Elimination Communication GIVEAWAY {Closed}
We were happy to host this elimination communication giveaway! Our goals were to spread awareness of elimination communication and help one lucky winner get their baby geared up and ready to go. The giveaway is over, but the comments are still valuable. Please scroll to the bottom and read people's tips for those starting elimination communication.
Our EC Journey
In our household, elimination communication, a.k.a. natural infant hygiene, is a natural part of our daily activities. My husband and I first encountered the EC lifestyle while traveling in India, where naked babies are a common sight. In China we saw many bare baby bottoms peeking out of split crotch pants. I was intrigued by the idea of an alternative to reliance on diapers.
When we returned home, I read Diaper Free: The Gentle Wisdom of Natural Infant Hygiene
When our son was born, there were so many things to figure out as a first time mom. Breastfeeding was top priority. Then came sorting out our cloth diapering system. During the first few weeks, our EC efforts consisted of making the cue sound "psss" whenever we noticed our baby peeing and a couple sessions of modified diaper-free time with a prefold and diaper belt to watch for signals.
When our son was around one-month-old, I decided it was time to get serious about EC and start offering pottytunities. It felt like I had to figure things out all on my own. Was popping off during a feeding a signal? Or did I have too strong of a milk let down? It was a timely coincidence that not long after, I learned of the book Go Diaper Free: A Simple Handbook for Elimination Communication
My EC relationship with my son keeps evolving along the way. He is now 10-months-old, and I am happy that EC has been a part of our daily routine for most of his life. It offers another avenue for responsive attachment parenting, and it is an environmentally friendly way to respond to a baby's elimination needs. At first I was shy to tell people that I was going to let my baby pee in the potty, instead of just in diapers. I wanted to prove to myself that EC works and I did not want to brag, only to take one step forward and two steps back. It was a bit of an accident the first time that I publicly announced that I was attempting EC with my son. I had just rejoined the conversation taking place in my local baby group, after yet another pottytunity/ diaper change break with my son, who was only a couple months old. And "lo and behold", they were discussing infant potty training! I blurted out, "You practice EC too?!". I was so happy to think that I was not alone. But the other mom's reply was, "No, I don't do EC, I was just telling the group about it.". Bummer. And now the cat was out of the bag.
As the months progressed, my confidence in natural infant hygiene increased. I stopped caring what people in public restrooms thought and stopped whispering the cue sounds. I was prepared with a response in case anyone questioned me. "Hey, at least my 5-month-old pees on cue in a public toilet." But I never did encounter any negative comments about EC. The main thing missing at the start of our family's EC adventure was a local support group. People I could meet in person to swap stories and advice. I had found a wonderfully supportive international EC Facebook group, but I still wanted to actually meet another EC'ing family. So I started a local support group and have been pleasantly surprised by the interest friends and acquaintances have expressed in learning about elimination communication. And we even met another family that has been practicing EC since their son was born!
If you are considering venturing down the EC path or are just starting, I want to reassure you that you are not alone. EC is a natural and normal way to respond to your baby's needs. It's common throughout many non-Western cultures. And who knows, your neighbor may also be taking their baby to the potty. If you are ready to dive in, this elimination communication giveaway can get your baby geared up and ready to go! And for you EC pros, you will also appreciate these EC friendly prizes. To those who practice EC, please share the knowledge, so we can all feel a bit more at ease while practicing EC.
Elimination Communication Giveaway Prize Pack
One lucky winner will receive this exciting Elimination Communication Prize Pack worth $90!
