Nappy free presentation
•Download as PPT, PDF•
0 likes•1,048 views
This presentation was delivered online at the 2010 Vertial International Day of the Midwife. You can find the audio at http://blip.tv/file/3677417 to listen and view at the same time. Sorry I haven't added the audio to the slideshare presentation as I haven't had time! Cheers.
Recommended
Recommended
More Related Content
Similar to Nappy free presentation
Similar to Nappy free presentation (20)
More from Anna Hughes
More from Anna Hughes (10)
Recently uploaded
Recently uploaded (20)
Nappy free presentation
- 1. Raising a 'nappy free' baby, elimination communication or natural infant hygiene
- 2. Babies were successfully raised without nappies for thousands of years and half the world's population still practice this. Known in Chinese as "kaidangku" (literally "open-crotch pants") http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-07/16/content_349150.htm
- 4. http://www.flickr.com/photos/joostassink/3088322227/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/kretyen/2388394049/ Nappies are often used as a back up. (Ideally the nappy will be a cloth one!) 'Nappy Free' is just a concept, though many use it literally.
- 8. A Different Kind of Work
- 9. When to start? Parents have had success with their babies up to 1 year. Starting before they can move is easiest for both of you.
- 13. We love it!
Editor's Notes
- No matter what you call it the concept is the same. It's about recognising your baby's 'need to go' and helping them to do so in an appropriate place.
- Half the world’s population still raise their babies without nappies and they don’t get peed and pooed on. Nappies have only been around for a hundred years or so and babies were successfully raised without them for thousands of years. The basic idea is that babies do signal their need to go to the toilet and it is possible to pick up on their signal and meet their need to eliminate cleanly. It’s the most natural thing to do for the babies physical comfort, to avoid nappy rash and digestive problems that can result from nappy use, to support the baby’s body awareness, for environmental reasons, to prevent toilet training struggles and to reduce nappy use. The article that I got these photos from sadly reported on the loss of this practice, the huge increase in use of disposable nappies and successful marketing to convence parents that this is a better way.
- The greatest benefit is that parents feel they are responding to their baby’s needs in the present moment and this can enhance their bond and develop a deep, close communication and trust. The concept is the same as picking up on when your baby is hungry and feeding him/her, tired and helping them to sleep, windy and needing to burp. So rather than teach your baby to pee and poo in his/her clothing and then cleaning up after the fact you learn to listen and respond in the present moment to your babies needs and communication.
- Nappies can be used as a ‘back up’ until you are confident or all the time! 'Nappy free' is just a concept. Your baby will learn to ‘release’ (which they already know how to do), but will learn to release on cue and then therefore learn to ‘hold on’ until it is appropriate to ‘release’, but for the first year or more it is about training yourself as much if not more than training your baby. Though 'training' is not the right word. Developing the communication on this need is a better explanation. The best type of nappy is the big square traditional nappy with no outer, so you can see if your baby has gone and change them immediately. One benefit of nappy free is that your baby never gets used to being in a wet nappy and therefore doesn’t like the feeling when it happens and acts to avoid it happening.
- Timing and elimination patterns – watching closely, the parent learns when the baby usually goes and how this relates to other body functions such as nursing or feeding. E.g. most babies pee as soon as they awaken from sleep and at regular intervals after nursing. Baby’s signals and body language – once they begin watching for it, many parents are amazed to notice that their babies are actually signalling when they need to go. Though every baby is different, some common signals include: fussing, squirming, grunting and vocalising, pausing and becoming still, waking from sleep, a certain frown etc. Your babies signal maybe unique, but over time you will pick up on it.
- Intuition - many parents find they are able to simply ‘know’ when their babies need to relieve themselves, especially once they’ve been using Natural Infant Hygiene for a while. E.g. sometimes you just ‘feel’ that your baby needs to go even when you can’t actually see them. Cueing your baby – Natural Infant Hygiene is a two-way communication. Around the world many parents use a specific sound (such as ‘shhh’ or ‘ssss’) and a specific position to hold their baby when they eliminate. This serves as a kind of preliminary language that the baby comes to associate with the act, and a way for the parents to offer an opportunity to go. However, it is always the baby who decides whether they need to go or not. Sometimes the baby also begins to use this sound as a signal to the parent.
- It is not about ‘training’ your baby or rushing them to grow up before they are ready. It’s about the baby communicating their need to go, relaxing and releasing at will with the parent supporting them over an appropriate receptacle. This could be a bucket, toilet, sink, the grass or a specialised infant potty (http://www.junglemama.co.nz/). The baby’s ability to retain develops at the baby’s pace as a natural consequence of his or her awareness. Millions of parents around the world can attest to the fact that babies clearly can voluntarily regulate their elimination without any coercion or negative effects whatsoever. Parents often feel an increased closeness and respect for their baby. Seeing your baby obviously signal their need to go and respond to your cue gives you such a feeling of pride and respect, it’s amazing
- A young baby can pee ever 10-20 mins after nursing for 1-2 hrs. This seems like it lot of work! How do you get anything else done? When your baby is very young it is a lot of work, but so is changing, scrubbing and washing nappies. Would you rather spend time focused on the new love of your life or changing/scrubbing their nappies? Tuning into your baby in this way does require commitment and effort, as does being a responsive parent in general. Most parents in our society prefer to use nappies as a back up. Some children are reliably toilet independent with this method between about 10-20 months. Early toilet independence is often a natural consquence of raising a nappy free baby, but is not the ultimate goal. Reminding yourself of the ultimate goal of increased gentle communication, stronger bonding and meeting the needs of your baby in the present moment is important during times of potty strikes when your baby is communicating that something else is going on for them. The real work of Natural Infant Hygiene is that of being in the present moment. There are days when it can seem like the most difficult thing in the world to do and there are days when you have glimpses of enlightenment and think it’s the most wonderful thing in the world.
- Think about your priorities first. Establish breastfeeding first, settle into the idea of parenting (this can seemly take forever!), trust your parenting instincts – they can often be clouded by the information we are bombarded with from society, and can be a difficult task. The best time to start Natural Infant Hygiene is before your baby is moving. In saying that, some parents have had success with their babies up to the age of one year. The longer you leave it the more likely it is that your baby has stopped signalling his/her need to go as it was not getting a response and the more likely it is that your baby has learnt to pee and poo in his/her clothing. At this point conventional potty training is needed and your baby needs to be developmentally ready for this or it can be a traumatic and self esteem blowing event.
- The idea that babies have no awareness of their need to go was an assumption made by a well meaning US doctor who was concerned about the coersive methods parents were using to teach their babies how to use the toilet. Nappy companies have effectively fueled this assumption! If a baby straightens up when being held out it means they don't want to go! Respect this. Even if they need to go! Regularity/routine is important when practicing 'part time'. Don't expect your baby to be toileting independent earlier than a nappy baby. It might happen, it might not – that is not the aim.
- Pee is 97% water! It is sterile when it comes out. Can be smelly when it's not cleaned up, but otherwise it is very non-offensive, esp breastfed babies. We have a phobia about poo. It is valid for keeping us healthy, but is over the top. We use horse, cow, sheep poo on our gardens! Breastfed babies poo is very inoffensive! A baby knows it's own mind and often reaches a stage where it wants to decide where and when to go. Can be up to 4 months, starting anywhere between 7-11 months. Perserverance, while respecting the no and backing up with nappies is the key. No expectations. Can often still catch the 'on waking' one. They will come right! Nappy free at night can be tiring. Some parents find it fine. Others attempt to ignore their need to go – both sucessfully and unsuccessfully!