Part Time EC! is dedicated to helping you reduce your diaper or
nappy use as you gently and gradually practice Elimination
Communication with your baby, and discover its natural joys!
On this page you'll see some of the nice comments I've
received by parents who have become members here at Tribal Baby, sharing
about the positive experiences practicing EC is having or has had on their lives.
What are people
saying about my Part Time Diaper Free and Part
Time Nappy Free Resources on finishing the free online guided tour?
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Puddin' Pop and I started to EC because
we do cloth diapers.
Since I was changing her diaper
right away after she pooped, why not put her on the potty to
poop?
That worked out pretty well so we started
to sit on the potty after she woke up in the morning and
after naps. Some days it works out well, some days not so
well but I'll always grateful we are trying!
Tara and Puddin' Pop from Michigan in the
United States.
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Thanks for your website Charndra, I love
it!! You really have helped keep me motivated :-)
I liked having new EC ideas to
think about and it made each week more exciting. If I was
having an off day/few days, I felt renewed inspiration with
each secret :-)
I felt discouraged many times as I
started EC because of all the missed pees...there were so
many!!! But a new EC related email in my inbox every week
was very encouraging and I was always excited to read about
it which helped me stay motivated.
I really liked reading everything!
I love the rambling!!That's one of the things I liked
the best about your site...I didn't feel like I was reading
a textbook on EC but rather YOUR personal experiences which
made me realize that my experiences don't have to be the
same but could be just as successful.
I've been having trouble with my
daughter's (5 mo) signs and signals....basically I don't
think she tells me very often before a poop/pee. However now
that she's 5 months I feel that I'm doing a lot better at
just using timing since she's peeing a lot less often.
There were some moments during the first
month of EC (around 3-4 months old) when I was thinking I
was crazy for doing this since she peed ALL THE TIME but now
things are going better. She pees very well on cue. During
the day when I'm at home I like to just keep her diaper free
(so addicting) with just a prefold under her. She's still in
disposables when we're out and at night...
Ariel, Living in Paris, France,
originally from NY, USA
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Hi Charndra:
I found your site during the Great Cloth Diaper Hunt in May
and immediately bookmarked the webpage. It's been fun
receiving your emails and learning about EC.
Our second daughter was born mid-late May, so I didn't get
to read all the emails immediately, nor did I get to try
things out with our oldest (now 18 months) at that time. But
my in-laws are Chinese and they were commenting that they
are shocked our oldest still needs diapers...so a week and a
half ago, I finally got to sit down and read thru the rest
of the EC emails you sent.
WOW...so easy and so
fun! We started THIS WEEK...and in 5 days time has pooped in
the potty at LEAST once a day, and peed several times a day
in the toilet. (We
have use so fewer diapers in just one week of trying
this!--which makes laundry for two in cloth much simpler!)
She used to be such a heavy wetter that her diapers were
soaked and leaked during the overnights, even with the best
of diapers and extra inserts...now (this week) she wakes up
with only moderately moist inserts (not even close to full)
after 12 hours sleep.
She seems very excited
and pleased with herself
that she doesn't have to sit in pee or
poo. The two times that she told me she had to go and we
didn't make it in time were when I was nursing the newborn,
she was a bit annoyed with me as she persisted to try to get
me to follow her to the potty. I could tell that she is
excited about the potty and very ready for this.
Meanwhile, I am also learning the cues of our newborn...it
is a little harder for me to know how to best catch
hers...because she doesn't sit up yet, but I hold her
upright over a pre-fold for now...and when she is older I
hope to hold her over a bowl or baby potty.
This whole idea of EC makes so much sense...newborns make so
much obvious noise and movement and facial expression when
they are about to pee or poo, so why NOT take advantage of
that to reduce the number of diapers we use!
Anyhow...just wanted to say THANKS SO MUCH for putting
together such a wealth of resources and info on EC. I wish
more Americans practiced EC rather than waiting to potty
train their kids at 2-3 years of age.
~Holly |
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I did enjoy the 7 secrets, I got really
excited every time I got a new email! I had read a fair
amount about EC already but your secrets are really what
helped me dive in. It definitely felt like a great pep talk.
