy on, just to read a favourite book or do some stickers. My lo loves stickers, not sure if your lo is still too young for that. Maybe just blow some bubbles or somthing similar that is just for when she sits on the toilet. Our toilet now has posters of the alphabet, numbers, and its very own library of 3/4 books that she can choose. Her favourites around age one were picture books with photos of real things in them. You'll get there! Focus on making it fun, not on the end result for now

 

[cheese lover]

Thanks for the perspective! I was getting a bit obsessed with the end result. I'll pull some toys together that she hasn't played with recently and we'll just play on the potty.

 

[bug in a rug]

We've been really thrown off by teething - he's gone from a poo a day, to masses of poos, and they seem far more violent and uncontrolled. So we're offering the potty after naps or feeds, and he has days where he'll pee and days where he won't. It has taken a while for me to be fully convinced that it's intentional as he seems so oblivious, but there have been some tiny pees, like he's just doing it to be obliging, and he's peed in toilets a few times, so I think it's for real

 

[BandK]

Feeling frustrated with EC right now, everytime I put her in the EC position she spits up all over me and herself... changing shirts/scrubbing chest off with a cloth is starting to get really old when I am trying to EC at least 8x a day...

Hoping the spit up thing will stop soon as she is getting older!

 

[AndreaOlson]

I posted this in the toddler forum but maybe it is more relevant here since we have been ECing:
We are working on potty training our LO, but we have run into a bit of a problem. Somehow she has got it in her head that going wee is bad. When she starts to do the potty dance or tells us so we will put her on the potty. But the actual act of going wee makes her cry and she often will run to another room to do it alone in a corner, then come show us and say "Uh oh!" We have NEVER yelled at her for going wee or poo, we have been ECing since she was 6 months on and off. We think that her daycare must have put this idea in her head, since she insists on saying "Uh oh!" no matter how we praise her for going. We have even praised her for going on the floor or in her knickers, because we are just happy that she is recognizing it.

Has anyone else had a LO who was upset when going wee and poo? How can we reassure her?

(She never shows discomfort when going wee in her nappies or in the other room, just on the potty!)

Hey there! I'm not sure exactly how old your LO one is but you mention toddler so I'll try my best to add a suggestion or two. First, as an EC Mentor I always suggest that parents drop the praise when dealing with EC (or PT for that matter)...it ends up inferring that there is a "bad" side of things. Like "good girl" or "good job" even does. I'd just make a calm, brief reflection. Your child definitely knows what's going on and that is GREAT!!! Seriously!

So, I'd also unfocus yourselves on EC for a little while, if possible. I like to say "When I'm on focused on EC, we become disconnected. When we're connected, EC flows smoothly." If that makes sense!

If your kiddo is still <18 months, I'd keep on communicating (briefly and peripherally to take the pressure off) and know that this will pass.

If your LO is 18 months+, it may be time to drop EC altogether and move to a non-coercive form of potty training that my Mama friend out here teaches. PM me and I'll share that resource.

Otherwise, know that we're supporting you over here! And, yes, crazy things happen with toddlers and EC sometimes...you are not the only one. We were there, too.

Andrea, EC Simplified

 

[AndreaOlson]

Feeling frustrated with EC right now, everytime I put her in the EC position she spits up all over me and herself... changing shirts/scrubbing chest off with a cloth is starting to get really old when I am trying to EC at least 8x a day...

Hoping the spit up thing will stop soon as she is getting older!

I just wanna throw in there that this is common with a small handful of the folks I mentor (DiaperFreeBaby Mentor, that is)...and it DOES pass in time.

Just try to aim the stream of spit-up into the toilet along with the pee!

 

[NewMummyx]

So happy to have found this thread!

We have been ECing part time, LO poos once a day every morning so that's fine but i am struggling still to recognise pee cues
He is down for a nap atm so we will sit him on when he wakes up and see what happens

 

[DCS]

Hi ladies, I recently posted asking if it was too late to start ec with my 13 month old little boy.

Just wondering if anyone had any tips for me. Like where do I start? And what are common signs they give when peeing? With poos he squats so I can usually guess.
So any tips at all would be fantastic.
I don't want to start and do it all wrong.

 

[mumnbean]

So happy to have found this thread!

We have been ECing part time, LO poos once a day every morning so that's fine but i am struggling still to recognise pee cues
He is down for a nap atm so we will sit him on when he wakes up and see what happens

I'm not really sure about pee cues as such, but my dd would stay still with a slightly glazed look as she was peeing. I am just putting my ds on the potty at nappy changes at this stage, and I can generally tell when he will produce something as his winky looks a bit swollen Not really a big difference, but might help? I can't give you any other definite signs, but its just a feeling I get really.

 

[jcg0506]

I missed two poops this morning--ughh! I can't remember the last time I missed a poop. One was totally out of nowhere and the other was a mid nursing poop that we just didn't make it to the potty in time. The normal poop schedule has been going haywire here; we used to have a regular morning poop as soon as he woke up and some days he doesn't poop until quite late in the day. Twice now when we've been out and about he didn't poop until as soon as I got home and gave him a pottytunity. I know he must have been holding it for some time. I think that's good but I know it can be bad to hold it for too long. On the other hand, he's been dry all afternoon, including a trip across town.
I just got two new Ecapants that I am excited to try out.

