Elimination Communication

Hey Y'all:

The truth is that you do learn something new everyday! I am the proud mommy of three, oldest of nine and have loved kids for as long as I can remember but I have never ever heard of Elimination Communication. By the title alone I can tell you upfront that you are about to learn something new today thanks to MrsDeveter.

A couple of nights ago I was one among a standing room only Tribeca Film Center; New York Women in Film & Television screening. A co-worker of mines happened to be in a documentary titled Latching On: The Politics of Breastfeeding in America which was an awesome film by Katja Esson. It gave insightful information on breastfeeding and the social and cultural forces that helped replace mother's milk with formula produced by a billion dollar industry. Latching On was really eye opening and educational.

The first movie however that was shown was titled My Toxic Baby by Min Sook Lee. My Toxic Baby was a 46 minute documentary by a new mother who discovered that baby bottles include a chemical byproduct linked to impaired health and serious diseases, this discovery lead her on a journey that exposes the hidden dangers lurking in infant bath soaps, diaper rash creams, teething toys and many other products for children. Within this documentary were women who practice green living and most importantly (to the post anyway)

Elimination Communication

Is a toilet training practice in which a caregiver uses timing, signals, cues, and intuition to address an infant's need to eliminate waste. Caregivers try to recognize and respond to babies' bodily needs and enable them to urinate and defecate in an appropriate place (e.g. a potty). Caregivers either use diapers as a back-up in case of misses, avoid the use of of them altogether, or do a mixture of the two. EC emphasizes communication between the caregiver and child, helping them both become more attuned to the child's innate rhythms and control of urination and defecation. The practice can be done full time, part time, or just occasionally. The term "elimination communication" was inspired by traditional practices of diaper-less baby care in less industrialized countries and hunter-gatherer cultrues. Some practitioners of EC begin soon after birth, although it can be started with babies of any age.

I have NEVER heard of this. Now y'all know that I've been talking abut potty training the twins for months now (actually going to happen this month as they are heading down to Nana for the ultimate crash course!) but had I known about EC I would have been well ahead of the curve with some money in my pocket!!! While watching My Toxic Baby there were women who gathered together to talk about their decision to use EC which I think is the coolest thing. When this description says babies that's exactly what it means... little tiny infants are potty trained. The parents watch their children and know when they need to go! Can you imagine? It seems to me that this can only work if you are a stay at home parent or if your child is with a nanny or someone who is watching them like a hawk. I can't even figure out how to train the twins much less watch them long enough to know what they do when they have to go (except for Leah she is very vocal when she has to 'go') EC is really amazing to me and if I had known about it I think I would have tried it out.

Check out this clip


Until next time...
MUAH!