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Galen is 11 weeks old now and we’ve been EC’ing since his first days.  I am really, really glad we made the choice to use elimination communication.  Galen does not have dirty diapers.  It’s such a blessing!  I’m still awed by the fact that he goes when I set him over the potty bowl or the sink.  But go he does.

I wanted to write an update now, however, because it’s a good time to remember that EC’ing isn’t always perfect – you can’t always get your baby over the pot in time.  And sometimes you miss signals or your baby doesn’t signal.  A week or so ago I got peed on not once…not twice…but three times.  I was a grumpy mama.

It helps me remember to put it in perspective – he’s just a baby and there are going to be wet diapers and even a wet mama from time to time.  It comes with the “diaper free” territory. 

I have begun to make sure I put a diaper on Galen if A. I know I may be distracted or B. when he’s upset and I can’t calm him enough to go.  It’s much easier to know the diaper is there if he does decide to go.

Oftentimes I’ll put him in a diaper in the evening when the big kids have gone to bed and I’m trying to focus more on work or planning and he’ll stay dry.  But it’s good to know that if I miss a cue there’s a diaper.

He’s still mostly diaper-less during the day.  My project over the next few days is to work on trying to make him some tiny undies – trimmer than a diaper but with a few absorbent layers.  Basically training pants, since they don’t make baby-sized trainers.  Galen actually doesn’t much like diapers but I think he’d be ok with some trim undies – and Scott would like him to have something covering the little fountain.  I could use the undies rather than diapers at times when I may be distracted.

I’ve found a pattern online for smaller undies. It’s a 0-6 month size so I’ve scaled it down just a bit more for a trimmer fit between his legs. I don’t have any PUL right now for the outside so I’m just making them covered with fleece and prevent fountain effects. It’ll let me perfect the design while I wait on PUL to make them waterproof

I’m still really enjoying having an EC-d baby. We end up with a few wet diapers most days and that’s ok with me. Galen obviously dislikes being wet (and just dislikes diapers, period), and he waits until he’s on the pot to poop, so his awareness of his elimination is wonderful. It feels good for me too, to be able to read his cues and know when he needs to go. I do still “catch” his pees mostly by timing – he goes every 30 minutes, or after waking up. He often starts to pass a lot of gas or bear down slightly when he needs to poop and I’ll know to put him on the potty, or continue to hold him over it if he’s already on it.

It’s very rewarding and feels as natural to me as nursing him. I’ll keep giving updates about how it goes as he continues to grow… I’m not sure how well I’ll keep up my track record of “catches” when he’s mobile! I’ll also post when I finish his trainers.