You Can Potty Train Your Newborn! Here’s How!
After becoming a Mom nine months ago, poopy diapers used to be my nightmare! I mean, I’ve held babies, I’ve fed babies, I’ve rocked babies to sleep, and can even calm down a crying baby. But one thing I hadn’t done was change a poopy diaper!
In today’s society, diapers are considered the norm, but not for my parents and their parents before them. So, however surprising it may be, babies used to be potty-trained from birth. Our newborns are smarter than we give them credit for and are masters of their own bladders! They can wait and hold their pee/poo while we take them to the toilet to relieve themselves.
Let’s explore the concept of elimination communication, how I potty-trained my newborn, and how you can do the same.
What is Elimination Communication?
Elimination communication (EC) is an age-old method of responding to your baby’s hygiene needs in a gentle and non-coercive manner from as early as birth. It involves leveraging time, cues, signals, and intuition to know when the baby needs to use the potty.
Cleanliness is Human Nature
When it comes to calming a fussy baby, we, parents have this checklist of feeding, burping, sleeping, and being hot or cold. Has it ever happened that your newborn was crying inconsolably and after trying everything, you check their diaper, and voila! it was soiled or wet?
Ever considered that the crying may have been your baby’s way of telling you to take off the diaper so they don’t pee on themselves or you?
Humans, like other mammals intrinsically resist soiling themselves and that starts from birth. Some parents even catch meconium (baby’s first poop) in the potty. The idea is simple, babies want to use the toilet the same way we do and by responding to their hygiene needs, parents can bond with their babies in a very unique manner.
You can Do EC Part Time
EC does not need to be a full-time commitment. A lot of parents work full-time or go through birth trauma or baby blues or postpartum depression. It’s also harder for C-section Mommies to hold their babies for long periods. Even if everything's going well, babies need to pee every 30 minutes or so.
So, don’t be discouraged if you can’t do EC full-time. You can do it part-time or even for a specific period of time (like a couple of hours every day). Part-time EC is also a great step towards early potty training and bonding with your baby!
You can Do EC with Diapers!
When I started EC with my 1-month-old, my biggest stressor was the “no-diaper" idea. As a first-time parent, I was struggling with a lot of things and often missed my baby’s cues and we would end up with a heap of soiled clothes (mine and hers).
To keep my sanity, I switched to a diapers plus EC model. My daughter would be in diapers all day, but when she needed to use the toilet, I would simply take the diaper off, take her to the toilet, and put the diaper right back on! That way, we could practice EC without a mound of laundry.
Take Your First Step Towards Elimination Communication
Do you know that newborn babies pee every 30 minutes or so? When I started EC, one of my biggest challenges was remembering when we went last and figuring out my baby’s pattern. To make things easier, I started using The Log: Potty Training + EC app. It’s a great application that allows users to observe and track the natural intervals of their baby while potty training or doing EC. For beginners, it’s a great way to build confidence and understand your baby’s needs as you make your way toward being an EC parent!