Spending time awake at night in bed reading them on my
iPhone was perfect, I was always a little sad when I
finished reading one. You have really compiled a wealth of
information!
Thanks to your secrets, I:
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Started getting braver about having
naked time and found ways to waterproof the environment
a bit more. Now we have at least a couple of hours a day
nakey butt and I discovered that he DOES have a pee cue!
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Discovered why he was pulling on my
boobs while breastfeeding and started pottying him mid
feed, it works like a charm!
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Began trusting my intuition
more--even on off days (growth spurts!) I find myself
checking to see if his diaper is wet just as he is
peeing multiple times during a day.
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Take it easier on myself! I like
reminding myself to take it one diaper at a time and to
do what I can when I can.
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We are doing really well I think, at
3 months we are catching most of his poops and at least
7-8 pees a day! This is really going to come in handy
when he starts solids, the breastfed poo doesn't bother
me so much--I consider the poo catches now to be "in
training" for the stinkier stuff!
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I recently hurt my back and we had to
ease up on the ec, I just couldn't move him into
position so easily. We started going through so many
diapers! I didn't realize how many fewer diapers I was
really using. What I realized is that before we really
started EC more seriously we were really only changing
his diaper after 2-4 pees. So it feels like we are still
using the same amount but we are always changing after 1
pee.
-
Since we live in NYC we haven't done
so much of it "out and about" but since there aren't
really so many changing tables in the dirty dirty public
bathrooms we find I'm already contemplating ways to
transform my pre-folds into something more on-the-go EC
friendly!
Thanks again for this lovely resource, I
don't think we would have come so far without it!
Sarah
New York City
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Hi Charndra,
I found your 7 secrets very encouraging -
I did not know this approach was possible and I was
sceptical that it would work, particularly as my son is over
1 year.
However, I have been amazed that
we can save 3-4 nappies per day.
I don't mind accidents either, as I think
that is better than my son learning to 'go' in his nappy.
(He likes to stand up, so he has not used the loo/potty
yet... not sure what to do about that as he gets wound up if
i sit him on the potty!) I use washable nappies in the main
and if he can, he sometimes waits until his nappy is off
before he wees or poos. I have also noticed that he is
starting to communicate before he 'goes'.
I want to try some training pants now!
I am really impressed by this approach and I think it runs
contrary to the culture of disposable nappies, which seems
to be: keep the nappy on until it is so heavy it virtually
falls off! I admit that this keeps the carpets clean but the
poor baby smells!
Thank you for opening my eyes to this EC possibility.
Chloe
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Our baby girl would cry when she needed
to poop. Now she looks at me with a silly grin on her face
because I'll put her on the potty and say "poop! poop!"
and make farting noises with an animated face. Both of us
really enjoy ECing! Thank you Charndra for your supportive
and inspiring website.
Chelly, Washington, USA
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Hi Charndra!
I have made my first catch! Usually after a bath I leave her
diaper free for a few hours, I wrap her in a towel and put a
cloth prefold around her bottom so it is there to catch, she
usually pees in it while I feed her.
A few days after
starting with the secrets she did a "mini fuss" and went
back to eating, then she did it again so before she latched
on I brought her to the potty and she peed!
We have not
caught a poo yet but there has been a few times I thought
she had to go then within seconds she did, so I just need to
run with my first instincts. So far she has peed on the
potty 4 times! I found you in the Great Cloth Diaper Hunt
and am so happy that I did.
My name is Erin, my little lady is Layla
and we are in Ontario, Canada.
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...Thank you so much for this
internet tool. It's more wonderful than words can describe,
and I think it's excellent and appropriate that you offer it
for free...
The thing I liked most about the 7 secrets was how
practical, to the point and repetitious they were. When
certain points were made (particularly, those pertaining to
the emotional aspects of practicing EC), it held steadfast
in my mind because each Secret was entwined with the
previous and the next.
I think the most important thing to keep in mind when
practicing EC is keeping check on your mind and heart and I
feel those ideas were expressed very well throughout your 7
Secret course. I don't feel much more encouraged in EC, only
because I am already fully encouraged to do this for my son
and his well being.. However, your secrets made me feel more
confident and comfortable in practicing with my son (It
helped me to know I was doing things right).
