Infant Potty Training

Notes from my research on potty training (this is not complete! Look for more info and tips):

I read about Infant Potty Training in "To Train a Child" by Michael Pearl.  Missed the boat since I read it and she was 6 months already.  But I started.

Before 18 months:

• observe personal cues that indicate he is ready to urinate or have a bowel movement. This can be different for each child, but common signs include becoming very still, turning red in the face or grunting. 
• put on toilet every 2 hours for a minute or two, say pee pee or poo poo to correspond
• Take your little one to the bathroom at regular intervals whether she is showing cues or not. This helps her to get accustomed to a routine.
  

  •  talk to your child about the potty and to start using potty words when they have a wet or dirty diaper.

  
  
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  • Also taking them to the potty chair after they have started going or they have a wet or dirty diaper can help reiterate things with them

  
  

  • Explain what is happening when you flush the toilet, and invite your child to help you push the flush handle.

Read more: http://www.ehow.com/how_4875506_potty-year-old-boys-girls.html#ixzz2bOAbvQRC

A look at IPT at 2 weeks:

 we started infant potty training as soon as we got home from the hospital, when he was 1 day old.....
at this point getting as much sleep as possible is very important, so disposables at night help with that. We are beginning to transition into cloth. We do use the cheapest disposables we can find, because they feel wet when the baby pees. We still want him to get the connection between going pee, and feeling wet.

What his schedule has been/some cues we have seen:

We have found that when our baby starts grunting when he's waking up, he needs to go potty. When he's been happy and then all of a sudden gets fussy, that's another sign he needs to go. When he's acting like he wants to nurse, but won't latch on, or if he is constantly popping off and on the breast, that's a sure sign he needs to go. 

Current Potty Place/Cuing:

Right now we use a sink, and we hold him in the classic hold. (see photo of this hold here: Classic Hold) We could certainly be using a little potty, but we find the sink to be most convenient. When we take him, we hold him over the sink, and then start talking to him. We make the ssss sound for pee, and a grunting noise for poop. At this point, the sss sound seems to be the most effective. We have also noticed that he appears to already understand the phrase "Are you all done?" Many times when he's been at the sink for a minute or two, but hasn't gone, we will ask him if he's done, and then he goes into the action. Right now he generally lets us know he's all done by starting to fuss. He seems to love being held in that position.

At this point, about 95% of the poop goes into the potty. This has been what we have seen with our other kids: within a couple of weeks, poop misses are very rare.

Later: 

• When she successfully uses the toilet I give her one square of toilet paper (which is the most thrilling thing ever) and she gets to "wipe" then throw it in the potty. I quickly flush the toilet, and I try not to let her see how it's done

• I only give her the toilet paper and only flush when she goes because I want her to learn that those are rewards....   http://acollectionofpassions.com/blog/potty-training-a-one-year-old

 12 months old: I am putting her on irregularly, but starting a routine of every 2 hours.    She goes when I say pee pee/poo poo now, if she can.  Maybe in 2 weeks, I'll go to every 3 hours and see how that works.

Interesting History:
While the notion of potty training a very young infant seems radical to many American parents, it's not a new idea. Before 1950, most children in the United States were toilet trained by 18 months. And today, most African, Asian, and European babies are trained well before their second birthday.

...in the 1960s, pediatrician and parenting expert T. Berry Brazelton advocated an even gentler, more "child-centered" philosophy: He encouraged parents to allow children to follow their own timetable when it came to giving up diapers.

Brazelton's view caught on around the same time as disposable diapers, which tend to be more comfortable for babies (they're so absorbent that babies don't feel wet) and easier for parents to deal with. Against this backdrop, it's no surprise that the average age of toilet training crept up.

http://www.babycenter.com/0_infant-potty-training-what-it-is-and-how-to-do-it_1745035.bc

By  the third day, I knew that we had nailed potty training, and I’m convinced the key was to let Piper decide when she needed to use the potty! She’s an independent little girl, and I can tell that it makes her feel so proud that she was the one who decided to use the potty!
 ...the following situations create the most “risk” of an accident:

• Drinking too much water/milk/juice
• Being away from home
• Being sick
• Staying up later than usual

http://www.babysavers.com/how-i-potty-trained-my-18-month-old-toddler-part-2/

• If you find your child has had a bowel movement in their pants, calmly take them to the bathroom. Flush the poo down the toilet with a comment to explain that’s where it goes. Have your child sit on the potty while you wipe their bottom, and let them know that soon they'll do their poo on the potty.

• If your child will only go in a nappy, begin to have them do so in the bathroom. Progress to having them sit on the potty, in their nappy if they like. Once they're used to this, suggest taking the nappy off and putting it into the potty bowl as a ‘pocket’ to catch the poo.

• You might find success by cutting through the crotch of the nappy so that it still is wrapped around them, but the bottom is open to let the poo drop into the potty.

• Make sure that your child’s legs are comfortable and knees are slightly apart and that feet are firmly planted on the floor or a sturdy stool.

• If your child is giving signs of needing to poo, but on the toilet and not having success, try having your child lean forward and rest his upper body against you while you rub the lower back gently. You can also have them sit backwards on the toilet and lean against the tank.

More -http://www.supernanny.co.uk/Advice/-/Health-and-Development/-/0-to-4-years/Elizabeth-Pantleys-Potty-Training-Tips-part-two-poo-problems.aspx


My Journal for Astrid's Training:
Newborn: naming the deed
8 months: began putting on toilet, suggesting
11 months: fully comprehending and complying  to sit down
13 months: learning to go sit on potty, days of attempting a schedule, no use, doesn't hold it, accidents likely.

Plans:
14 mos.: have her watch potty training videos; read books (for me!)
15 mos.: just before carpet cleaning, bare bottom and juice days  (blow out candle/treat reward?)

Journal of Elijah's Training:
Before 18 months: once in a while, after breakfast and morning bottle when BM usually happens, Sit on toilet for minutes, extending period, playing together
22 months: continuing routine, sit, bath, sit; use super nanny advice (above)
Try prune before bottle.