The Go Diaper Free Podcast

That look, that grunt...right smack in the middle of breastfeeding (or bottle feeding). What is an EC-ing mama to do with poops during a feed? Learn why this happens, how to prevent it (yay!) and three ways to handle poops during breastfeeding. Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/176 Get my free easy start guide for EC https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

Dietician mom Jennifer thought she knew ALL the tricks to healthy eating...until her son refused to eat what she served! Hear how Jennifer met experience with expertise and refreshed her family's feeding strategy....and how you, too, can take the power struggles out of feeding and give your kids a healthy relationship with food! Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/175 Get my free easy start guide for EC https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

What are pottytunities and when can you use them in your EC or potty training journey? Hear about the practice EC parents rave about as "EC magic", including four easy options to try today – and even what to do when a pottytunity doesn't "work." Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/174 Get my free easy start guide for EC https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

When a friend told new-mom Shayla she should check out EC, Shayla said, "what on earth is that?" Hear Shayla's EC journey (including the surprise pregnancy that started it all), her best EC hacks, plus loads of fun as Shayla and Andrea chat all things motherhood - ovulation cycles, childbirth, potty training - and of course, EC! Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/173 Get my free easy start guide for EC https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

You get the signal, you scoop up your babe, you're in position over the sink and cueing...but ugh, Baby is heavy! Is struggling with in-arms pottying a rite of passage with EC or is there a better way? Listen for how to avoid back (and wrist!) pain while pottying an in-arms baby (plus posture tips for nursing and using the top hat potty!) Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/172 Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

Your EC experience was going great until you started to pass the baton. Then, wham, resistance! What does this mean? Is the process doomed to failure? Should you just "wait until they're ready"? Listen to hear why resistance happens during wrap-up, two tools to solve it, and how to tweak your mindset for the smoothest experience possible. Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/171 Wrap up EC with your 12-18 month old with the Hybrid Plan included in Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook Start potty training your 18+ month old today with the Tiny Potty Training Book: https://godiaperfree.com/potty-training-book

Sleep – we all know we need it, but how to get it with a baby or toddler? Should you "sleep train"? What if it doesn't feel right? Who do you turn to for advice? Today I chat with Taylor Kulik, Sleep & Well-being Specialist, who unpacks how reclaiming our intuition around biological sleep yields improved wellness (and sleep!) for babies and their parents. If you've been looking for help with baby sleep, you don't want to miss today's podcast! Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/170 Get my free easy start guide for EC https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

Is it ok to start potty training "early" and how early is too early? What about "readiness"? How long should the process take? Today we'll also explore the decision facing us: do we do potty training, early potty training, or this thing called "elimination communication?" What age you can start, what to expect and what tools you need for a successful experience for you and your child. Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/169 Get my free easy start guide for Potty Training at https://godiaperfree.com/starting-potty-training/ Start Potty Training today with Andrea's popular Tiny Potty Training Book: https://godiaperfree.com/potty-training-book/

Today I share the story behind it all! How I learned about elimination communication as a natural alternative to diapers and toilet training. Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/168 Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

Your toddler goes to the toilet willingly today, but pees his pants all day tomorrow. He tells you when he needs to go pee all week, and the following week...nothing. What gives with all the potty training inconsistency?! 🤷‍♀️ If YOU are experiencing inconsistency in potty training your toddler, have no fear. There is both a reason for this AND a fix for it! Today we'll cover why toddlers (and parents) become inconsistent during potty training AND what we can do about it. You will hear: The first step to fixing inconsistency (it's both hard and simple!) What inconsistency will derail How to become consistent, even if you use a daycare WHY children are all over the place with potty training What lack of interest and inconsistent cooperation REALLY means The fix for this issue Two bonus suggestions that will get you consistent in EVERY area of parenting, from today forward! Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/167 Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

