I have had the urge to see what it would take, in today’s world, to live naturally. The obvious starting point is birth. So looking to start my own family I’ve thought of what would be required to raise a child materialistically. Diapers was my first stop. Then came the question as to what did people use before diapers? My search led me to “Elimination Communication” where parents know their baby is about to evacuate and help them do so. This apparently has been and is still being practiced by many cultures in Asia and Africa. That jogged my memory as being an African I remember looking after many relatives’ kids who had no nappies yet there were no accidents. The EC is on the come back and would like to invite readers to share stories, opinions and experiences on this matter. Lets get mind nourished.
So moving on, I would like to address the issue of baby toiletries which also applies to the rest of the family. For about four years I have been looking for ways to substitute soap, shampoos, body lotions and face creams. I tried all kinds of soap-free stuff and body lotions that contained natural ingredients but still felt a little cheated as they mostly factory products. I looked at ingredients in baby products and was amazed to find that they contained nothing different to what was being used by adults except for the occasional essential oil that promised to sooth baby.
I then decided to look else where. I talked to grandmothers and read what I could find from traditional healing manuals and one thing that kept coming up was lentil and chickpea powder as a body wash and the application of sesame, almond and olive oils on the skin with the occasional addition of herb oils for specific needs. I then resolved to make the change and cleared my bathroom of all the lotions, creams, bar soaps and the like and replaced that with a large jar of chickpea powder and some cold pressed sesame oil. Needless to say the after day three of showering with the chickpea powder and application of sesame oil, my skin was beginning to look and feel positively different. What’s more it felt supple and tighter. I then introduced a friend with a baby who at the time was having dry itchy skin to the idea and she proceeded to put some chickpea powder in a cloth and using it to rub on baby’s skin in the bath. When I saw her next she said that it had made a difference and that baby shower lotion was history to her.
The above use of oils, lentils and chickpeas for bathing has been mentioned in Tibetan , Ayurveda and in African traditions. One just has to try it see the effects. Basically if you can’t eat it then you can’t apply it.
About the Author...
I am a nutritionist, a herbalist and currently studying Traditional Tibetan Medicine, aspiring to practice and heal naturally with food and herbs. I am also true believer in the treatment of plants as fellow human beings as they account for all life on earth. Communication with plants has been done since the beginning of time and this is not the time to stop. Befriend one as you do your best friends and you will see God.
Sep 1st, 2008 at 11:34 pm
I wish I had known about EC when my babies were little. It would have saved me so-o-o-o-o-o much time and effort. My feeling is it would also instill a connectedness not often experienced by people in our part of the world. How in-tune with your baby would you have to be to know when they’re going to pee? How still would your mind have to be? It sounds like a wonderful spiritual practice and if I had another baby I’d certainly give it a go.
Sep 2nd, 2008 at 4:18 am
As you have mentioned, a lot of time is saved and a very unique bond is made between mother and child. On the expense side, I read the parents spend more that $4000 in disposable diapers in the first year. No wonder everyone says raising kids is costly. These diapers then end up in landfills where they take more that 200 years to decompose. That is a long time my dear friends. When one looks at the choices to available, I feel that reusable diapers are the way to go, should one not consider EC. I supposed if one get squeamish about cleaning the diapers it might be enough motivation to try EC. For those that have done it, please share your experiences.
Sep 3rd, 2008 at 12:23 pm
Well I have heard of EC as one of our friends had doen it back in the 70s with er children. Now while I admire that, I am thinking that what if you’re on a bus and the child, a three month old, would need to pee, how would you handle that? If say you could not automatically get off the busand say you wouldh ave to wait for an hour as it is in the country part of Australia?
What would you do then?
My kids were in nappies and while I do appreciate the sentiments for the environment, for me nappies were necessary, otherwise I’d be doing laundry non stop.
However I do buy those biodegrable nappies when I can find them.
There are also the cloth alternative too, but I chose disposable, for the sake of convenience, as I was often out and about with my kids as babies.
Sep 6th, 2008 at 8:50 am
Mum I truly see your point and agree that EC is not always possible especially since today’s working mothers are not always at home to attend to their babies’ toilet needs. However, this is something that can be practiced part-time when there is an opportunity e.g on weekends when Mom is home.
In the long run this will save you money and cut down on the environmental impact as the kids learn to use the potty earlier and you end up buying less nappies.
There’s a lovely site http://www.parttimenappyfree.com.au that gives mothers tips.
Thanks Mum for mentioning that as we often forget the element of convenience, crucial in today’s living.
Sep 6th, 2008 at 10:42 am
But you know convenience is not always the best, like the invention of the microwave for instance, convenient as anything but as we are now discovering, very bad for our health due ot the rays it emits and the destruction of nutrients, so while convenience in some form works, may not always be the best.
I do see the pros for EC, simply as the child does get potty trained earlier, and then the savings made in nappies.
I also see the cons to it, where you have to be super organised, etc, just to fit around the babies elimination needs.
However I do choose the biodegradable nappies.
Sep 7th, 2008 at 10:17 am
Mum, these points that you have made are valid and I think that biodegradable nappies are a good choice if one can afford.
On the other hand EC actually avoids most of the time consuming preparations that mothers have to deal with especially when on an outing.
For instance, if you are in a shopping mall with other mothers with little babies and you had to attend to toileting, you could either hold your ECing baby over the toilet, let them do their business, wipe and pull up pants and be done in a minute or you could drag a bag full of nappies wipes and all the rest of it including the baby to mother’s changing room, unfold the table while watching that baby doesn’t roll over and fall, undo the nappies, clean and wipe baby put on a fresh nappy, fold back the table and pack the bag again only to do it all again in a few hours.
When you visit some of the sites on the subject you will see that it actually gives you less work as baby and you communicate your needs.