More review of Elimination of Communication

May 26th, 2010

It occurred to me that we've always been ECing so I don't really have a good idea of how difficult it is. It's worthwhile, so "hard" doesn't really matter as long as I still find it doable. Since I'm critical of cloth diaperers claiming that CDing is "just as easy as using disposables," I thought I should try to think about ECing more and decide if it's easy or just worthwhile.

In the last few days, I've been paying more attention to how much time and energy I devote to my kid's pottying. I don't know the exact amount but it's a lot. I put her on the potty nearly every time I change her diaper (but not if she indicates she doesn't want to be there) and many times per day per her request. That's easily 15 times per day at a few minutes each time. Of course, I'd spend some of that time changing diapers anyway so it's maybe 15 extra minutes per day. Depending on your perspective, that's either a lot or a little. It amounts to almost 2 hours per week or about 8 hours per month. That's not insignificant at all.

It also means that I have to keep track of nearby potties wherever we go. (My daughter wears diapers as a back-up so I suppose it isn't necessary, but it's nice to get her to a bathroom when she asks.) I've run across Disneyland to find a bathroom. We've pulled off the freeway to use a gas station's bathroom. She even went in the library bathroom yesterday. In general, she'd really prefer to be at home and finds stalls frightening (and self-flushing toilets are the worst!) but sometimes she's gotta go and I'm proud of her for asking. (Even if she declares, "DONE!" as soon as she sees what the bathroom looks like.)

I suppose this isn't different from when I was pregnant and looking for restrooms for myself all the time. And I'd probably need to do this with a potty trained toddler anyway so I guess we're just a little bit ahead of the game. It is nice to not always carry a diaper bag.

So I won't say it's easy, though it rarely feels hard anymore. (There are days when it does though. "You want to go again?! I'm in the middle of dinner.") I definitely think it's worthwhile. Fewer diapers, happier baby, potential for earlier and easier potty training. (We'll see!) I'd do this again with another kid though. I think that's probably a good endorsement.

Adventures in Potty Training

May 26th, 2010

We're starting to potty train. This is only subtly different than what we've been doing for 16 months. Actual potty practice is basically the same, but instead of wearing a diaper full-time as a back-up, she'll often be in undies.

I started letting her go entirely diaper-free accidentally a few weeks ago. She escaped when I was putting a new diaper on her and I let her go for a couple of minutes while I finished cleaning up in the bathroom. It wasn't long before I heard, "Uh oh! Uh oh!" It wasn't the act of peeing that bothered her, it was the spots on the floor. She likes things tidy.

After this, I was confident that she'd quickly learn not to do that. The next time, she lasted quite a while, but peed immediately when I put her in a diaper. That made me think that I'd better keep her in non-waterproof undies so she'll still see the affect of urinating, but not just learn to hold it when she's naked.

We got Gerber Training Pants in size 18 months. They're a little too big, but they'll stay up. (Actually, now after a few hot washes and my daughter growing a little, they're getting tight on her thighs.) I like them though. Very soft.

Now she lasts between 10 minutes and 2 hours (maybe more?) in training pants. It's not reliable though. We're just giving her opportunities as it's convenient right now. I'm hoping to be able to do this more full time this summer when I'm not working.

Well, this stinks.

May 23rd, 2010

I opened the dryer earlier tonight and was immediately greeted with the scent of urine wafting out of the machine. Notice that I said the dryer implying that I'd already washed them. I was so shocked that the time that I wondered for a moment if I'd forgotten to put detergent in or maybe forgotten to run the washer, but then I clearly remembered doing all the appropriate steps. Not only did I soak the diapers in cold and then run it hot/cold like normal, but I also did an extra full wash with no detergent because I wanted to be sure the detergent was rinsed out.

But my diapers smell like pee.

I'd heard that diapers with a synthetic lining hold stink. This is what most pocket and all-in-one diapers are lined with. (Though not all.) Most of our all-in-ones are bumGenius. These have a microfiber liner. Anyway, I wasn't worried about stink because I never deal with poopy diapers. I figured it was the poop that is hard to get out. Apparently, pee is hard too.

I toyed with the idea of just dumping them directly from the dryer back into the washer but I decided I'd let them be used again first. Now to figure out how to get them to smell fresh again...

Cloth vs Disposables vs None?

May 18th, 2010

This post is part of the Real Diaper Facts carnival hosted by Real Diaper Events, the official blog of the Real Diaper Association. Participants were asked to write about diaper lies and real diaper facts. See the link at the bottom of this post to read the rest of the carnival entries.

Brief background: My daughter is currently 16 months old. We used disposable diapers for the first year and have recently switched to cloth, with some disposables as needed. We also have been practicing Elimination Communication and taking our daughter to use the toilet since she was 5 days old. Because we've tried disposable diapers, cloth diapers and no diapers at all, we have a unique perspective on diapering and a respect for all options. Here are some of my opinions on the cloth vs disposable diaper debate.

