Any Elimination Communication people - another question for you..

[DonnaKeyBab]

I read about ECing a while ago when none of my dcs were the right age, liked the idea but wasn't sure I could do it. I now have a dd who is 6wks and it's very obvious at times when she needs a poo, and she often holds on til her nappy is off, particularly at night when she'll grunt for ages but only do it after I've taken her nappy off. The thing is, although I'm expecting it, it still goes everywhere (literally a metre off the end of the mat) so doing Ec and catching it in something would be ideal & I'd like to give it a go.
But I don't know what to use or how to hold her or what sound I'm supposed to make when she poos (at the moment she's likely to associate 'oh s*%t!' which is less than ideal! How do I get started??

Can you just hold her over the toilet? That's what I used to do. Her back to your stomach and kind if hold the back of her legs - make sure she is snuggled into you so she doesn't think you are going to drop her.

Hold her over a potty or any suitably-sized easily-cleaned container (I've heard of ice-cream tubs being used). ECers tend to recommend baby bjorn potties as they are good for smaller bodies and there is one model which has a removable bowl for emptying which is ideal for small babies.

Or can you change her on the floor where you can lay out suitable protection like old towels? We had an area for pottying with an old picnic blanket on the floor which had the waterproof side downwards then an old blanket or towels on the top.

You can use any noise but most people tend to use an onamatoepeic word and/or a sort of grunting/straining noise. If you are holding baby when she wants to go you can strain your abdomen too, supposedly to encourage her what to do.

We did well with DS1 as soon after he started solids at 6mths & could sit on the potty we never had a pooey nappy (must have done if he was ill I guess but I can't actually remember one). With DS2 we were slightly less diligent due to him being number 2 & I realised how lucky we were not to have to deal with them! Good luck! Don't have high expectations though!

Thanks for the quick & helpful responses :)
itsall I guess we could go to the loo, but I'd rather we stayed in our room to minimise chance of noise waking the others. I think I know what you mean about position - with her legs bent & my hands holding her thighs?

idle I tried with extra protection on the floor last night &she still managed to miss it!! Sound-wise I guess that's a 'uhh' sort of noise? (Kind of the grunting noise she makes anyway?). Yor experience sounds encouraging, although I have to say I find it hard to believe it could really work iykwim. Will report back!