I am interested to know about very early potty training a la baby whisperer

[AnyFuleKno]

Been reading her book the baby whisperer answers all your questions in which she says that she likes to start potty training as early as nine months. While this sounds a bit crazy I can see the logic of some of her arguments:

-Like all other new skills, you should expect a child to spend a while learning them before perfecting it rather than trying to wait until they just somehow know how to do it themselves
-The earlier you do it, the more they still want to please you (whereas a 2.5 year old might be a bit less compliant)
-50% of babies in the rest of the world are potty trained by 18 months old.

I know absolutely nothing about potty training but this intrigued me and I was wondering what the mumsnet lot make of it.

Has anyone tried this?

A lady i know told me that when she had her children you fed them with them sitting on the potty from the day they were born, this way they got used to the feel of it and were all potty trained by a year old. I havent tried anything like this, my dd's were both potty trained between 2 and 2.6.

I know someone whose DD has been doing all her poos on a potty since 10 months, and we started potty training our DS at 14 months and now at 17 months he's asking most times and even got up at 3:30am for a huge wee once last week.:D As long as you have realistic expectations, don't push and keep an eye on developmental things that will make it easier for them, go ahead.

Are there no sane people about at this time of night?

It's interesting though isn't it cadelaide? I'm not saying I'm going to do it but it does make me wonder if there's another way.

Wow, potty training at 9 mnths sounds amazing.

I did hear that a culture that didn't have nappies as such, used to whistle whenever their babies weed (or poo'd, not sure) and eventually the baby associated the whistle with the wee.

Thus the mum could hold the baby over the toilet at regular intervals and whistle and the baby would wee on demand.

I have no idea if this is true and i haven't tried it with either of my daughters, though i am beginning to wish i had.

Charlie

Charlie what you're talking about is called Elimination Communication (EC) and it's very popular. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elimination_communication

Hi. I will have to get baby whisperer book out to have a read!

DD1 was potty trained at 18 months and it happened really quickly. DD2, now 22 months, I am just starting to potty train and finding it harder and more stressful! Probably because I am more busy with DD1 doing thing, going out and about etc that we are having more accidents.

I have a friend who's DS did poos on the pot from about age of 8 months, I think it's great!

Really though, have you not got enough to be doing without all that malarkey early on. One of the reasons a lot of other cultures may have them trained early is that they just don't ever have anything on their bottom half or their trousers have holes in the relevant places so they can go where and when they please. Have seen the holes-in-trousers in operation in rural China and Peru - lots of bare bums!

it is not wierd or outlandish, time-consuming or messy if you go for a laid-back version, like us. it consists of just putting child on potty at every nappy change and seeing what happens. we started with ds at 15 months i think and he got poos really quickly. dd started at 5 months, is now 1 year and has some days where she has a dry/clean nappy all day. i think she has particularly good bladder control though. it is not really potty training in the gina ford 1 week and sorted thing, more of a gradual awareness and process that lasts months. however, it seems kinder to let them have the chance to use potty rather than sitting in own waste. just stay relaxed about it and probably don't tell any of your frineds as they will think you are really wierd!

I just read an article in Pediatrics (journal of American Academy of Pediatrics) that said that they begin to develop bladder control around 9 months. Unfortunately they don't start processing sequences until around 13 months, so they aren't yet ready to hold it in cos mummy will put me on the potty after x until then. Most children aren't walking well until 18 months, so that was when the article said to start, however it also mentioned that the parts of the brain that need to mature for potty training skills should be mature around the same time the child starts walking. For us that was just before 9 months (seriously) so he was ready to start potty training at 14 months and with a very laid back approach similar to horseymum's, he's doing very well and asking to go/staying dry most of the day at 17 months. It is not, as she said, time consuming, and frankly it's quite a relief not to have to use so many nappies.

Really interested to read this, especially your latest post Ches, thank you

My DD is 18months, and has started telling me she is doing a poo, just before. So i've been thinking i'd get a potty for her. She tends to pick things up quite fast generally, and also really gets alot from the whole 'reward' process. Not with actual rewards, just simply making a fuss of her, clapping or saying well done, clever girl really enthusiastically seems to be the real trick with getting her to do anything really i.e. using spoon, holding own cup, taking medicine etc...

SO I was wondering if 18 months is too early and I'd be starting a ridiculous process far too so that will cause me more problems than good! Having read this, i might give it a try. IN a relaxed, laid back way though. PLus, this time of year is ideal, in the garden. Not sure about wees though, I guess I need to catch her doing one asked ad say, lets get it in the potty ?