| Potty (color and brand may vary) | A potty is one of the most useful tools for EC! |
| Potty by Leslie Patricelli | A fun board book to read while your baby sits on the potty. |
| Cotton diaper belt and rECtangle, courtesy of EC Wear | A diaper belt can be worn around your baby's waist to hold a prefold cloth diaper in place. A rECtangle is a simple diaper cover to pair with a diaper belt or Li'l Baby Chaps. Diaper belts and rECtangles make pottytunities or diaper changes easy. |
| $20 gift certificate for Poquito Pants, courtesy of Wonderbaby Designs | Poquito Pants are cloth training pants that hold one wet and are especially designed for babies who use the potty. Sizes run from newborn to 3+ years. |
| Bright Solid 4-pack legwarmers for babies | These bright legwarmers are suitable for ages 3 months to 6 years and are a convenient way to dress your baby for EC. |
Enter the Elimination Communication Giveaway
Rules
This giveaway is open to U.S. residents who are 18 years of age or older. Only one entry per person. The giveaway is open from 12:00am HST on October 13, 2014, until 12:00am HST on October 24, 2014. One winner will be randomly drawn using Rafflecopter. The winner will be notified by email and will have 5 days to respond with their mailing address, or another winner will be chosen. The winner will also be announced on this webpage. Prizes will be mailed to the winner's street address within the 50 United States. Some prizes will ship separately. Your information will be used only for contacting you if you win and for notifying sponsors, so they can fulfill prizes. Natural Beauty Lifestyle is not responsible for sponsors who do not fulfill their prizes. The winner is responsible for payment of any taxes due on the value of the prize pack ($90). Amazon, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest are in no way associated with this giveaway. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law.
Winner
And the winner is: Courtney L!
"I wanted to thank you again for these prizes! The potty is so awesome and the perfect size for my little guy. We had only used the EC hold on the potty so far so it is so neat to have him sit on his potty. The little leggings are cute and the board book is so funny but so appropriate!" -Courtney
Please comment with either (1) why you are interested in trying EC, or if you already practice EC (2) tips you have for those starting EC.
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Read books like Diaper Free Baby and join support groups. I was intimidated and had no clue on how to start and these two things helped me feel I could do it. Five months later EC is working great for us.
Thanks for the giveaway! For those thinking to begin, don’t be concerned that you have to do it all the time. Start with after morning and nap wake-up to pee on a potty or in the sink. Put baby on the toilet facing you to hear you pee – it’s an easy way to offer since baby probably comes with you to the bathroom anyhow. It almost always works for my baby even when he doesn’t really have to go 🙂
My advice is to just trust your gut. So many times I thought my son might be showing a signal, but second guessed myself and then I missed. Be confident that you understand your baby and just give it a try!
I started EC when baby was 3 months old. He is now 6 months old but having a hard time concentrating bc he is more mobile and we have the wrong size potty for him. These resources would be much appreciated in our EC journey
My tips for people new to EC – don’t be afraid to start early. For baby #2 I will start at newborn. And also don’t push it – let baby guide you and don’t show any frustration bc baby will pick up on it
My advice is to not feel like you have to completely abandon diapers and do this 24/7! You can do it slowly – only while at home, or only for a few hours on the weekend. Slowly but surely you and your baby will slowly get the hang of it and before you know it, you’ll be ECing for longer stretches and even on the go!
We are successful with many catches when baby wakes up in the morning and from naps. I can’t seem to catch the in-between ones! I think I’m just missing his cues.
I would encourage newbies not to stress the misses, or even the missed pottytunities! We are having great success with our number 7 child, who we EC’ed VERY part time (which was all we could manage in our household). Consistency is key- even once a day will lead to success. Don’t be intimidated by the full-timers if your schedule just won’t allow it. Any EC is better than no EC;)
Always offer and don’t get discouraged! Don’t mistake babe’s fussing for him/her not wanting to go. You’ll be surprised! It really does work! Babies are SMART.
We’ve been practicing EC since LO was 6 weeks old and I read about it in Mayim Bialik’s (sp?) Book. Wish I’d known about it earlier! Best advice is to keep with it. There will be great days and challenging days but it’s worth it!
Ec advice from a ec mom. Don’t give up. Potty pauses will happen. Buy some cheap towels. Everybody pees. Don’t let the family pressure get to you. Buy some leg warmers. Get a stool you like to sit on in the bathroom yourself. Be prepared to pee in a tiny potty. And most of all…let it be fun. Its about relationship, not about the poo.
Great giveaway!! My tips are to not under estimate what your kiddo is able to understand and communicate, and to remember ec doesn’t need to be all or nothing. Every opportunity counts, even if some days you end up changing 10 diapers!!
I am excited to give this a shot. I have considered it for a while now and we are ready to take the leap!
Hi, I am entering for my sister and her little one, who I introduced to ec. I loved ec with my three girls. I always say to be relaxed about it, and let ec be part of your daily rhythm. Misses happen.
