Elimination Communication (EC) is the practice of listening to your baby's communication regarding his or her elimination needs. Using EC strengthens both the parent / baby relationship and the trust that the parent will respond to the baby's needs. Babies do not like to soil themselves, which is why most babies cry when they are wet or soiled. Parents can respond to the baby's elimination needs by placing them over a receptacle when they think their baby needs to go. When the baby does pee or poop, the parent or caregiver gives a cue word, or sound, which reinforces the elimination act and awareness. The communication may be verbal, visual or instinctual.
Elimination Communication has been in the news a lot lately. Those of us who practice EC, and who may have felt like an oddball before, are now considered mainstream. Articles about EC have been in major newspapers across the US and abroad. EC has also been the subject of interest in People Magazine, on The View, The Today Show, Good Morning America, and on most major television news stations. The Detroit Free Press came to our Ann Arbor Diaper Free Baby meeting in October, and had a really nice article in the paper on October 18. Since then, we have started to get more people interested in joining our group. Also, since I am a Michigan contact for Diaper Free Baby, I have gotten several e-mails and have been asked to speak at various Mothering groups. That is the reason I decided to start this informative website. This is the story of our EC journey, what has worked for us and what did not. This is also an interactive site, so please feel free to e-mail any questions or comments.
