World Without Diapers – A Reality

I had a dream….of a World without Diapers and then a voice wakes me up; it’s changing time for my toddler!
We cannot imagine a single day without a diaper, this little thing woven from polymer pallets – day care or outings, it is a must. It’s easy when you have to hand off your baby to someone when you are out on a job.

My dream led me on a search for making it come true. And then I read about Elimination Communication (EC) or Natural Infant. I said to myself “I know this” as it was common culture in India but a lot has changed in a short period of time. While we were busy westernizing, we have been blindfolded by diaper manufacturing companies which targeted our minds to accept the new definition of happy and healthy babies.

EC is a natural way of elimination for a baby and more about understanding the signals and cues. It involves two way communication for Mother/Father and a Child. Our mothers never had diaper dependency and rarely let us pee nor did they keep us in wet pants. They managed to develop that early communication through signals and spare themselves from everything that comes with diapering.

We, parents of 21st century, are so affected by the cute TV commercials that make us blindly go with the flow. They make us believe that it is acceptable for children not to have learned to go the toilet till the age of 3. Some of us relate this incorrectly with status or education and doubt the possibility of taking our child out without being packed. We started to consider diapering as the only way to be clean and germ-free.

Did you know – Diapers fill landfills at a rate of more than 22 billion pieces a year and cost families up to $1000 per child (considering diaper dependency till 2 years of age).
When I talked about this with other mothers around, they suspected I was trying to save some money. Why not, when it saves you some bucks and blesses a child to move and play freely.

How to practice EC-

1. Each baby is different. Some fuss, some squirm,some grunt, some frown and others, pause and become still. What all we need to do is- analyse their patterns and develop a communication with the child.
2. Whether you are a Working Mum or Stay at Home Mum (SAHM), you can practice this without giving up your comfort. For early practice, you can start with a shorter period or a fixed duration of the day whenever you feel comfortable. This way you will not feel stressed out.
3. If you are working and worried about limited time, take advantage of your maternity leave. Moreover, you can always avail a helping hand which is good while you are recovering from postpartum effects.

It may seem tough in the beginning but it will really pay you back in the long run. I was surprised to know that a child can be trained as early as 3 months of age.
Only thing it demands is patience and your attention. We cannot be selfish and burden babies with these pee holding thingies through the day and night. Everything comes with its own disadvantages but this certainly does not. Here are all the reasons to adopt this EC method-

1. It avoids diaper rash and digestive problems.
2. It supports baby’s body awareness.
3. It prevents diapering and toilet training struggles.
4. It reduces landfill waste and helps environment.

EC is about not disturbing the natural rhythm and as easy as Potty training. The advantage is- You don’t have to wait for that perfect age when the child is ready to be potty trained. A win-win situation. Start early to reap quick results and free yourself from the struggle. Believe me; it’s always easy to train a new-born rather than a fussy toddler who knows how to escape. But it’s never too late to try this.

Tip: Don’t ever get stressed by the experience – Give some time and things will be on track soon. Let’s look out for the hints these tiny ones are sending and join hands to become eco-friendly mothers. After all mothering is about learning and growing.

Upasna is a working Mother who strive to spend as much time as she could with her toddler. A music lover who loves to share her experiences and beliefs which boosted her to start a blog. She is living her dream to settle down in the same city in which she was born and loves to greet people with handmade Greeting Cards. Upasna blogs at Life Through my Bioscope.