My Girl Likes to Potty All the Time...

Yeah, Calla uses the potty. Not quite *all* the time, but somedays I don't have to change a poopy diaper one, so that's pretty cool.

Since Calla was a newborn, I knew that infant potty training (aka Elimination Communication) was something I'd like to try, even though it seemed rather daunting to me at the time. In preparation, I've always tried to pay close attention to her elimination cues and never leave her in a wet or soiled diaper for very long at all. Also, when I have been certain that she was peeing or pooping, I would make a cue sound to help her associate the sound with the action.

A few weeks ago we began ECing in earnest, since she was getting better at sitting and I felt like we had made ample progress with our earlier challenges: breastfeeding (so easy now) and naps (much much better). I must say it has been a lot easier than I expected!

So if you're not really interested in hearing more about Calla's pees and poops, kindly stop reading right here and check back later for future posts. Otherwise, if you're curious about this infant potty training business, I'll happily tell you a bit about it (if Calla doesn't wake from her nap before I finish).

First of all, it's not the same as toddler potty training, and it doesn't necessarily replace or preclude toddler potty training (I think people say "potty learning" nowadays, one of those kinder terms like "play yard" instead of "play pen"). Basically it's just an alternative to diapers, which relies on a caregiver being able to recognize her infant's need to potty based on timing and/or cues from the child. As the infant becomes verbal, it's possible that the infant can communicate those needs verbally. Signing infants can communicate their potty needs with sign language, as well.

Diapers can still be used as "back-up" as many people choose to EC part-time, actually. Some people let their babies go diaper-free, too. At our house, so far, we're using diapers, but "catching" as many pees and poops as we can and not worrying one iota when there is a diaper to be changed, either.

If you're wondering what Calla thinks about all of this, she seems to love sitting on her potties (as long as they're not cold - she did hiss at me once for sitting her bare bottom on a cold potty, poor thing!). I sing her special potty song (a reworking of Eddie Murphy's smash hit "My Girl Likes to Party All the Time" which simply goes "My Calla Likes to Potty All the Time," and she basically has fun. If she disliked it, I wouldn't make her potty. No way!

I think she already realizes that she can go in the potty and have a little fun or she can go in the diaper and be sitting in squishy ickiness. And I really believe she "holds it" to wait for the potty sometimes, even though there is some debate about whether or not babies have sphincter control or not. There have just been so many times that she has gone as soon as I put her on the potty, but never has she gone during those daring few moments when she's in transit, bare-bottom, from her diaper to the potty. Could be luck, I suppose.

We "catch" a lot more than I thought we would so soon, but I think it's mainly because Calla is very regular and so it's easy to time. She goes first thing in the morning, after each of her three naps, and anytime she comes out of a baby carrier. Also, I'm noticing that when I have a need for the toilet, if I offer Calla her potty first, she usually has to go, too! I'm still working on recognizing the other times she needs the potty, but getting better each day.

I could go, but she's waking from her nap now.

Here's Eddie Murphy singing My Girl Likes to Party All the Time, by the way...