I don't feel there was anything said in your Secrets that
was redundant, and I think every point or reference made was
useful, helpful and necessary. In not so many words, I think
they are pretty perfect. :)
I was already in the process of practicing EC with my boy
when I stumbled across your website, and I feel as if I'm
constantly learning and noticing his body language, so,
there are many new things I notice about him every time we
go potty together.. I think what amazes me most is how much
progress we make with each potty time, and how easily he
picks up on my signals and verbalisation.
Yesterday was the first day I only had to change 2 full
diapers, the rest of his changes were for his diaper inserts
(He wore the same diaper while we were out for about 5
hours!).
Thank you so much for this internet tool. It's more
wonderful than words can describe, and I think it's
excellent and appropriate that you offer it for free. It's
amazing the difficulty in trying to find EC resources,
especially for someone who doesn't have any extra money to
spend, but wants to do the best for their child.
In my research, I've come to the conclusion and personal
decision that EC is essential and so important for a child's
development, I wish it was something promoted in the
mainstream here in the USA. I also think information and
education on it should be a readily and amply available --
alas, this is not so.
Thus, again, I thank you for the time it took to put this
course and your website together. Have a nice day!
Beth
Arkansas, USA
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...I
love that there is so much information on your
site!
Hi,
We are actually just finishing our EC journey with our
daughter, she is almost 2 and does very well with the
potty during the day.
She still is wearing a diaper at night as we never did
EC at night with her, she will have a week where she
wakes up dry and then will have a "soaking" wet diaper
for a few days, dry for a few days etc.
I'm still not quite sure what to do other than wear a
diaper for now, not sure if it's food sensitivities or
not. Guess I should probably get my butt in gear and
keep a journal :)
Anyway, I enjoyed reading your articles, I continue to
read about EC and usually end up learning more. I'm
trying to encourage more people to try, and love that
there is so much information on your site!
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...I
found out that my 8 months old baby is very very clever!
Thank you very much for the "7 Secrets to Developing Your
Nappy-Free Confidence". It was so helpful! There are no
books about this in our language and your Secrets are so
simple and logical! Thanks again.
Now I feel more encouraged and I want to follow all your
suggestions. I want to be closer to my baby!
The 7 Secrets are so simple and so logical! We live in very
industrial world but these rules get me closer to the
nature! To my baby!!!
Yes, I feel encouraged in my approach to baby pottying. I
was actually scared (I remember my younger sister´s pottying
and it was like nightmare) but now I am ready!!!
I found out that my 8 months old baby is very very clever!
That is amazing! And yes, we saved some nappies, not so much
(we are late starters) but we are doing very well!!!
Thank you, I am looking forward to read more about nappy
free time!
Romana (in Czechoslovakia)
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...It
keeps me focused on how "we" do it instead of how one "should"
do it...
Thanks for putting all of your information
together in a website. It's been wonderful hearing the stories
and getting reinforcement that this process is not an all or
nothing! Your 7 secrets helped me to keep the right mindset
while we started our journey. And loved, loved, loved the potty
songs!! My daughter is 7 months old and really getting into new
songs, so she loves when I sing them to her. Thank you for
everything!
The main benefit was to learn that this is a
process that will have misses and setbacks and that just about
everyone has them. I loved the personal stories that highlight
the individuality of each family's journey. It keeps me focused
on how "we" do it instead of how one "should" do it.
I believe my daughter is having a bit of
trouble with teething again and her digestive system is
adjusting to solids so she's not the most responsive the last
couple of days. She was not okay wearing a diaper and let me
know it! Thank you for reminding me to stay relaxed and
light-hearted. It made for a pleasant day, since it allowed me
to better tune in to the fact that she was having a rough day
and offer extra cuddling and sympathy. :)
Jennifer in Michigan, USA.
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Fun...
Helpful...
Inspirational!
"Charndra's Seven Secrets to Developing Your
Nappy-Free Confidence is the perfect way to begin your EC journey, but also to
give anyone a boost no matter what stage they are at with their baby and the whole process.
