Elimination Communication-What is it?

What is Elimination Communication

Elimination Communication is a toilet training practice devised to be used on babies from as young as birth. A parent or carer gives cues or looks for signals that the baby wants to eliminate waste.It can be started at birth but is known to be effective on babies of any age.
The goal of Elimination communication is to partially or completely negate the use of nappies and to enable the childs parent or carer to tune into the baby’s inate rhythms and tune in to the need to urinate and defacate
The term Elimination communication was inspired by the nappiless societies of less industrialised countries or hunter gatherer communities

Origins of Elimination Communication

The terms elimination communication and natural infant hygiene were coined by Ingrid Bauer and are both used frequently in her book Diaper Free! The Gentle Wisdom of Natural Infant Hygiene (2001). Bauer travelled to India and Africa where she noticed mothers carrying nappyless babies on their backs without any elimination accidents. A vast difference to the western culture of using nappies fromb irth and going through the rigmarole of potty training at about the age of 2-3.
Bauer practiced this method with her own children and decided to let people know about it via her book and website earlier publications on this subject were
Conscious Toilet Training, by Laurie Boucke (1979)
Trickle Treat: Diaperless Infant Toilet Training Method, by Laurie Boucke (1991)
Elimination Timing, by Natec (1994)
Infant Potty Training: A Gentle and Primeval Method Adapted to Modern Living, by Laurie Boucke (2000)

How To Do Elimination Communication

There are four main components to Elimination Communication and you generally use all of them at the same time. They are timing, signal, cues and intuition.
Timing
This refers to the timing of the infants need to eliminate. Newborns will urinate every 10- 20 mins whereas when they get to 6 months its not uncommon for them to go an hour without. it also is dependent on when the baby eats and drink. The need to ‘poo’ will vary greatly from child to child.
Signals
Signals are the babys way of ‘informing’ the parent or carer of the need to eliminate. Some babies give clear signals wheras in others the signals may be subtle. Signals include facial expressions, a cry, a sudden fussiness or grunting and passing wind.
Cueing
This is the parent or carers way of ‘telling’ the baby that he/she is in the appropriate place to eliminate, it encourages the 2 way communication of the process and also teaches the baby to associate the cue to the relevant action for example the word ‘pee pee’ or ‘psss’ can be used to encourage urination and a grunting sound could be used when you want the baby to poo.It is helpful when you start to make these sounds while you’re baby is eliminating to help them make the association and help them ‘catch on’.
Intuition
This refers to the parent or carers unprompted thought that the baby may need to eliminate, many say that you are responding subconciously to the cues from the baby, but many parents find this an important componant in Elimination Communication Training.

People who use Elimination communiation may also choose to use nappies , its just the way in which they use them that is different , they may choose to use just in public or just in case, some people only prqactice EC when at hoime.

Advantages of Elimination Communication

Elimination Communication reduces cost as you wont be buying nappies whether disposable or cloth
Reduces the risk of urinary tract infections
Promotes a better bond between parent and child
Reduces the risk of bedwetting in older children
Encourages the development of a trusting relationship with children through communication about a basic human need
Doesn’t require a lot of equipment or supplies.
Conventional toilet training starts with learning to “hold it” while elimination communication starts with learning to “let go.” This can make a big difference in a baby’s perception of elimination and of life in general.
Removes the risk of a conventional potty training struggle later

Disadvantages of Elimination Communication

Elimination communication can be messy whilst you are ‘learning’ your babies cues
Some people regard Elimination Communication as nothing more than very eary potty training, therefore putting undue stress on both parent/carer or child
Elimination Communication can cause frustration between carer and child should the cues and signals not be picked up
There is the privacy issue should your child decide they want to eliminate in a public place
It is difficult to get someone to continue this should you need to leave your child with anyone as they wouldnt understand your child signals and your cues.