If you are finding major inconsistencies in elimination communication, today's show is 100% for you. Today I cover both of these situations, in full: You not being consistent in offering your baby the potty and Your baby not consistently telling you he needs to go, cooperating in going, or showing an interest in using the toilet If you have experienced either of these situations, great!👌 In today's show, you will hear: My #1 tip to get back into consistent potty time with your baby The one woo-woo thing you MUST do to get back with it 😂 How to make infant potty time a HABIT with your baby Examples of events that you can "peg" this new habit to Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/166 Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

Our Common Enemy. We're gonna chat about how the cards are stacked against us in this diapering culture, and how best to WIN big with Elimination Communication, from as early as birth, despite this culture! Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/165 Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

Today's episode is a guest post from one of our certified coaches, Maja, and it's all about nighttime EC. Here's a snippet: "In one of the articles I stumbled upon when my daughter was around 6 months old, the author claimed that children pee in between the sleep cycles and that some babies dislike soiling themselves so much it makes them cry and fuss. I immediately felt that this could be it for us, but the idea of getting up to offer the potty at night, on top of everything else, seemed like a nightmare - and like a sure way to spend even less time sleeping. Little did I know that this was exactly what we needed to improve our sleep! I hit rock bottom at about 9 months old, recalled this article, and tried to give it a go - figuring out the how-to's as we went, which I'll lay out right now." Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/164 Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

Welcome to the show! So, if you've been here for any length of time, you know that I do NOT interview people on my podcast. However. Katie Ferraro interviewed me about elimination communication for her podcast, Baby-led Weaning Made Easy, a few weeks ago. It was SO Good that I felt compelled to share HER topic, babyled weaning or BLW, with y'all on my podcast! EC and BLW play very nicely together and fall under that same parenting umbrella of: hey, respect my natural biology and rhythms and listen to me, mom! Learn about Baby-led Weaning TODAY in our super-fun interview! Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/163 Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

Today's episode is a guest post from our Cerified Coach Emily in NY. A snippet: "Here's the thing. Putting babies on potties was common practice up until the 1950s. Way back when, parents did anything they could to avoid washing poopy cloth diapers. Although disposable diapers are undoubtedly the norm in the US today, I'd say it's also still pretty normal - not that "fringe" or "crunchy" - to want to avoid changing them. So on that basis alone, I contest that we need to bring EC back into the mainstream, where it belongs, and where it has traditionally and historically been." Hear the rest of Emily's contribution to our podcast here today! Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/162 Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

Over the years I've been approached by many, many parents who are practicing RIE - which is a form of respectful parenting that focuses on not interrupting a baby's play - about whether elimination communication complements or contradicts it. Most of these parents were convinced that EC would be disrespectful, considered an unnecessary "interruption" to baby's play that would interfere with their proper development. Hmm. Well, I disagree with this. I actually believe the two practices are quite compatible, so I decided to finally research RIE and lay it all out for y'all! Today I'm going to go through, point by point, RIE's Basic Principles to demonstrate where EC and RIE align nicely...and where they may not. I also want to introduce you to the lovely idea of RIE! If you haven't heard of it, I hope you learn something new today. Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/161 Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

Today's episode is a guest post from Go Diaper Free Certified Coach Tracy Gillett, who blogs at Raised Good and teaches parents EC (and many other things) in the Vancouver area of British Columbia, Canada. Here's an excerpt: "I read about Elimination Communication (EC). It blew my mind. I remember my husband's raised eyebrows when I told him about it. Was this a step too far? Could a helpless little baby seriously pee in a potty? But it made sense. And it felt natural. After all we're the only species in the animal kingdom using diapers. It didn't take much to convince us. We were intrigued and had to try it. But something I read didn't make sense. The suggestion was that the most important element of EC isn't actually potty training but, communication. What were they talking about?, I wondered. In our fast paced, have-everything-now world, isn't the purpose of EC to reach potty independence quickly? To reach the finish line, avoid misses, and get out of diapers as soon as humanly possible? That's what I assumed. But I was wrong." Enjoy the rest of Tracy's story in today's episode! Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/160 Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

