I have to admit it.
The first time I heard about elimination communication (aka EC) I couldn't help but think, "EWWW!" with about the same amount of tact as a nine year old girl.
For those that don't know, elimination communication is responding to the natural cues that your baby makes to let you know that he or she needs to "go," and you respond by placing the baby over a potty rather than letting the baby go in a diaper.
It seemed completely foreign, gross and even unnatural to me at first.
But one thing I have learned throughout my journey as a "crunchy" parent is that once you begin to fall down the crunchy rabbit hole, it is very hard to put on the brakes or to even want to for that matter.
My journey began after reading a post by Mayim Bialik's, who is like a crunchy mom/ attachment parenting goddess, about elimination communication.
I eventually worked up the nerve to personally ask her via her Facebook what book she recommended for learning about elimination communication.
She responded with a book by Ingrid Bauer titled Diaper Free.
I began reading, made some slight modifications so that EC worked for me, and I was hooked.
Here is my list about why to give it a try.
Fair warning: You may find yourself falling further down the crunchy rabbit hole too.
It saves on diapers! I don't care if you cloth diaper or use disposables.
Diapers are EXPENSIVE! Why buy more, wash more or deal with more if you don't have to? Wiping butts pretty much sucks; especially a baby butt that is completely covered in poo.
Word of warning, if you are nursing these early diapers may not seem so lethal, but once you hit solids you will be dealing with a poo of a completely different beast! It gives you another way to connect with your baby.
I know it sounds weird, but your baby does not want to crap their pants anymore than you do.
If you learn how to read the cues that your baby gives you, you will realize that they are not totally on board with the whole diaper bit, and that by putting diapers on their butts we are actually training them to go in their pants.
Diaper rash is lame.
Again, it doesn't matter what type of diaper you use, I have seen diaper rash and chemical burns caused by all types.
Cutting down on the number of diapers you put on your baby cuts down on diaper rash period.
It is really, really, really easy.
Like easier than patting your head and rubbing your tummy at the same time.
If your dog is smart enough to pick up on your cues for it doing its business outside, than you are smart enough to pick up on your baby's cues.
You don't have to be Lassie.
It will not occupy all your time.
Putting your little one on a baby potty to go takes about the same amount of time as it does to change a diaper.
Clean up is so less disgusting.
Wipe, flush, rinse repeat.
You can probably avoid all of the potty training stress that comes with letting your baby crap themselves until you one day decide that he or she should not and instead should use the loud, uncomfortable potty.
You can adapt it to your life.
I use diapers and I EC.
It is not all or nothing.