I’m ECing my 3rd baby right now, and it has been a different journey for all 3. Keep it about the journey and the communication, and not about the misses and successes. Then your relationship with your baby flourishes no matter how successful you are at early potty learning. When the focus is on communication, you will both enjoy it and will probably be more successful in catches as well.
An EC gear tip to help save on diaper laundry: Get a bunch of small fabric squares/rectangles (I cut up one of those large flat diapers), and you can lay one in a diaper as a liner. If a baby pees, of course everything will get wet. But if you just miss the very beginning of a poop (i.e. there’s only a small mark on the liner, and the diaper isn’t wet), you can just swap out the liner cloth and not have to change the whole diaper.
I’m expecting my fourth baby in February, and we’ve done some version of EC with all of my kiddos. A basic piece of advice for folks thinking of trying it – yes, EC is simple, but getting “equipment” like an appropriately-sized potty and EC-friendly diapers (yes, the Snappi can make the difference between it working and not working!) is completely worth it. I tried to do it with Snappi’d prefolds and pull-on wool covers, using only the toilet as a receptacle, with my first son, and I was so frustrated!
We are currently EC-ing our third child. I guess my advice would be to get a seat reducer. I don’t know why I waited until my third kid to get a seat reducer, but it takes so much less cleaning!
we started EC when my now almost 16mo was 2mo! Honestly it started because I was hand washing cloth diapers and wanted to lighten my load, but it quickly turned into such a wonderful experience of communication and bonding that I never imagined could exist with an infant! Love this practice so much.
My three-month-old and I are avid ECers. It’s been quite the experience but I wouldn’t have done it any other way, and I plan on doing it until he’s potty trained.
We’ve been practicing EC since my son was 6 weeks old (we had a c-section and I wanted to be healed up pretty well before getting started). It’s been a journey of ups and downs. He’s never been great at telling us when he needs to go, and we had a potty pause for months where I would only get 1 pee a week- but it’s been steady progress overall. On good days we would get 7-10 pees or he would be dry for 8 hours straight. Now he is 20 months and we have switched to more conventional potty training mode. It’s been an easy transition. If you get burned out doing EC, take a more relaxed approach but keep up with it!
Don’t stress about timelines! Actually, just don’t stress in general. 🙂
My biggest tip that has made all the difference in our ec journey is nursing my little one while she’s on the potty. It’s a chance to multi-task and have her over the potty relaxed for a long period of time. At 2 months, she’s starting to go right away once she’s on the potty now that she knows what’s going on.
I started with my twins late at 15 months and try to just have them be diaper less as much as possible to cue them to go, but by no means as diligent as most EC mamas. I wish!
I’m interested in starting EC with my daughter and regret that I didn’t find out about it sooner. As I was reading about EC for the first time, I kept thinking, “It just makes so much sense”. It seems natural and logical, and I noticed my daughters cues from birth, but didn’t realize that I could use them in a way that was better than just saying that I’m going to need to change a diaper in a minute. Here’s hoping we can still have a successful journey.
We are ECing our firstborn. He is about 9 months, just started crawling, and I think we’re in a bit of a frustrating phase right now. 🙁 This prize pack would sure life my spirits!
We are just starting EC with our new baby but had a great time with our first born and she is excited to help with the little one.
We are part-timers. With 3 kids, it’s tougher to juggle everyone’s needs and get baby on the potty, especially on the go.
I have been ECing for the first time with my first child she is now 7 months. We started from the time she was a newborn. There are times we are spot on and never miss a potty time and then there are times when her cues change and I go days with missing it. and it can be discouraging and frusterating to learn all over again her new cues but at the same time so rewarding to not have to change a poopy diaper. I love ECing because its also a fun time to just bond with her. This prize pack would be awesome for us because it would help our process further and help us get better at ECing.
I started ECing about 2 months after my son was born and I’ve been doing it off and on, a part time EC’r. The reason I became interested in ECing was I didn’t like the idea of my son walking around in a poopy diaper. My input is to take it easy and be relaxed about the process. I took a 1 month break and started again (really relaxed about it all) and we catch some and I’m happy about the once in awhile catches.
I have not successfully completed EC with a child, but I am pregnant again and hopefully be more successful this time around.
