Customer Reviews

Diaper Free: The Gentle Wisdom of Natural Infant Hygiene

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

As a family physician, writer on pregnancy, birth and parenting; and mother of four (my last baby raised 'diaper-free'), I found this book practical as well as inspiring.
I know it can be hard to believe that babies can be raised without diapers (and it is certainly not what I was taught at medical school), but after seeing it with my own eyes, I know that babies really do have the innate ability to communicate their elimination needs.
I also know that it is a gentle and baby-centered approach that enhances and deepens the relationship between mother and baby, and does not involved training, coercion, or distraction from normal activities such as play and learning.
As a mother and MD, I believe that this method (which is also how most babies around the world are raised) is healthier and more hygienic than putting babies in what has been called a `walking toilet', not to mention the financial benefits for the family and environmental benefits for the Earth.
I would highly recommend this book and this method, with the proviso that it requires a lot of physical closeness and also dedication from at least one carer. (In traditional cultures, the grandmother may be the main person to do this) I think this is especially true in our culture because we are usually parenting in isolation and don't have this method as part of our parenting lore.
For these reasons, it is probably easier for those who use (or plan to use) attachment parenting approaches which emphasize closeness and parental responsiveness such as baby wearing, co-sleeping and breastfeeding.
If you are interested in this style of parenting, you will particularly enjoy the gentle philosophy in this book, and Ingrid's sharing of her own experiences.
However, I also know several families who have adapted this method part time and/or just to catch the baby's poops (and many moms can already tell when their baby needs to go!), which is still a great benefit.
If you are serious about this, you might also enjoy Infant Potty Training, which has a great section on what mothers and babies are doing in other cultures. If you just want some potty training tips, try Early Start Potty Training, which has some good ideas, plus a fascinating (and rather damning) history of the diaper industry.

My mom alerted me to the phenomenon of raising babies without diapers, and before deciding she was crazy, I ventured on some research into the subject. After having quickly read through this book, I thought to myself, "I bought a book on this?" It's a good book, it's just very... common sense. Ingrid Bauer explains how she came to the conclusion that she didn't want her baby stuck in diapers in such a way you'd think that any mother would come to the same conclusion. Of course, they don't, because we live in a diaper culture. We just don't see it much in the US, but it is actually widely practiced throughout the world. I plan to start with diapers, practice the "Natural Infant Hygiene" Ms Bauer recommends, and see what happens. Her philosophy is that kids naturally know when they are going to eliminate, and they'd rather communicate to you that they have to go than go in their diapers and wait uncomfortably for you to get them a clean one. She also hypothesizes that babies will forget how to control their elimination if you don't start communicating with them earlier on than 2 years, when most parents potty train their kids. Thus, they have to learn it all over again and it's a big pain that can be embarrassing for both of you.

Even if you aren't home with your kid 24 hours a day, it's still possible to use the techniques when you are around. It's not an all-or-nothing solution. You can diaper part of the time, and communicate with your child about eliminating when you are around. One cool thing is that most kids who have learned to control their elimination from birth have very little trouble with bed-wetting. 10% of 10 year olds still have bed-wetting episodes! That means 10% of 10 year olds are self conscious about and not fully in control of their elimination. That alone makes me want to try this, for the sake of my kid's personal respect, trust, and independence.

*New information*

The previous bit was from before I had my baby, and now that she is 19 months old, I have some perspective. We received cloth diaper service for the first year as a gift, and the first weeks we were using up to 80 diapers per week. I actually first started my girl on the potty at 3 weeks and was astounded at how quickly she caught on. The fourth time I took her to the potty, she instantly went on cue. We made the complete switch to training pants (purchased on Amazon at 15 for $25, Luvable Friends brand) at 12 months. I made this decision because we were down to 20 diapers a week, she rarely wet at night, and she could walk to the potty and sit down on it on her own. She has had her share of "misses," but to me it's worth it for the "catches." I work in a daycare and parents are constantly asking me about how I got my baby to use a potty so early! It certainly wasn't through any kind of coercion. It was a very natural process that only requires a good parent-child connection.

