TEN reasons every parent should consider EC (Elimination Communication
I first heard the term EC (or Elimination Communication) when my second child was 2 and already potty-trained. I was interested in the possibility that a newborn could actually express their need to "eliminate"! Why had I never been taught that before?? It made complete sense that they can express their need for sleep and for food. Why not elimination needs as well? I was determined that when I had another baby, I was going to try it out and see if I could really do it. I consider myslef open-minded and am game for just about anything that involves saving time, money and the environment. Well, EC does all three! Here is a bit of my experience and why I would recommend it to everyone!
1: ECing makes cloth diapering so much easier
The main reason I was going to use cloth diapers with my third child was because I was astounded at the upward costs of disposable diapers. Back in 2006 when my second child was born, I could find disposables on sale for about 10 cents each. Doing the math these days, the cost of disposables had doubled! Being a stay-at-home mom, I couldn't see wasting such money on disposables when cloth diapering was a much cheaper option. When my third child was born (on 10/10/10) I used disposables for about 4 weeks since they had been given to me. Plus, I wasn't too excited about having to wash poopy cloth diapers! (What we do to save money and the environment!) After a couple weeks of rinsing and washing poopy diapers, I was fed up! I didn't know much about EC, but it was time to learn! My daughter was 6 weeks old when I started. She is now almost 8 months, and she does so good, I only have to do a load of diapers once a week since she rarely pees in them. My cloth diaper stash consists of about 15 diapers, so it's not huge. And although she does pee once in a while, she doesn't ever poop in her diaper! That makes my life, as a cloth-diapering mom, SO much easier! I MUST add that even if cloth diapering is not something you would do, you can still do EC! EC can be practiced with disposables as well! Even if your child goes on the potty only 50 percent of the time, that is 50 percent LESS diapers that you have to buy, change, and dispose of!
2: Parent/child bond is amazing
The day my 6-week old daughter and I first started EC, I could feel this unexplainable bond that was so amazing. I had not expected it to be that strong, and I knew that she felt it as well. I am sure that she was aware that I was more in tune with her signals and fusses. I did notice that she wanted to be held A LOT more, but that only lasted a few days. Many people say that the bond between a breast-feeding mother and her baby is very strong, and I am very familiar with that, having nursed all 3 of my children from birth. This emotional bond was even stronger than that! Seriously!
3: It takes less patience than changing thousands of diapers AND potty-training a toddler
The one thing I hear the most from other momswhen discussing EC is, "I am just not that patient." I admit it does take a small amount of patience to EC at the beginning, but once mom and baby get the hang of it, it's really nothing compared to first training them to go in their diaper, then having to change the diapers frequently for years, and THEN in 2 or 3 years having to UNtrain them so they don't go in their diaper anymore. Now, that, I just don't have patience for.
4: No poopy diapers to change!
Is there anyone out there who enjoys changing (or washing) a poopy diaper? Assuming that there isn't, then this alone should be a great reason that EC is worth the effort! I can't guarantee that you or your child will pick this up and have 100% success 100% of the time, but it sure helps!
5: It is cleaner
If you use cloth, you can imagine how much cleaner diapering would be if you didn't have to deal with all those BM's! There are many pieces of fancy equipment and different techniques that I am not familiar with. For, example, I have heard stories from others that use a "pressured sprayer" to get poop off the diaper. Some have had the experience of the pressure being too great and as they spray, poop goes places other than the desired destination (being the toilet). Let me assure you that this doesn't happen if you are practicing EC and your child goes in the toilet! No messes or stained clothes due to "blowouts", and no stinky garbage pails to worry about. Therefore, a better-smelling house and baby!
6: No preventable diaper rashes for baby
There are few things worse than seeing your baby in pain and not being able to help them or soothe them. Diaper rashes are seemingly very painful, and can take several days to heal. Costly creams and ointments are needed to help soothe the rash that could have been prevented in the first place. Many parents have seen diaper rashes caused by a reaction of some kind due to a certain food the child ate. Poop is not something that is supposed to be on the delicate skin of a baby. I understand that there are other causes for different kinds of diaper rashes that may not be preventable, but I am not talking about those kinds. Put bodily waste where it is supposed to go, not in a diaper where it comes in contact with baby's skin for long periods of time.
7: Baby learns more control, so they go less frequently
I think that pretty much sums it up, but let me explain what I have experienced about this. I have seen and read things about how often diapers are "supposed" to be changed. Having worked at a daycare for many years, I consider myself quite experienced in diaper changing. (Huge accomplishment, I know! LOL!) It is recommended that diapers be changed as soon as they are soiled. There were even daycares that required diaper changes every hour on the hour even if the diaper was not wet. Not sure why that was necessary, but rules are rules. Before I started EC with my baby, she would have dry diapers that had to be changed just because there was a tiny bit of BM in the diaper that I didn't want sticking to her skin. Since this was when I was using cloth diapers, I got a bit annoyed and was washing them quite frequently. I did start using strips of fleece for a liner that way I just had to change the liner and not the enitre diaper. However, when we started EC, this problem immediately changed. There was no more tiny amounts of poop in her diaper, she was wetting less frequently and therefore staying dry for longer periods of time. I did read that sometimes, some foods will make them urinate more often, but this only happens every so often. So as of right now, she usually goes to the bathroom every 2 or 3 hours. During the night, she wakes up when she has to go, nurses afterward and goes right back to sleep. This is usually only two or three times in a ten hour period. Many times, she doesn't even open her eyes! I love the fact that she never has to sit in a dirty diaper. I am assuming that she loves it as well!
8: Better for the environment
Everyone knows how bad those disposable diapers in the landfill. They take MANY years to break down, and never fully decompose. BMs aren't supposed to be wadded up and thrown way. I am pretty sure there are sewer treatment plants for a reason. But, since no one is taught that the poop is actually supposed to be dumped out of the diaper into the toilet before disposing of it, landfills are not only filled with these chemically-filled "disposable" diapers, but with human waste as well. Lovely thought, I know!So, like I said before, how about we all put it where it is supposed to go, and better yet, use cloth so these disposable diapers are not continuing to cover our earth.
9: It can be practiced no matter what your schedule looks like!
Another awesome thing about EC is that it doesn't have to be "all-or-nothing". If you work during the day and are only with your child for the evening, you can still be in tune with your baby's needs and watch for their cues while you are with them. It's never to early or late to start, and even if you can save 2 diapers a day, that adds up! Maybe you will even be able to share your knowledge with your child care provider!EC can be practiced anywhere, but if you find it difficult to do while you are out and about, it's okay to let them g in their diaper! It won't set them back or ruin your hard work. However, I have noticed that my baby does not like to be wet at all, so it's almost easier for me to stop my shopping to take her to the bathroom, than to hear her screaming throughout the store because she is wet. I, then, have to stop and change her anyway! Funny how that works.
10: Baby is happier!
I have a very happy baby. I attribute a lot of that to the fact that she knows I am trying my best to take care of her every need. I can tell that she is aware of the fact that I am in tune with her and she knows she can rely on me to help her when she is in need. Whether it is to feed her when she is hungry, to soothe her when she is sleepy, to comfort her when she is hurt, or to take her to the toilet when she needs to go potty. She is very content knowing that she doesn't need to act out in order for me to pay attention to her.
-Cherish Saurey
SAHM of 3 from Idaho Falls, ID
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