Elimination Communication - Have I left it too late?

[aubergenie]

I've been reading a bit about EC and I think it's something I'd like to try. Not in a full-on no nappies at all way, but starting off with pooing in the potty. Someone I know is doing this with her ds and it's working well.

The thing is, people seem to recommend that you start quite early on. My ds is just turning 5 months. Have I left it too late to start, and if not, can anyone give me some tips on getting started please?

its definitely worth a go.

I did it with my son after rading about it on here. He was 22 months when he became interested in using the loo himself.

Not looked back since.

Just need to get night time sorted now.

I have a couple of friends who have done EC (but whilst still using nappies like you plan to do). As far as I can tell I think it seems to be most successful if you get it underway well before they are crawling (which obviously varies timing wise from baby to baby), if they are used to it before crawling it seems to work, if not then it's much harder as they just don't seem to stay still long enough to get the hang of it! I was inspired to try with DD2 after seeing the success of my friends but she was about 7 / 8 months at the time and just starting to crawl and it was a NIGHTMARE!! I couldn't get her to sit still on the potty for half a second so gave up trying after a week or so!

I think my friends just sat their babies on the potty after every feed to start with and at any other time they noticed signs that a poo was coming.

FYI neither of my friends ever changed a pooey nappy after about 9 months and most wees went in the potty too so they only used one or two nappies a day (which for the friend using washables was a big deal obviously!). They didn't actually seem to get completely nappy free any earlier than my DDs though, one was totally out of nappies just before 2 and the other baby is still in nappies (she's just turned 2 but has some developmental issues).

Although EC didn't work out for me when DD2 was little, I did use a couple of tips from the method with her starting when she was about 20 months and it worked well at that stage for me as I then potty trained her properly at 22 months without any particular difficulty.

Thanks for your replies. Well, I bought a potty and, as soon as ds showed signs that he needed a poo, I whipped his nappy off and put him on it. He sat there for a while looking a bit bemused, but nothing happened. He started to get restless so I got him dressed again, and a couple of minutes later, he did a massive poo! So, onwards and upwards. I'll try him again when he's finished feeding.

Galava, did you, or your friend, Nelly use any kind of signal once LO was on the potty?

We also did the Tiny Talk signing, where potty was a little tap on your bra strap .. sort of .. he never really took to that.

however LO developed his own sign by patting either his willy or sort of wafting his behind, like he was wafting away a smelly trump. So funny !!

Thanks Galava!

I started putting my DD on the potty for poos once she was weaning and poos more solid (you can tell by that little red face). It worked great for us.... I was using cloth nappies, so saved me a job. And after a while DD was signing for the potty....she really didn't want to poo in a nappy (and I couldn't blame her)!
The wees in the potty came later....couple of times just a fluke along with a poo. Sometimes she'd have a little sit on the potty before a bath and do. a wee.

I was SAHM, and it really suited us
but it does mean you're sort of spending more time (perhaps a year) catching the potty, rather than a couple weeks potty training when they're older.

Thanks Paisley. I'm using a mix of cloth and disposible at the moment but hoping to use more cloth so it would be a big advantage. How old was you dd when she started to sign?

I can't remember properly (she's 4 now)
but she was at least clapping when we started

you can start any time, we started about 5 months with dd2, really relaxed just on potty at each change and see what happens. As it happens she is a stubborn madam and is nappy free (day and night by her choice) now at 19 months (being stubborn has been an advantage as she has an iron bladder and hates being wet and also is very independent at going to potty herself now). Ds1 started on potty at about 18 months i think (can't really remember but was nappyfree during day by 25 months. dd2 started using her own little noise for potty until she could speak. every nappy saved is good imo as they are not sitting in poo/pee for longer than nec.

oh btw aubergine, I found it was worth getting a potty with a bit of support back and sides as DD was only baby.
Like this sort of thing
Bit pricey for a potty, I know. But I think it helped

Thanks horseymum. I agree that relaxed is the way to go. I'm hoping that if I just keep trying he will eventually get the message.

Good suggestion Paisley. I got a cheap potty from Ikea but ds doesn't really like it. Maybe something with a bit more support will make him feel more comfortable.