Elimination Communication

Today after attending a local AP group meeting Annabelle and I decided to try a little Elimination Communication. A very nice lady in the group was practicing EC with her daughter (also named Annabelle) and once I got a chance to see what she was doing I thought it was worth a try. I checked out this really cool diaper free site and read the information on getting started. Basically you try to catch as many pees and poos as you can during the day. They say to start with trying to catch after feedings and upon waking. You just hold the baby over the sink or toilet and when/if they go you make a sound like "ssss". The key is to start looking for cues to when they are about to go so that you can start to read your baby. Also start following your intuition. So far Annabelle just gets fussy and upset. After a nursing at 1pm I held her over the toilet and she peed! Then later I held her over the sink and she didn't go, so I brought her back into the living room and she went!! Oops, I didn't give her enough time. Later we were upstairs and she got fussy so I held her over the sink and she pooped and then several minutes later peed! It was awesome. After Troy got home I took her to the toilet to show him and she pooped again (the picture shown)! Then we nursed at 7, and I took her to the sink afterwards and she peed. So, I am feeling like we had an overly successful first day at trying! It's really important to me that Annabelle and I get out and do hikes often, so I know that we won't be a diaper free family, but if we can catch a few while we are at home then I consider it a successful relationship. I hope it allows me to be more in tune with my daughter, to learn to recognize her cues.

As I was writing this, I suggested that Troy give it a try, he took her to the sink and she peed! He is pretty jazzed and thinks it's really cool!