Today’s guest post is from Tophat at the bee in your bonnet. Heather is one of the few bloggers I’ve had the pleasure to meet in person and she’s just lovely. Sadly, she moved shortly after we met to a place much warmer and nicer. 
I’ve loved reading her blog since Peanut was very young and I continue to enjoy it today. We plan on doing elimination communication with Twig and Heather has done it with both of her children. So here we go!
Elimination Communication. Big, glamorous words for “catching infant poop outside of a diaper.”
There are lots of places for information about elimination communication such as Diaper Free Baby. And while I was working on this post, Boba published, “41 reasons to go diaper free with elimination communication, no potty training required.” You can hold a baby over a sink, over a toilet, over a prefold, over a bowl, or get a cheap Ikea potty. Or use the bushes outside. That works, too. Sometimes babies potty learn early. Sometimes they don’t. Sometimes they go on a potty strike for an undisclosed amount of time. And sometimes things come up and EC is just another thing on your mind and you need to give yourself a break. All of those are ok.
And now that list probably overwhelmed some of you. Taking a baby potty? Extra work. And on one level, you’re right. But what I tell most people new to EC is this:
You’re a parent, so you know that feeling you get when it’s been a while since your baby has pooped and she’s making that face and you know it’s going to happen and it’s going to be an exploding mess? It doesn’t have to be an exploding mess! Follow that feeling, take the baby to the potty, and save that diaper. And if you were wrong, then you were wrong. And if you were right, booya!
That’s all you have to do. You don’t have to do anything more than that. Just follow your instincts. Sharpen those “something’s up” vibes. Even practicing 20 minutes a day of naked butt time will increase your sensitivity to your child’s cues. Set a timer and do no more. If you can. Because it’s hard to ignore the signals once you learn them. Plus, it’s fun!
Which leads me to my favorite part of EC: the booyas. If it’s not being fun, then don’t do it. ECed or diapered, by the age of 16, most kids are out of diapers and it won’t matter. Have fun!
Heather with her daughter on the potty at around 6-7 months.
TopHat blogs at the bee in your bonnet about breastfeeding, birth, parenting, and whatever else is on her mind. She is an avid knitter and lives in the Bay Area where the weather is always balmy, though sometimes foggy.