Anyone who's tried to decode their newborn baby's various cries and fusses knows that it can be virtually impossible! Is baby hungry? Tired? Cold? Uncomfortable? In pain? (Or, for those of us doing elimination communication: does baby have to go potty and wants the diaper removed first??) However, what if your baby cries and fusses ALL the time?? You set her down, she fusses within moments. Won't nap without being worn in the baby carrier, won't sleep unless you heroically rock her for 45 minutes straight, will cry if the car is not racing down the road... If this sounds familiar, figuring out EC signals inside all those fusses can be crazy-making. Today I'm gonna give you some advice I've given several mamas over the years, and something that I didn't truly and FULLY decode until after my 5th baby, Twyla, was born a few years ago. Here are 5 reasons for fussiness/gassiness in your baby, and a quick note on how to resolve each of them. Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/159 Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

How to catch your menstrual blood in the toilet without using a tampon or pad?? Wha??? I, thinking I was the ONLY one who did this, have also been "catching" my monthly cycle in the toilet every night for about the past 2 years. So, when Jenn told me she wanted to write this article, I couldn't believe I wasn't the only one applying Elimination Communication (or infant potty training) principles to my moon cycle! Without further ado, here is Jenn's article on how she catches her menstrual blood in the toilet instead of elsewhere...and how that relates to EC. Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/158 Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

Today I'm gonna share a bunch of testimonials from mamas (and one daddy) who've done Elimination Communication and/or potty training with their babies, using the Go Diaper Free resources as their guide. These are amazing and I hope that they both warm your heart and inspire you just like they do for me. Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/157 Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

Parents, you may be wondering how to be successful at potty training while your child is in daycare much of the day. For most parents these days, some type of childcare is part of their child's week. Whether its grandma's house, a dayhome/in-home daycare, full or part-time daycare, or even a drop-in at the gym…. So how do you potty-train while your child is in someone else's care? There was a time, not so long ago that daycares took some responsibility over potty-training, or even led the process completely. What do we do to get daycares to support potty training NOW?? Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/156 Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

My oldest son turns 11 years old this week!! He's always been the "star" of my book and videos, bringing EC to the world in a big way (and he's proud of it!). In celebration of this wonderful event, I'd like to share a little bit about how I believe doing elimination communication with him, from birth, has impacted his life as a now pre-teen. As part of today's show, I would also like to encourage you to listen to Kaiva's full EC story in episode 11 of the Go Diaper Free Podcast at godiaperfree.com/11. Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/155 Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

Today's episode is about mommy guilt. And how elimination communication can soften the guilt...even if you have to leave your baby every day to work outside the home! Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/154 Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

Today we're going to have a lively debate: what is the best diaper for elimination communication? Are disposable diapers okay for elimination communication, or should they be avoided at all costs? Do you have to commit to cloth diapers to make elimination communication successful? (OMG major overwhelm!) Do compostable diapers even work? (Or do they fall apart right when the pee hits them?!) I'm going to unveil the mystery of "which diaper to use for elimination communication" (or infant potty training) right now. Keep in mind: With elimination communication, diapers are used as a "back-up," not a full-time toilet We are only using diapers for 12-18 months with elimination communication, versus 3-4 years if you're doing conventional toilet training. With that in mind, let's go through the pros and cons and, at the end of today's show, I'll make my recommendation! Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/153 Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

You know those days where everything (including EC) just doesn't go right from the beginning? How about, instead, those days where everything (including EC!) seems to flow just about perfectly? What?!? You mean you don't have those? Well, I'm here to tell you how to create those kinds of days from the get-go. Todays' episode is a guest post from Jen, our Certified Coach in Apple Valley, CA. Enjoy! Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/152 Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

Today we've got another question from, not one, but TWO of our Go Diaper Free readers from the US and Thailand. It's all about what do I do if my baby poops or pees in her pants because she's started crawling? This is another super-common problem that warrants a deeper answer...let's do it! Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/151 Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

