early potty training

[lorenzosasha]

i would like to know something more about early potty training. i've read somewhere that some parents starts to train their babies since they're three or four months old. i think it's interesting, but very difficult
and more, is it good for the children?
bye

Somewhat crazy IMO, since the nerves that control the bladder and bowel are not fully connectd at that point. You are not potty training, but potty timing. Better to wait until the kids are showing signs of being ready

"elimination communication" not training just reaction to "signs" they are about to go and luck . btw what happens at night ?

don't see the point of early potty training, plenty of time to enjoy baby without whipping off a nappy every hour or so to see if they do a wee in a potty

I have started doing a bit of EC, as it's known in the trade. with my ds. He's a late starter at 15 months, but has had trouble with nappy rash, so I think if he does one pooh in the potty a day, it will help him, plus he loves nappy free time.
He is getting quite good at sitting on the potty and did a pee today. From my point of view I think it will make him more comfortable with using something other than a nappy to 'go' in and make him less accustomed to sitting in his own poo and pee even if it is for a short time.
I'm not pushing it, and I have noticed signs that he wants to go, by watching him during nappy free time, so I hope that I will eventually be able to talk to him about that as part of his eventual training.

We started at about 15 months too when LO told me "wee" out of the blue and when I out him on the toilet, he did a wee. Then I started taking him to the toilet half an hour after each meal and after naps but otherwise left a nappy on most of the time. We also had nappy free time where he often wee'd down his leg and I would tell him "look you're doing a wee" Then at 18 months he started asking to go wee and from then on, only nappies at naps and at nights and undies during the day and at 20 months he was regularily telling me when he needed to go.

My little guy, at 17 months was able to hold it in till we found a toilet, so the bladded control is there earlier, you just need to teach them to be able to feel and control it. I have met parents who did EC with their tiny babies and at age 1, were telling mom and dad when they needed to go wee and had no accidents during the day. It actually isn't that hard. Contrary to popular belief, you aren't watching your child every second of the day. It is an almost instinctive reaction because many moms who EC, also baby wear and if you are holding your baby, you can sense as they go and in time, just before they go. EC isn't about potty training early, it's about teaching your child that they don't need a nappy to wee/poo in, and about personal hygiene (who really wants to sit in a wet/pooey nappy?) Babies get used to it because that is all they have known, but a baby who has been taught from tiny that they don't need to sit in it is going to tell you when they need to go and will protest if a wet/dirty nappy is left on. We always changed LO's nappies almost as soon as he had wet them, and yes we did use disposables, so he never got used to sitting in a wet nappy.

Ultimately it is a lifestyle and parenting choice just like deciding if you're going to use disposable or cloth nappies, make your own or buy baby food, spank or not etc

Martianbishop said "Somewhat crazy IMO, since the nerves that control the bladder and bowel are not fully connectd at that point."

I would be very interested in the name and authors of the relevent medical journal which proves this.

As I have been searching the medical journals to try and find proof that our western children don't have the same bladder control which Indian and Chinese babies have at three months and I couldn't find anything.

It is very confusing as everyone says babies can't have bladder control, yet my five month old ECed daughter can hold her wee for 15 minutes if she needs too and I can't find any medical studies which proof in general babies can't.

All I find is many people repeating the same 'facts' but no studies to back them up.

I wonder if all Western babies would have this bladder control if ECed..or is it just ECed children which develop early control ?