Hmmm, I think some more reading is needed!!!

Thanks again though, really helpful

The article said if you take a casual, slow, continuous learning process as opposed to the Gina Fordesque "today we will be potty training and we'll be done by next week" approach, there are typically fewer problems. It's a bit of a sweeping statement, though, because children are so different.

For me the thing that sold it was I didn't want him to remember using nappies; I wanted using the toilet to be the natural, designated place for him to go. I think if you wait until they're past 2 and approaching 3, they've learned that a nappy is where to do a wee/poo, and that's why some of them balk at the sudden new paradigm. Some kids are super adaptable and go with the flow regardless, and these are the kids who probably thrive on that approach.

We did this with our DD. Started with a potty at 10 weeks old, she was consistantly clean and dry from a year old.

Now at 23 months old she never has a poo outside the toilet, we still have the odd wee miss (linked to tandrums and not wanting to leave interesting play at times) but on the whole I have found ECing very interesting and knowing I won't have to try and traditional toilet train her is fab.

I am debating when to start with baby bea (due in a couple of weeks time) I know some mums start at birth but I am unsure if I'll have the energy.

Coming to this thread rather late in the day but..we started "holding out" over a potty from coming home from hospital...first thing in the morning and after each feed, basically when you would automatically nappy change anyway. As others have said..a casual, relaxed approach.
My Ds is now just 10mths (he has been walking since 8mths 1wk, perhaps this makes a difference)and rarely has a dirty nappy now. He always uses it fully first thing in the morning, though we still get wet nappies particularly overnight (but I use disposables at night so he isnt as aware of being wet) but if I get my timings right during the day we can go a whole day using just one or two cloth nappies...it certainly saves me a lot of washing.
Incidentally, my mother did this method with me and I was clean/dry and in knickers at 9 months old! My brother was clean at 9 months but only stayed dry when she stopped using towelling training knickers and put him in underpants at 15months

This is interesting. DD is 16 months and like susiecutiebanana's DD she is telling me when she has filled her nappy (and I've even announcing it to no-one in particular when I'm in a different room) so I was thinking of having a go at potty training when we go on holiday in a month's time. (Tiled floors and she can be nappy free in the warmth an DH is around 24/7 to help with mopping up accidents ).

I was wondering whether to get a potty or to get one of those seats that fits on the loo. What do people recommend?

LuLuBai, Depends on what your LO will use. My DD has moved between toilet seat and potty at various ages.

BabiesEverywhere, can you explain exactly what you did? or if there's a website/book that describes this post that? I'm fascinated by this, but can't even begin to imagine how you go about it.

There's a trade-off and you have to choose what works for you. A toddler can use a potty independently, but will eventually need to be weaned off it onto the toilet and there's all that wee and poo to clean up. I wouldn't expect a child to use a toilet unaided until a little later. (Wouldn't want them falling in.)

LadyBee, I did the same as BabiesEverywhere. At ten weeks I heard about Elimination Communication and decided to try it and see.
I got a round washing up bowl that I used for that purpose only and put it on the floor in front of a chair. When I changed my LO, I sat her on my lap with her back to me. I supported her with one hand under each thigh then lowered her slightly so her bottom was over the bowl. Instant success. It's more a cuddle hold than "holding out". I then found that you can do the same thing in a semi-squat over the toilet, fabulous, just flush and go!

I said "psss" and "poo" when she went, and she got the idea straight away and even used her own approximation of the sounds from about 16 weeks. I don't understand that stuff about babies have no bladder control until 9 months etc. We often had dry, clean days as she would give me a good few minutes notice and seemed to be able to produce number twos at will. Then again we also had weeks when it all went backwards. Worst problem was first thing in the morning because I got arthritis in my wrists and just could not jump out of bed in time. I thought the inconsistency would confound the whole enterprise but it didn't.

Now at 14 months we have pants at home during the day when it's warm and I've got the energy/patience. Sometimes make it through a whole day.

I recommend the BabyBjorn Little Potty. (Never thought I'd care, but they are actually better shaped.) A month ago she rejected the potty and we were totally on nappies for a week, until one day she pointed to the toilet seat I've had waiting for two months. She's used that ever since. It's got a padded seat and handles.

Take a relaxed approach and be prepared for lots of backwards and forwards on every imaginable aspect.

LadyBee, Few ECing Links

thanks just spent a fascinating bf reading those links. DS now asleep so one-handed typing. Think I'll just spend a few days trying to figure out whether/what his signs are - have no clue right now what his elimination cues are, while am staring to get pretty proficient at tired & hungry