In today's guest post, Caroline (one of our German EC coaches) considers the sum of job + household + kids + sudden unforeseen adventures that all in all seem to leave too little time or energy for more…. Does this sound familiar? Have you caught yourself facing the same challenge: that you cannot possibly match EC with your current lifestyle? Then please listen to today's show...there might be a surprisingly easy (and motivating :)) answer to how to do elimination communication with very little time...especially while being a working mom or dad. Today, Caroline will explore how we can fit in part-time elimination communication into our already-busy lives as working parents. Enjoy and be sure to get the full show notes and add your comments or questions here when you're done listening: https://godiaperfree.com/150 Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

Today's episode is about a very, very common issue with elimination communication: My baby hates sitting on the potty but always pees outside easily. What should I do? Today we'll answer this reader's question...and get your baby using the inside potty or toilet within days or weeks. Because getting a baby who loves peeing outdoors to use the inside potty is priceless! Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/149 Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

Today's episode is a guest post from Robin Kinney, our EC Coach in Madison, Wisconsin. I love how Robin has learned how to weave EC with potty training and I hope you are inspired by her story! How bending the rules, believing in your child, and finding the right kind of support can make all the difference in your potty training experience...why I potty trained my son at 15-months-old. Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/148 Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

What would an indigenous person say about pottying their baby? How do babies go diaper free in indigenous cultures? Do babies even wear diapers in intact communities and third world countries? Today I answer Emily's question about the attitudes indigenous women have toward pottying their babies in third world countries...and I try to pull together the pieces of what we know today. Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/147 Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

Today I share about "How to EC an Extremely Fussy Baby"...to help you figure out WHY your baby is so fussy in the first place, what works in terms of doing EC anyway, and, overall, how to manage this difficult wrench in the perfect wheel of "I'm totally doing EC from birth." This is how to do elimination communication if your newborn baby is fussy! Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/145 Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

Are you a failure if you wrap up elimination communication with potty training?? Our guest post today is from Ariane, one of our certified coaches who started EC at 3 months and, at 22 months, was ashamed that she had to wrap it up with potty training. She shares her story today...and it's quite inspiring! I also share at the end how to avoid having to wrap up elimination communication with potty training (but sometime's it's just inevitable!). Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/144 Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

Today I'm sharing the audio from my video on the Pros and Cons of Starting EC with a Young Toddler. You can watch the video over on the Go Diaper Free YouTube Channel, or listen to it today, right here and now! This episode is sponsored by my Wrapping Up EC minicourse, which will teach you how to complete what you've started with my book, Go Diaper Free. These two will set you up with success to start and finish ECing your young toddler within the 12-18 month span. Visit godiaperfree.com/wrapup to sign up for that class. You can also read the written transcript of todays' show over at godiaperfree.com/143 where I'll also conveniently link to all the things I mention in today's episode. I'll also be replying to comments over there, so come on by when you're finished learning about the pros and cons of starting elimination communication with a young toddler (just walking, like one year old)! Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

One of my fave readers asked me many years ago: What is the one thing you would tell people to keep in mind when doing elimination communication? And my answer hasn't changed much since the first time I wrote this way back when: The most important thing I can share with people about elimination communication is...found in today's episode! Including practical ideas of how to make EC great. Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/142 Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

Today I'm sharing the audio from my video on the Pros and Cons of Starting EC with a Mobile Baby. (Listen to episode 139 on Newborns if you haven't already.) You can watch the video over on the Go Diaper Free YouTube Channel, or listen to it today, right here and now! This episode is sponsored by Getting Back on Track with EC, my minicourse on restarting EC (or starting EC from scratch) with a mobile baby. This combined with my book, Go Diaper Free, will set you up with success to start ECing your mobile baby in the most effective way. Visit godiaperfree.com/backontrack to sign up for that class. You can also read the written transcript of today's show over at godiaperfree.com/141 where I'll also conveniently link to all the things I mention in today's episode. I'll also be replying to comments over there, so come on by when you're finished learning about the pros and cons of starting elimination communication with a mobile baby! Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

So what do you do if your baby poops REALLY early every single morning? YOU want to get more sleep. I've been there. But BABY has other plans. Poop plans. Today I answer this very question from a reader in Arkansas. Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/140 Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

