Infant Potty Training - Diapering or Underwear Solutions?

 

Now that Damien is becoming more of a steady walker, we are going to attempt to get a little more consistent with this elimination communication / infant potty training ordeal.

I am not crazy (I keep telling myself). Worldwide, 50% of babies are potty trained before their first birthdays. My goal is at least by 18 months, but this is new territory for me, so I will see how it goes. 

As he continues to become more of a walker and less of a crawler (currently, he still chooses crawling as his main mode of transportation, but he CAN walk and is walking more every day), he will be able to take himself to the potty when he needs to go.

And I am really trying to figure out how I am going to dress him in the meantime.

We will probably opt for diaper-free most of the time. Good old bare-bottom freedom. We will probably still use diapers for a while when he sleeps, or while traveling.

But what about those other times? What about when he's mostly potty trained, but still might have occasional accidents? When it's not appropriate for him to go bare-bottom, but he needs just a little something in case of a leak?

Did you know that it is near impossible to find underwear that fits my 10-month-old? Especially because he is small for his age (he just grew out of his 3-6 month clothes). And also, it would be great to find underwear that is somewhat absorbent.

I have been looking online. Several times. For several months. And I am still not coming up with anything fantastic. The smallest sizes are usually 18 months.

The solution I have currently come up with - swim diapers. The reusable type. They're not perfectly leak-proof, but it seems to do the trick for what I am looking for.

• They are cheaper than cloth diapers (usually around $10 or less each)
• They are easier to pull on and off than cloth diapers
• They're not as absorbent, so the "sensation" that one just went in ones pants is still strong
• They're not bulky - kind of like underwear, just more absorbent

My main hold-up is the leaking, but I guess the only way to get around that is to just straight up put a diaper on the kid, and that kind of defeats the purpose.

Anybody else been through this? What did you use for your little one while accidents were still prone to happen?  

"And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty..." Deuteronomy 15:13

Damien is currently 10 months, 3 weeks old

Encouraging Day

Today, was an encouraging day.

I read a little something that encouraged me in my decision to go the route of traditional [early] potty training.

Not that I was planning on changing my mind. But more so that I no longer feeling that I need to be embarrassed by it.

Or that it is "weird" or "crazy".

I mean, I'm not the one that is unusual. Early potty training is the global and historical norm.

So anyway, it was nice to get a little encouragement and affirmation.

Encouraging thing number two:

Damien went in the potty four times today.

He pooped once, and all the other times I put him on the potty (three) he peed in it as soon as I set him down. Even though I wasn't trying to catch his pees.

So it would appear that he definitely gets what it's for. And has at least some control over his elimination functions.

Encouraging thing number three:

I read to Damien from the Bible today for the first time in quite a while.

And it made him stop fussing.

Mr. wiggle worm himself relaxed on my lap listening to me read the Psalms.

And it just made me smile.

And...

On a side note, I got flowers. From a ship. And a text message.

It's the little things.

Damien is 3 months, 3 weeks old (16 weeks)

Potty Time

Hunter used the potty for the first time when he was 19 months old.

At that time I was really just introducing it to him, and hadn't started anything too serious, but he did really good and has been using it on and off since then.

This past summer, though, I've been getting a little more serious about it and have been trying everything I can think of to get him to tell me when he needs to go. I put him on the potty several times a day, such as after meals, before and after nap, etc. He usually goes at these times, and is becoming has told me quite a few times that he needs to go.

I've been trying to motivate him with stickers (he gets to put a Barney sticker on his potty every time he goes), and more recently, we've put a pull up on his stuffed Barney (who keeps his stars dry and always goes in the potty).

It's been working pretty well, and he's been going a lot lately. Now if only I could figure out a way to get him to go number two...

"This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success."

Joshua 1:8

Hunter is 2 years, 4 months old