What are the most important EC needs that I should I gather or purchase to get started with a newborn baby?

Q: What do you consider the most important EC needs for newborns. What should I gather or purchase to get started with a new baby? ~Joy Shepard, Findlay, Ohio, USA

A: Hey Joy! Congrats on your soon-to-be-released bundle of joy. :)

I’m glad you asked about what you’ll need.

I’ll go over some options in this post and will include links to my reviews of them, recommended brands, and my favorite stores where you can gather the goodies.

Let’s get started!

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How do I EC an extremely fussy baby, and detect his signals through all the fussing?

Q: My son Samuel was a VERY fussy baby the first 4 ½ months of his life.  He fussed all the time, day and night and if you think that I am exaggerating, I have friends and family who can give testimony to this also.  Today he is 7 ½ months old and he really didn’t turn a  happier corner until he was about 6 months.

With all of his fussiness, practicing E.C. seemed overwhelming since we were barely surviving with a crying baby.  His cues were also VERY hard to read since he was just a generally unhappy baby all the time.  Most of his fussiness had to do with the fact that he was a terrible sleeper (naps lasting 30 minutes or less and awake every 1-2 hrs at night) and when he became a better sleeper, he became a happier baby.  We never found a medical cause to all of his fussiness.  I ended up giving up on E.C. though because we were just overwhelmed in general with all the crying and terrible sleeping.  We nursed a LOT just for comfort.

I could probably start now because we are very in tune with each other and his cues are much more distinct but when he turned six months old I started back at my part-time job and I wanted to learn this when I was at home full-time with my son.

So, I guess my question is multi-fold. Primarily, how do you practice E.C. when your baby is fussy all the time and his cues are hard to read? How do you start at 7-8 months old?  (I know this is not a unique question, but I could use a refresher.) Thanks for asking!! ~Kessa P., Waco, TX, USA

A: Thanks for a wonderful question, Kessa! I’ll answer it while also considering this similar question from Val in Canada:

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What is the one thing you would tell people to keep in mind when doing EC?

Q: What is the one thing you would tell people to keep in mind when doing EC? ~Selby, Hawaii, USA @StretchExpert

A: Hey Coach Selby! Thanks so much for your very important question.

The most important thing I can share with people is this:

“When I’m focused on EC, we become disconnected. When I focus on connection, EC flows smoothly.”

I have to admit that I read something like this somewhere and adapted it for my own use.

But it rings true, doesn’t it?

In other words:

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Starting Elimination Communication at 2 years old: Is EC age-appropriate for older toddlers?

Q: Hi Andrea, I hadn’t heard of EC until my son was about 12 months old. While I love the idea of it, I’ve only really had a couple of half hearted attempts at it. I intend to EC my next child, but I’d like to start with my son too. He’s now 2 years old, and actually tells me when he’s peeing/pooing. I think this should make it easier for us, but I find he resists when I hold him over the sink, potty or toilet. How can I help him to feel comfortable? ~Sara P., Perth, Western Australia @ Nourishingnewsroom.blogspot.com

A: Hey there Sara and son! I’m really happy that you asked this question and I do know plenty of folks who started Elimination Communication with a 2 year old or older.

HOWEVER…The problem is that EC is not developmentally appropriate for children of that age.

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