Not early potty training. Just early understanding — one cue at a time.
My mother would ask me to ShhShh at Medhu’s every diaper/nappy change- a gentle cue for her to pee. She would often talk about how, back in the day, they did the same with babies and they would get potty trained very early. Though I did not have the energy to do this very actively, the idea quietly rooted itself in my mind. Later, from my midwifery support group, I learned about something called Elimination Communication — and had one of those aahha moments. Ohh! So this age-old practice my mother talked about actually had a fancy name. As I connected with other moms who were trying EC too, I found the confidence and support I needed to give it a go. Two years in, after many wins and plenty of ‘oops’ moments, we’re now slowly wrapping up our EC journey.
What is EC ?
Elimination Communication might sound like a heavy term — but it’s quite simple when broken down.
- Elimination = removal of waste (pee and poop)
- Communication = the baby’s way of signaling the need to eliminate
Newborn babies do not know there is a whole separate space in the house called “BATHROOM” where human beings go to eliminate. They just go — whenever, wherever. EC gently introduces the idea that there’s a designated place for that. Over time, it builds an understanding that pee/poop has a ‘destination’, just like adults do.
Why EC?
There are many reasons parents choose EC, but for me, these two stood out:
- Less guilt – No (reduced) guilt of my baby sitting in her own potty in the diaper. As a first time mother, women are generally burdened with a baggage of expectations and not meeting those leads to guilt. I used to get the biggest one of those when I would find my baby in a soiled diaper. But with EC, my daughter begun to give cues — a grunt, a pause — and we learned to take her to the potty in time. Simultaneously, we were also more aware of her elimination pattern.
- Easier Cloth Diapering – We were also cloth diapering from the very beginning. Cleaning soiled(pooped) diapers is the biggest obstacle in switching to these reusable diapers. When most of the poop went to pot , cleaning the diapers became easier. There have been days when we have not soiled even one diaper in the entire day!
Including the above two, the other benefits of EC are :
👶 Happier Baby
- Fewer rashes: Less time in wet or dirty diapers means happier skin.
- Earlier potty learning: Many EC babies start using the potty much earlier than usual.
- Better body awareness: Babies learn to understand their own needs early on.
🧑🍼 Happier Parents
- Saves money: You’ll use fewer diapers overall—whether cloth or disposable.
- Less mess: Fewer blowouts and accidents to clean up.
- Stronger bond: You start picking up on your baby’s cues just like hunger or sleep signs.
🌍 Happier Planet
- Less diaper waste: Using fewer diapers means less trash in landfills.
- Saves water and energy: Even cloth diapering needs fewer washes when EC is in the mix.
You don’t have to go all in—even part-time EC makes a big difference. Every dry diaper counts!
At EcoSnug, we support all kinds of cloth diapering journeys—including families exploring EC. Our breathable, chemical-free cloth diapers are the perfect companion for babies learning to tune in to their natural rhythms. Check them out here.
👉 Choose Cloth. Choose Connection. Choose EcoSnug.
Thanks or reading so far! If this interested you and you are curious to explore more, stay tuned — this blog series will cover:
🍼 How to start EC
🧳 EC while travelling
🛠️ Helpful tools and techniques
⏰ When is the right time to begin… and much more!
Check out our New Parent’s Guide to Cloth Diapers for everything you need to get started on Cloth Diapering.
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