Elimination what?!
Elimination Communication, also called EC, sounds like a complex term only scientists and psychologists understand and use.
But what if this weird thing could help you to get your child out of diapers and potty trained by the time they are 6 months old? It seems impossible if you consider the fact that the average age of giving up diapers is at 39 months for boys and at 35 months for girls.
But 50% of parents all around the world hacked the secret without evening knowing it.
How Excessive Marketing by a Billion-Dollar Industry Misleads You into False Beliefs on Diapering
We all know the cute baby advertisements where moms and dads are happily singing and smiling at their little ones while changing flower printed diapers. It all seems so easy and convenient so why would you ever consider anything else?
For most of us, it’s inconceivable how parents ever raised children without the use of disposable diapers and yet, Pampers and Co. have only been around for less than 60 years.
Nowadays, most of us don’t even question the use of disposable diapers and the baby industry makes it seem like they are the one item no parent could ever survive without.
Why is Independent Toileting a Natural Instinct?
Do you remember the first time your newborn wet themself?
Most likely your little one got angry and mad because soiling themself goes completely against a baby’s natural instinct.
Like any other mammal, (except goats… They are just gross) children are born with the strong instinct to keep themselves and their space clean and dry.
They are not incontinent at all and they hate to sit in their waste as much as you do. Babies are just little humans that don’t have the verbal capabilities to tell us when they need to pee or poo. But studies have shown that babies are clearly aware of their need to eliminate from birth.
What does Elimination Communication Have to Do With All of This?
Elimination Communication (EC) is a centuries-old practice where parents support the child’s natural awareness of hygiene. Over time, they learn to recognize the infant’s elimination patterns and offer the potty whenever they expect elimination to happen.
With some general knowledge about a child’s natural potty cycle and the help of special cues, parents can start potty training from birth.
It’s not surprising that the use of EC is normal and natural in many cultures all over the world.
Global Perspective: EC is The Norm In These Countries
Until disposable diapers were invented in 1961, diapers had always just been a backup, never a full-time toilet. Until now, mothers in Africa and Asia mostly carry undiapered, bare bottom babies without ever being peed or pooed on.
These moms practice elimination communication without ever having heard of the term. They don’t need a label or a parenting style to apply what’s natural: the intuitive communication between a mother and her child.
They automatically notice their child’s recognizable signals and patterns and hold them away from their own body if they anticipate elimination.
Of course, these moms could use any kind of cloth to find diaper alternatives for their children, but there is no need. In non-western cultures, babies are constantly held and carried by their mothers. That strengthens the connection between the caretaker and the infant and the nonverbal communication becomes natural without even trying.
Westerners are the only ones who make such a big deal out of toilet training --often because we lack the understanding of nonverbal signals and think we don’t have enough time to raise diaper-free children because we are more distracted by non-essential things in life.
EC is such an organic way of dealing with a baby’s hygienic needs, it’s often referred to as “natural infant hygiene” and remains the dominant method of baby hygiene for 50% of parents around the world.
While this practice has always been the preferred method in non-industrialized countries, it’s recently becoming more and more popular in our Western countries.
3 Irresistible Reasons to Start Elimination Communication Right Now
You are probably still skeptical and wondering why you should not just diaper your child the same way most of your friends, neighbors, and other parents you know do.
#1 Save Money and The Environment
Let’s say you are an average American mom. Then you will be diapering your child up to 3 years. Applying elimination communication will get your child out of diapers by the time they are walking. This means we are talking about a difference of at least 2 years, meaning you’ll need 5000 diapers less per child.
This is not just an eco-friendly solution, but also a free gift of $3000 that you save on diapers and can spend on something else.
#2 Keep Toxins Away From Your Baby
Have you ever seen brown, wooden colored diapers?
Probably not.
The reason why is that the color white is perceived as clean and hygienic. No wonder companies bleach their diapers with chlorine to boost their sales.
But the fatal truth is that during the bleaching process, harmful byproducts such as dioxins are released into the diaper. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), dioxins are among the most toxic chemicals known to science and are listed by the EPA as highly cancerous.
And that’s not the only chemical to be afraid of. The toxic diaper cocktail continues with sodium polycarbonate, tributyl-tin, volatile organic compounds, dyes, fragrances, plastics and petrolatums. The consequences go from liver damage to asthma to long term effects on the central nervous system.
#3 Encourage a Deep Connection Between You and Your Baby
Elimination Communication works through a two-way communication between parents and their kids.
It’s not another parenting “trick” to potty train your child, but it’s based on the practical tools nature provides us with. The approach is more a lifestyle where parents and their kids use infant hygiene as an opportunity to strengthen intimate parent-child relationships. By constantly watching your baby for signs of elimination, you become more sensitive to their needs.
Diaper Independent Vs. Diaper Free
The goal of Elimination Communication is not to force your child on the potty as soon as possible or to never use a diaper again. EC simply promotes freedom from dependence on diapers as a full-time toilet and encourages a closer look at your child’s natural instincts.
This been said, even if you are working a full-time job or a mom of three and don’t have the time to use EC all the time, you can still catch some easy eliminations such as your child’s first morning pee.
Those simple habits can help to create familiarity with the potty and make the transition to independent toileting easier.
If you want to learn more about EC and get a step-by-step instruction on how to get started,
Click here → lead magnet with the 4 easy catches
