Our Potty Whispering Journey

EC stands for Elimination Communication, also known as Natural Infant Hygiene, Potty Whispering or Infant Potty Training. It's a wonderful way to respond to a baby's natural instincts to stay clean and dry by simply watching an infant's natural cues and signals to for the need to eliminate. EC reduces or eliminates diaper use, reduces diaper rash, can lead to earlier potty independence and can promote bonding and interaction between caregiver and infant.

Did you know that babies are born potty trained? Just like all other animals, human infants instinctively avoid urinating and defecating on themselves. Why do you think babies go during diaper changes? It's not the rush of cold air like others will tell you -- our babies are simply taking the opportunity to relieve themselves in sync with their natural tendancy to do so away from their bodies. They are smart enough to wait so that they don't have to sit in their own waste!

After just a few months of full time diapering, our babies are trained to ignore their natural instinct, and instead of preferring to be clean and dry, they are trained to pee and poop into their diapers. Don't train something you'll just have to untrain later. With a few more months of diapering, our babies follow our lead of ignoring when they're peeing and pooping altogether, and they completely lose the control and awareness they are born with. Elimination Communication (EC) lets you skip the diaper training step and go directly to the end result - potty training right from the start.

This is what millions of parents around the world do everyday and have done for thousands of years. This is not a new concept or idea. It's truly "child-led potty training," listening and responding to our babies when they first start to communicate about it instead of years later. The vast majority of parents who EC, even only part time, say it results in closer bonding of parents and baby, less reliance on diapers, and cleaner, drier babies. A lot of parents even say it's EASIER than 2-3 years of diapering and traditional potty training.

My ears perked up when Dr. Phil said he didn't like the concept of elmination communication. His thought was that we make perfectly good diapers so why bother with introducing the baby to the potty at an early age. WHAT??? I had a preschooler at the time and didn't KNOW that diapers had been optional for my child when he was a baby. What was the good Doctor missing? On first glance it all seemed logical: happy, clean baby, mama saves money on diapers, mama helps save the environment, mama doesn't have to potty train a 2 or 3 year old, mama and baby would strengthen their bond by handling the baby's most basic need. I was sold! The main thought rolling through my mind was, "That actually works? One can simply watch a child's cues and see when they need to potty?" My mind raced with the freedom of not having to touch poopy diapers and mess with wipes and stinky baby poop smells. I was 100% in, I just wanted to know more. So, I started on a little virtual trek to the my online bookstore, and off I went on an amazing journey with my intuition (which I didn't realize I had) and my little one leading the way. I was determined to have the child I was then growing in my belly teach me a thing or two about his elimination needs.

The first thing I wanted was more information. I just wanted to read everything I could about it and found something to be quite amazing. There just wasn't a lot of information about it readily available. The resources I did find were awesome and provided the details about what I was sure in my heart was a great practice.

This will sound crazy, but the transparent potties are the way to go. The thought of it is sort of grody, but it does make a lot of sense and I wish I would have bought at least one of these.

Especially in the early stages where you're just trying to figure out what their cues are, how they look when they have to potty, those types ot things can really be helped with the aid of transparent potties. You'll then know when to whisper, how they respond and what they're actually doing on the pot. It's hard to tell what's going on in the potty-did they go yet...are they still working on something or are they just sitting there for nothing...? These clear potties can help clear things up.

A year ago when I priced these out I swear they were $50 and I didn't want to pony up that much money to be able to see my baby's poop in it's fully glory. Maybe my memory is wrong on the price but I passed on buying it because it was much more expensive, now they're about double the price of a Baby Bjorn, but If you have the extra money in your budget I think they're worth it; I know it seems goofy but trust me you'll want this.

Babywunder Deluxe is a completely clear potty, almost identical in shape and size to the Baby Bjorn Little Potty. The benefits are obvious - you can see what's going on. No more listening or staring to make sure you don't miss the magic moment. Never again will you need to do the finger dip-stick or slosh-n-listen test. Clear potties may even improve parent-baby communication, as described by author Laurie Boucke:

"A transparent or semitransparent potty is useful in that you know instantly when your child goes and can provide immediate feedback by praising him while he is going, or immediately thereafter. He is then free to leave the potty as soon as he is finished. This type of positive reinforcement encourages him to use the potty on a regular basis. If he has diarrhea, you will know not to let him get up right away and can tell or read him stories, play games or otherwise entertain him until he has finished tending to business."
--Laurie Boucke, Infant Potty Training

This single piece of molded plastic is easy to clean, supports a healthy squat position, and is easy for mobile babies to navigate. Features a carrying handle in the back and a splash guard.

