What if your baby has been trying to tell you they need to go to the bathroom this whole time, and you just did not know how to listen?
Before disposable diapers existed, 92% of American babies were out of diapers by 18 months.
Today our average is three years old. And according to my guest today — that shift had nothing to do with biology and everything to do with marketing.
Andrea Olson is the author of Go Diaper Free, the world's leading educator on elimination communication, and a mama of six who has never had more than one baby in diapers at a time.
She has helped over a million families start this practice across the world. And in this episode she breaks down everything you need to know from what elimination communication actually is, to the cues your baby is already giving you, to how to start from the very first day of your baby's life.
I sat with this conversation for a long time after we finished recording.
Babies are not any different biologically than they were before disposable diapers existed. They still have the same instincts. They are still trying to tell us what they need. We just stopped listening.
And this episode is going to change the way you think about diapers, potty training, and tuning into your baby from day one. ❤️
Here are some highlights from the episode:
- What elimination communication actually is — and the instincts babies are born with that we have completely lost touch with in the Western world
- The Pampers story that will make your jaw drop — what Andrea learned from a conversation with an actual Pampers executive and how it changed the way pediatricians talk about potty training forever
- When to start and what it actually looks like — from brand new newborns to mobile babies to young toddlers
- The two simple things Andrea recommends starting with that take almost no extra time or effort
- The cues your baby is already giving you — from bearing down and staring off into space to popping off the breast and trying to escape the carrier
- The difference between elimination communication and potty training — and why understanding that difference changes everything
- What this looks like in real life for mamas going back to work, families with multiple kids, and babies in daycare
- The bonding piece — why every single person who has done elimination communication says it is one of the most connecting experiences of early parenthood
- The three biggest things that surprised Andrea across six babies and over a million families
- How much money you actually save — Andrea has saved $12,000 in diapers across six kids
- Two free resources Andrea put together specifically for our listeners today
🎁 Free resources for listeners:
Head to www.myessentialbirth.com/EC to grab the Easy Start Guide and the Potty Training Primer.
Connect with Andrea:
🌐 Website: godiaperfree.com
🛍️ Store: tinyundies.com
📱 Instagram: @godiaperfree
▶️ YouTube: Go Diaper Free
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