Potty Training with Elimination Communication

I am pleased to have Laurie Boucke as a guest blogger today!  Laurie has a wealth of experience in natural potty training.  Enjoy!
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Infant potty training is a gentle and ancient means of toilet learning. It has several names because several of us mothers “discovered” it on our own and have written about it for different audiences. Other names include elimination communication, potty whispering, natural infant hygiene and assisted infant toilet training.


Babies are aware of the elimination function from birth and emit little signals before they have to go. But we don’t watch and listen. Communicating with your infant about this enhances bonding and reduces diaper use. The ideal time to start is between birth and 6 months, but you can start anytime up to about 2 years.

Here is how to get started:
1. Observation
Lay your undiapered baby in a comfortable, warm and safe place, then observe her:
a) timing (how long and how frequently she goes after waking or feeding)
b) body language
c) sounds
If you start with a toddler, you can use training pants or let the child go “nakey butt” while you are becoming familiar with these things.

2. Anticipation or Intuition
Anticipate when your infant needs to go, then at that moment, make a watery sound such as "sssss" or use whatever sound/words you prefer. Babies under 6 months start to associate this sound with elimination within a few days. It may take some weeks or months for toddlers.

3. Position & Toilet Place
When you think your infant needs to go, hold her gently and securely over a basin or other receptacle (or seat your toddler on a potty or the toilet) while giving an audible signal. Your child will soon associate the sound, position and place with elimination. Use whatever location and receptacle are most comfy and convenient.

4. Baby-Mother Communication

Continue to pay close attention to your child's timing and signals. When you think she needs to go, hold her in position and give your signal. If it is near time to go, infants are able to relax those muscles upon receiving your cues. Toddlers who have been trained to use diapers may take some weeks or months to catch on, so don’t be discouraged.

Fathers and caregivers can help. Infant pottying can be done on a part-time basis, as long as you are fairly consistent. For example, potty your child first thing in the morning and after his first meal; if you have time, potty him in the evening.

The environmental benefits are fabulous since parents gradually reduce the quantity of diapers over the months (most use diapers as a backup in between potty visits). This helps conserve resources such as trees and water, and it cuts down on landfill use.

Laurie Boucke wrote the first book ever on infant potty training in 1979 when she used it with her third child. Her most recent book is Infant Potty Training: A Gentle and Primeval Method Adapted to Modern Living (2008) and she co-produced a DVD entitled Potty Whispering: The Gentle Are of Infant Potty Training (2006)
http://www.white-boucke.com/IPTstuff.html“Infant Potty Training” book and “Potty Whispering” DVD
http://www.TimL.com/ipt Infant Potty Training Webring
http://www.pottywhisperer.com/
copyright 2009 Laurie Boucke, used with permission

Would You Like White or Wheat Bread?

White flour as we know it today is a product of the industrial revolution. Freshly ground whole grain flour goes rancid quickly because of the oil in the germ of the grain, which is, coincidentally, where nearly all of the nutrients are found. When food started becoming mass produced and shipped, flour needed to become shelf stable, so the bran and germ were removed and the remnant (called the middling) was ground and packaged. (Whole wheat flour that you buy on the shelf has just had the bran returned for fiber, but not the germ with the nutrients.) A problem arose when people consuming the white flour started becoming ill. They were missing the nutrients found in the germ and vitamin deficincies led to disease and health problems. That is when white flour became fortified with some basic nutrients such as niacin. The healthier alternative to eating fortified flour, of course, is to eat grain the way nature intended, whole, and grind it yourself. With the purchase of a grain mill, this is easy to do.

I use my own ground wheat flour in every recipe. I usually just substitute it for white flour without any other modifications, and we have come to prefer the denser texture and richer taste. The one consideration I make is to use hard white wheat for yeast breads and soft white wheat for quick breads, cookies, cakes, etc. I also grind rye, spelt, and corn, and there are numerous other grains/flours to experiment with.

One step further: grain is actually fairly difficult for the body to digest and you will hear of sprouting grain and soaking flour as a means of "predigesting" the grains to allow the body to better assimilate the nutrients they contain. Other cultures use this practice frequently and we used to much more so with the tradition of sourdough breads, even passing down a starter within families. An excellent book on this topic, and many others, that also includes recipes, is Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon.

