The Go Diaper Free Podcast

A new trend has emerged in the field of Elimination Communication: Babies are learning to pee on the floor, whenever, wherever. I've been doing a lot of work with my readers on my private support Forum and have been trying to figure out, for a long while now, why this has been happening. Why Do Lots of ECed Babies Pee All Over the Floor? The answer is inside! Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/125 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

When doing elimination communication with your baby, how much bare bum, naked time do you allow, and how much "diaper-free" time (with some type of a back-up) do you do...and does any of this even matter? Yes, it does. Today I answer this question from multiple mamas in our audience who wonder how to balance these two very important parts of infant potty training: bare-bum and diaper-free time! Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/124 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 guest post from certified coach Louisa Rickman of the UK is like an overview of EC as a viable potty learning option, from birth onward...very helpful refresher and a great introduction for those of you who are new to EC and Go Diaper Free. Potty training doesn't have to begin with older toddlers. EC is a gentle, child-led method of infant potty learning, suitable from birth to 18 months. If this is the first you've heard of Elimination Communication, it probably sounds a bit weird! But once you get used to the idea and consider the benefits for baby, parents and the environment, you might never look at nappies (diapers) the same way again! Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/123 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

Maybe this has happened to you: you've been doing just the morning pee or just poops and feeling pretty good about part-time EC, but now your situation has changed, or your energy has picked back up, or you're just tired of using diapers anymore...how do you move from part-time elimination communication to full-time ECing? What, exactly, is the next step in potty training our infants and moving towards being truly "diaper-free?" One of our readers asked this question, so today I'm gonna give it a full answer. Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/122 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

Is praising during potty training good or bad? Should we praise our babies when they use the potty while doing elimination communication? This is a great question and one that I feel fairly strongly about...and I'll answer whether you should praise your baby (with stickers or M&M's or good job's) while doing EC or potty training (or not). Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/121 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

Clean-up, clean-up, everybody do your share...how do we clean up during observation and after pottying our babies with elimination communication, and are there any tricks? Today we'll answer this question from one of our readers. Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/120 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 Coach Natalie in Indianapolis. Please see the written version at godiaperfree.com/119 for all the photos of today's tutorial! If you're like me, the moment you started practicing EC, those onesie snaps became one of your biggest headaches, right? I mean, snapping and unsnapping every couple hours….no big deal. But every 30 minutes?!?! Forget it. And so…the snaps were left hanging unsnapped, they were snapped to the side, sometimes snapped over the shoulders. Snapped everywhere except where they were meant to be snapped. Add in cloth diapers and Tiny Trainers, and you really get tired of those onesies! There's a practical solution to this difficulty - turn your onesies into t-shirts! The pattern I'm going to share with you today is SO easy - anyone can do it, even if the only sewing tools you own are a needle and some thread. Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/119 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

Many people say "I can't start EC because I am too busy. This baby pottying business is NOT for busy moms." But I say, "Baloney!" I have 5 kids spanning 8 years and run two businesses...busy is my middle name, and I've pottied all 5 of my babies from birth. Not to brag, but I'm definitely fully qualified to share some tips about how to start EC when you're super-duper busy in today's show. Whether you're traveling or too busy to focus on starting elimination communication with your baby, this episode is for you! Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/118 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

Elimination Communication often puzzles new parents because it doesn't fit in with what we have heard or seen about parenting. In our culture, babies wear diapers. They wear diapers all day long, all night long. Babies have a diaper on their butt practically from the moment they are born until they are "ready" to potty train, usually around age 3. To understand why EC works, we need to forget everything we heard about full-time diapering and delayed potty training for a second. If we change our paradigm for a moment, we can see that EC actually makes a lot of sense. Let's look at 4 reasons this is true. Today's show is a guest post I'm sharing from Ariane Blais-Lacombe, our certified coach serving Quebec, Canada. Enjoy and please join us over at the full show notes, and add your comments or questions, here: https://godiaperfree.com/117 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

Placing the potty in each room, potty here/there/everywhere... how does pottying your baby in multiple locations affect elimination communication, and should we be pottying our babies in the same place every time? Super confusing! Today I'm going to answer that specific question from one of our community members. PS - in the written version of today's post (godiaperfree.com/116), we've included a little gallery of some of our readers' potty stations. Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/116 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

Working from home adds an extra challenge to the already-demanding task of caring for a baby. Or is it the other way around? Caring for a baby (or toddler) can make work extra challenging. I would argue that practicing Elimination Communication can actually make your working and caretaking struggles easier. Here's how - in a guest post by one of our certified coaches, Natalie Robbins. Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/115 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 answer to one of our readers' questions: "How do you recommend keeping a young baby warm when starting EC in a cold winter climate? My baby is now 11 weeks old, and I use cloth diapers with her and cue her when she goes in them these days. I've been using baby legs and socks on her feet, but that still leaves an exposed area between the thighs and diaper, which makes her cold in my chilly home." I'll share the answer to this and more in today's episode! Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/114 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 clear up the difference between signals and signs - and whether it truly makes a difference what you call it. Someone recently mentioned that some signals are actually signs and it got me thinking, so let's define both of those and talk about whether it matters. I'm going to give you examples of both of them and, most importantly, we're going to talk about how they can help you potty your baby with more success today. Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/113 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

