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had never heard that babies could do this, but she found the idea fascinating. She’s been practicing EC with Oscar and has been amazed at how he gives signals and goes on cue. She has been very successful with him. The first time she had a catch, I asked her how she knew he needed to go. She couldn’t really explain what the intuition was based on but said that once she was looking for the signal, it was very clear.

—EMILY, MOM TO OSCAR, 6 MONTHS

Our fifteen-year-old babysitter was holding Helen in the kitchen. She suddenly looked confused and started checking herself because she said she felt as if she’d just been peed on. I explained that it was a “phantom pee” and is fairly common among some EC’ing folks. She looked at me like I was crazy, but after taking Helen to the bathroom, she came back saying, “I hate to say it, but you were right.” She has been totally miss-free with Helen since learning about phantom pees!

—KEILA, MOM TO JANE, 27 MONTHS, AND HELEN, 8 MONTHS

INSPIRATION: WHY PARENTS CHOOSE EC

If you’re in need of a little more inspiration, here is some insight from EC’ing parents on why they decided to practice EC with their newborns.

For me, EC started to make sense after I read about the bonding and communication aspects. Waking up every morning and carrying Rowan off to the potty has become an integral part of our relationship, and his smile when I ask him if he wants to go to the potty is simply amazing. Using the bathroom is not a mystery to him; it’s simply something that he knows how to do. This gives both of us a great sense of daily satisfaction. It’s also really nice that with all of the things that are so “mom”—nursing, major comfort, and bonding—there is this one very important part of life that is “papa.”

—CHARLES, DAD TO ROWAN, 8 MONTHS

EC is amazingly similar to breastfeeding on cue; you’re just dealing with the other end of the feeding equation and looking for elimination signals versus hunger signals. The process becomes second nature to the point that you don’t really think about it. You start to notice your baby’s cues in the same way that you notice she is hungry without having to hover over her every minute.

—MEGAN, MOM TO NOEMI, 30 MONTHS

EC provides many opportunities to bond with your baby

Although I know non-EC’ers take exception to this, I believe Simon and I have a closer connection because of our early and continuous interactions about his elimination needs. We never engaged in a diaper-changing struggle like so many parents do, nor did we have any toilet-training struggle. In addition, we were always dealing with his elimination in “real time” rather than after the fact, which I think makes a lot more sense to a baby.

—RACHEL, MOM TO ISAIAH, 6, AND SIMON, 3

I read about EC in a newspaper article, and my first thought was that it made sense. As a new mom, I am always trying to understand and care for my baby in every way possible. Why wouldn’t I take care of her elimination needs as well? My main reason for trying EC was that I thought it would make my baby feel happy and more comfortable. That’s what keeps me going. It’s easier to be her mom if I can help her go.

—AMYLYNNE, MOM TO MEREDITH, 4 MONTHS

The environmental issue is big for me; it’s a major concern that twenty-two billion disposable diapers are dumped into landfills annually. Doing what we can to minimize the impact of this waste is hugely appealing. Also, from what I hear about toilet training, EC is a much smoother and easier process and greatly reduces the strain on our baby. I like that he’s more comfortable now not having to sit in a wet diaper.

—ERIK, DAD TO XANDER, 3 MONTHS

I had heard about EC but kind of ignored it until I noticed that my baby was very vocal about being wet. It was the number one thing that upset her. I had been hesitant about trying EC at first because I thought I’d have to do it full-time, but then I realized any little bit helps. Practicing EC halfway isn’t really doing it halfway, if that makes sense. Having that knowledge gave me the permission to try.

—KATE, MOM TO LUCIA,