Parents Ditching Diapers for National Potty Training Awareness Month

Atlanta parents are learning about elimination communication and getting their children out of diapers during National Potty Training Awareness Month.

Dallas, GA (PRWEB) June 17, 2006 -- Elimination communication, or natural infant hygiene, is a new term given to a practice that involves getting to know baby’s signals for elimination and taking them to an appropriate potty place. It can drastically reduce diaper usage.

“Modern potty training practices are based on the misconception that babies have no awareness or control of their elimination, but millions of babies worldwide don’t read books written by American parenting experts”, says Carrie Lauth, mother of 4 and host of Natural Moms Talk Radio. She is also quick to point out that one of the most prominent of these experts has financial ties to the leading disposable diaper manufacturer.

“To be fair, the modern stance of waiting to potty train until age 2 was partially due to harsh toilet training practices popular in the early 20th century", says Lauth.

While disposable diapers are being made available in larger sizes, and children are being potty trained later and later, there is a growing trend towards infant potty training. It also appeals to those who want to reduce landfill waste.

Ec’ing parents claim that babies communicate about their elimination needs with signals, and any parent can pick up on those signals. For instance, some babies will fuss, squirm, stiffen their legs, pull away from the breast if they’re nursing, etc. Older babies can be taught to use the ASL sign “potty”, or they will crawl or walk to the potty.

“Babies who wear diapers are effectively being “diaper trained”, and lose the connection that allows them to release their bladders and bowels at will”, says Lauth.

By taking them to appropriate potty places “EC babies” maintain a connection with their bodily sensations.

"June and the summer months are a great time to take the diaper off your EC'd child and really go diaper-free. Spending time outdoors makes it fun and easy since your baby will be warmer with fewer pieces of clothing. She will be much more comfortable naked or in underwear rather than sweating in a diaper or training pants”, says Melinda Rothstein, co founder of DiaperFreeBaby.org. ”Many families travel during the summer and carrying around fewer diapers and diapering gear makes packing easier! Instead of a stack of diapers and a box of wipes, pack a small potty and some tiny underwear."

Diaper Free Baby, an international nonprofit support group began in 2004 to give support and information to parents who want to learn more about the practice. Two of these groups operate here in Georgia. Elimination Communication is practiced in 65 countries around the world, including China, Germany and Sweden.

Proponents of EC claim that babies can effectively be trained several months, even a year or two earlier. “But early potty training is not the most important thing about EC” says Lauth. “My favorite thing about it is that it impresses upon me how smart our babies really are. “

For more information about elimination communication and other natural parenting topics, listen to Natural Moms Talk Radio at http://www.NaturalMomsTalkRadio.com

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