This potty is completely compatible with our potty totes and covers. Our Potty Turtleneck covers will cover the sides of the potty, which may be preferred if you want to use this potty in public. Just need to pull down the top elastic in front of the splash guard to take a discreet peek.

Please be careful with and of your clear potty. It's more brittle than other plastics, and can crack, break, or shatter. Also, it easily "disappears" when on the floor and can pose a hazard. You may want to put a bright sticker on it so you don't trip over it!

$23.00

The Potette Plus portable potty is great for travel or to take anywhere that you may not have access to a bathroom. It's a clean potty for your child no matter where you go! It doubles as a toilet insert and seperate potty- simply transorm the sides down.

Contoured seat for your child's comfort.
Sturdy well-balanced base helps your child feel secure.
Legs lock into place when opened.
Folds flat so it can fit in a purse or diaper bag.
Liner handles secure to the potty and tie closed for disposal.
Drawstring carrying bag included.
When used as a travel potty, suitable for ages 15 months and up to 50lbs.
Easily converts to a folding trainer seat suitable for children 2 years and up to 50 lbs.
Non-slip, durable, and comfortable.
Hygienic - can be used on all toilet seats.
Fold close after use and store.

Dimensions: 11"H x 10" W x 2.25" D folded closed

$16.00
Sale: $14.40
Save: 10% off

Potty Bowl: yet another thing I bought and couldn't believe I had something in my home like this. It is a sturdy way to have a handy bowl to catch pees in but I struggled using it on my son. I think a little girl would fare much better catching the pees this way.

This Potty Bowl is perfect for holding between your legs for use with newborns. It is also convenient for pottying in the car, on airplanes, while nursing, and any other time you're holding the baby to potty.

Measurements:
Top diameter: 7"
Bottom diameter: 4"
Height: 5"

$8.00
Sale: $7.20
Save: 10% off

Potty Bowl Cozy, if you're going to buy the potty bowl, may as well get the cozy too. I didn't splurge for this baby, but I also didn't go out and buy a wipes warmer as well. This is actually a handy deal to have and I felt like a jerk for not having one. Babies are super sensitive to cold sensations so if you can make the potty softer and warmer for them it does help them use it. I used cloth diaper prefolds sometimes to cover the potty so that it was softer to the touch.

A soft cozy fleece cover for the potty is even more important for those tiny newborns!

Fits snugly over just the rim of our Potty Bowl. An added benefit is it softens the outer edge against your thighs, too!

NOTE: This item is for our Potty Bowl only. It does NOT fit on the Baby Bjorn Little Potty or Babywunder Deluxe Clear Potty. Please see our Potty Turtlenecks for fleece coverings for these potties. Thank you!

$7.00
Sale: $6.30
Save: 10% off

MamaRoo Split Crotch EC Pants: These would have been awesome to use. There's so much less monkeying around with clothing and it's faster access for potty time.

Designed to offer a covering for your little one's bottom but allow easy EC access.
The overlapping design of these pants will help absorb some of the wetness of EC misses. The pants overlap your tiny infant on the back and belly, and as your infant grows - and you become more in-tuned with the whole EC process - the design allows the pants to adjust to the baby. At the overlap, the pants are held together with a diaper-pin. The waist can be completely opened in the case of a miss, however the elastic waist also allows you the choice of leaving the pin intact when pulling the pants off the baby.

When baby is held with the legs closed, the pants cover baby's leaky parts, when the baby is held in the EC position the pants open appropriately. These pants are designed for babies who are still dependent on mom and dad for their EC needs. You will need to hold the pants open for the baby.

MamaRoo EC Pants are made of an all natural 55%Hemp/45%Cotton Blend fleece. This fabric is completely sustainable , biodegradable and it is NATURALLY grown! With these pants, no harsh chemicals will touch your little one's tender skin.

Sale: $15.75

We were mindful of Eli's elimination needs from birth; astonishingly, so was he!

I really took the months of my pregnancy to get my hands on as much information so that we could do well with this right from his birth. Although I was a bit nervous about how I'd be perceived at the hospital I did let the nurses know that we were going to do EC so I didn't want diapers on him that much. Our very experienced midwife hadn't known of another family practicing EC so I guess I knew I was an oddball right from his birth. I put shirts on him and just kept a simple prefold diaper over his bits and had him swaddled in a blanket but grew tired of the different nurses asking me where all of his clothes and the rest of his diapers were. I was nervous to mess things up right from the start if I put him in disposable diapers straight off but I just tried cueing him at the hospital as much as I could until I could get him home to observe him a little better.