Basic Whole Wheat Bread

1 1/2 Tbsp instant yeast

1/2 Tbsp gluten (optional)

1/2 Tbsp dough enhancer (optional)

1/2 Tbsp salt

1 1/2 c. warm water

1/4 c. honey

1/4 c. canola or olive oil

6 c. whole wheat flour

Mix all ingredients in a stand mixer on speed 2 for 9 min. Divide into two loaves, place in greased loaf pans. Let rise 15 min., bake at 350 for 30 min. Easy!

 

What do you think of this technique?  Would you try it?

Greenbaby series 3 of 5 - Cloth or Disposable Diapers?

If you are aiming to be green, using cloth diapers instead of disposables may seem like a no brainer. I don't believe, however, that the choice is that black and white. With disposables, you have to consider land fill waste, and chemical/gas use in manufacturing, shipping, and the associated packaging. With cloth diapers the main consideration is water use for washing, and some possible chemical use for cleaning. While water use may not seem to outweigh the factors involved with disposables, I have actually read research stating that, depending on where you live, it does. If you live in a place where land fill space is plentiful, but water resources are scarce, it was recommended that one use disposables. And vice versa. Using a cloth diaper service can reduce water/energy use for cleaning because they are able to be more efficient with washing large numbers of diapers at once. The drawback is that, most of the time, they will use some kind of bleach agent to disinfect between multiple customers, whereas at home you can use natural cleaners. Cloth diaper services are also considerably more expensive than washing your own.

There are some other good alternatives on the market today. My favorite is gbaby diapers (stands for green baby diapers) at http://www.gdiapers.com/gdiapers101 . They have reusable cotton covers with plastic free, biodegradable inserts. You can toss, flush, or compost the inserts. You get the best of both worlds - no washing, and no land fill waste. The only problem, for me, is the cost. It costs about $75 a month to diaper your baby in gbaby versus about $35 a month to use disposables. For someone like me, with two in diapers, I just can't swing $150 a month for diapers. So, as you can see, there are many factors to consider when deciding on diapering practices and the same choice isn't going to be best for everyone. We need to look at our own circumstances and make the best choice we can!

 

OrganicAngel's Two Cents:  Reading Laura's post got me thinking so I researched at home diaper services an found this one that services the Northern Colorado area.  I recommend you peruse this site to learn a lot if you are interested in going green for your babies.  This service is eco friendly and provides good info.  They also say that cloth diapered babies potty train more quickly than disposable users! 

http://www.ecobabydiaperservice.com/index.asp

Green Baby Series 2 of 5 - Food Mill vs Store Bought Baby Food

It is very easy to make your own baby food and only a little more time consuming, and doesn't really require any special equipment. You basically just steam or boil fruits and veggies for babies and then blend them with a little water to a smooth consistency. Preparing fresh fruits and veggies preserves many of the vitamins and antioxidants that are lost in the processing of jarred food. As they grow and can handle more variety, a food mill is invaluable.

You can pick one up for about $12 and start grinding up whatever you are having for your meals.

Not only is this healthier for babies because they are getting fresher, more whole foods without many additives and preservatives, and the flavors are more true to the real thing. Acquiring a taste for natural, whole food sets them up for better eating habits as toddlers. For example, if a baby is used to jarred peaches and then fruit cups, when you finally slice a real peach for them to eat they won't only be taken by surprise, but will probably prefer the sweeter, canned version.

When a baby really gets going on solids, they may start going through two or three jars of food per meal, or about 8 - 10 a day. Those little glass jars add up fast as far as waste is concerned, not to mention the carbon footprint required to manufacture and ship them. Shopping what's local, in season, (and on sale!) at your grocery store or farmer's market is definitely a more environmentally friendly choice. It will also lead you to try different things, expanding your baby's repertoire and often making them more open to accepting a variety of fruits and veggies and trying new things as toddlers. The environmental advantages, plus the health benefits, of feeding your baby and toddler natural, whole foods definitely makes it an important part of a "greener" lifestyle!

 

OrganicAngel's Two Cents:  Let's compare what we just learned to this boutique, organic baby food I just found online.  You get only 3.5 ounces of mashed fruits in this pouch for $1.79!  You could buy 2.5 POUNDS of organic bananas for the same price with none of the waste.  (we'll talk about composting those peels later)!