Cloth diapers are becoming increasingly popular -- especially with the focus on the environment -- and some parents are completely foregoing diapers.

The cloth diapers all but went away when disposable diapers were introduced in the 1960s.

Video: Parents Trained To Use Elimination Communication

Jen Wisner, of Plainville, is pregnant with her third child, and she used disposable diapers with her son, Lucas.

"I have Lucas, who's 4, Tiger Lily is 2, and I'm due in January," she said.

Wisner decided to try something a little different with Tiger Lily, something she'll be doing with her new baby, too.

Parents Learn Child's Cues

Elimination communication, or "EC," is a philosophy under use by an increasing number of moms and dads.

"With Tiger Lily, I EC'd with her from when she was 8 weeks old," Wisner said.

Clover Heske teaches parents about EC at The Papaya Patch, a baby specialty store in West Hartford.

"In short, it's basically recognizing some signals that your baby can give you, and helping them eliminate someplace outside of a diaper -- a potty, a toilet, a bowl, a sink, anywhere like that," Heske said.

She added, "The most prominent signals are unexplained fussiness, distractibility while eating. Sometimes, they stare off into space or do a little wiggle."

Once a parent picks up on the signals, then what?

"The basic EC position would be to hold the baby against the back of their thighs in a supported, seated squat position," Heske said. "Then, you can stand over a sink, you can crouch down and stand over your toilet. You can, you know, stand over a bowl."

Some Parents Prefer EC To Diapers

While some parents try to EC exclusively from infancy, the moms with whom Eyewitness News spoke said they do it when they can.

"I don't think it's necessary to catch them all. I mean, every catch that you make is one less diaper that you use. It's one less diaper that goes into a landfill," Heske said.

Mirela Postelnicu, of Middletown, tried EC with both of her children.

"Do it whenever you can. It's not an all or nothing thing," she said.

Postelnicu's 8-month-old son, Jackson, has had success using a potty.

Some parents might wonder whether it's worth the effort to watch and pick up on a child's signals.

"It's not any more work for me," Postelnicu said. "I'd rather him go on the potty than change a poopy diaper."

Chip McCabe used EC with his 1-year-old son from birth.

“There are a lot of times during the day (when) it's actually really easy: When they get up first thing in the morning, when they get up from naps, you know, right after he nurses," he said. "It's actually easier than you think to start learning the cues and getting into the habit of just kind of offering them the potty."

Doctors Question Whether Babies Learn Control

Elimination communication is not without controversy. Some doctors don’t necessarily agree with the contention by some parents who use EC that babies are actually learning to control the muscles used in waste elimination.

"Babies who are not consistently in diapers and can start off using those muscles gradually gain control of those muscles, and usually earlier than their diaper-trained peers," Heske said.

Dr. Ari Brown, a pediatrician and author of “Baby 411” and “Toddler 411,” said, "Toilet training is a developmental milestone. … You cannot teach a 12-month-old to hold their urine.”

Brown added that girls are developmentally ready to be potty trained during the day between 2 and 2½ years old. The expectation for boys is between 3 and 3½ years old. Going overnight accident-free often takes longer.

Some parents told Eyewitness News they feel more bonded with their babies by doing EC, and it makes them feel good to keep their babies from having the sensation of being in dirty diapers.

More Information

Link: Diaper Free Baby

Link: American Academy of Pediatrics: Toilet Training

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