The Diaper-Free Baby Experiment

Huh? What? Potty-train my 6-month-old? That was my initial reaction when Morgan asked me to join her in an experiment to potty train our infant DS's. She described how she used a sss-sss sound and held her DS over the toilet before he eliminated (learn more about Elimination Communication).

The next day I tried it. After my DS ate a helping of pureed apple mixed with rice cereal, he started his pre-poop grunting. I snatched him out of his high chair, rushed to the bathroom, but alas it was too late. He had already finished his poo before I could undo the third onesie snap. Not only did I discover that my boy is a quick crapper, but I also found that he is too heavy to hold over a toilet safely with one arm.

I poked around the DiaperFreeBaby website for guidance and clicked on the Take the Diaper-Free Challenge link but wasn't convinced to take the challenge based on the site's info about checklists and support groups. What did pique my interest was a Toronto Star article from one of the sites: "This Mother to Try Potty Training at 3 months". The comments are worth reading as you can get a sense of the opposing camps on the topic of infant potty training. (Some people really think it's a stupid idea.)

The following ideas from the article helped set my expectations about trying the diaper-free experiment:

• It takes commitment and time on the part of the parent(s).


• There are success stories in developed and developing countries.


• If it works for your baby, great! If it doesn't work, don't sweat it.

Since I have the required pre-potty-trained infant and some time to spare, I'm going to give it a shot. Next step--to search for a baby potty seat.