diaper free?

Natural infant hygiene, elimination communication….so what…. are you going to become a potty whisperer??

It is possible I guess…….. just as it is possible to have a baby pee on you in the process or a 13 month old give the poopy signal, then kick her potty, laugh madly and run away. 

I read the book ‘Diaper Free The Gentle Wisdom of Natural Infant Hygiene’ before my daughter was born and was convinced that this would fit in with my natural birth that was to come, expert breastfeeding skills and super napping/sleeping baby who would also happen to be potty trained by 9 months.

One c-section, motilium prescription and may sleepless nights later I came to realize that trying to go without a diaper felt anything but free. It felt like new Mommy overload. So I stopped, but I didn’t stop paying attention, and I had a diaper as my wingman, allowing me to relax and watch my baby and see her signs and notice that almost exactly 20 minutes after every feeding it was time to go.

I was amazed and excited!! So a little older and wiser and with the help of a wonderful Baba we started again. It was nothing more than sitting on the potty after eating, reading a book and seeing what happened. There have been more misses than hits, but along the way she has learned to tell me when she has to go, and although at 17 months she has far too much exploring and climbing to do there is still the occasional victory, and I know that when she is ready it will be a much easier transition then if this was something new and unknown.

So, to you mamas who are debating cloth vs disposables perhaps you can add another choice to the mix……..and it need not even be one or the other, but it can be something you do in tandem. I am a total part-time communicator and it allows me to not get down on the misses, but delight in one less diaper in the garbage or one more shared experience with my daughter. 

So read about it, talk about it and try it out if you want!

If nothing else, trying elimination communication will open your eyes, make you laugh and  marvel even more at the amazing things these little people can do.