Sleep Sharing
Feeding to Sleep?
Breastfeeding
Baby-Led Solids
Hypnosis for Birth

About Tribal Baby

From Full Time Nappies to a Nappy Free Baby 

How did this look for us? It will be different for you

Read over this brief summary of the ebbing and flowing process that is elimination communication.

Newborn – 16 weeks: 
We used cloth nappies full time at home, disposable nappies always when out, with pee-opps when possible. Cloth nappies without a cover, with pins, changing as soon as they were wet with misses. Disposables for breaks from lots of changes. Then I learnt of the fleece covered band or scrunchie - no more pins! Misses? Continuously - not even considered - just aiming to keep baby as dry as possible. Pooing all the time? Yes, aiming to change ASAP. But poo frequency reduced significantly over this first stage.

4 weeks – 16 weeks: 
We had slowly increasing amounts of nappy-free time at home, with a nappy under rather than on the baby so we could watch for signs to reinforce whenever possible. Instead of nappy on the baby, it was nappy on the surrounding of the baby! (An important distinction - waterproof the environment, rather than the baby)

3 ½ months on:
Lots of nappy-free time at home, colder and high ‘miss’ times in Onewet undies (training pants) at home. Disposables when out of the house. Around four months we were having more success with keeping disposables dry on outings, so we started using Onewet undies when out, disposables at restaurants, long outings and movies, with pee-opps when possible. Had our first twenty-four hours without a miss around four months. Yippee - SO empowering, even though it is a rarity. Usually between 3 and 6 misses per day. Usually 0 -10 misses per week at night. (3 months update)

5-6 months:
Predominantly nappy-free at home, undies when out, with pee-opps, occasional disposables on certain outings, with pee-opps when possible. Usually between 1-5 misses per day. Usually 0 - 3 misses per week at night.(6 months update)

7 months old:
We had our first outing only in normal underpants walking to and from and around the shops twice and complete success! We had our first two days in a row without a miss. Currently usually 0 - 3 misses per day. Usually 0 - 2 misses per week at night. Note I say usually, not always! Some days - gagh! What happened? I must never have caffeine!

8-9 months old:
At eight months I stopped using the mat at night, and this has been very successful, though it does make it harder to move him in bed! I also take him nappy-free in the sling or Ergo to the shops, providing he is staying in there, makes for easier pee-breaks. I am so amazed I have a truly nappy-free baby in many situations. Usually nappy-free at home, or wearing his undies (with visitors over), sometimes his knickers (cotton underwear). Usually 0-2 misses per month at night, between 0 - 5 per day, which is more than a few months ago, but unimportant. (9 months update)

10-11 months old:
During this time Maven began wearing cotton knickers around the house more often. They became wet with a miss (i.e. easily visible) and got changed instantly, and he noticed pretty well. I was also using them when out in carriers, but in undies (Training Pants) at floor time when out. Usually 0-2 misses per month at night, between 0 - 5 per day, still much the same, although having a few days with only one miss. Night misses at this time were due to the stresses of moving house and interstate, a cluster over a few days, then back to normal again. (12 months update)

12 months old:
After doing my "EC goal of the fortnight" our miss rate dropped to regularly once or twice per day, zero several times. WOW! Mavens signalling vocally was clearer, he began using his sign frequently, and he'd go to the bathroom for a 'miss' at times.  (13 months update)

We had a reaction to pineapple and many misses for a week or two until I sorted it out between 12-13 months.

13 months old:
An easy breezy time, great signalling, I seemed to have better intuition/timing sense, lots of easy days with 'distracted' misses only. Using knickers more often on short 'floor' times on outings, and clearer verbal signalling made things even more 'ho hum'.(14 months update)

14 months old:
Spent over two hours at a busy new playgroup in knickers the day he turned 14 months! Then again the next day. He spent the entire month in regular pants or knickers - no training undies needed. He had only two accidents while out - one I ignored my intuitive awareness, the other he cried out tearfully at having wet pants - how mortifying! (15 months update)

15 months old:
Great intuition for me this month - in a plateau of no vocal signalling beyond crying out wanting a pee. I'm picking up his subtle skills really easily. He is l sitting on the potty as fun more frequently - not peeing there independently yet, getting closer!  (16 months update)

16 months old:
During this month Maven wasn't signalling vocally, but he waited really well for pee breaks instead. Showed amazing self awareness and control during a bout of gastro runny bum - only two part -accidents. Used potty completely independently for the first time! (17 months update)

17 months old:
Started saying 'wee wee' as a vocal signal! Just like that. One accident or none most days this month so far... Did several independent wees in the potty, immediately wants to empty it into the toilet! Words used intermittently to indicate either a need to wee, that an accident had occurred, what a puddle of any water was, where a wee should go...(18 months update)

18 months old:
Having the 'sneeze wee' while standing with the advent of Spring and pollen in the air!!! Became extremely obvious at signalling clearly when out of the house (while independent). (19 months update)

19 months old:
Few accidents some weeks. Going 8 hour stretches overnight between wees. Independently using the potty for wees and poos each day, mostly in the morning. I watch signals and timing other times to keep him dry. (20 months update)

20 - 22 months old:
Cruising along through next couple of months, a sort of plateau in the number of misses - usually 5-7 a week - usually one per day! It was like he had to have one accident each day! Great work when out, still grad, poop grad, only accidents at exciting times at home - especially while on his stool playing with water (how unsurprising!) He did start using the potty for wake-up and last pee at night at 22 months, and the stage of "wee wee!" as a bed time delay began!

24 months old:
Continuing to cruise along through the fascinating transition to independence! An exercise in trust (yet again!) in finding the balance between helping him stay dry, taking himself and knowing the times he is simply distracted. Began familiarising with the seat reducer for a few weeks, before he started wanting to use it on his 25 month 'birthday' with Dad's help.

25 months plus:

Steadily improving independence, learning the various skills needed with clothing, some patches of increased misses (as is usual - with tiredness, illness, especially when I had a really bad head cold,) but always stages of near complete independence in between (I'd wipe his bum and empty the potty)