I was never as extreme about EC as the author or some people I've met that are very active in the diaper free yahoo group, but I usually see that we are nearly as successful. There are certain developments that happen in the brain and body around the same age regardless of parenting, such as ability to consciously communicate about something that will happen in the future, and the ability to pull one's pants down! Often, my daughter will sit on the potty and pee right through her pants. This is a good thing still because it's not a puddle on the floor, and the laundry is the same or less than with a diaper, and she gets the practice. One thing I am diligent about is always pottying her before and after sleeping for naps or night time. Also we get up once in the middle of the night to go. It is very clear when she needs to go at night because it is difficult to get her back to sleep and she whimpers. Getting to know your child's patterns and ever-changing signals is key.

The most important thing to take from this book is the simple philosophy that you should not let your baby forget the awareness of needing to eliminate. As long as you keep the awareness up by making attempts at using the potty, you are making progress. Yes, even on those days when they just will not signal and go through about 10 pairs of pants! Your baby doesn't have to be truly diaper free to maintain this awareness. The end result is a nice thing to daydream about, but Elimination Communication is really about the process of teaching your child about his or her bodily functions and how to handle them in a hygienic way from the start. It is about honoring your child's need to feel cared for, clean (yes, really), and empowered.

This book was great for educating me on Elimination Communication, providing practical tips like how to hold your baby on the potty or outdoors, and listing most common signals children give before they eliminate. That said, I haven't picked the book up in over a year, so it's not something you will probably read again and again. Unless you feel you need something to encourage you and remind you, I would recommend borrowing this book from a library.

But this is nevertheless a worthwhile read. Bauer is definitely the crunchiest of the three authors of early-potty-training/elimination communicating books. Boucke has more cross-cultural information. While I have not yet read Sonna, it looks like she has the most historical/research based information.

Bauer spends a lot of time describing ways to increase the bond between mother (parent, caregiver . . .) and baby, including, obviously, natural infant hygiene/elimination communication, but also including baby wearing next to the skin and, in general, lots of skin to skin contact. She is, in her own quirky way, an inspiring mother.

My wife and I bought this book, which was recommended to us by a friend who has successfully used Natural Infant Hygiene with their child. I finished reading it the other day, and my wife and I are talking about trying it.

Perhaps others have had different impressions after reading the book, but I think that only about 10-20% of the total text was actually helpful. The rest seemed more like marketing material. Over half the book is more focused on why you should practice Natural Infant Hygiene rather than how to actually do so.

I'm not sure I would buy it again.

I can't recommend this book highly enough... any loving parent wanting to increase the communication between themselves and their child should buy this book. But be warned, you'll end up lending it out to all of your friends, so maybe you should buy two! :-)

Ingrid's own experiences helped encourage me to try this with our own son, with astounding success... our son is out of diapers, but more importantly we are continually communicating about his needs and providing response to his inborn instinct not to soil himself. This is a great gift for an expectant mom, as Natural Infant Hygiene is best approached with an infant, although older babies and their parents can adapt the principles. A treasured book on my parenting shelf.

I loved this book. It was well-written, very clear, concise, and answered all my questions on how to approach toilet training my baby when he arrives. Ingrid Bauer is maybe a little bit more New Age in her overall lifestyle than me, but it doesn't really matter as far as the guidance given. She gives various methods to try for different lifestyles and preferences and baby personalities, and troubleshooting advice as well. She explains how to start with a newborn, and also how to start with an older child. Really great, valuable information for all parents of infants, and parents-to-be. Why change diapers for 3+ years if you don't have to? Why make your baby wear diapers 24/7 in the first place?