Today I'm sharing the audio from my video on the Pros and Cons of Starting EC with a Newborn Baby. You can watch the video over on the Go Diaper Free YouTube Channel, or listen to it today, right here and now! This episode is sponsored by Baby Meets Potty, my newborn minicourse. This combined with my book, Go Diaper Free, will set you up with success to start ECing right at or after the birth of your baby. The minicourse has lots of footage of me ECing all 5 of my babies within minutes, hours, days, and weeks of their births. This is truly the only way to learn EC from the start. Visit godiaperfree.com/newborn to sign up for that class. You can also read the written transcript of todays' show over at godiaperfree.com/139 where I'll also conveniently link to all the things I mention in today's episode. I'll also be replying to comments over there, so come on by when you're finished! Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

If you're curious about freebirth 🤰 today's show is definitely for you. Yeah, this isn't EC or potty training, but it's related. Because HOW your baby comes into the world MATTERS. Even if you don't think you'd EVER have the GUTS to birth unassisted, I will share how our 9 core freebirth principles can be applied to ANY BIRTH, at home or in hospital, with or without a caregiver. 🤙 I've had two of my five babies unassisted and they were amazing, satisfying, and unbelievably smooth. This is how to have a freebirth. Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/138 Get on the waitlist for my newest book, Brave New Birth, at bravenewbirth.com. Coming end of April 2021. Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

When you're getting started with elimination communication, observation time is a crucial component. However, our Certified Coach Natalie Robbins would go so far to say naked observation time can actually be avoided entirely. Naked time CAN be a great tool for getting to know your newborn baby's signals, and especially helpful if you are starting with an older baby or potty training, to sweep that mini potty underneath them mid-pee. But if it's too cold to leave your baby undressed, or maybe you aren't too keen on the potential mess, you'll be glad to learn that you may be able to avoid naked observation without hindering the observation process. Today, Natalie shares five equally-effective alternatives to naked observation time so you can learn your baby's signals and jumpstart or improve your EC practice. She'll also reveal several reasons why you may choose to skip naked time, like they did, and peek into their thought process around the whole thing. Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/137 Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

Today's show is a guest post from our Certified Coach, Kate Falk, about 5 Reasons to stick with the Potty Training Plan (even if you want to quit!) and 5 Tips for getting through the hard parts. Kate offers A LOT of elimination communication and potty training classes and consultations and gets A LOT of parents who are ready to give up on potty training. The number one reason clients schedule a consultation with her is that they're frustrated by potty training and/or they can't make sense of how to progress through the potty training process. They want to quit potty training because yes, potty training can be super challenging, at least parts of it. But somewhere deep down, the clients sense there's a light at the end of the tunnel, even if they currently don't see it, and that potty independence is a possibility. Today's show contains what Kate has culled from many years of potty training coaching. She's going to share WHY you should stick with potty training (even when you want to quit) and exactly how to get through the most challenging parts of potty training. (You may be reassured to know the majority of families who've done our Potty Training Plan had very similar questions and concerns. Parents got stuck on the same issues, and fortunately, the advice on how to proceed works for most families! Let's get YOU unstuck, too.) Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/136 Get my free 3 day potty training primer at https://godiaperfree.com/starting-potty-training/ Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

Today I've got a special guest on the show: Avital from The Parenting Junkie. She teaches parents how to love parenting and parent from love. We're going to talk about the importance of independent play for babies and toddlers, and how helping your baby play independently makes elimination communication and early potty training so much easier. Today we're discussing the importance of independent play, and how you can start folding this invaluable, sanity-building practice into your parenting today...with babies as young as newborn! This is a game-changer for new moms and dads, y'all, and completely in alignment with elimination communication and early potty training (because the goal there is independence as well!). Enjoy! Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/135 Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

Today I'm going to answer a question from one of our readers: can I start Elimination Communication at 2 years old? Is Elimination Communication (EC) age-appropriate for older toddlers, or should we skip it and do something else at 2 years old, regarding potty training or otherwise? Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/134 Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

