Potty Training from birth

[Fionz]

I started potty training my DD when she was 8 weeks old. I would've started earlier but she was a month premature.
She is nearly 18 weeks old now and I never get dirty nappies, she only poo's in the potty.
Am I the only one who does this?? People seem shocked to hear my baby is being potty trained!!

[NannyR]

Is she actually being potty trained as in recognising she needs to go, getting herself to a potty or toilet, pulling her pants up and down herself??? Or is it that you are recognising her cues and manage to get her on a potty before it happens - elimination communication. Absolutely nothing wrong with it though, it's the norm in many countries, just unusual in the UK.

[Wenttoseainasieve]

Yeah it's elimination communication. I could never work out what the point was though to be honest, so I've not used the method myself.

[Soontobe60]

My sister did this with her children. I didn't. My children were both able to use the potty or toilet unaided at around 2 years old. Her children were both around 3, one of her children used to poo behind the curtains until she started school!

[LittleBearPad]

Touchy! I don’t think NannyR was sarcastic.

[MrsApplepants]

I don’t think NannyR was being sarcastic either

[artio0]

I've read about this and considering I plan to use cloth nappies with my first child I thought I might appreciate less poo in nappies. I'm keen to give it a go.

May I ask, how did you start it? Just sat her on a potty every time after you took an old nappy off / before putting a new one on? Or did you already figure out a 'poo pattern' by week 8 and tried to get her onto the potty before she poos into a nappy? Also, what do you do when you're out and about?

[MarilynsDressOnAVent]

I read an article by a paediatric urologist and early potty training isn't a great as you would think apparently. www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.babble.com/toddler/dangers-potty-training-early/amp/

It put me right off.

And Nanny's reply wasn't sarcastic so I'm guessing you won't like what I've posted either.

[PurdysChocolate]

Why are you having such a go at NannyR? It was probably helpful to distinguish what we are talking about here.

Like wentto I read about elimination communication but didn't see the point. It sounded like more work rather than less. I can understand it being useful for people in other cultures where they spend lots of time outside/don't have access to disposables or good cloth nappies/don't have a washing machine.

[Loopyloopy]

That article by the "urologist" is pretty rubbish - high on anecdotes and low on evidence.

[Cherries101]

What you described is how many people who live in countries without easy access to disposable nappies do it. It’s quite common to see 1 year olds fully potty trained in a lot of countries in Africa and Asia.

[Oliversmumsarmy]

I think there are 2 versions of what people classify as “potty training”

The first where the child actually chooses to go on the potty and recognises when they want to go and gets the potty themselves and the other where the child pulls a face and the parents do everything else.

Why the rush?

[LondonLassInTheCountry]

NannyR wasnt being sarcastic....

Seems this is more of an attempt to boost about your baby being "trained from birth"

You say you have already trained tour son from birth, so what do you aim from getting from these post

[Fifithefoof]

Nasty post to nanny r. Give your head a wobble.

[SuperstarDJ]

Your post to NannyR was completely uncalled for. Are you feeling OK OP?

[MrsA2015]

Well done you’re fantastic. Howzat for sarcasm.

Ffs

[Fionz]

Im sorry, i felt that asking if my 4 month old was getting herself to a potty and pulling her pants up and down herself sounded quite sarcastic...when clearly this would be quite impossible at that age.
@MarilynsDressOnAVent I didn't think your post was sarcastic at all. In fact your link was really interesting.

I didnt potty train my middle child this way. She was potty trained as a toddler and we had a really difficult time with accidents still happening at primary school. This is why i went back to doing it early.

My post wasn't to brag, just wondering how common it is, or isn't, and curious how others who potty train this way tackle it.
I did do it successfully with my son, however, I have tried different things this time around and noticed different results. Maybe other people do it differently, or could share things they found useful and whether others have tried the full on no nappy from birth.

[Fionz]

Everyone is right, sorry @nannyr, I re-read your post and it isn't bad at all. I was definitely overly touchy with the part of your post I mentioned. Head wobbled 😊

[florenceheadache]

From my experience on MN, potty training seems to be initiated very late in the game, closer to 3 than 2 and hardly anyone at 13 months when the little ones are walking.
Elimination communication is fine but difficult if you need to return to work or rely on childcare.

[NannyR]

Wow! That was a bit of an extreme response fionz, maybe read the post before exploding next time . Apology accepted.

[Ohb0llocks]

I've never heard of this! I'm just imagining dangling a baby over a potty, I realise it's definitely a lot more sophisticated/complicated than that!

For what it's worth, my eldest took to potty training fabulous, he was around 2 and 1/2 when he came out of nappies in the daytime. He was dry through the night by 3. I never really trained him as such. Just let him go for it himself.

DSS was potty trained early (from 18 months) and was forever having accidents. He's almost and has only just come out of night nappies/pants and wets the bed often and regularly has poo accidents. Not sure if it warrants speaking to GP but his mum doesn't seem concerned.

[vodkaredbullgirl]

what do you do at night time, stay awake all night

[Dobbythesockelf]

Seems like a lot of effort especially when out in the car/ for walks etc. But if that's how you wish to live your life then go ahead. My 4 month old has no pattern except he generally does a poo when he's in his bouncer. I spend half my time checking my 3 yr old has wiped properly as it is I don't think I'd want to put a baby on a potty as well.
How does it work at night?
Or if they poo while feeding like my ds did for the first couple of months?

[Thesearmsofmine]

I have read a bit about elimination communication. My question would be is it limiting to what you can do? What do you do if you go to a coffee shop or are in the middle of the supermarket and your child starts showing their cues that they are going to poo?

[PetrovaFossil1]

Thesearmsofmine that's the same once they're potty trained at an older age anyway though? My 2.5year old is just trained and I still need to move at the speed of light if he needs to poo when we're out somewhere