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From Shell, in NZ, with Tommy, 6 months |
We began EC at birth, making a cueing sound whenever we noticed Tommy peeing (if his nappy was off). We had planned to go full-time nappy-free from the start, but he arrived, and I utterly couldn't get my head around it. Though I had read of many other people's successes, I couldn't really imagine that *I* would succeed with EC, since I am terribly distracted, and this was going to be my first baby I really stuck to.
Now, at nearly 6 months - we are doing really well. Tommy was nappy-free at home from 7 weeks, and entirely from 12 weeks.
He regularly wakes up naked in a dry bed- I put him on the potty after most of his night feeds (up until this week he was still waking every 2 hours). Through the day we can have anything from 0-7 misses...usually around 3, and they often happen all in 10 crazy minutes first thing in the morning.
What EC means for us is that we have as baby with no nappy-rash, no hindrance to his movements. It has saved us untold in cash, and we are super flexible...when I need to leave the house in a hurry- it is simple- I have no need of nappies, or even training pants (for most places we visit). Te most essential item I take is the sling. he has *never* peed on me in the sling.
Tommy can go out for up to 2 or 3 hours without peeing at all, if he is in the sling. he has also never peed in the car seat, except on one horrible occasion in holiday traffic where there was nowhere to pull over (on a 5 hour trip).
The best thing, though, is the bond- sometimes he only needs to look at me, and I know he is needing to use the potty or toilet...and he does! My husband loves it too...he was initially very sceptical, and thought it seemed like madness to bring African traditions to the West! He caught his first pee when Tommy was 6 weeks old, and he has never looked back...they are very, very close, and dh has (this time round) not had the urge to become involved by feeding EBM to his little baby.
To think I cleaned poop for nearly 4 years with my first two babies...yuck! I soooo wish I had heard of this earlier, and now I feel like telling the whole world!
Shell (in NZ) and Tommy (nearly 6 months, dob: 11.11.06)
Posted on May 06 2007 at 6:20 PM
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