Whist changing what seems like the 10 millionth dirty nappy, I bet many mums have imagined a life without the countless leg lifts and wipes! Feels like a dream or just something which is impossible. As far from reality this concept may be for some of us, it is in actual fact a reality for more then half the worlds mothers. Nor is the idea something new and trending. Disposable nappies have not been around for long at all. The first commercial nappy was made available in the 1930’s, just under 100 years ago and although they are readily available for many of us, for equal number of mothers, they are an inaccessible and costly luxury.
Have you ever thought about how our grandmothers dealt with the number ones and two’s? What are half the worlds mothers doing now? It’s easy to imagine a no-nappy horror story where a mum is helplessly struggling with her kid defecating left, right and centre. But when was the last time we saw or heard this happen?
The reality is that it’s us who stress out in such situations. Mums who don’t have nappies to hand or choose not to use them have an alternative approach: Potty training from birth!
Elimination Communication or EC for short is the new fancy way of saying potty training from birth. There are many ways to introduce potty training to babies and toddlers however, the main advice is the earlier the better.
There are numerous benefits to early potty training:
- Use less nappies:
The average child uses approximately 4000 nappies by the time they are potty trained. Potty training from birth means babies dirty less nappies throughout the day and also become independent of them earlier then average.
- Save money:
On average, a family spends approximately £400 on nappies per child per year! As less nappies are used throughout the day and as the child is free from them earlier, there is less of a financial drain in the long run.
- Eco friendly:
Disposable nappies create the equivalent of half a tonne of carbon dioxide and end up at landfills where they take an estimated 500 years to decompose. Reusable nappies are more environmentally friendly however they require a large amount of water and energy to wash and dry each time. As Muslims, it is our duty to protect the environment so the best thing you can do for the earth is to be nappy free.
- Lower chance of nappy rash:
Babies skin is delicate and has a high chance of being aggravated when exposed to moisture and unclean content of a dirty nappy for prolonged periods. Aggravated skin means agitated child. A nappy free bottom is a happy bottom.
- Reduced exposure to plastics and chemicals:
Disposable nappies are made from many synthetic materials that may have harmful effects. Being nappy free sooner reduces babies risk to prolonged exposure.
- Natural and traditional:
As mentioned earlier, EC has been done since the down of man. It’s a tried and tested approach.
- Baby learns control and communication
EC enable the baby to learn to hold themselves and go when they are on a potty. They also learn to tell mum when they need to go too!
- Child becomes independent sooner
A baby or toddler being able to tell you when they need to go potty helps them become independent earlier then most other children.
- Mother learns to understand her baby’s needs better.
A lot of intimate time is spent between a mother and child. There’s lots of successful and not so successful days. There are sweet moments of celebration when the first plop hits the toilet and many toe tickles on the potty.
- The bond between mother and child is increased.
And it’s beautiful.
As a Muslim mum who has been potty training my child since she was 5 months old, I would encourage you all to give this a go. Watch out for my next article on HOW TO go about potty-training your child from birth upwards!
I’d be really interested in knowing more about this! Please write another article on the method, tips and tricks 🙌🏼