Cloth diapers are cheaper.
Generally, yes. Assuming an initial cost of $500 for diapers, adding the cost of detergent, water, energy, wear and tear on the washing machine, then subtracting a small resale value at the end, and assuming that cloth diapered babies (on average) potty train 6 months earlier, then cloth is cheaper. Even if you include the cost of my time that it takes to wash at minimum wage (15-20 minutes to deal with the laundry 3-4 times per week at $8/hour), then cloth costs the same as disposables if only used on one child. Since the initial cost is already covered, it's cheaper if the diapers are reused for a 2nd/3rd/4th kid. Of course, it's easy to get carried away and buy more styles, brands or colors, but those aren't necessary. If you were using disposable diapers, continuing to buy would be necessary. Around $40/mo on disposables adds up quickly!

Cloth diapers are just as easy as disposables.
They aren't too hard, but they are not just as easy. That doesn't mean it isn't worthwhile-- for cost, health, environment, etc-- but they are not as easy. It takes more time to put in a load of laundry than it takes to click "buy" on the internet and have my diapers delivered to the door. (Or I could just set up auto delivery and have them pop up like magic.) It takes more time to troubleshoot problems in cloth (stink, developing water resistance, rash, etc) than it would be to just choose a different variety of disposable. It might be fun for people to experiment to figure out what works for them, but it does take a little bit more effort. This is just the nature of something that is reusable. For people who encounter some problem with disposable paper diapers (ie poor fit that leads to leaking), they just don't buy that kind again.

Therefore, I don't believe cloth is just as easy. That doesn't mean that they're too hard though. For anyone who feels that cloth diapering is a good idea, I think it's reasonable to do.

Better for the environment.
In most cases, cloth is probably better, but we're comparing apples to oranges. Disposal in landfills vs repeated energy/water use.

Disposables are straightforward. They are created. They are used once. They are thrown into landfills where they basically stay forever. I doubt anyone thinks that filling landfills with diapers is good, but disposable users might still find it's the best option for their circumstances. (Someone living in the middle of the desert with minimal water but tons of land might be better off using disposables.)

Cloth is not as straight forward. There are different varieties requiring different kinds of care. Some cloth users have flats or prefolds used with covers. The diapers are washed 2x/week by soaking in cold water, then washing in hot with an environmentally friendly detergent, and then line dried. Then these items are reused for additional children. These are almost certainly better than disposables.

However, other cloth users (myself included) are using more complex diapers and using additional washes and dries. Until recently, I was doing a cold rinse, hot wash with detergent, rinse with vinegar, additional rinse, then putting my diapers in the dryer for 2 cycles. This is roughly equivalent to 2 loads of laundry each time I wash diapers which is every 2 days. That means I was set up to do an additional 300+ loads of laundry per year. (I've now changed to a cleaner rinsing detergent so I can skip extra rinses.) Is that worse than disposables? Depends on whether water use is worse than space use.

I live in a city where I know my disposable diapers are going to a landfill that is nearly full and we aren't currently undergoing water rationing so I think the land use is harder on the environment here than water use. However, I can't feel comfortable claiming that I use cloth because it's good for the environment when my cleaning habits are on the high-end of environmental impact.




All diapers cost money and affect the environment. I think the best option is to use diapers as little as reasonably possible. Caregivers can learn a newborn's signals for needing to eliminate and can respond by taking him or her to the toilet. As children get older, they can tell a parent when they need to go and eventually take care of their own elimination needs independently. Toilet use also impacts the environment, but I believe it is minimal compared to the affects of diaper use. Of course, it's not realistic to think we'll have a bunch of naked babies running around, but maybe we could all reduce our diaper dependence. It's very inexpensive, healthier for babies to get more "air time," and better for the environment. It takes a little bit more effort to learn an infant's cues and drop everything to take him or her to the bathroom, but it's definitely worth the effort. Try it out! :)



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News: City pays families to switch to cloth

May 17th, 2010

This is interesting.  The city wants less waste so they're paying families $100 for buying at least 24 reusable diapers.  (That won't cover the cost-- even prefolds are about double that, but still a nice incentive!)
http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/Ditch%20disposable%20diapers%20cash/2775725/story.html

Link: Which is better for the environment: Reuseable or Disposable?

May 17th, 2010

This study says they're about the same. Actually, given how cloth diapers are often laundered, they're worse. Plus, disposable companies are working on making the diapers smaller and therefore have less waste and lower environmental impact. However, cloth CAN be better by reusing them for multiple kids, washing them once with an appropriate detergent (rather than having extra rinse cycles as is common), and line drying them. I don't think this addresses it, but I think high efficiency washers are probably better too.

Here's a link to a summary: http://www.kca.com.au/environment/disposableorcloth.htm

Here's a link to the 2008 study (updated from the 2005 study): http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Document.aspx?Document=WR0705_7589_FRP.pdf

Although, at the end of the article, it says that parents can now make guilt-free decisions. I have to disagree-- now we all just feel guilty no matter what diaper we use. (Best to go diaper free!)

