I'm interested in ECing our baby due at the end of May, but I'm not sure when we should start. Would it be better to wait several weeks to get past the pp stage and initial figuring out how to care for a baby stage? Or is it best to start from the very beginning?
NooneeWilga
04-15-2010, 02:56 PM
Immediately after birth is a great time to begin EC - however it is MUCH more important to get breastfeeding well established and for you to recover from the birth and to not stress about it. The good thing is that other carers can "hold out" the baby too so that the baby can begin from birth but you don't need to do it all.
poppys_mommy
04-16-2010, 03:02 AM
We started 2 days after we got home from the hospital. We hadn't anticipated it, but had done the research (like you have) and it just seemed like she was about to poop so I thought, "Why not take her to the bathroom?" It worked beautifully!
My advice is just to do it as much as you can, whenever it suits your life. If the first few weeks end up crazy and it doesn't happen, don't worry about it. ECing (at least the way we do it) is always a win.... use the diaper back-up, that's normal... use the potty, bonus!
(Of course, having a potty aware kid did result in me running across disneyland last week looking for a bathroom so my now 14 month old could go. LOL) :)
SummerQueen
04-16-2010, 03:17 AM
Hi,
with my second baby I started when he was about 6 weeks old. We did great, I didn't use any diapers for the whole summer and he had very few accidents.
When it started to get colder we went to diapering and potty-training (he was about 7 months then)
honey2two
04-16-2010, 05:51 AM
To SummerQueen
let me start by saying.. who knew there was a name for this? LOL I always took my babies to the potty from 3 months(ish) whenever they started to grunt. Worked great as far as getting them used to where it's supposed to happen and not having funky poopy dipes to deal with. (I didn't know you could do it for pee too... I have no idea how you'd know they need to go.) But my question is if you went without dipes for 6 months and then started using them, didn't that defeat the purpose... or do I just not understand the mission?
I'm a grandmother now and would love to pass on any little gems I can for my girls.
thanks,
Jennifer aka Honey
susan6070
05-16-2010, 10:57 AM
I didn't know there was a term for this! WOW! We started EC with my LO when he was 3 months old. My mother was the one who initiated it. She takes care of him while we're at work during the day. She said that's how she trained all her children to go potty and we were all potty trained by 1 year old! Crazy! I think it's never too early to start. I could not have done it during the first month because I was so sleep deprived, had a hard time with BF, etc.
christen
05-17-2010, 11:54 AM
I'm SO new to this, but from what I've read (not here) you should start as early as possible, including catching the meconium during the first few days after birth. However, I DEFINITELY agree that your #1 priority should be to get BF established then rest and recovery for you! With my DD, I ALWAYS knew when she was about to poop so I should have done this from the start (kicking myself for not doing it) - ugh!
songbird516
05-17-2010, 06:05 PM
I started when claire was 5 days old- basically after my mom and all the visitors left. i didn't see any point personally in waiting any longer. By the time we visited my parents' house at 2 weeks we were catching about 60%, maybe more :)
MrsS
05-17-2010, 06:53 PM
Last time I started right at 4 months and after that rarely had a poopy diaper to change till she started walking! (We had some potty pauses then).
This time around I plan on starting LOW key at birth. :) I realize now how easy EC really is. It isn't a stressful thing. It is a catch as catch can! It makes life easier for you not harder.
I can't tell you how wonderful it is that my 19 month old rarely ever poops in her diaper. She generally goes on the potty and we are very relaxed about potty opportunities but she is def. into them and knows what to do---doesn't fear the potty like most at that age.
ECing makes life simpler and who wouldn't want their baby to not have to sit in their poo?!
