Parents say baby doesn’t use diapers and is fully potty trained at just 2-weeks-old
“On the Way”
Montana Lower and Tom Linwood from Byron Bay, Australia, left their professional lives to live a life with purpose. They hopped on their bus and went around the country to spread and inspire hope.
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One of the many things they had to learn was to live a more sustainable, eco-friendly life. But with a baby in two, things were challenging. They knew how many diapers a baby could consume in a week, so they found a solution through potty training their daughter. The key? Elimination Communication.
What is Elimination Communication?
According to Go Diaper Free, Elimination Communication (EC) “is a gentle, non-coercive way to respond to a baby’s natural hygiene needs, from as early as birth.” Simply put, babies communicate their needs to us through different signals. It’s like knowing what your baby’s cries mean (hungry, sleepy, or potty).
By looking closer at your child’s cues, you will know when they need to go to the potty. There is no cookie-cutter signal or method for it, nor is it a one-go success. You need to take note of cues and do a trial-and-error until you finally get the right one. It is your child, after all, so you know them best.
Potty training at two weeks old
Montana and Tom tried EC on Blue, and like other parents who tried it, it took them a whole day to get to know their daughter’s cue. Since then, they could tell when she’d go potty, and they could send her straight away.
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Of course, it’s not always as seamless as you might think. There were still some “accidents” at times, but at least with her being potty trained, they reap the benefits of doing so.
Why EC? The couple explains.
As parents, Montana and Tom did consider diving into EC before they tried it on Blue. They realized that it had a lot of benefits.
For one, it is easier, more convenient, and very eco-friendly with fewer diapers to dispose of or fewer resources (water, soap, etc.) consumed to wash cloth diapers.
It also teaches empowerment as it forms a bond between parent and child and a positive association with the child’s genitals. It’s too forward-thinking, but these parents already considered how their daughter would perceive her body when she grows up.
Some tips for doing EC potty training
The couple shared a few tips that they did with Blue in their EC journey. Aside from getting familiar with the cues, they prepared a plastic portable potty for the baby to sit on.
Once you recognize the cue, you can do a squatting position with the baby, so they would know what going to the potty looks like. If it seems complicated, you can sit on the floor and bend your knees, place the portable potty between or on your knees and let the child sit. You can also carry your child along with the potty.
If you are in other people’s houses, you can do the first position stated above but face the toilet. When the baby grows bigger and heavier, you can sit on the toilet and let the baby sit on your lap.
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Source: On the Way by Montana Lower YouTube Channel, Montana Lower Instagram Page, Go Diaper Free