When Elimination Communication Backfires

As great as ECing is, I have to admit that, there are times when you just want your baby to go in their diaper. When it’s all going well, this, can be, confusing to your little one. Yesterday I was talking to a friend about ECing and I started thinking of the incidents we’ve had with BiP where ECing has actually backfired.

Not under the table!
BiP has made good use of gardens and fields, which is not really embarrassing until she poops (rather than pee’s, as you wrongly assumed) under the table in the garden whilst having aperitif at a friends house!

Poop, a car park and a sandal!
About 6 weeks into ECing BiP we were out in a posh village and she was fussing and being totally “off” when it clicked what she wanted to poop! I tried cueing her to go in her diaper but this just enraged her further so we decided to head back to the car. I whipped off BiP’s diaper and held her in the bucket hold between the cars and she instantly pooped! Just as I was about to get a bottle of water out of the car to wash away the mess the couple who were parked next to us returned!!! Before I could say “Attention!” (“watch out” in French) the lady stepped in it! I was mortified! (Now, before anyone says anything, the streets in France are decorated in dog poop so personally, I would rather step in breastfed baby poop than dog poop!)  I then vowed to travel with a potty in the car from that day on!

Hey! The potty sucks but this rug will do!
Recently BiP decided that the potty was uncomfortable at Grandma’s and pulled herself up on to the coffee table and promptly peed on the rug. During diaper free time at home she chooses to get off the potty and pee on the tiles and then proceed to slip and fall … or if she does actually poop in her diaper it becomes a huge ordeal with her crying her eyes out even when she has been changed.

So, whilst I love ECing it certainly has its downfalls! I am hoping that when she starts walking things will be easier but I am sure I will have more stories to tell!

58 thoughts on “When Elimination Communication Backfires

  1. allykat

    Too funny! I’ve never tried EC’ing, but this post reminds me that even the best ideas in parenting sometimes backfire. Sounds like it’s worth the occasional mess. You’ll just have to be a little faster with the “Attention!” next time, LOL.

    Reply
    1. MummyinProvence

      I am sure I have a lot of great ideas which will probably backfire ahead of me!
      Will keep a big smile and a slightly louder voice handy!

      Reply
  2. Leah

    This gave me quite a good laugh! Thanks for sharing. 🙂

    Reply
    1. MummyinProvence

      Glad you enjoyed the tales … hindsight is a wonderful thing! At the time I can assure you that I struggled to find the humour in the situation!

      Reply
  3. LingonLife

    Those are great stories! I started carrying “doggie bags” in my purse when my little one was at that stage. (and no, I don’t own a dog)

    Reply
    1. MummyinProvence

      Thanks! What a great idea! Would be useful now but back when we had the car park incident there was no bag in the world that could have remedied the situation!

      Reply
  4. Janine

    I think it is amazing that you have done so well before she can even walk! I am very interested in EC and hadn’t thought of these downfalls.

    Reply
    1. MummyinProvence

      Thank you! Yes, like everything there are the downsides!

      Reply
  5. Mary Martin

    We do EC and I have a Baby Bjorn potty in the car and I carry doggie bags. For pee, I carry rags (cut up receiving blankets) and simply put one or two in the potty, which absorbs the pee, and I put it in a travel diaper bag (the ones for dirty stuff) and bring it home to wash. I have anti-bac spray in the car for the potty, which also gets rid of any smells. This way I’m covered for poop and pee, whenever I travel! She’s on pace to be diaper free (during the day) by her first birthday. Nighttime . . . alas, a different story.

    Reply
    1. mummyinprovence Post author

      Great suggestions … I must get my car stash ready! The rags are such a good idea!

      Reply
  6. Janine

    I have to comment this again now that we’ve started! My major downfall is pee at night and first thing in the morning. Sebastian often fails to fully wake me fast enough to realize what is happening (that he needs to pee) and now that he is so used to the potty, he WAILS when he is wet. (Pre-EC he didn’t like being wet but he would sit in a wet diaper for quite a long time waiting fairly calmly for me to wake up.)

    Overall elimination communication is mostly perks but there are a few times where I wish he would just go in the darn diaper!

    Reply
    1. mummyinprovence Post author

      Thanks for checking back in Janine … sorry to hear that you’re having your share of EC backfires too! Have you tried cueing Sebastian to go in his diaper? I tried with BiP and failed miserably hence the car park poop incident but I’ve been told its worth a try. OR try using a super absorbant ‘sposie diaper at night so that he can’t feel the wetness … OMG did I just write that? Yes I did! Desperate times call for desperate measures. Keep me posted!

      Reply
      1. Janine

        I haven’t tried cueing him to go in the diaper. With a poo, he’ll go in the dipe if he isn’t put on the potty right away. He seems to hold pee a lot longer and gets more screamy when he has to go.

        I didn’t think of a ‘sposie at night. I think it is having to pee that pisses him off, not being wet, so I don’t think it would make much difference unfortunately. The issue is that if I get up to take him potty, he wakes up completely and eliminates all chance of me getting him back to sleep for an extra hour.

        Reply
  7. Jessica

    Wow! I died with the story of the lady stepping on the poop. Hilarious! I guess it will all be worth it in the end though.

    Reply
  8. natasha

    OMG!! Someone stepped in your baby’s POO!! I have been that parent who is stopped on the side of the road holding her baby over the ditch to pee and just watching the curious and sometimes horrified faces of the people driving by!!

    Reply
    1. Ameena Falchetto Post author

      LOL! Al fresco ECing 🙂

      Reply

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