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'''Elimination communication''' (EC) is a [[toilet training]] practice in which a caregiver uses timing, signals, cues, and intuition to address  an [[infant|infant's]] need to eliminate waste.  Caregivers try to recognize and respond to babies' bodily needs and enable them to urinate and defecate in an appropriate place (e.g. a toilet). Caregivers either use [[diaper]]s (nappies) as a back-up in case of misses, avoid the use   of them altogether, or do a mixture of the two.  EC emphasizes communication between the caregiver and child, helping them both become more attuned to the child's innate rhythms and control of urination and defecation. The practice can be done full time, part time, or just occasionally. The term "elimination communication" was inspired by traditional practices of diaper-less baby care in [[Developing country|less industrialized countries]] and [[Hunter-gatherer|hunter-gatherer cultures]].<ref>[http://www.diaperfreebaby.org/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=view_page&PAGE_id=61&MMN_position=14:14 Practicing Elimination Communication - DiaperFreeBaby<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Some practitioners of EC begin soon after birth, the optimum window being zero to four months<ref>{{cite book|last=Olson|first=Andrea|title=EC Simplified: Infant Potty Training Made Easy|year=2011|url=http://ecsimplified.com}}</ref>, although it can be started with babies of any age. 
==Origins==
The terms ''elimination communication'' and ''natural infant hygiene'' were coined by Ingrid Bauer and are used interchangeably in her book, ''Diaper Free! The Gentle Wisdom of Natural Infant Hygiene'' (2001). Bauer had traveled to [[India]] and [[Africa]], where she noticed that most mothers would carry their diaperless babies constantly, yet she saw no elimination "accidents&qu(contracted; show full)eport that the squat or ‘potty’ position that parents tend to hold their baby in order to go seems to be very comfortable for babies. Just as for a laboring mother, the position helps to relax the pelvic floor muscles. This seems to help babies who are suffering from mild constipation. Some babies find defecating to be an unsettling process, especially when they are eating solid food. With EC, parents feel they can offer emotional and physical support. <ref>http://www.nappyfreebaby.co.uk/</ref>
  In "EC Simplified: Infant Potty Training Made Easy," Andrea Olson, M.A., adds that EC also helps accelerate the learning process, allowing infants to experience cause and effect. Olson writes that infants feel their bladder fill, which they then release, and once released, produces a sensation of wetness. Furthermore, EC gives infants the opportunity to explore their own bodies, helping them develop a positive self-perception around sexuality, cleanliness, and his or her body image.<ref>{{cite book|last=Olson|first=Andrea|title=EC Simplified: Infant Potty Training Made Easy|year=2011|url=http://ecsimplified.com}}</ref>

==Criticisms==
Conventional potty training advice is based on the research by T Berry Brazelton who introduced the idea of the "readiness approach". He writes that "widespread acceptance of readiness and independent toileting have since been supported by clinical experience and resulted in agreement that a child should be ready to participate in toilet training at approximately 18 months of age and be trained completely by 2 or 3 years old." He argues that trying to toilet train before(contracted; show full) also offer the potty at various times according to routine, e.g. after a feed, after waking, just before bath or bed. <ref>http://www.nappyfreebaby.co.uk/</ref> In the west, infant potty training historically relied on timing as the main method of training. <ref>Lekovic, Jill M. Diaper-Free Before 3. New York: Three Rivers Press. 2006.</ref> <ref>Schaefer, Charles E. and Theresa Foy DiGeronimo. Toilet Training Without Tears. New York: Signet. 1997.</ref>

===Signals===

Signals are the baby's way of informing a caregiver of an elimination need. Some babies signal very clearly from the beginning, while others may have very subtle signals, or no signal at all. These signals vary widely from one infant to another, and include a certain facial expression, a particular cry, squirming, a sudden unexplained fussiness, as well as others. Signals are most effectively observed without diapers for at least 30 minutes a day for the first couple of weeks of starting elimination communication<ref>{{cite book|last=Olson|first=Andrea|title=EC Simplified: Infant Potty Training Made Easy|year=2011|url=http://ecsimplfied}}</ref>. This is to be done by laying the baby on a warm, safe space and putting a pad or a layer of cloth under the baby. Babies who are nursing will often start delatching and relatching repeatedly when they need to eliminate. For defecation, many babies will grunt or pass gas as a signal. As babies get older their signals become more conscious and babies often point to, or look at, a caregiver or potty to indicate need. Older babies can learn a gesture or [[baby sign]] for "[[potty]]". Later they may learn a word as part of their early acquisition of language.<ref>http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ecuk/</ref&(contracted; show full)
* [http://www.aitt.evassist.it International Board for the Study, Research and Promotion of Assisted Infant Toilet Training] - Supportive pediatricians, medical journal articles and research

[[Category:Toilet training]]

[[es:Higiene natural infantil]]
[[fr:Hygiène naturelle infantile]]
[[ru:Естественная гигиена новорождённого]]