Mom Shuns Diapers For Newborn, Toilet Trains 2-Week-Old Baby On The Sink; What Is Elimination Communication?

A mom from Australia is already toilet training her two-week-old baby. Cindy Lever shuns the use of diapers for her newborn. Instead, she's using a method called elimination communication (EC) to guide her daughter Chloe into peeing and pooping on the sink.

Lever said she already planned to teach her baby elimination communication even before she gave birth, according to her essay on Kidspot Australia. She also said that EC is widely practiced in many cultures as a natural infant hygiene routine. Westerners, however, do not embrace the concept so well because of heavy reliance on diapers in the baby's first year.

Elimination communication involves instincts, timing and common sense. A parent should be able to tell when her baby is communicating that she needs to eliminate.

A parent should watch out for the baby's signals when she's ready to pee or poop. The parent then props the baby on the sink or toilet to allow the baby to do her business. The family, therefore, never have any need for diapers once this is mastered.

Do you EC?! Have you heard of Elimination Communication?! My dear friend & Australian Doctor Sarah Buckley once told me about EC when my son River was 4 months old. We gave it a try and I was astonished about how intune I became with him on a completely different level, we spoke our own language and I knew almost every time before he would go to the bathroom, by 5 months old we were 80% diaper free. So when this little peach was born, we had her "ECing" within the first week of life. Her cues now at 5 months are amazing.... I am even in tune with them. Here is Kaia going pee pee on the potty and me super proud! What are your EC experiences? I would love to hear! #ec #eliminationcommunication #evenauntiescanEC #sacredcommunication #babiesareSOAWARE #babiesaremuchsmarterthanwegivethemcreditfor #peacefulparenting #lifeofamidwife #gratefulheart #nodiapers #nonappies #diaperfreehouse #diaperfree

A post shared by Lindsey Meehleis (@lindseymeehleis) on Feb 18, 2017 at 7:28am PST

Unfortunately, parents usually turn to nappies instead of understanding these cues and patiently mastering the timing in most cases. "This instinct is then lost altogether at about six months old if it has been ignored," Lever wrote.

"Often if I get it wrong and we have an accident it is because I haven't listened," Lever said in describing how her EC skills aren't always perfect. "I will then kick myself for ignoring her vocal and physical cues."

EC has other benefits apart from early toilet training and reduced dependency on diapers. It encourages deeper bonding between the parent and the baby. It also offers more comfort for an infant who won't develop rashes from soiled diapers, according to Mama Natural. Some parents who practice EC also believe their baby's disposition is better because of this method.

Parents, would you give elimination communication a try? Learn more about going diaper-free in the video below.