‘My 2-day-old pooped in the sink’: Inside diaper-free parenting
Parents practicing elimination communication say babies can signal when they need to relieve themselves long before they can speak, reducing diaper use and deepening connection, but experts caution against pressure and stress that voluntary toilet control develops only gradually
Two days after welcoming her newborn daughter, Maya Eldror, a 36-year-old sleep consultant and babywearing instructor, sensed the infant's discomfort stemmed from the need to eliminate waste. Rather than waiting for the diaper to become full, she quickly placed the baby over the sink. Moments later, the newborn successfully emptied herself.
Eldror remarked that her daughter had already started pooping in the sink at just two days old, and later transitioned to using a potty. This early success marked the beginning of her elimination communication journey, a practice where caregivers observe and respond to a baby's signals for urination and bowel movements before they require a diaper.
Eldror, who now has three children aged five, nearly three, and nine months, first learned about this concept when she was 19. Intrigued by the idea that babies could go diaper-free, she began experimenting with her second child at 10 months old, successfully eliminating bowel movements in the diaper within weeks. With her third child, she started almost immediately after birth, stressing that the approach doesn't necessarily mean completely abandoning diapers.
Some families choose to go diaper-free, while others use cloth diapers, and Eldror relies on disposable backups.
Oren Baruch, a guide for elimination communication, prefers to describe it as an approach rather than a method. She acknowledges that the process is not always linear and that parents must remain patient and attentive. Baruch, who became interested after her daughter Nina struggled with bowel movements, opened a WhatsApp group for parents and now leads support groups.
She emphasizes that every baby communicates differently, and parents must learn to recognize various cues, such as pelvic movements or changes in facial expressions.
Anat Assaf, who guides families in this approach and teaches workshops, was motivated partly by her desire to reduce disposable waste. Initially, her family used minimal diapers during the first months, leading to a more environmentally friendly parenting style. While elimination communication does offer benefits like reduced exposure to urine and feces, Baruch warns against striving for perfection and advises parents to focus on attentiveness and communication rather than keeping a scorecard.
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