Elimination Communication: Natural Infant Potty Training

When my son began solid food at 6 months, I decided to potty-train him under the guidance of my paediatrician, Dr. Khan. I had read about the benefits of elimination communication, and after my consultation, I was confident I wanted a gentle, more intuitive method. 

If you are also looking at elimination communication to potty train your child, my journey can help you. 

Elimination communication (EC) is an approach that helps parents learn from watching their baby's cues. This parenting style involves responding to your child’s natural signs of wanting to poop or pee. 

How Elimination Communication Differs from Traditional Potty Training

When I started practising EC with my baby, it was surprising how quickly he began communicating non-verbally. He understood his body’s natural process and began to signal more clearly as he grew. It was a great win for me that he understood his body functions early on. 

As he grew into a toddler, I watched him become more confident and aware of his everyday toileting. There were fewer instances of soiling, and potty training was a less stressful experience. 

When I started EC, I was overwhelmed with the responsibility of constantly looking for signs. So, to make things smoother, I created a routine. 

I introduced a potty chair and used a cue, like ‘poo-poo’ during elimination. It took both patience and practice but gradually he started associating with the sound and signalled to the chair. We also fixed timings, like after waking up from naps. 

The aim was to approach the training method with flexibility. There were days he was reluctant to sit on the chair, which was fine. Slowly, it became part of his everyday routine, and we worked on understanding his body’s cues to eliminate. 

Identifying Your Baby's Elimination Cues

When I started practising Elimination Communication, I focused on 5 aspects to identify my baby’s cues:

• Body movements: I noticed him suddenly stand still when he needed to go.
• Facial expressions: My baby would have a strained face.
• Sounds: He would make a sound like ‘eh’ signalling his need.
• Timing: I paid attention to the time, like after waking and feeding.
• Patterns: When his body movements, expressions, and sounds were in sync with the time, it helped me understand his pattern. 
   

After successfully potty training my son, I learned a few tips. You can try them to make your life easier: 

• Be flexible: When you begin training your baby, understand potty training is a process and not a sprint. It takes time to learn cues, and even then, there will be days with accidents.
• Key moments: Watch for common times for elimination, like after waking, feeding, or during active play.
• Teach cues: Your child may be giving signals but cannot associate them with their elimination needs. Guide them with a consistent verbal cue.
• Comfortable setup: Whatever you use should be comfortable for you and the baby.
• Nighttime outfits: If you want to avoid diapers at night, know that messes are inevitable. Choose easy-to-remove clothing and keep a spare handy.

Positions and Techniques for Holding Your Baby 

Since elimination communication is a natural approach to infant potty training, I found squatting the best position. It worked well with my baby because it allowed him to relax and sit while I gently supported his back and thighs.

Dr. Khan shared a few other positions: 

• Over the potty: Where you hold your baby over a small potty, ensuring they’re steady and comfortable.
• Cradle hold: Hold your baby in a semi-upright position against your chest.
• Facing down: Hold your baby with its belly against your arm, with legs hanging down.

Integrating elimination communication into our daily lives was simpler than I thought. It was because I left room for flexibility and focused on my baby’s natural patterns. Instead of fixing strict schedules about his potty time, I worked around being present during moments, like after naps and around meal times. A potty is a very natural activity, and allowing the baby to give cues can make the training experience less stressful.