INTRO: I've been part-time ECing my 3.5 month old boy for two weeks now with great success. He is a vigorous 18 lb boy who attempts to potty every time I offer it. I currently only offer after he wakes up as well as after he feeds. I haven't offered at other times throughout the day, but I probably could. I haven't decided if I will offer while I am out on the town. I do not plan on offering at night (7PM to 7AM). My intention for doing this is to keep him in dry diapers more often and to foster his/my awareness of his eliminations. I "aim" to keep it a very low key experience. He is currently only comfortable with me holding him over the potty. He did not like his first attempt with me supporting him while he sat on the Baby Bjorn.
QUESTIONS:
Did anyone have any issues or confusion with part-time ECing?
Should I wait to use the Baby Bjorn Potty Chair until he can sit comfortably on his own?
Is there a typical age when an EC boy might want to stand to eliminate?
Any tips on making the transition from being held to sitting on own?
Any other tidbits of advice?
Thanks
why at such a young age? this sounds like you trying to control your child's elimination -
My daughter is using EC...(I Will admit..much to my amusement at first...lol).She follows her sons ( almost 1 year old now) "signals" and has pretty good luck getting him to the bathroom at the right time. ( I am still convinced SHE is the one being trained...not him!!!)
She is already using the Baby Bjorn and he urinates and has bowel movements. (Although I think 3.5 months is probably a little young for the Bjorn...until he can sit on his own I would think it would be a bit unsettling to him)
As to the standing to urinate..if you are using the adult toilet...I think HEIGHT would have a whole lot to do with it...lol
Good luck to you!!
Check out google groups. I'm in two different EC groups. Maybe someone there can help.
I was going to EC with both my kids but I am lazy. I started introducing the potty to the daughter around 11 months. She was in trainers at 18 months. I now have a 12 month old son that I am introducing the potty too. I hope to start catching by 15 months, but we shall see.
I can tell you this: when I started with my daughter, I did about 30 minutes a day only. I think it just took us longer. But I don't think there is confusion at such a young age, You are teaching the concepts and principles, so it's more about teaching then about expecting them to fully understand --though some do at 15 months.
I'd wait till he is sitting up by himself to use the Baby Bjorn.
I've met several moms who EC full time, but I hadn't heard of part-time. Does it work part time? The moms that I know that began it with theirs all started very early, earlier even than you - with success. Just wanted to let you know! Good luck :)
I will answer your questions and then reply below them.
Did anyone have any issues or confusion with part-time ECing? We didn't do part time EC, I'm a SAHM so we did full time EC starting at 18mos with our oldest and 3mos with our youngest. I used cloth diapers when out of the house.
Should I wait to use the Baby Bjorn Potty Chair until he can sit comfortably on his own? Yes. He should be able to support himself before you move to an independent potty.
Is there a typical age when an EC boy might want to stand to eliminate?
It all depends on the kid. My oldest didn't stand to pee until he was almost 5 (trained by 20mos), my youngest stood to pee before he was 18mos old. He thought he was pretty cool.
Any tips on making the transition from being held to sitting on own? Nope, just go every other for a few days, one time being held, the next on his own.
Any other tidbits of advice? being using the sign for potty NOW! Say it, make the sign while he's on the potty. My youngest picked up the sign by 6mos and by 8mos was able tosign before he had to go and we could get to the potty. He was crawling down the hallway saying 'mama potty!' by 10mos old. :)
Here is what we did, we started with poop mostly, thats easy to spot. As we got more comfortable with EC and learned mor about our childrens cues, we went with #1 too, and it worked out fine. We had to find their signs for potty. Just like kids give signs when they are hungry, tired, they do when they have to pee too.
Most people in the USA don't believe that babies can control theri bladder, when in fact babies are BORN with bladder and fecal control! They LOSE that control as they sit in ultra disposable diapers for 3-4yrs and have to relearn it. Thats why people struggle with training their 3yr old, that kid has to relearn how to pee on cue, how to hold their bladder, how to recognize that their bladder is filling up. Its there when the child is born, it has to be continued or it will be lsot.
ANYWAY, www.mothering.com has an entire forum for EC. Full of moms woh have used it for 1 kid, 5 kids, 10 kids. :) Ican tell you that this is much easier than traditional potty training. We just got home with our 3yr old daughter from Ukraine who was NOT trained. She is now, but this 'traditional' potty training is for the birds, I would never wait beyond 18mos.
Good luck, you will do great, you have a great path!
Well I never knew of such thing! Pretty amazing. If you go on Youtube you will find that there are small babies, not as small as yours who sit on the baby bjorn. My daughter never liked the bjorn in traditional potty training, in fact, she never used a chair, as she always liked using the regular toilet. Best of luck.
