9 Month Update

• Age of your EC-child 

DS 9 months old today, 1st December.

•  We started at... birth.

• Generally speaking we are doing..

Three parts to this answer:

1. in-arms - excellent.

2. at night - excellent.

3. on the floor - variable, on the poor side?

•  How do you know your baby has to go?

In-arms - squirming, kicking legs, chi-pee warmth on hip, pop on and off boob.

At night - squirm, restlessness, little noises, pop on and off boob.

On the floor - sitting up & pickle-grabbing, frown/eye contact, patting my leg, shouting, swinging arm at floor, saying 'ttt', timing/intuition and restless behaviour.

•  Is there a difference for poos and pees?

Poops happen early in morning, sign is anxious squirming, pop on and off boob frantically, noises. Teething poops are these signs, the farts and trying to get off lap during the day.

•  Which positions/receptacles do you use? 

In-arms at the laundry basin a lot, wide bowl also, some standing in sink at pees when I know he is declining a real need, dabbling in potty use for timing pees now and then. In arms when out.

• Do you use nappies or training pants?

Nakey butt at home, onewets high miss times (visitors, cold weather), undies sometimes (more for 'christening' them, really!) Nakey butt makes it easier to spot signs and to give timely pee-breaks and to clean up.

• How are you doing away from home?

Excellent! Nakey butt on shopping trips (since 8 months) in ergo or sling. Onewets for outing visits, or if he will be on the floor. No nappies since 4 months, occasional plastic nappy at movie or parent visit! (He just refused to use the nappy at the movies, though - took him to sink!)

• What are you doing at night?

Fully nakey in bed, just a t-shirt makes it easier to pick him up. No bed protection since 8 months! (I used a flannel between his legs again for about a week until I adapted past the hyper-vigilance that comes with a new stage/change)He pees into a wide bowl I hold in place with my legs - heaps of space to catch the stream. Apart from growth spurts and teething, he is recently (last month) peeing around 9pm, once at 3-4 am, then when he gets up around 6. SO easy.

• Who takes baby to the potty?

Me and Daddy.

• Accidents - how many do you have and what times are especially accident-prone?

WOAH mornings - busy times, when I am on the computer! If I have any caffeine or too much wheat products - pee fountains half a day later for about half a day. Teething = more pees. Tiredness = more misses. Nights - one last month due to hayfever and stuffy nose. In arms - two when learning signs in my new ERGO. On the floor - up to six a day, as few as three.

• Other new insights:

I didn't realise how much mobile babies HATE having their nappies changed, and how hard it is to do so until I see people do it. I thought putting on his undies was a squirm-fest! The role-reversal chi-pee at night is a new discovery for us that has been a fabulous eye-opener.

• What do you like most about ecing at the moment?

The ease of a nappy-free baby. The naturalness of an EC baby. Having a nakey baby in bed is fabulous. Not using, carrying about, buying or changing nappies. Even mopping up a miss with a cloth is easy.

• Do you ever wish you'd have never heard about it?

One answer is NO WAY! I love it, I am SO GLAD I heard of it before and started at birth. I'm helping him, us, the planet, our budget, others we introduce to EC or just give them an EC insight into their child's behaviours. Another answer is - only when I spend a lot of time with nappied babies, - I feel a bit stupid going out to the toilet so often when they just get to sit about and change nappies whenever - until they change a nappy- then I see the TRIAL that is with a mobile baby covered in poop butt to back who screams and escapes the whole while. Then I feel great, and so relieved and happy for Maven. Sometimes when we have a pee-fountain event I fantasize about ignorant bliss and covering him in a nappy - but I just can't!