Our little baby felt too floppy to start off on the pottty from birth. The thought of me accidentally dropping him while trying to get him to go on the potty was too much so I passed on it until I felt more comfortable. Until I was ready for the potty, I just started cueing him when I saw him eliminate. When I changed him I'd watch for him to potty and do the whispering sound, "pss psss psss"... Each time he would potty or poop I would make that sound and just let him eliminate into my nursing pads or into the diaper but being held away from his body. I'm sure that sounds odd but I bought cheapie nursing pads that weren't doing the trick so it was either have Eli pee on them or toss them all together.

At 3 days old I supported his body firmly next to mine and he pottied the first time we tried to put him on the pot. A couple tries later he had peed and pooped on the potty! I was too excited, I wanted to take pictures of the results but even I realized that was perhaps too odd. Okay, you got me, I realized it was different but still took the picture. Sometimes you need graphic evidence to illustrate your point.

He spent a lot of time naked laying on a puddle pad or disposable chucks pad from the hospital. I would observe his patterns and his vocal cueing, the tension in his body or facial experessions. When I would see him peeing or straining to poop I would simply cue him and put him on the potty. It wasn't long until the minute I put him on the potty and cued him he would pee at the first or second "pss psss". It didn't take long for me to know when he needed to eliminate. Even our then 5 year old could tell when Eli needed to potty.

Let me type that out again: 20 to 25 times a day Eli was on the potty. Yep, babies pee that much. I had no clue that they were the peeing machines that they are until starting up this EC stuff. I even had another kid and I didn't realize how much he had been peeing when he was a little guy.

It's like clockwork though. About every 20 to 30 minutes he would be peeing or pooping. It was amazing though to see how much of a babies fussiness was just due to having to pee. That absolutely floored me! I've heard expert accounts at how babies get over stimulated after 20 minutes and will start to get fussy. I now know that they just had to pee. So very much of Eli's fussiness was simply related to having to use the potty. Once we tended to his basic elimination needs and responded to him he was fine again.

I consider my child to be the world's happiest baby and I do believe that a lot of it has to do with EC'ing him and lovingly caring for his needs.

Let's just be honest: when you practice EC people think you're weird. And the flip side is that sometimes I actually felt like I was weird. But, here's my take on that: in my heart I know EC'ing is the best thing I could have done for my son. I know that it is a positive way to interact with him that responded to one of his most basic needs. You just have to just focus on that that which is best for your baby, easier said than done.

I am, despite all my hype to the contrary, a conformist at heart. I don't really like causing a stir because my entire life I have hated extra attention on myself. I found that for me this meant I didn't interact as much with others because I knew if I went somewhere I'd have to cause attention to myself so I wound up just kickin' it at home with Jr. I'm sort of a recluse so the upside of that is I had an ulitmate excuse to bow out of every social situation.

I suppose you could consider another drawback to be that it does take mama energy to practice EC. When you're bringing the baby to the potty 40 times a day because you're trying to learn their cues or cleaning up their misses it can be frustrating to think other moms aren't wrapped up in the EC time committment and are blissfully letting their little ones eliminated on themselves. I know that EC'ing, if done correctly, takes less energy in the long term but sometimes it did take some serious mama energy, or it made me have to arrange my schedule around his elimination patterns. I also would wake in the night to put him on the potty as I learned that many babies simply awake at night to potty then go back to sleep. Waking up at night to put him on the potty took energy- let's be honest I would have much rather have been sleeping.

Another downside was that I really felt in a pickle sometimes when I wanted to put Eli on the potty when we were in an inopputune spot. I felt like I was being a terrible mama if I ignored his cues because I could tell he was trying to hold out til I would take him to the potty. That was seriously hard for me to deal with:I didn't want to mess with his little head and have him think I didn't care about him. I was really scared I was confusing the little guy. I would cue him to go in his diaper if we were somewhere and couldn't get to the potty because I just didn't want him to think I wasn't paying attention.

