On Elimination Communication, Natural Infant Hygiene, and the Diaper Free Baby March 29, 2008

I read the words “diaper free baby” and I cringe. I have to to wonder where these diaper free babies practice being diaper free. Do you just put down newspaper like you would for a puppy? What if you’re carrying your baby and he or she decides to pee in the middle of Target? The problem with the phrase “diaper free” is that it doesn’t really describe elimination communication at all. In fact, I wish that the phrase “diaper free” would disappear from the EC/NIH vernacular.

Elimination communication is just that, communication. Parents who use EC learn to communicate with their infants and toddlers by using timing and cues from the child to know when the child will eliminate. In turn, the child learns to listen for cues from the parents to know when it is ok to eliminate. And the babies of EC parents don’t EVER have to be diaper free if it’s not conducive to the parents’ lifestyle. So, you don’t have to worry about Junior peeing in the middle of Target. It’s ok to leave him in a diaper when you go out, or even when at home, though in many parts of the world, babies who are completely diaper free are the norm. For American ECers , the goal is successful communication, and hopefully, less dependency on diapers.

Let me try to get down to the details of how EC works. As stated above, in many parts of the world, children do not wear diapers. And when you think about it, there is nothing natural about wearing diapers. We teach our children to be diapered. They don’t come out of the womb expecting to be diapered. We teach them to become accustomed to soiling their pants, and then when we think they are ready or when we are ready, we have to unteach this concept. Elimination communication helps infants and toddlers understand that soiling their pants will create discomfort, whereas a child in disposables may not even associate discomfort and wetness with urinating in their clothing. The diapers wick away the moisture so that the babies, and sometimes the parents too, don’t immediately realize the diaper has been soiled. Some babies are more sensitive to moisture than others and will cry out when they feel the wetness on their skin.

Parents who choose to use EC when their child is still a newborn might keep a loose fitting cloth diaper draped around their newborn, or even an open disposable, so that they can watch for the child’s facial cues when he or she eliminates. Ideally, an attentive parent can get so in tune with the child’s elimination needs, that the parent can “catch” the pee or poo in a potty or plastic container. In the infant stage, many parents use small plastic containers and just place them under the baby’s bum when they feel the child will eliminate. Other parents hold their infant child over the toilet or a potty chair.

So, it’s reverse potty training, right? The child is training the parent to take him/her to the toilet. Well, not exactly. While the parents are reading the cues of the child, they are sending their own cues. Parents will make a “pssss” sound when the child is urinating so that the child can associate the sound with the bodily function. A soft grunting sound is commonly used to cue defecation. Any sound is ok as long as it is consistent. Some parents even use American Sign Language or Baby Signs to communicate the word “toilet” as their cue. And many season EC infants will look to their parents for cues that it is ok to eliminate if they are in an unfamiliar place.

Parents can EC full time or part time or flow between the two methods as it suits their needs, and children can be EC’d from birth through the toddler years. As I stated above, the goal is not to have a “diaper free” baby, but to learn to communicate with your child and hopefully become less dependent on diapers. Just think, even one “catch” a day will save you money and keep one more diaper out of a landfill. Even if you cloth diaper, this “catch” could save the energy, water and detergent you’d need to launder the dirty diaper.

If you want to try EC, I highly recommend buying a book on EC or Natural Infant Hygiene. I am currently reading “The Diaper Free Baby” by Christine Gross-Loh, which is pictured above. The book is very informative and has lots of great tips and advice. My one complaint is that it seems an exorbitant portion of the book is devoted to testimonials from EC parents. I mean, obviously the reader bought the book. You don’t need to sell us on the concept any more. Just tell us what to do. Then again, for those of you needing constant pep talks, these testimonials may be helpful.