From about 4 or 5 months we have been doing a little bit of Elimination Communication, only because it saves a few wet and dirty nappies to wash really, and I thought it would help little one get used to the potty early on.
Since he has entered his wriggly phase though (where he won’t lie down for nappy changes), he also won’t sit on the potty anymore, and kicks and starts to cry if you try to put him on. No idea where this has come from as we’ve never forced him to sit there, and are usually very approving when he does something! Think he would just rather crawl off and do his own thing! (as he has a bit of highchair and bumbo anger too!)
Any ideas? I have just decided to leave it for now and not do it anymore as I thought putting pressure on him would make it worse.

I’d leave it for a bit too. 

And assuming we get summer back anytime soon, I just go for letting him having nappy free time in the garden - saves tons of washing.. if sometime the grass needs cleaning of poo

You could try holding in potty position as for a younger baby.  You could also possibly try sitting him on the toilet instead of the potty - all of mine have preferred that.  And taking him when you’re going to the toilet yourself.  Otherwise, yes, it’s a common age for a pause.  Morgan was an early crawler and never really went back to EC.  Rowan carried right on through crawling and toddling.  Tali is mostly in nappies at the moment but when she’s nappy free things are going better when I hold her.

I’ve always taken the view that every attempt to catch is opening an avenue of communication.  Every catch is one less nappy to wash.  Every miss is just baby telling me that being clean and dry isn’t their first priority right now and I can just chill out and listen to what they are telling me!

Toilet preference over potty here too. I usually breastfeed Toby while holding him over the toilet.

I would also suggestgiving it a break. Perhaps hes just not feeling it right now and the intensity maybe off putting, perhaps. Like Joxy, i just let my little one run free whereever possible and warmer weather makes life a whole lot easier.

I also must just say, please excuse any ignorance on my part, but Bianca, that sounds extremly uncomfortable!! I have no idea what your toilet layout might be so it could well be very comfy, I just cant imagine sitting on the edge of my bath with a babe attached to bosom hovering their bum over the toilet! More power to you!! I always took the opportunity of a feed to sit somewhere comfy for a little while.

I would go with it too, Miri has been ‘pausing’ for about six weeks now…she refuses to pee while being held! Like others, I am just going with keeping her nappy free as much as I can. I sympathise though, it is frustrating when you know they need to pee but they won’t!

Gem. - 09 June 2012 04:20 PM

I also must just say, please excuse any ignorance on my part, but Bianca, that sounds extremly uncomfortable!! I have no idea what your toilet layout might be so it could well be very comfy, I just cant imagine sitting on the edge of my bath with a babe attached to bosom hovering their bum over the toilet! More power to you!! I always took the opportunity of a feed to sit somewhere comfy for a little while.

No, we don’t find it unconfortable at all. Maybe because I’m quite small.  I sit on the edge of the toilet, have my back resting on the wall most of the time when doing it at home. Of course, when out and about don’t always have where to rest my back, but still we don’t find it unconfotable. Well, this is working for us for the time being at least.

Nappies it is I guess….our garden is extremely not child-friendly, and we live in a rented cottage with mainly carpets, so not wanting to have accidents!

in my own narrow humble experience they will do it in their own time and not before, my child was 3. ( and out of nappies/training pants etc in 3 days done)

Bianca- your right its whatever suits you right now. I hope you didn’t think I was being critical, its just not something I’d consider doing purely because of the logistics of it but also because I personally wouldn’t want to eat in the bathroom. A breastfeeding lady in our local town not too long ago was asked in a cafe to breastfeed her baby in the toilets. There was absolute outrage. I know your situation is different in that you are making the choice to feed there and for other reasons than would have been in said cafe, its just not something that sits comfortably with me and in terms of ec, something I’d never heard of being done before!! That all said and done, it is not my place to express my opinion on the matter, I guess I was just taken aback reading your response as for me that wouldn’t have been an option. So I do appologise if I’ve said more than neccessary. X

Gem. - 10 June 2012 09:56 AM

Bianca- your right its whatever suits you right now. I hope you didn’t think I was being critical, its just not something I’d consider doing purely because of the logistics of it but also because I personally wouldn’t want to eat in the bathroom. A breastfeeding lady in our local town not too long ago was asked in a cafe to breastfeed her baby in the toilets. There was absolute outrage. I know your situation is different in that you are making the choice to feed there and for other reasons than would have been in said cafe, its just not something that sits comfortably with me and in terms of ec, something I’d never heard of being done before!! That all said and done, it is not my place to express my opinion on the matter, I guess I was just taken aback reading your response as for me that wouldn’t have been an option. So I do appologise if I’ve said more than neccessary. X

Oh Gem, no worries; I didn’t get offended at all. It shows that the written word on a forum has limited bandwidth for fully explaining something. The way we do EC is not something I planned before, we keep on refining it to suit our current needs. And I pretty much go after what Toby feels like doing. We don’t do anything forced; if in any moment I notice that Toby is not confortable, I would stop immediately. Yeah, I see your point about eating in toilets; haven’t thought about that; that’s a good point.

Yes, it’s an outrage what happened to that lady. That’s why I carry with me the document you can see in the link below. And it’s an outrage it even has to be a law to say we’re allowed to breastfeed in public no matter the age of the child:
http://www.maternityaction.org.uk/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/breastfeedingpublicplace.pdf

Come to think about feeding in toilets, well, one of the best facilites in our town for changing the babies has toilets and also feeding area; I guess, not quite the same, but still; some people deal with poo there, and others are feeding. Need to think about it. I haven’t used the facility myself (didn’t need to change Toby in town yet). As about breastfeeding, well, I refuse to go in any designated areas to do that. I just do it wherever I happen to be when Toby is hungry. The other day, we were in John Lewis, and as I was browsing to find some stuff I needed, Toby was happily breastfeeding in the sling. And actually, that’s the place that has the nicest facilities for changing and also breastfeeding, but didn’t want to go there to feed. And Toby didn’t need a change as he just been changed a bit earlier at the Attachment Parenting group.

Hugs and kisses, Bianca and Toby