Edit I just found this website which addresses the above article and has a good graph.
http://whatawaste.info/but-i-heard/

Elimination Communication

May 17th, 2010

I don't have a strong opinion about cloth vs disposables. I think there are pros and cons to both. However, I do feel strongly about Elimination Communication. As far as I can tell, there are only pros.

Elimination Communication is also known as Natural Infant Hygiene or Infant Potty Training. EC is most common, in my opinion. The idea is that parents learn their child's elimination signals at a very young age (ie from birth) and can then communicate with their baby when it is appropriate to go. The idea is that babies are familiar with their elimination needs from birth and by putting diapers, they're trained to go in a diaper. Then in 2 or 3 years, parents have to train their kids to understand these sensations again. ECing tries to keep babies aware of their body throughout infancy with the added bonus of using fewer diapers and enjoying more communication with their caregivers.

Babies show signs, from birth, that they need to eliminate. They might squirm or grunt or just freeze and stare off into space. They might also usually go at a predictable time like right after a nap or a meal. Once parents learn their child's signals and/or timing, they can take their child to the bathroom or other appropriate location and use a signal to let the child know that this is a good time to go. We've only used the toilet but other parents might prefer a sink (height is easier), bowl (good for out in public), or just a diaper. Even though the diaper isn't the typical approach, it can be handy when another option isn't available. Remember that this is about the communication from the child, "hey, I need to go" and the parent's response, "here/now is a good time."

This often means that a child can run around diaper-less. It sounds a bit crazy to those of us raised in the United States but some other cultures do this. Caregivers can learn enough about their child's needs and habits that they can carry a naked infant around all day and never end up covered in poop. Can you even imagine? Not at all common here! I was far more familiar with the common problem of the baby peeing just after the diaper was removed for a change. (Once I started learning about ECing, I had to wonder if this common problem was because the baby was holding it and trying to wait for a better time to go.)

Anyway, I read a few books and websites* before my daughter was born. I thought the idea was interesting but I wasn't sold until I read that I could do it part-time. For some, that means that the child is in diapers at day care and diaper-less at home in the evenings. For others, it might mean that they use diapers during the week but the potty during the weekend when there was more free time. For us, it just meant I could be inconsistent. It might sound silly, but I didn't want to commit to HAVING to do anything additional when I was a new mama.

So, by the time my daughter was born, we were strongly dedicated to taking her to the potty sometimes if it seemed like she needed to go as long as it didn't add any additional stress to her or us. (That's dedication, right? Ha!)

In short, it worked out well. She used the potty the first time I held her over it, when she was 5 days old. After that, we were all sold. She seemed to be much happier. We had fewer diapers. And we all had this special time which was kind of neat. Some days, we didn't go to the potty at all. Some days, she liked to tell me to go (by signing "toilet") often, the extreme being 13 times in about an hour!** I think she was just excited about being able to get me to do something, but she did go in the potty and not on the mat I had her on. Anyway, she seems so proud of herself so we have kept doing it. Since the time she was mobile, she always wears diapers. We're always pleased when she goes in the potty, but using the diaper isn't considered a failure-- that's normally what kids do at this age. Therefore this is always positive for all of us. I absolutely would do this with another kid, probably more consistently.

* Resources: The Diaper Free Baby by Christine Gross-Loh, http://www.diaperfreebaby.org, Diaper Free! The Gentle Wisdom of Natural Infant Hygiene by Ingrid Bauer

** I guess this is one down-side. I spent much more time running back and forth to the bathroom than a parent who just changes 6-12 diapers per day. Not a big "con" in my opinion, but I can see where parents would see this as too much trouble. (But just TRY it! It doesn't hurt your kid to only do it a couple of times if you decide not to stick with it. But you might like it!)

News: City pays families to switch to cloth

May 17th, 2010

This is interesting.  The city wants less waste so they're paying families $100 for buying at least 24 reusable diapers.  (That won't cover the cost-- even prefolds are about double that, but still a nice incentive!)
http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/Ditch%20disposable%20diapers%20cash/2775725/story.html

Link: Which is better for the environment: Reuseable or Disposable?

May 17th, 2010

This study says they're about the same. Actually, given how cloth diapers are often laundered, they're worse. Plus, disposable companies are working on making the diapers smaller and therefore have less waste and lower environmental impact. However, cloth CAN be better by reusing them for multiple kids, washing them once with an appropriate detergent (rather than having extra rinse cycles as is common), and line drying them. I don't think this addresses it, but I think high efficiency washers are probably better too.

Here's a link to a summary: http://www.kca.com.au/environment/disposableorcloth.htm

Here's a link to the 2008 study (updated from the 2005 study): http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Document.aspx?Document=WR0705_7589_FRP.pdf

Although, at the end of the article, it says that parents can now make guilt-free decisions. I have to disagree-- now we all just feel guilty no matter what diaper we use. (Best to go diaper free!)

Edit I just found this website which addresses the above article and has a good graph.
http://whatawaste.info/but-i-heard/