Don’t get too attached to the outcome. Do EC when your child wants to, and make it clear that she can use her diaper when she wants to. EC is amazing as long as it’s used as a way to communicate/connect, and not a way to pressure. It’s a fine line, but also an important balance and an important message to young ones that they helps them connect with their own bodies.
I’ve been thinking about doing this! I’d love to win the pack :). I’m 17 weeks pregnant and also have a two year old son.
What a fantastic package! We’ve EC’d our second and third kiddos and absolutely loved it — the one thing I wish I had known when I was learning about EC? No time is “perfect” — if you’re interested, jump in and give it a try! EC isn’t an all-or-nothing proposition; in fact, we part-time EC’d our son (2nd kid), and he was wearing big boy undies at 17 mo old (and night dry a few months after that).
Don’t stress about misses, it is counterproductive! And remember that the communication is the most important part. The “potty training” is just a natural consequence of good elimination *communication*. It comes on its own with patience.
I do EC with my 13 month old, and my recommendation is not stress out about it. When it happens, it happens, and, if not, things will move one!
I started ec’ing with my 3rd child and it was wonderful! My 4th child came along and i started the communication immediately. He’s doing great and I’ve seriously considered starting a local group as well, just because there are so many people who would benefit from this type of lifestyle. 🙂
My advice is to try it even though it’s outside the norm, it’s actually super fun.
Focus on the positive, don’t stress about misses or potty strikes, the day will come far too quickly when they will be pros. Love the process and communication. Don’t expect them to “graduate” at a specific time/age. They will be ready in their own time. Love, love, love!
Awesome giveaway! My daughter just turned one and I have just started looking into ec! This would be perfect for us!
EC is great, helps a lot with cleanup… at least when you catch the poop in the toilet.
I am practicing it now! It seems so much more practical and sanitary than encouraging your child to use the diaper for elimination.
I started with my boy around four months and he and I were doing great and understanding each other, but my husbands job took us on the road for two months and it was difficult to keep up with it. I am looking forward to diving back in soon, just at a little older age. I love the idea of natural infant hygiene and I tell anyone who is willing to listen. In fact I have a baby shower this weekend that I just might give her a pamphlet!
I started with our second child around 12 weeks. If I had it to do again, I would have started sooner. I kept waiting for life to seem easier (our first is just 18 months older than the second and we spend A LOT of time in our car/away from toilets because we are farmers who sell direct at farmers markets). The potette plus travel potty has been wonderful for us–we used it as a stand alone and also on top of the toilet. Now that she is bigger (1 year old) we leave it in the car so we always have something ready and she almost always goes when we put her on it.
Keep it laid back, keep communication and meeting baby’s needs as the goals (rather than focusing on the potty or getting out of diapers), and remember that while gear can absolutely make things easier, ec doesn’t require any special equipment. Follow baby’s lead. 🙂
I have part time EC’d my now 18 month old son since he was 6 weeks old. Tips: know that there will be potty pauses, or strikes and they may last months. Hang in there, keep offering with no pressure, and they will come back to it. My 18 m old now takes himself to the potty chair as needed, if I let him be naked butted. That happened after a 6 month strike…. so ya never know. Don’t take it too seriously, either. Every catch, whether it’s once a week or once an hour, is a win. No win too small!
I need those leg warmers for my naked butt baby! Winter is coming …
Don’t give up. Especially if you’re a part-timer. Stay consistent with sounds and signs. I slacked on that with my second baby and he only just started signing after he has a miss.
I started EC without knowing that was an actual method, just followed what my Chinese parents and relatives always did. We started out part time but the more she would go “on cue” the more encouraging it would be! Keep offering but don’t push it if they fight it, because you don’t want it to be a negative experience. And give praise… Eliana will always clap for herself on the toilet after she’s gone.
And find what works for your child. For example, even though we bought a baby potty and seat reducer, for some reason, she will only go if i hold her over the big toilet seat. Might be the extra sensory cue of her butt hanging down!
We practice EC with my 7 month old and have since birth. My advice is don’t stress or make it complicated. Just hold baby over the toilet at regular intervals at first until you get the hang of his cues.
Trying to EC my second child. Have a late start, but I remain optimistic.
Have been Experimenting w EC for about a week with my 8 wk old daughter and I’m a huge fan. The way I see it is any catch is a success no matter how many misses are in between them – it’s worth it!