She has a way of making what sounds difficult, very do-able, and also stress-free...because with a little baby, who needs more stress? :0)"
Shell, mother of three (youngest an EC baby), New Zealand. |
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... It's like having an
early warning detection system!
The most interesting thing I have found from our
EC adventure in general is that I always know when my baby is about
to get sick or do something new. Two days before illness or a
milestone she wees everywhere, refuses to be squatted but wees on
the floor two seconds later and is generally very difficult to live
with. It's like having an early warning detection system!
Sonya in the Northern Territory,
Australia
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...I'm very happy not
to know what it's like
to have to change a pooey nappy...
Hi Charndra,
Just a quick hello from me and my baby girl (BB), 5 months.
BB is getting the idea about toilet/poos/wees and nappy free. The
summer is a great time to get more into nappy free at home.
She's been an EC baby from birth and I'm very
happy not to know what it's like to have to change a pooey nappy.
We have spent a lot of time with BB giving her pottitunities while
singing her favourite songs/reading books and chatting.
She now says "Po" and it clearly means a
number 2 is on the way. Now the communication is starting to
flow in both directions and its all making sense.
Thanks for your amazing efforts in allowing parents access to
information about nappy free. What a great resource and a relief
for the planet.
Kind Regards, Sherilee in South Australia
Heather Road (Traditional
& Contemporary Music)
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And
I am finding that the EC thing is not as hard as it appeared... It
feels great to be doing it...
It
is a great idea to have a series of secrets, it is a nice
introduction to EC to help build one's confidence and
understanding of the process.
I
found the secrets to be very helpful and reassuring - reminded me
that it's a process not an end result that I'm after.
It's
great to have the Secrets to go back to at any time to get extra
reassurance, motivation, a reminder of things that I haven't tried
for a while.
Staying
light-hearted is a great way to start. This is something that I
guess is important all the way through, so its a really good
mindset to get into right from the start.
I
like that you start by saying EC is adaptable to your lifestyle -
makes it seem much less daunting and scary. It helps to remove
those doubts like 'but I can't do it because we go out too much or
its my 2nd child' (the 2nd child thing did it for me for a long
time, I felt like I couldn't give him the attention it would need,
but its actually meant I'm giving both kids more attention (myself
too) which is great!
In
fact, doing EC improved my communication all around with both kids
- not just in terms of toileting but understanding their needs
across the board. I think they also communicate more clearly
because they know I'm paying attention. I also feel like I pay
attention to my own body's messages (toileting, hunger, tiredness
etc) much more than I used to.
It
is also good also that you reinforce that its OK to use nappies
part time and that there is the option of using nappies all the
time but still being aware of their elimination needs.
'Do whatever suits the situation' is an excellent tip, helps to
stop me getting caught up in the idea that I'm failing if I'm not
doing it today or if he's in nappies all day or I forget to give
him a pee opportunity.
And
I am finding that the EC thing is not as hard as it appeared... It
feels great to be doing it. I'm surprised too at how aware its
making me all round - my daughter is in the process of moving
out of diapers herself (she has about half her time in nappies and
half nudie or in undies) and even though I was doing that in a
very relaxed way already, I am so much more relaxed about it now
and she hasn't had an accident since I started doing this with my
son- its like we're all so much more in tune.
Annie,
Melbourne, Australia. Annie started EC with her son at 10 months
of age. She has an older daughter as well.
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...we understood each other and that
he trusted me to help him...
"The 7 Secrets are very simply set out,
and could very well convert someone into trying EC. I confess to
having read your website many times over the last year or so, so
the ideas were not entirely new to me. I think it's good that it
reiterates that misses are normal, and ok!
I started EC with Callum at 6wks, he's
now almost 4 months, and some of my most interesting
observations have been the intuition that develops (or
expands?). I've had many catches due to "acting on random potty
thoughts". It was also lovely the first time that he looked up
at me while he peed (in the early days), and seemed to
acknowledge that we understood each other and that he trusted me
to help him."
Kerryn
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Thorough...
Encouraging... Easy...
"Even the most unsure brand new Mum or Dad could soon become an EC expert with
Charndra's course. It is broken down in to manageable bits so people
can get started right away. All the thinking is done for you and You can feel that anyone can do this; and there is great flexibility.
