Natural Familly World » elimination communication

Where Have You Been Traveling, Monica?

Monica — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 07:06:55 +0000

I’ve been busy working in a new project for my Spanish Speaking Mom Readers, but before that I spent some days in a place without Internet connection.

We went to the San Antonio Farm, in the San Antonio Community, located in the Intag Region, Province of Imbabura, here in Ecuador.

Sounds like far away? Well, the access is a bit complicated but truly worth the hassle.

Here some pics:

We left clean and tidy

From the bus: San Pablo Lake and the Imbabura Volcano

After about 6 hours and 3 buses we got to Cuellaje. Not so clean anymore

Next day at the San Antonio Community. The grand-grandmother and her grand-grandsister. The 8mo baby was born at home, has been breastfed from birth, is carried on the back of her grandma, and wear diapers only part time. I was surprised to find this family traditionally practicing Elimination Communication. I had the feeling of being in a Continuum Concept workshop.

At the San Antonio Farm

Fresh carrots for dinner

A big leaf

We found other kids, of course

Fishing

In our way to milk the cows

First time milking a cow

At the school: the vegetable garden

Showing the flute to the 5th and 6th grade students

With the students of 5th and 6th grades. Carlos is the little one there

Feeding the little chickens

Horseback riding

Orchids

The locals are so gentle and friendly with kids

Flute practice

Look at the spider!

Leaving from Cuellaje back to Otavalo, in our way to Ibarra, and then Quito

I loved the place and want to go back soon

If you’re visiting Ecuador, this is a fantastic and affordable place to visit for those who like experiencing and learning from other cultures. Learn more about the San Antonio Farm and Community here: Intagtour

Frugal Portable Potty For ECers

Monica — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 07:29:22 +0000

My version of the Very Portable Potty System

Years ago, back when I was practicing Elimination Communication with my baby, I got to Marnie Holme’s website Noonee Wilga, where she explains her invention, the Very Portable Potty System (VPPS).

I got excited and went off to get the needed materials to build my own version of this fantastic EC gadget for my son.

When Baby Has To Go, Baby Has To Go!

There are many situations where you’re not near a bathroom. This happened to us in train stations, inside a train and a bus, airports, and dozens of places both indoors and outdoors. You may think it would be awkward, but since most people are unaware that little babies can use the toilet this way, it’s very probable that nobody will notice what’s going on.

Make your own VPPS with things you already have at home:

What you need:

An oval recipient (this is the potty). I found oval is a more comfortable shape for a portable potty for boys. I don’t know for girls;
A leak proof recipient. A baby bottle I never used ;
A small towel or absorbent pad to clean or dry the oval recipient;
A small bag for the leak proof bottle (optional). I recommend a bag with a string so you can hold the other items on your shoulder while taking the baby over the potty;
You can include cleaning wipes and a hand sanitizer (optional)

(I only included a lipstick in the picture to give you a size reference.)

Put the leakproof bottle and the towel inside the bag. Then the bag inside the oval recipient.

How it works:

Pretty simple. When the baby needs to go, take the bag outside the recipient. Hold the bag on your shoulder or just put it away while your baby goes

When the baby is done, put the recipient aside, dress the baby and put her back to the sling or on the floor.

Then empty the oval container into the leakproof bottle. If possible, rinse the container or dry with a towel. You can use it again until the bottle is empty, but you may want to void the bottle when you get to a bathroom. If it’s poo you need to keep it carefully until getting to a bathroom.

Of course, most or even all emergencies will be for pee (you’ll probably learn to recognize poo signals more clearly and in advance)

You’re ready to go! We used this portable system since my baby was 6 months old until about 18 months.

This is probably been the most useful baby gadget I’ve built myself.

Is EC Suitable For Modern Environments?

Monica — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 08:00:56 +0000

One common objection about Elimination Communication as an alternative to potty training is that it’s only suitable for families living in the country side or even that it’s only for those living in the jungle. Their point is that EC could not work in an urban environment.

I believe it might even be the opposite.

I practiced EC since my baby was 10 months old, and it became a great way to deal with motherhood while getting things done as a foreign student in Japan. Over there I shared an apartment and we lived in a tatami room. What could be more delicate than that?

I took my baby to the university lab and library, where no changing facilities other than the regular toilets. Also, we were outside a lot, in parks, the train, metro, our church, restaurants and other places where changing facilities were very common.

Then, when he was 13 months old, and very clear with his potty signals, we came back to Ecuador, in a day long air trip. I took about 3 diapers just in case, and that was enough for the whole flight from Japan-US-Ecuador. I want to mention that I missed his pee cues once or twice, but most of the time I was able to hold him over the airplane or airport toilet with little effort.

Back in Quito, I found EC to be more difficult. Of course, after the long travel and change to a new environment made us loose our almost perfect communication and I decided to have him on light cloth diapers for a while.

I found that ECing in Quito was more complicated, because toilet facilities were not as widely available as in Japan. Other than that, it didn’t change that much, except for the preconception that even cloth diapering was old fashioned and “poor” looking, not to mention EC.

In Japan I got compliments when people saw my baby wearing cloth or no diapers, while in Quito people looked down at me because they thought I was making that choice out of lack of money.

A couple of months after arriving to Ecuador, I decided to stop putting diapers on my son and from that day, before turning 2, he’s not worn diapers again.

When I talk about this with indigenous people they’re not surprised at all. On the other side, if I comment the same fact to middle or high class friends, they would be astonished on how early he was “potty trained”.

All in all, I found EC being easier and more practical while living in modern and *clean* Japan.

I’ve not diapered any baby so I can’t say for sure, but it seems to me that if diapering is possible in a certain location, then ECing might be even easier.

Any thoughts?