Emma Kwasnica is a gentle mom, birth and babies advocate, and a woman I am blessed to call friend. Her reflection on raising her youngest daughter diaper free from birth, beautifully sums up one of the joys of elimination communication (EC). Emma told me:
I have never felt so much love for a tiny human, nor taken so much pleasure in meeting such basic (elimination) needs. I know now in my heart that this is *supposed* to be what mothering feels like. And full-time EC is almost exclusively responsible for these euphoric feelings.
Peaceful parenting readers have been sending in their EC photos for quite some time now. They were added to the Diaper Free! album on our Facebook page, but were always being flagged by unfriendly viewers and deleted by Facebook. As a result, we've decided to move the photo gallery here instead. If you'd like your diaper free photo added to the collection, to provide other parents with an idea of all the wonderful ways EC works, please send it to us at peacefulparents @ gmail.com. If you are a parent who submitted one of the photos below, and you'd like your name or website listed below your photo, or if you would like a watermark added to your picture, we'd be happy to do so as well. Drop us an email and we'll add the details.
One additional item we should note for those who may look at this album but go no further under the guise that EC equals no diapers at all - this is not necessarily the case. In fact, most EC parents have cloth as a backup. As one Continuum Family moderator put it, "Diaper-free does not mean no diapers - it means being free from dependence on diapers. Using back up is perfectly legit EC."
For information on Diaper Freedom / Elimination Communication (EC) / Natural Infant Hygiene see video/resources/articles linked on this page and check out any of the great books below.
Our Babies, OurselvesOur Babies, Ourselves is a book that covers many aspects of parenting - elimination needs being one of them. I've heard many people in the U.S. say that EC 'can't work' because a baby isn't able to control his/her eliminations. This is not true, but is a culturally bound assumption based on the society we've grown up within and the myths we've been told by others. To not know and trust and recognize infant cues from birth is not a universal phenomenon. In fact, quite the opposite is true for most humans around the world, and throughout most of human history. Quite frankly, we would not still be here if we'd always parented in a "DAF" (detached American fashion). Small's book is a fascinating one for many reasons, and she addresses a number of parenting assumptions taken for granted in various cultures around the world.
This is yet another excellent book that covers far more than babies' elimination needs. The Continuum Concept is an anthropological look at how and why baby-friendly means of care lead to healthy, secure individuals and a well, functioning society. There are too many good things to say about Liedloff's book, so I will let you discover it all for yourself within her pages.
This is yet another excellent book that covers far more than babies' elimination needs. The Continuum Concept is an anthropological look at how and why baby-friendly means of care lead to healthy, secure individuals and a well, functioning society. There are too many good things to say about Liedloff's book, so I will let you discover it all for yourself within her pages.
Now, onto the gallery...
tiny baby undies ~ sans diaper!
pottying in a bush
in a tub
outside the car(EC goes anywhere baby goes!)
Many cultures have EC gear that is more commonly available than it is in the U.S.The EC Store has a lot of helpful items for purchase or for sparking your own diaper free creation ideas.
"When Dad is in charge of EC"(in jest - not to be taken literally - but good to see baby is intact!)
These custom sewn EC pants were crafted by Deirdre at Continuum Family.com
Newborn sleeps diaper free - draped gently to catch misses
Emma Kwasnica's night time stash of supplies by the bed
Cathy Woodhouse's stash of supplies in her den
The line up of pottys at Kwasnica's home(these put our mere two to shame!)
Many EC items pictured here can be found discounted for sale at the
Peaceful Parenting Amazon Store
The EC Store had a limited supply of these Babywunder Deluxe Clear pottys. They were loved by some because you could easily see through them to identify 'business' that had taken place. However, they were more pricey, and broke easier. They are currently out of stock at the EC Store.
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I love the "pee in a cup" pic :P Too cute
ReplyDeletelove it! I was especially glad to see so many tiny baby's mine is 2months and I was struggling trying to find the best way to hold him without killing my back
ReplyDeletewe ended up getting an insert for the big potty I'll have to send a pic
Love this. We practice part-time EC with our 7-month-old son. I feel badly sometimes because he clearly is very happy using the potty and if I was more tuned in I think we could go diaper-free completely. But even after being at this for three months, I still miss most of his cues and rely on timing. We're a work in progress! I loved seeing all the little ones on the BBLPs - he's part of a community already!
ReplyDeleteLove it. So nice to see others that have done this. :) I posted this article on my blog as well, also a picture of my daughter being EC'd. :)
ReplyDeletehttp://salisyasramblings.blogspot.com/2010/09/nice-to-see.html
I had read about EC when I was pregnant with my first daughter (now 4) but didn't think I could do it so I filed it away in my head. My second daughter was born in January 2010 and diagnosed with Down Syndrome. Fast forward a year and I came across a woman who was discussing starting EC with her daughter. This is where I pulled that little file out of my head and said "Oh yea, I remember that!" But my second daughter is now 1 and I had read that that was pretty late to start EC let alone that she had Down Syndrome. Well, I am ecstatic to say that we have been practicing EC with her for about a month and I am overwhelmed at how good she is doing. She has been dry through the night for about 2 weeks now. I cloth diaper so I figure even if I only catch 1 pee that is one less diaper I am washing and drying. I am happy to say that my diaper load has cut in half. I feel so close to her and it is wonderful being so in tune with her. We have good days and not so good days, but over all it has been a wonderful experience. I really feel like it has made our bond even that much closer.
ReplyDeleteLove all the pics! I've always loved the one of the excited baby with feet straight out! Tons of wonderful pics here, thank you!
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