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 ktbunch
Married since 10/92
Mother of 4 {teen to newborn}
actress that can sew & crochet, loves to bike & sometimes run....
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Disposables cost money and are extra trash. Cloth diapers need cleaning. (I prefer them myself, though.) But how much money, time and energy could you save if you did not NEED to use diapers to begin with?
Another frugal lifestyle/baby choice is Elimination Communication or Infant Potty Training. You can google for more info and many inspiring articles and how to's.
The idea is that you can learn baby's signals and know when baby needs to *go*, eliminating the need for a diaper, or a dirty one at least. Sound crazy? You 'know' when your child is hungry long before they can talk. You learn to understand your baby's cues when they are tired, so why not when they need to Pee or Poo too?
I used a slight variation of this method when I began to potty train child #2. I put him on the potty and when he would P, I would make the sssss sound. It wasn't long before I could make the sound & he would automatically 'go'.
I had noticed that when my 3 month old would be a little fussy, I'd remove his cloth diaper and allow him to 'get some air' and he immediately would be calm and happy. I remembered EC and wanted to try it. I googled & did a little research and decided to jump in. I was SO surprised how EASY it really was. I even started 'late' when baby was 3 mos old.
I began with his first predictable P of the day---the morning wake up P. As soon as he awoke, I removed his cloth diaper and headed to the restroom. I held him facing out, his back against my chest, my hands around and under his thighs, legs slightly spread. We made faces in the mirror, laughed and smiled. Suprisingly, he Pd!!! I made the sssss sound. I tried this upon waking after ever nap time. Even the cat naps or car ride naps.
I figured if nothing else, we had some fun bonding time and I saved a diaper.
I began to notice his fussy moments & wonder if it was because he had to P? Sometimes I'd check his diaper and he was *barely* wet but calmed down as soon as I changed him. This was baby #4 and for the first time (in my parenting experience), unexplained baby fussiness was really making sense. I was training him to *want* to be DRY! So he was letting me know right away.
I also experimented taking him to the restroom at night before his night time feedings. Sure enough---he would P! He would be asleep but start becoming restless, tossing and turning. I remove his diaper & take him to the bathroom sink and voila'! He slept so much more soundly after those night time potty breaks and settles back to sleep much quicker.
I still use cloth diapers. There is no pressure. When I am at home, I make a lot of 'catches'. When we are out, he is in a cloth diaper but I can usually tell when he has to 'go'. If I 'miss' it, at least he is getting a dry diaper change right away, then he is back to being calm and happy.
You do not need to hold them over the sink but it is so much easier those first few times and the mirror is a nice distraction. You can sit on the toilet, facing backward, holding baby & elimination goes right into the bowl. Flush! Now baby has a cute little straddle toilet we received as a gift. I hold/support him over it since he can not sit up on his own yet.
Don't be surprised if it seems to take forever in front of the mirror. The more you try the more you get to know baby and know how long you can take or baby will take before they actually eliminate. I also miss most BMs. I have caught a few though. :-)
Besides saving diapers, this has been such a rewarding and fun bonding experience. I feel so much more self confident in my parenting skills, knowing my baby in such a way. He never cries for *no* reason, like it seemed my other babies did. I now realize they were probably trying to tell me they had to go and I wasn't getting it. Since my son is wanting to be dry and I am able to respond to these early communication attempts, actual 'potty training' should be a smooth progression. He will already be used to the potty, naturally.
Remember to have fun. NO pressure.
~Katy
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...Tedd Tripp speaks on parenting...
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