 

[jcg0506]

Hi ladies, I recently posted asking if it was too late to start ec with my 13 month old little boy.

Just wondering if anyone had any tips for me. Like where do I start? And what are common signs they give when peeing? With poos he squats so I can usually guess.
So any tips at all would be fantastic.
I don't want to start and do it all wrong.

I think you need to do some dedicated observation time sans diaper to try and learn your kiddo's particular signals and timing. I know that's tough with a toddler, but maybe it will be warm enough to spend a couple days outside. You can start bringing him to the potty each time you see him begin to pee or poop. Good luck!

 

[mumnbean]

I missed two poops this morning--ughh! I can't remember the last time I missed a poop. One was totally out of nowhere and the other was a mid nursing poop that we just didn't make it to the potty in time. The normal poop schedule has been going haywire here; we used to have a regular morning poop as soon as he woke up and some days he doesn't poop until quite late in the day. Twice now when we've been out and about he didn't poop until as soon as I got home and gave him a pottytunity. I know he must have been holding it for some time. I think that's good but I know it can be bad to hold it for too long. On the other hand, he's been dry all afternoon, including a trip across town.
I just got two new Ecapants that I am excited to try out.

Good work! Let us know how you go with the ecapants...My ds is good at holding his wees too. I hear constantly about mums getting sprayed, but I've only been caught once just after we brought him home, otherwise he waits until hes on the potty and pees in there once hes sitting. They are just so clever! I still miss lots of poops, but can catch his 2 big ones of the day usually.

 

[cheese lover]

Does anyone have a recommendation for a seat for the big potty that's comfortable for babies with little bottoms? I really think LO is afraid to sit on the potette on the big potty because she doesn't really fit on it. She's inherited her daddy's little bottom I think she's afraid to fall through but when I put her on the little potty on the floor she walks away and goes pee standing up last night she held it through her whole bath and peed on the carpet in her bedroom before I could get a diaper on her

 

[BandK]

Does anyone have a recommendation for a seat for the big potty that's comfortable for babies with little bottoms? I really think LO is afraid to sit on the potette on the big potty because she doesn't really fit on it. She's inherited her daddy's little bottom I think she's afraid to fall through but when I put her on the little potty on the floor she walks away and goes pee standing up last night she held it through her whole bath and peed on the carpet in her bedroom before I could get a diaper on her

Do you have one of those little potty toppers?

https://www.amazon.com/Xpress-Trainer-One-Real-Round-Standard/dp/B0012BWUDQ

 

[canadabear]

Thanks for the link for those potty toppers BandK.

LO has been back and forth with the toilet lately .. for two days straight, he LOVED watching himself wee in the toilet.. and we only had some slightly damp nappies those days.. , but now, he is back to NOT wanting to go wee on the toilet and only wanting to do a poo at the change table, again. .. WHY?.. I try not to get frustrated, but it just doesn't make sence to me.
I don't want to make an issue out of the toilet/potty AT ALL, but I am finding that we are going through a really frustrating time right now.
LO doesn't like being changed, having a nappy on, weeing or pooping in the nappy/ toilet/ potty etc... what to do???????

He only seems to like to poo laying on his back , so I put some toilet paper under him for that... And for weeing.. it could be anything, sometimes laying on a towel naked, sometimes in the toilet/ potty, sometimes in the bathtub, sometimes in the nappy.. but it is SO hard guessing where it is going to be today..and I can't very well be lifting him naked, when he has to go, to all the different places, without there being a mess somewhere .. the whole thing is just so silly.. you just have to laugh.

KIDS...

 

[jcg0506]

Does anyone have a recommendation for a seat for the big potty that's comfortable for babies with little bottoms? I really think LO is afraid to sit on the potette on the big potty because she doesn't really fit on it. She's inherited her daddy's little bottom I think she's afraid to fall through but when I put her on the little potty on the floor she walks away and goes pee standing up last night she held it through her whole bath and peed on the carpet in her bedroom before I could get a diaper on her

I don't have one myself yet, but I've heard good things about the Baby Bjorn toilet seat reducer. all Baby Bjorn products seem to be made to fit smaller babies.

 

[cheese lover]

Thanks! I'll look into it. Not sure DH will let me buy more "potties" for LO I just bought one of these https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002SG7JRG/ref=oh_o01_s00_i00_details it comes with great review for comfort. I'm hoping she likes it. Otherwise I might have to buy that baby bjorn seat reducer

 

[Rachiebaby24]

i am soooo doing this when i have my third baby

 

[Rachiebaby24]

Not sure if im too late to be in here but anyway &#8211; we started potty training both my girls as soon as they could walk (about a year old) Maley is now 3 and has been dry since 2 years old and Remi turns two next week and goes to the big toilet all by herself all day and wears regular knickers. I definitely want to try earlier next time or do without nappies altogether!! Great to see this thread!

 

[Jodie.82]

so interested in this! I'm pretty in tune with LO, I know when she will poo as its the same time each day and the signals are clear! also she loves to wee as soon as her nappy comes off and already accompanies me to the bathroom as we are rarely seperated and he always has a look around whats going on! so I think she will love this! is it too late, she is almost 9 months?
and how do you hold them over the toilet, any tips?