Sometimes this experience also took a emotional toll on me. When I saw others caring for my child and they weren't putting the equal amount of effort to introducing him to the toilet it made me feel terrible. Rationally I know that they weren't doing anything wrong, it's just hard to put effort into something and not have others be supportive. I did return to my very full time job when he was a few months old so the stress and guilt of that decision alone was compounded to know that his EC'ing couldn't continue with full fervor without mama leading the charge. I didn't want all those days of lugging him to the potty to be for naught. I felt betrayed by my husband especially if he wasn't in tune with Eli's elimination patterns and had a lot of misses. If he said Eli wasn't doing well on the potty that day I felt like he wasn't trying. I did understand that other caregivers wouldn't be as motivated to take him to the potty so I did logically "get" that it was extra to expect that of them. But it was hard to wrap my mind around that and have it be okay with me when they didn't. I did learn to just let go of how others interacted with him and just focused on me treating him the way I thought was right when I was with him.

It's VERY hard to research a topic to the enth degree and understand how logical the EC process is then to be told by someone who has no knowlege of it how dumb the concept is. I'm an outspoken little thing but when those opinions were coming from those closest to me I had to decide if I should maintain the relationship or make it an issue- the relationship always won out so I would shut my mouth. I realize that most uninformed opinions simply stem from our societal approach to potty training and realize most people aren't very open minded to new things. This aspect of others having snap opinions, outright judging me or being critical was the most frustrating above all; I could handle lugging Eli to the potty 100 times a day but being told I was crazy for wanting to do so drove me bonkers! I wasn't neglecting him and running off to the bar, or plunking him down all day to watch television; I was trying to respond to his needs and for that some thought I wasn't a good parent. Talk about frustrating!

Our little Eli is now over a year old and the EC controversy with our family grows. I enthusiastically told some very close to me that I wrote a story about EC'ing and she said I had no right to do that and publish (in her exact words), "kiddy porn." That's her direct quote. My mind can't even wrap itself around how absurd that statement is- there's nothing pornographic, sexual or wrong with this lense. Ah...and I thought Eli's months on the potty would have solved any familial objections to his means of elimination. This is my warning to all families wanting to EC: the objections and thoughts people have on this topic will really get under your skin if you become a dedicated EC'er. Believe me though, your baby is worth it.

Usually when we're outside we just let him pee on the grass or wherever but when I know he has to poop a potty is more proper. We were at a beachy/ grassy area one day and I thought he had to pee but he wound up pooping on some nearby grass. I cleaned it up the best I could but didn't like the experience one bit. I don't think any of the other beach goers even knew anything weird was going on. I just felt like I tainted a public area with toxic human waste.

Eli is a very smart little thing. He would go on strike inside on his potty because he learned I would take him outside to pee off the deck if he held out long enough.

It's a free society, you're welcome to think I'm crazy but let me just say this. I believe strongly that as parents we're all trying to do what we think it best for our children. I think we would all be much happier if we quit passing judgment upon others and just focused on loving and nurturing our children. There is nothing wrong with choosing to practice EC with our son. We chose to interact with him in this way and I believe we are bonded closer together because of it. It's a beautiful experience (who knew pee and poop could be beautiful?).

Having said that we shouldn't pass judgment upon each other let me say this: if you are still of the ilk to have have a strong opinion against it perhaps you are just projecting your shortcomings onto those who choose to EC. I hate to go all psychoanalyst on you but often times when we see that something is a good thing but for whatever reason choose not to do it ourselves it's easier to project negativity on others who do it than to admit the reasons why we don't do it. Worldwide millions of citizens have practiced this ancient form of potty whispering. Simply because it isn't our societal norm does not make our society is right.

I'm not big on conspiracy theories, but I do know this: there is relatively no money in getting a baby to pee on a potty. You need a potty. If you want to be all flashy and get all the bells and whistles to do it in style maybe you coud throw down a couple hundred dollars, but that's to have the special clothing, special potties, everything. There's no major industry driving EC so there's no major societal push to all turn infant led potty training. There is however big money in big the big diaper industry.

Through our entire journey I learned that babies are wonderfully intelligent and we don't give them the credit that they deserve for knowing as much as they do. They are much more present than most people realize and EC offered a glimpse into how wonderously "with it" they are from birth. This is an incredibly fun way to interact with my son and I now wonder what people "do" with babies all day if they're not tuned into them and watching for pees and poops. The amount of personal interaction, language development and touch that Eli received from being interacted with that often to be put on the potty was really incredible. I am so glad I began this fun EC'ing with my son. I know he's happy because of it, I saved money and helped do my part to lessen my footprint on this precious earth. Thank you Dr. Phil.