ELIMINATION COMMUNICATION (EC)

(Originally posted January 2006)

We have been practicing Elimination Communication (EC) with our son since he was 3mos. old. I am an advocate for EC and also a DiaperFree Baby mentor. I believe that EC and babywearing are intimately linked especially when baby is in the in-arms phase. By wearing your baby constantly, you quickly learn their body language and therefore their signals to eliminate. That was how I started designing the Weepee.

Because I spend a lot of time in the company of all sorts of different parents I am constantly answering questions about my babywearing techniques and my diaperless baby. I am the type of person to thoroughly research all of our parenting decisions and so when I think I have found something fabulous I am so excited to share the information and experiences with others. And, I really feel we have been successful with EC so I have confidence to share what I have learned. This page is all about our family's introduction to practicing EC.

ELIMINATION COMMUNICATON QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

The following are some interview questions that I answered when Aiko was 18mos. old regarding having a diaperfree baby.

How would you describe EC to a friend who has never heard of it?

EC is really about bonding with your baby. It’s about learning all of the subtle (and not so subtle!) ways that your baby uses to communicate with you. Just as you quickly pick up on baby’s need to breastfeed, play, cuddle, and sleep you can learn your baby’s signals to pee and poo. The practical aspect of EC often consists of the following: sensing your baby’s need to pee or reading their signal to pee/poo, holding them in the elimination position (of your choice), and cueing them to pee/poo. It also means cleaning up missed pees/poos from floor, underpants, or whatever. But, if you were using cloth diapers before you started ECing you will quickly notice that you are really saving on the laundry effort (and all the related expenses of water, electricity etc.).

How have you dealt with the harder times of ECing?

For us the “harder” EC days are all when I am too tired to have patience for misses. On these days I think ds senses my frustration right away and then we will have more misses. So, I usually nix the nakeybutt time and keep ds in undies. I also really focus on the pees we do catch (to make myself feel more positive) and keep the ultimate goal in mind (i.e. focus on the communication of the missed pee-pee – it’s still an opportunity for learning for all of us!).

What do you consider EC success?

There is nothing like the first time, for me it was holding out my 3mos. old baby, making the cueing sound and watching a stream of pee land on the grass – aaahhhh – it felt so good!!! Of course it still feels great when we catch a pee or poo, and I know that this is the “evidence” of success for most people. However, as we have progressed on our EC journey, and as we have incorporated sign language into our communication, I feel successful everytime we communicate about elimination. I feel just as satisfied when ds pees on the floor while playing with his blocks and then comes running to tell me about it (signing for pee-pees and on the floor) and then helps me clean it up (signing no pee-pees on the floor). Even though it really is a miss.

What has been your ultimate goal with EC?

For me the ultimate goal is to be totally in-synch with my baby. EC has been a large part of my bonding experience with ds. I have learnt to recognize how he is feeling or what he needs by his expression and body language. Even complete strangers have approached me, on several occasions, to tell me how natural my baby and I look together and one person said, “it’s as if you are talking to each other without actually talking” - She was soooo right.

Is there anything about EC that does not work for you, or with which you disagree?

No. I first learnt about EC while travelling in Africa and think it is the most natural and compassionate way to meet baby’s elimination needs. The day we committed to full-time EC at 8mos. we never looked back. In the house, out of the house, days, nights, even on long airplane trips and extended visits abroad we never relied on letting ds pee in a diaper. It was always just as easy to see if he needed to pee in the toilet. It is a way of life that fits very completely with our family. A lot of people think we are crazy for practicing EC and say they could never do it cause they think it’s so much work and so messy. The funny thing is that I feel like it is not “work” at all. When I was diapering ds I couldn’t stand to let him sit in wet and was always already learning his signals so that I could change him immediately - at least 18 times a day and night. There was a lot of laundry to keep my baby dry and clean. EC is so much easier in terms of time, money and the environment. And your baby will never get diaper rash!

Online Resources:

Yahoo Elimination Communication Group is an extremely supportive group.  Advice and ideas flow freely....

Diaper Free Baby is a non-profit group that tries to increase awareness and understanding of EC.