When we were planning to have our third child, we made a conscious decision to not use disposable diapers. We felt sheepish that we had already contributed 2 children’s worth of diapers to our nation’s landfills. Unfortunately, washing and drying cloth diapers could triple the amount of work for us. Further, exchanging disposable diapers for energy- and water-consuming laundering was not an environmentally guilt-free option. How did we as humans take care of children before disposable diapers? Researching this question, we soon learned about elimination communication (EC).
EC, also known as natural infant hygiene, is the practice of using the infant’s natural timing and cues to recognize when they need to defecate or urinate. By identifying these cues, caregivers can coordinate elimination in the toilet rather than in a diaper. Contrary to the notion that infants relieve themselves randomly and constantly throughout the day, infants naturally eliminate at predictable times,...
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