 No! not at all. Do what works best for you. Many parents may prefer to keep their baby in nappies, at least at first, to avoid stress and pressure. This may be particularly true whilst at other peoples homes, or if your own home is carpeted. You may find that you are happy to have baby naked for a few minutes after each wee, or perhaps once you feel confident of recognising their signals. Different kinds of coverings heighten or weaken both parents and babies' awareness of their bodily functions. In order of increasing awareness, these are: disposable nappies; cloth nappies; (cloth) training pants; normal underwear; and naked. Sometimes parents will find that having baby in pants or naked provides them with the extra motivation they need to "tune in". At other times, its more important to relax without worrying about misses. Cloth training pants, are a great option for an older baby as they are easy to pull up and down, retain the 'wet' feel, yet still (mostly) contain wee and poo. They have to be changed immediately to prevent wee leaking onto clothes. I've read that early potty training is psychologically damaging. How does that fit in with EC? Any practice that is coercive, or tries to push a baby before they are developmentally ready is potentially psychologically damaging. EC isn't like that, because the aim is not to push baby to do something against their will or before they are ready. In fact, EC does the opposite. Because it focusses on the communication, not the catch, it enhances the bond between parent and baby. EC is all about listening to, and respecting your baby, not a battle of wills and coercive training. How often do babies poo and wee? All babies are different. Anecdotal evidence suggests that ECed babies tend to poo less often - e.g. once a day. They are also more likely to have larger less frequent wees at a younger age, as they are using their urinary tract muscles. However, all newborn babies wee a lot - perhaps twenty or more times a day. It is unrealistic to expect to catch them all! Is it more work? Yes and no. It's a different type of work to changing nappies. It does make you more aware of your baby, which could be considered more work. You are likely to have to "potty" your baby more often than you change her nappy - perhaps twice as often. But in terms of minutes per day, there isn't much in it. Pottying is fast and easy compared to nappy changes. No scraping poo out of crevices! EC saves time in other ways, if you factor in time spent buying disposables/ dealing with pooey washables. And if your baby potty trains (or 'graduates') sooner than she would have done, it is potentially a saving of months or even years of nappy changes. It is not so convenient, but it is far more satisfying and pleasant. Do I have to watch my baby all the time? No. Firstly, you don't have to practise EC all the time. At times when you are practising EC, you do need to be aware, or at least open to their signals. (In the same way that you need to be aware that they are hungry or tired.) Babywearing is an easy way to keep alert, while getting on with other things. Babies often signal more clearly in the sling - crying and kicking, and tend to hold on for longer too. Will I get covered in poo? Possibly, but probably less often than if you use nappies conventionally! Parents who don't EC often report blow outs and leaks. ECd babies are less likely to take you by surprise. It's easy to aim a baby's bottom away from you if you know they are about to poo and you are holding them in position. EC is surprisingly clean and easy to do. Can Dads and grandparents do it? Of course! It can be a wonderful bonding experience for Dad, who can sometimes feel left out by breastfeeding. Can I do it part time? Parents sometimes wonder if it will be confusing for babies if they are ECed part time, or only with one particular caregiver. However, it is possible to EC part time, or even just occasionally. It's best to start small, and see how you get on. Perhaps offer the potty just at change times, or when bathing baby, or when you go to the loo yourself. Or you could devote a few hours a week to observing baby and responding to his signals. Any amount of EC you do will help baby to learn about the potty, and help keep him aware of his bodily functions, making the eventual transition to toilet independence smoother. What if I'm going back to work? You can still EC during maternity leave. If you go back to full time nappies afterwards, you have still gained a wonderful experience. However, it is possible to find caregivers who will help you to EC your baby, especially if you explain how it works. Or alternatively you can just EC on the days you look after baby. You can think of it like breastfeeding. Don't let your return to work govern how you interact with your baby now. My Doctor says babies don't have bladder control before 18 months. How can EC work? In the West, health professionals generally subscribe to what is known as Brazelton's "readiness theory" for potty training. In 1962 paediatricic professor T. Berry Brazelton published a paper that recommended waiting until the child initiated toilet training themselves, usually after age 2. Brazelton rightly argued that previous methods to train children earlier were often coercive, ineffective and could lead to behavioural problems. His theory has been so widely accepted, that many health professionals don't realise that babies can, in fact, safely begin non-coercive potty training (or EC) much earlier. Brazelton did cross-cultural analysis of potty training methods and, in later articles, has himself acknowledged that EC is both physiologically possible, and also strengthens the parent/baby bond. (Read the article here.) However, he reasserts that it is easier for parents to wait until children initiate potty training themselves, as he believes that EC is impractical in our society. He sites the return to work of parents as the biggest obstacle to EC. (It is worth noting that Brazelton is from the US, where maternity leave lasts an average 6 weeks.) |