Thoughts on Second Child

[loki_quinn]

I started EC with my son from birth but it became really haphazard. I would try to catch things and get frustrated because he was so floppy and being a new mom I was scared to hold him in any position over a potty or sink because I thought it would hurt or be too cold--whathaveyou. Anyways, we started ECing almost full time when he was around five months old. It was great and I loved having less diapers to launder until he was out of them completely at eighteen months. He's now 27 months and I can count on one hand the amount of accidents he's had since then. I really felt like waiting those extra few months didn't delay him from letting me know when he needed to eliminate at all.

My daughter is two months old and couldn't be more different from my son elimination pattern wise. I've made a more conscious effort with her and I think I'm even more frustrated. She pees A LOT and in no discernible pattern with next to no cues. But she cries the very second she is wet--I've actually pulled her diaper off and had to let her finish going before changing! My son would stay dry all night and I could set him on the potty in the morning just fine. She pees at least twice at night and demands changing immediately. But since I'm asleep and she only wakes me up fussing AFTER the act has taken place I can't even attempt to pee her at night. Argh.

I was looking forward to reducing the diaper load sooner with her but I don't think its going to happen. Did anyone else have two little ones who were like night and day when it came to EC? I feel like I'm going into this EC relationship with her with a set of my son's proclivities and they are really messing us both up.

Advice?

[hollissmama]

I don't have two but Hollis was the same way with no signals really, just crying after the fact....He hated being wet. He still does it actually alot at night, he doesn't want to be on the potty at night but will be mad when he pees in his diaper so then he has to be changed before going back to sleep...very tiring for all of us, so I understand. I think with time she will develop patterns or you will pick up on them easier. I didn't start til he was almost two months and honestly I think it might be alittle overwhelming with a newborn. They pee so much it seems like. I would just use the times you catch her finishing up a pee as an oppurtunity to cue her and maybe just try when you are changing her anyway, less pressure. Hopefully others with two little ones will chime in with advice.

[sunnymw]

Yep, I'd just relax a bit. Whenever I found myself frustrated I would just cue DS as he went in his diaper. That way, even though he was going on himself, we would both still "acknowledge" what was going on, and change him right afterward.