Separation anxiety in little babies: the struggle is real! How does it affect elimination communication, and what do we do about baby's separation anxiety related to potty time? Today I'm going to answer that specific question from one of our community members. Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/112 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

I stopped breastfeeding forever two weeks ago. 😭 Today I'm sharing how it feels to have breastfed all 5 of my babies over the course of 10 years, what has happened, how I've weaned, and what I've learned along the way. (Plus how elimination communication + breastfeeding have been the MAGIC KEYS to my new mom confidence.) Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/111 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 a guest post from Natalie in Indianapolis (she's one of our coaches). A snippet: "I hate to break it to you, but counting diapers, or obsessing over the number of catches isn't going to help the EC process - if anything, it'll probably set you back." If you're guilty of keeping count, this episode is for you! The answer of "what to do about this" - and 4 clear tips to keep it stress-free - are in her post. Listen or read now. Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/110 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

A lot of people who teach potty training say, "Don't leave the potty out. It's not something to be played with." But when we're doing Elimination Communication with babies ages 0 to 18 months, everything is played with. Everything is put in their mouth. Everything is handled, explored, through all of the senses, all the time. Today we'll discuss whether it's ok for babies to play with the potty or seat reducer, and how we can use this as a signal that they may need to go. We'll also cover setting boundaries and what to do if the playing never becomes productive! Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/109 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 our Certified Coach Natalie shares various DIY potty options, diapering choices, information sources, and clothing preferences that will allow you to practice EC in a VERY budget friendly manner. If the budget is tight, or you want to try EC but aren't sure you're committed, here are some simple solutions you can try using items you already have at home. Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/108 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

I feel ridiculously passionate about sharing tools with you and your friends during these really strange times. One more little extra podcast/written article for ya to round out our week. (The first was how to refresh or start EC with observation time, second was wipes alternatives, third was diaper alternatives.) Kate is our certified coach in Wyoming and she just wrote an amazing and short post on potty training during this time - whether from scratch or to wrap up EC. She wrote it and then I read it for a bonus episode on the podcast...for today, right now!NOTE: If you're listening far later than the coronavirus pandemic, and you have 3-7 days off from work and want to potty train, this one is also for you. ;) Get full show notes - AND our free download: The Potty Training Plan PDF - here: https://godiaperfree.com/83.5d Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

We have another bonus episode right now where we'll discuss disposable diaper alternatives - which can be applied to the current coronavirus self-isolation situation OR any time in the future when diapers might be sparse...OR if you are ready to stop using and throwing away so many darn non-biodegradable diapers! Right now, families are discovering shortages of disposable baby care items like baby wipes, which can feel scary if that is the product that your family is most accustomed to using. We can help with some strategies, using household items you may already have (or even none at all… read on!). Here are some disposable diaper alternatives. Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/83.5c Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

We have another bonus episode right now where we'll discuss disposable baby wipe alternatives and offer some reusable wipes options - which can be applied to the current coronavirus self-isolation situation OR any time in the future when wipes might be sparse...OR if you are ready to stop using and throwing away so much baby-related trash! Right now, families are discovering shortages of disposable baby care items like baby wipes, which can feel scary if that is the product that your family is most accustomed to using. We can help with some strategies, using household items you may already have (or even none at all… read on!). Here are some disposable baby wipe alternatives. Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/83.5b Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

Today we have a bonus episode by one of our Certified Coaches, Ariane Blais-Lacombe, for those of you self-isolating due to coronavirus (or for ANYONE who wants to get better at EC) who now have some spare time (30-60 minutes) on their hands. Naked observation time is crucial to beginning your EC journey. Letting your baby be naked and watching him without pottying him yet will provide you tons of useful information to know your baby better and potty him or her more accurately. I'll share Ariane's 10 Golden Rules for Observation Time, learning when to potty baby, and how to read your baby with the information learned during observation time. Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/83.5a Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

With most people having at least some time off work, Christmas (or Kwanzaa, or Hanukkah, or simply "the holiday break") may seem like the perfect time to get on with potty training, but here are 5 things to consider before making your decision. Read the full written version and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/holidaybonus Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's free Easy Start Guide: https://godiaperfree.com/start

A lot goes into operating my various EC and mama-centric businesses. I'll share how I balance it all while raising five kids under the age of eight. And how do I keep everyone (hubs included) from becoming addicted to convenient diapers? Here are some tricks that I've learned along the way! Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/58 Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook

I've had a lot of people ask me questions such as "Andrea, how are you able to reach so many EC parents?" "how do you run your business without being a crappy mom?" and "what magic goes on behind that curtain?" Today I want to tell you all about it and also extend a special invitation. Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/57 Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook