Elimination Communication (EC) Defined
EC stands for Elimination Communication, also known as Natural Infant Hygiene. Both of these terms were coined by Ingrid Bauer, the author of Diaper Free! Infant Potty Training is a term coined by Laurie Boucke, author of the book by the same name.
To call EC "potty training" of any sort is somewhat of a misnomer though. It is not really a form of training, but rather a gentle and natural approach for meeting babies' elimination needs. You could say that practicing EC is to your baby's elimination needs as breastfeeding is to his nutritional needs.
The process of EC involves using a combination of timing, cues, intuition and observation of your baby's signals. It is best started right after birth, as babies become "diaper-trained" by five or six months old (but it's still very do-able with an older baby -- and still much easier than waiting to do conventional toilet training). It can be done with or without the use of diapers, and can be practiced full-time or part-time. The term "diaper-free" refers more to being free of the dependence on diapers, rather than being free from using diapers at all. Many EC'ers (myself included) use cloth diapers as a back-up for at least the first few months.
Practicing EC Today
If the concept of EC seems strange to you, just imagine for a moment -- what did people do before there were such thing as diapers? Even today, there are many places in the world where diapers are nonexistent or rare. Babies are pottied from birth or early infancy, by caregivers who hold them gently and lovingly in-arms.
Since I have been practicing EC (first with our two girls and now with a boy), I can definitely say from experience that babies are born with an awareness of their elimination and an ability to communicate their desire to stay clean and dry. And they do have a certain amount of control from birth and can signal before releasing, often long enough in advance for you to help them to an appropriate receptacle (as long as you're not expecting to finish your cup of tea first!).
The practice of EC goes perfectly hand-in-hand with other aspects of natural, continuum parenting. Although the focus of EC is more about the path than the destination, a nice side effect is that it usually results in a completely toilet-independent toddler by about age two. Contrast that with the fact that most Western parents are just starting to take the diaper off their conventionally diaper-trained kids at this age!
Since I first started EC'ing six years ago, I have excitedly watched as awareness and acceptance of this practice in the Western world has increased. For the past three years especially, there has been more and more mainstream media coverage on infant potty training and diaper-free babies. It's really great to see EC finally being presented as a totally viable alternative to "diaper-training".
Reasons to EC
- greater attachment and connection with our babies -- many parents practicing natural parenting are seeking ways to complement the bonding processes already apparent in breastfeeding, baby-wearing and co-sleeping. From a continuum perspective, babies would have a biological expectation to be assisted to eliminate outside of their clothing.
- significant financial savings -- diapering a child in disposable diapers costs upwards of $1,000 per year. And don't forget the wipes, change table, diaper rash cream - it all adds up! All you really need to practice EC is a couple dozen cloth diapers and a dozen pairs of cloth training pants - an investment of about $100.
- no small ecological benefit -- practicing EC allows for the smallest possible ecological footprint, putting strain on neither the landfill nor the water supply.
- it's easy to do -- think about it: doesn't it make sense that it would be harder to teach babies to ignore their elimination needs and sensations, diaper train them for 2+ years, then ask them to re-learn not to use their clothing as a toilet (and just at the stage when they're exploring independence and wanting more control over their actions)?
These are but a few of the many, many reasons to practice EC with your baby. And, before you write it off as something that can only be done by parents that are home with their babies all day long, please check out this great site on part-time EC.
How To Get Started
There are two main things you need to get started with EC. The first is a shift in mindset -- EC is really a whole different paradigm than most of us are accustomed to. Here are the key points:
- EC is not training, it's communication -- it is a gentle process of responding to the baby's cues and needs in the moment. It is never coercive or punitive.
- Babies are born potty trained -- they instinctively want to avoid eliminating on themselves but need someone to assist them in the early months. The practice of diaper training has taught us to ignore our baby's signals, which in turn teaches our babies to tune out their own needs and stop signalling. Then, they lose the control and awareness they were born with only to have to re-learn it later on.
- EC is not some "out-there" alternative parenting approach -- it is what millions of parents around the world do every day and did long before diapers were manufactured and marketed.
- EC is true "child-led" potty training if we just tune in and listen to them from the start.
The second thing you need to get started with EC is some support, either in real life or online. Check out www.diaperfreebaby.org to see if there are any groups meeting in your area. If not, why not start one? There are also a couple of Yahoogroups you can join - the main EC group (a very busy list with lots of great support and information), a lower volume group and a group for "late-starters".
I am also more than happy to answer any questions you have about EC -- so please feel free to contact me for more information.