Tell me if this has happened to you: Your baby has been using the potty fine and all of the sudden is resistant and won't sit on the potty, perhaps peeing on the floor 5 minutes later or in the diaper soon after the pottytunity has ended. She fusses and you get nervous that you're doing the wrong thing. Does EC work? Is my mother-in-law right? Am I permanently damaging my baby? Why is she screaming and trying to run away? So much second-guessing! The thing is, this is pretty normal. It's a sign. Today we're going to discuss why your baby is really resisting the potty, and how to give your baby the thing he's screaming so loudly for - privacy on the potty - but doesn't know quite how to say it yet! Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/133 Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

If you're one of those who was caught between shopping trips and other parents got to the diapers and wipes aisle first, this is my heart-into-action for you: what you can do if you're running out of diapers. We will discuss options to use fewer diapers for younger babies and also a couple options for toddlers who are newly walking. We also have some energy-saving tips for laundering cloth diapers on the cheap. So, if the store has run out of diapers, do these things! This is a guest post from our Certified Coach Laura Durkee in Lima, Ohio...we'll be answering comments over on the blog post after the show (see link below)! Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/132 Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

This is a little letter that I wrote to parents several months ago. I think it was around Earth Day, around when we do Go Diaper Free Week every year. And it started off as a bit of a rant, but it turned into this sort of productive thing: What can we do about the fact that we parents are one of the largest groups of people who are ruining the environment? Not that it's entirely our fault - because we were raised in a diapering culture, and this is all we know. But when we know better, hopefully by the end of today's episode, we can make some changes. I'm going to give you some challenges at the end, so stick around for that. Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/131 Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

Today is a guest post from our Certified Coach, Maru, from London. She shares: If you, like me, follow a gentle and respectful parenting approach, you might be confused about whether EC is part of this or not. Two of the most popular US and UK gentle & respectful parenting guides (Sarah Ockwell Smith and Janet Lansbury) are not big fans of EC (but what I've found is that they have a very superficial understanding of it). What could be more respectful than responding to your baby's non-verbal communications? With everything happening around the world today, it's time to become more open minded about what is normal in other cultures. Today she shares more about this very important observation: that elimination communication is THE most respectful practice of natural parenting. Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/130 Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

In today's episode, I'm going to teach you how to talk about Elimination Communication. I'm going to model it by sharing how I tell new moms about EC. And for all you new moms who are listening to this episode today, this is what I have to say to you about EC. A little public service announcement: 100% of parents who start EC later or miss the boat entirely tell me that they wish they would have heard about EC sooner and started sooner. EC starts early because it's easier that way, because it's dependent on babies' inborn instincts. They're born this way...and today I'll explain more about the benefits of EC and 4 quick tips to try out elimination communication today. Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/129 Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

Why Bother to do elimination communication with a Non-Verbal Kid? So your child doesn't signal, eh? His poo communication involves looking up from play (and if you're not there to catch his eye, oh well!), and he is more than content to pee through his trainers, through his pants, and through your sofa without blinking? Ah, the one that crushes EC dreams. Or is he? In today's show we have a guest post from Laura Durkee, our certified coach in Lima, Ohio, where she answers the question: can a non-verbal child be potty trained? Why bother doing elimination communication with a toddler who doesn't talk yet? Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/128 Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

Why would a baby who you're trying to potty in-arms (with the EC hold, under their thighs, their back leaned up against your torso) all of a sudden stiffen and straighten their legs so that you basically can't hold them in potty position anymore...and refuse to go to the bathroom? We will discuss 5 Reasons Babies Resist Being Held for Elimination Communication and 17 Ways to Get Your Baby to Stop Resisting the In-arms Potty Position. We call this specific baby move "bucking" - trying to escape the potty position altogether - and discuss how to get past this discouraging (and common) elimination communication struggle. Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/127 Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

If you've just found out about infant potty training, or elimination communication, and your baby is between 12 and 18 months old, you're not too late! You may feel like you've missed the boat. Like the potty train has left the building but forgot you and your little toddler. Today I answer one concerned reader's question about starting toilet learning at 14 months old, and I'll share my tips for starting Elimination Communication during the 12-18 month age. Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/126 Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook