Hippy Mommy

I have decided to attempt infant potty training. Go ahead and laugh.

I bought a tiny potty when Nola was only a couple of months old. I had heard of parents who practice “elimination communication”. The goal is to learn your child and know the signals they give before they eliminate. And then put their elimination somewhere besides their diaper. It sounded a little extreme, but worth a shot. I set her on her potty once in a while and she even pooped in it twice. But in the end found it too difficult and stressful to “catch” her sudden, explosive poos. Once she started solid foods that all changed. It became very obvious when she was attempting to eliminate. So one day she was attempting and I thought, “Hey, let’s give it a try!” So I quickly got her on the potty and she went! She went an entire week pooping in her tiny potty, and once on the big potty at Grandma’s house. She did still go in her diaper when we were out shopping or doing other things, and at naptimes she seemed to always sneek one in before I got her up. But when we were home and awake she was a champ!

Pee is a different story. Although she has peed quite a few times in her potty, it’s harder to tell when she needs to go. So today we are experimenting. I have a huge quilt spread out in our living room. Nola is playing and watching Plaza Sesamo with just her onesie on. No diaper. This way I can see when she needs to go. (The cloth diapers I use are amazing and I have trouble telling when she is wet.) And, yes, I’ve already had to clean up one mess. But it was worth it because now I know…it appears she needs to pee a few minutes after she poops. Which I wouldn’t have thought. I assumed she was already peeing in her diaper before I catch her pooping. Lesson learned.

Ryan said to me last night, “You’re kind of a hippy mom.” I guess so. But only a little. I pick and choose my hippiness. Nola wears cloth diapers, but she eats canned baby food. I enjoy the breastfeeding bond, but Nola has slept in her own bed since the day we brought her home. I want Nola to learn to poop in the potty not for the health and well being of her inner zen, but because I’d rather flush her poop down the toilet than wash it out of her diaper!