What a wonderful, fun way to enhance the relationship between you and your tiny perfect progeny!"
Shell,
mother of three (youngest an EC baby), New Zealand.
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Thank you for your 7 Secrets.
We are two months into the potty journey with
my 7 month old with 98% of bowel actions on the potty. He also
does a wee each time he is on the potty, but still has wet
nappies in between.
We both love doing the potty
learning.
Thanks for your site, I will certainly be referring others who
are beginners to it.
Cheers
Lynelle in Australia
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...The pot pot lives in the toilet room now and most
times when I myself go for a wee wee on the 'big' pot pot I take
Sage in and offer her a seat!
Hi Charndra
Thank you thank you thank you, your 'Seven Secrets' are an asset
in our household, I hope you enjoy the following story of our
experience so far............
Learning about the potty at 10 months of age has been a
wonderful experience not only for my daughter (Sage) but
everyone and anyone who is in the household at the time of being
'nappy free'!
We have always given Sage 'nappy free' time ever since she was
born, I have always been a believer of 'flying free' - some days
everything just needs a good airing! Anyway it wasn't until I
signed up for the 'Seven Secrets' that I realised this 'nappy
free' time can be utilised into some fun potty training.
As mentioned in your 'Seven Secrets' the poo poos are much
easier to read then wee wees but we are getting there and
enjoying every step of the way!
When nappy free and a wee occurs we praise Sage for doing so and
place her on the potty singing "weeeeee on the potteeeee"
with big grins and more praise overdose.
On successful notes there have been the times when we have read
Sages body 'motions' in time to place her on the pot pot for a
poo poo. One particular time Sage actually had a nappy on when
her Grandma noticed her in 'motion', took the nappy off and
placed her on the potty where Sage stayed until the 'motion' was
complete and the potty full. Praise and rounds of applause were
in abundance, as you could imagine.
The pot pot lives in the toilet room now and most times when I
myself go for a wee wee on the 'big' pot pot I take Sage in and
offer her a seat!
After reading the 'Seven Secrets' and other tidbits on your
website I realise that it seems to be just 'common sense' really
the practise of EC however most people are in too much of a
hurry these days to take the time out for their most precious
asset.
THANK YOU for taking time out to compile this information and
sharing!
Annette
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... Anyone can see
the positives of getting poos in the toilet rather than the
nappy!
Your guide and 7 secrets
make EC sound achievable for a "normal" mum and family. I guess
the few unfavourable media portrayals have made EC seem a very
weird practice.
I really liked reading the personal stories, to see how
different families approach EC and how they define the process.
It is really reassuring to consider a "part time" approach to
EC. I also appreciated the emails arriving every few days - it
was a little boost to keep me trying!
I used nappies full time for Catherine for the first couple of
months, then started offering the potty. It really is
such a thrill to understand a baby's signs and get a catch! Then
I signed up for the "7 Secrets" and these gave me a real boost
to keep on going, as well as some tips to try.
We have had some wonderfully successful days - such as using
only 2 cloth nappies in one day. It's obvious that she usually
prefers to eliminate anywhere else than her nappy, and if we
have a miss, it usually that I have missed or misinterpreted her
signs. Of course some days the nappy bucket is completely full
and I wonder if there is any point to offering a
potty-opportunity after each of all these wet nappies!
We still use nappies full- time - I think of the cloth
nappy as her undies, and try to help her keep them dry.
Of course some days we have more catches than others, but we
very rarely have a pooey nappy. We just use disposables at
night.
My extended family have been quite interested and supportive of
this latest venture. Anyone can see the positives of
getting poos in the toilet rather than the nappy! They
are as surprised as I am that Catherine can 'hang on' until I
get her to the toilet. So much for the theory that babies have
no bladder or bowel control. My mum is always impressed when she
sees us get a catch. "You're very clever", she says. "At least
one of you is, anyway!"
Thanks, Charndra. Your enthusiasm for EC is infectious!
Helen in Australia.
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I began, much more purposefully, to create non hectic days, or at least a much less hectic lifestyle.
