New Milestone - Poop in the Pot

Just a few days shy of the 8 month anniversary of his birth, and Tommy is finally sitting up well enough to be put on the toilet. Obviously he can't just prop himself up on a regular toilet seat, as his tiny heiny would slip right through the hole. Instead, a toddler toilet seat is first placed upon the throne to facilitate the safety of baby.

So yesterday was his first foray in pottying on the toilet. Things went well. Very well.

TM placed the little seat on the big seat, then set Tommy on top of that. In placing a baby, particularly a boy, on the seat, it is important to remember to spread his legs. This spreading helps him to maintain his balance and it allows ample room for the penis to aim downward. If his legs are together, the penis tends to either be squeezed between the legs or, worse yet, sit on top of them, so when the tinkle begins the pee pee will run all over the legs or spray in TM's face. An alternate route would be across the thighs to the knee, then dripping down the shins to the floor. Anyway, just remember to spread the legs and avoid all the issues.

The cues were given to Tommy (verbal and visual, psssssssssss and the hand sign). Tommy seemed amused by this new potty position and in a few short moments he entertained himself further by depositing a BM in the pot. The BM was accompanied by several short burst of flatulence which echoed wildly underneath him, causing him to burst out in laughter. Then he followed that with a pee pee.

Of course, TM was very excited and pleased, and because her hands were free she clapped. This made Tommy laugh again, as it was a new experience. Usually when he potties, even though TM is pleased, she is unable to do anything so funny as clapping because she is holding Tommy with both hands.

This morning's pottying on the toilet was captured by digital camera and is herewith included for your enjoyment and edification.



Notice that his legs are apart and he is making the potty sign with his right hand.

At times like this, ECing is just plain fun!

NO MISSES!

You heard (read) that right, we had not one single miss today. That's an EC first for TM, with Tommy or any other 7 month old.

I need to get busy sewing the rest of those pants!

We Keep Rolling Along

One of TM's greatest frustrations is that so much of her EC with Tommy takes place with him in her arms and without witnesses. Of course, it is great that he is in her arms, it is wonderful fun, but TM is the only one getting to see it and she can't take pictures while holding the baby.

We caught two poopies today. It really seems as if Tommy waits until he's at the potty place to make a poopy. It's been a while since he did it in his diaper. That makes laundry so much easier, and really is reason enough to EC.

Tommy is now making the hand sign for "potty" (well, his own version of it) when I get him in the potty position. He also blows raspberries as his version of making the cue "psssssssss". TM will try to get a video of these things, as they need to be documented, but, as noted above, she is usually alone with Tommy and holding him with both hands when this occurs.

Two pairs of split crotch pants have been made and there will be more to follow. Hopefully the transition will be made away from diapers and over to pants. There will be another post and pictures of the split crotch pants coming soon.

For Those Who Want To Learn More...

Here is a link to an article by Laurie Boucke, (pronounced Boo-Kay) author of Infant Potty Training.

Tommy and Mommy can't wait to see her DVD Potty Whispering!

Infant Laryngitis

Tommy has a cold. This cold has resulted in Tommy losing his voice. Because he uses his voice mostly for crying (Tommy cries A LOT!), his illness has acted as a somewhat of a vacation for his family from listening to his screams.

If we didn't feel so badly for him it would be difficult not to laugh at poor Tommy, mouth agape, clearly registering his complaint, but without sound.

This is one baby that has no reason to be discontent. Yet it is so. He is breastfed, coddled by family members and doesn't have to wear his own products of elimination. Perfect life, no? Somehow, he just doesn't think so.

The Intact Baby Boy

Those of you who practice EC know that you see things that other parents never see. Things like spotting and the blast force of a breast milk poopy. For those with boys, what you see while standing at the sink looking down at his penis while he makes a pee pee can be surprising and perhaps scary if you don't know what to expect.

First, an anatomy lesson. The penis of a baby boy has a foreskin. If your boy does not have a foreskin, then it was removed surgically. This is not a separate or superfluous part, it is an integral part of the penis itself. Unlike the eyelid, which is not a part of or attached to, the eye, even though it plays a roll in covering the eye and holding it in its proper place, the foreskin cannot be seen as a separate organ or bit of tissue from the penis. The foreskin is not near the penis or attached to the penis, it is PART of the penis.

A foreskin is usually adhered, at birth, to its penis. Unlike the foreskin of an adult male which is fully retractable, an infant's foreskin does not retract but remains over the glans of the penis. Most foreskins extend beyond the glans of the flaccid penis and usually beyond the glans of the erect penis, as well, at least in babies.

Because the foreskin is adhered to the glans (also called the "head" of the penis), do NOT attempt to pull it back to uncover the glans, no matter what some ignorant doctor or mother-in-law suggests! Pulling on the foreskin before it is ready to retract can cause ripping and scarring on the glans. This will be painful for the baby, could result in infection, scarring and unnatural adhesions requiring surgery or circumcision, or could cause phimosis, an emergency condition whereby the foreskin gets stuck in the retracted position.

So, there you are, holding your little man in the Potty Position, looking over his shoulder, down to his penis. What do you see? You will probably notice that the penis always tends to point or drape to a particular side. Tommy's Papa told me this is sometimes called "dress", as in, "He dresses to the right." This is normal. No need to attempt to make it hang straight.

As he starts to pee you will notice that before any urine comes out the area in front of the glans plumps up as the foreskin fills. Then the urine shoots out of the end of the foreskin. The opening in the foreskin my be very tiny in newborns. That will cause the stream of urine to be thin and high pressure. Do not be frightened by this. It is completely normal. You don't need to rush him to the doctor to get the opening in the foreskin enlarged. A tiny opening in the foreskin does not mean that the baby's meatus, the opening in the tip of the penis which you can't see because it is under the foreskin, is small or restricted.

Through the natural processes of urination, erections and general handling, the adherence of the foreskin to the glans of the penis will lessen over time until eventually the foreskin will be able to retract completely off of the glans onto the shaft. There is no set amount of time in which this must occur. Studies in Scandinavian countries have shown that it can take up to 18 years in some men. On average it occurs at a much younger age. Don't be surprised if you never know when it occurs, because you aren't likely to see much of your son's penis after he is completely toilet independent.

The first signs of the lessening of the grip of the foreskin to the glans is an increasing size of the opening in the end of the foreskin through which the urine flows. You will notice this as the disappearance of the bulging that used to occur at the tip of the penis during urination. When the size of the opening in the foreskin matches the size of the opening in the penis (the meatus), or is very close in size, the urine doesn't build up in the foreskin before squirting out. This will result in a lower pressure urination, but it will still be pretty forceful.

Another thing you might notice is that the pee pee tends to always shoot in the same direction (slightly left, right, upward or downward) regardless of the way the penis hangs. This probably has to do with the location of the opening in the foreskin in relation to the meatus. If it tends to shoot upwards, you have to adjust your potty position accordingly in order to avoid time consuming clean ups.

TM has no clue how pottying looks with a circumcised baby. Feel free to post your own experiences in the comments if you think they will be edifying to a first-timer.

Some Days Are Not So Pleasant

Today Tommy wasn't too interested in the potty. The nap was elusive. He was put down in the usual manner several times, but he was never able to sleep for more than about 20 or 30 minutes. Normally he sleeps at least an hour.

TM managed one Catch in the sink, with some coaxing. Tommy was arching his back and fussing. Normally an arched back means he doesn't need to go and so the attempt is abandoned, but TM knew he did need to pee pee, so she insisted he sit still (well, sit in the Potty Position) and go. After about a minute, he tinkled and returned merrily to his play. Carried in TM's arms, of course.