I am so happy I ran across this book and read it while I was pregnant. I have not chosen to go diaper free, but instead started putting my son on a Baby Bjorn potty at 7 weeks old just during diaper changes. From the very beginning he peed 99% of the time which kept the new diaper dry longer OR it saved the washcloth I was using to protect myself from squirts! He also immediately began pooping whenever he needed to. This is a much more natural position for elimination than laying on your back. Now at 4 months, I would estimate that 95% of his poop ends up in the potty instead of a diaper. I cannot imagine what life would be like if I had not read this book and tried it. I consider my son potty trained...he is just not trained "not" to use his diaper yet. The best part...he LOVES sitting on the potty. He is always happy and smiling while looking at himself in the mirror. Diaper free completely is not for me, but you owe it to yourself and your baby to be open to the possibilities. Kids don't have to run around at 3 years old in diapers because we "trained" them that that is where they "should" potty. Of course the diaper manufacturers don't want you to know this!

Whether you are interested in the history of infant hygiene (ie: life before diapers), infant life and hygiene in other cultures, or how to go about living a diaper free life, this is the book for you!
Jam packed with information and pictures, this book can help you and your baby go diaperless, or at the very least communicate better.
This is a great book to read, even if you aren't looking to go diaper free. It will definately broaden your horizons!
Also, has tips for late beginners (like me and DD!)

I happened upon this book and it has changed my whole view of potty training. I started using her method when my son was 4 months old. He immediately took to using the potty and pees within seconds of being placed on it. He just turned 6 months and I have now gone from disposables to cloth diapers and am very happy with the switch. I especially like the satisfaction of being able to communicate with him and the pride in his smile after he pees in his potty. I admit it might work better for me as I co-sleep with my child and work from home and am therefore often with him when he needs to eliminate but I think every mom should give it a try even if only part-time.

My son is now 2 and so I just wanted to update on my review. My son stopped doing a #2 in his diaper at 7 months. I did have a few incidents (perhaps 5 or 6 ) from 9-12 months before he started walking. After 12 months he only partially wet his cloth diapers 1-3 times a day - perhaps due to my sitter and husband not taking him to the bathroom the way I would. At 18 months I tried to switch him to underwear but he resisted after he realized that he couldn't wet himself without consequences. I decided not to push and only revisited the subject before his second birthday. He said he wanted to switch to underwear and stop wearing diapers and he was 100% successful. At first I brought extra underwear in my purse in case of accidents but I quickly realized it was unnecessary - he's even dry through the night as he awakens once to pee and goes back to sleep.

Again I'm very pleased that I found this book.

I only found out about this topic and this book a short time ago. Without even finishing the book I started practicing NIH with my 5 month old son. Since he is in child care during the day, I can only practice when he's home with us, but after he started peeing in the little potty and in the home toilet my husband and I are both excited to continue this journey. The book is helpful and inspiring. I gave it 4 stars because Part 1 of the book is a bit redundant. Bauer could have shortened the book considerably if she didn't keep reiterating the benefits of this practice. But I guess maybe we need to hear them over and over since it's such a foreign topic to most people.
I don't think you need to be hovering over your baby 24/7 to catch their elimination. I rely heavily on the signs my son gives and also just on timing (after sleep, after nursing, every 1/2 hour to hour). I don't catch them all in the potty yet, but cloth diapers draped over him get the rest without a mess. I'm not doing this to necessarily potty train my infant, but I think this will offer a very smooth transition to being fully potty trained if he's already aware of using a potty without coercion or bribery. We just make a noise and he goes if he needs to. And even cutting down on the number of diapers we use is a blessing on the pocketbook and the environment. I hope I never need to use a pull up diaper! So for all those people who say they can't even consider doing this, I'm proof that it can be done. You don't necessarily need to go diaperless all the time. It doesn't have to be all or nothing. I think babies still benefit whether it's 2 hours a day or 24. My son is doing great and he doesn't at all mind sitting on a potty. He loves going diaperless and it isn't forcing him to grow up too fast as one reviewer said. He gets to explore and play as much as before. Just without a bulky, dirty, landfill littering diaper on his bottom.