"Being a new mum was a joy and EC was revelatory and freeing, in many ways
realizing the implications of "to practice or to not practice EC" - was actually incredibly profound for me. It made me
realize how powerful my choices were as a mother and what a political act I was making in choosing to commit to EC. As I did commit, I found that I was doing such an unusual practice created a different challenge to the previous challenge I had of dealing with the feeling of "wrongness" associated with 'ignoring' my babies elimination processes.
When I let a little EC into my life it TRANSFORMED me and my life as I
realized what an important role I played in influencing the level and quality of my connection and communication with my baby through this and other AP practices. This realization was very CONFRONTING to me at first because it made me acutely aware how responsible I was for the kind of life I created, as a mother, for my child. With this new consciousness I began, much more purposefully, to create non hectic days, or at least a much less hectic lifestyle.
It's funny how such a fundamental living act of helping one's baby toilet can be so profound and have so much philosophy attached to it!!!"
Annabelle H, Adelaide, South Australia
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It is AMAZING how communicative a baby can be when you listen!
Just a quick note to thank-you SO much for your wonderful wonderful website. I have poured over every single inch of it and think it's positively inspired stuff.
We have an 11 week old baby boy, Lucien, who has taken to EC like a duck to water. It is AMAZING (as I'm sure you know) how communicative
a baby can be when you listen! We have an almost 80% success rate at
home without a diaper in sight. But most of all it has made me understand him and, I think, him me, so well. And I'm so proud of
him! I can't believe everyone doesn't do this with their bubs. It makes me feel sorry for all those babies who cry out for a wee and then have to do it in their
diaper, and eventually give up communicating.
Charla and Lucien, Alice Springs, Australia.
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My husband is
especially pleased as he was dreading pooey diapers, and we very
rarely have any.
I thought I'd write and tell you what EC means to us.........
For our family EC has opened up a whole new world. I stumbled
across the concept in a parenting magazine while I was pregnant
and though that sounds like too much work, but couldn't get it
out of my mind. I had already decided I was using cloth diapers
and had made them ready to go....I had to use them after all
that work.
But EC made sense. Conventional Toilet Training doesn't when you
think about it, so I thought I'd give it a go and if it
saved one nappy a day that would be great.
I had no idea that at 16 months my little boy would hardly be
wearing nappies, and we would have so few messy nappies to
clean.
My husband is especially pleased as he was dreading
pooey nappies, and we very rarely have any.
Through EC we found out about baby sign language, attachment
parenting, extended breastfeeding, and many other parenting
choices that I hadn't heard of. I'm so pleased as we weren't
happy with what everyone else was telling us to do.
So thank goodness for EC, Your website is great I'll be passing
it on to any curious mums I meet.
Nicole, in Australia
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Part Time EC
is a very new website.
Would you like to recommend my site to a friend? I hope you've found
something here that will be of value to you. And, if you do, I hope that
you'll tell somebody else about it- perhaps by starting a thread on a
forum or doing a blog post? Chatting to a friend about what you found
helpful or interesting?
Please feel free to share my website links with anyone you think may find
it intriguing or who may simply be curious!
This is the ONLY website specifically about part-time EC. By starting
your EC journey together with a friend you can help each other out...
you'll maximize what you are able to discover by sharing and
troubleshooting with other parents.
Thanks! Charndra, Tribal Baby Mum.
Do You feel like seeing what products are out there?
I've made up some lovely visual directories to help you get a feel
for the wide range of choices available:
Back to top
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- A Free Online Guide -
I'm
Charndra, and I'll be your guide on this gradual introduction to
part-time EC. (I'm wearing Baby Jett on a boat tour in Canberra. And
yes, he was wearing nappy back-up at the time!)
Allow me to send you a series of
emails to access my online guide about Baby Pottying.
I'm sure you will be encouraged to
give EC a go - even one less diaper or nappy at a time will make a
difference to the Earth!
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Part Time Diaper
Free Tips
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Part Time Nappy
Free Tips
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Your Baby-Led Pottying Guide:
Helping your baby to begin voluntary
signaling - it's great fun!
Discover how using and
responding to simple gestures can give you enhanced communication about
your baby's EC needs.
About the Baby-Led Pottying Guide for
North America:
About the Baby-Led Pottying Guide
for Commonwealth Countries:
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