Part time EC - will that work?

[LeeDee]

I wasn't going to EC, looking like just way too much work and I'm too lazy I guess. But then we were waiting for diapers to dry when Zoe was 5 months old and she had a naked bum for ages so in order to avoid a mess I hovered her over the toilet and she peed right away! I was amazed that she instinctively knew what to do.

Since then we've been sitting her on the potty a few tiems a day, but no real routine and she pees sometimes, sometimes not. I noticed she seems to pee when she's naked, or we're running a bath. So I'm thinking of just taking her to pee twice a day, once in the morning when I've undressed her, and once at night when we're running her bath. Would this confuse her, if we just do diapers mostly, but let her pee twice a day? I'm hoping it''ll just help her keep in touch with the sensation of eliminating and everything so she doesn't lose the ability, like that say can happen at 6 months (she's 7 months and still pees really well when I take her).

I just would fine it too hard with homeschooling the other two kids and everything, to be stopping every 20 mins to try to catch a pee or poop...but if it's all or nothing, I dunno what I'd do. Do you think it's damaging to just do it part time, or futile?

[hink4687]

We totally EC'd part time and it was a great experience! He's still not fully potty trained at 2 1/2 so its not going to have the nice benefit of early pt'ing but its made potty training really easy for me because nothing changed...he just gradually got more and more naked time. He's been peeing on the potty 100% when he's naked since about 18 months but he has to be naked...as soon as I cover him with anything he assumes its a diaper and isn't real great about telling me. :/ But I loved it and I'll do the same next time. I just couldn't not offer the potty once I learned about EC on obvious occasions like first thing in the morning or when he had to poop. That was when we used it the most really was for poops. He was very good at cueing me when he had to poo so it was great for that! So I say go for it!

[LeeDee]

Yeah I try to catch poops too. She tends to just squirt them out real quick though with not much warning, so by the time I've got all her snappers off and everything it's too late. But we've caught some.
Thanks for the reply :) :)

[shercurrie]

I started sitting dd on the potty when she was six months old, and since then I have pretty much put her on at every diaper change (unless we're in a hurry.) I did the "pssss" cuing sound and also made a big, big deal whenever she went ("Yaaaay!!!! You peed in the potty" clap clap clap, etc.) and in no time at all she was going (pee) just about every time I'd put her on, unless she had just gone in her diaper. She still wets her diaper a lot, but she knows what the potty is for and how to push to make stuff come out. I have a basket of books next to her potty, and she flips through them, I'll read to her, I'll sing songs and basically entertain her either till she does something or she gets bored and wants to get up. Then we stop.

The times when she's been really regular, I could catch every poop. :rockon (Those times have not been lately though.) But every time she poops on the potty, it's one less messy diaper I have to clean up.

Right now I'm trying to get more into the "C" in "EC". We sign a little, and she gives me cues in the form of gas when she has to poop. :giggle I wish I had started more of that aspect earlier, though. I dunno, maybe next baby. In any case, it's been great, we've been at it for ten months and I have no regrets at all. People look at me like I'm crazy, with a potty in the bathroom for a baby!!! :jawdrop But I honestly don't know why everyone wouldn't want to do it this way. I mean, if/when we do "potty train" her, the potty won't be this new, scary, unfamiliar thing she'll have to learn to use. :shrug3

[erh384]

I honestly feel that any bit of EC will help your babe in the long run.

The "tribal baby" website will soon have a part-time ec section which should hopefully be informative. A few pt ec tips for the meantime:

1. If you find that your dd is clearly (and obviously) signaling (signing or vocalizing) a potty need, try taking her or communicating with her that you understand her need and will take her/clean her up asap.
2. Try pottying your dd on waking from sleep/naps, as most babes will pee then.
3. If you are willing, take her whenever you have to go and set her between your legs or on a potty in your lap. (or as pp noted try pottying during/after diaper changes)

[shercurrie]

The "tribal baby" website will soon have a part-time ec section which should hopefully be informative.


Yes, the tribal baby website article on part time ec is excellent.

[hink4687]

I mean, if/when we do "potty train" her, the potty won't be this new, scary, unfamiliar thing she'll have to learn to use. :shrug3


This is so so so so true! That's been the best part about it for us. Now that Cooper is at the age where we would potty train him, nothing different has changed. The only difference is he has more naked time then he did at 6 months old. Its great!

[LeeDee]

Great advice, thanks.

We do baby signs, and she seems to recognise the sign for potty, but she doesn't sign it yet. She only does bath, milk and diaper change signs just now.
She always seems to recognise when she's wet or poopy, right away, and she signs for a change. That's a good sign right? She's not happy to sit in it or anything. (who would be, really?)

[shercurrie]

The "tribal baby" website will soon have a part-time ec section which should hopefully be informative.


Yes, the tribal baby website article on part time ec is excellent.


Ooops.... I went and looked realized that the article I was thinking of was not on tribal baby, but here:
http://www.viviente.com/2005/10/how_to_do_parttime_pottytraini_1.html

Sorry about that!

[247mom]

[quote=erh384 ]
I honestly feel that any bit of EC will help your babe in the long run.

I would agree. I think it is somewhere in there memory that they've done it before. I did EC with both my boys when they were really tiny and it worked great...but I too was too lazy to stick with it..on top of having a hubby that wasn't supportive. Also, as soon as they became mobile...it was out the window. I did think it helped my oldest use the potty sooner and be done sooner. He was potty trained by 2 1/2.
My second ds is a little over 2 and he still makes the hissing sound even though he won't go for me now really. He used to go for me all the time....when he was 3-5 months old. It's really labor intensive I think and I ended up fading out of it fast. It's so cool when they do it for you though. Good luck

[zak]

You sound like you're doing great! We EC'd parttime too (and did signs) and it worked out GREAT for us! Reid was in undies full time by 20 months and no more accidents (other than the occasional night time accident) by 25 months. :)

We could catch 99% of the poo from about 9 months on and slowly started catching pees. :)

[me]

I agree part time ec will work and it isnt damaging in any way.
Considering that ec means elimination communication, just be sure you find a comfortable way for her to understand that you will take her at such and such times and during other times she can use her diaper. You dont have to communicate with her only part time, you can still be communicating to her even if you arent taking her to the potty, kwim? :yes
By 4 months my dd understood "its ok just use your diaper,psssss" she would stop crying/signing and go in her diaper. And as she got older she started communicating to me when it wasnt ok with her to use her diaper :giggle