The Go Diaper Free Podcast
Andrea Olson
Andrea Olson of Go Diaper Free explains elimination communication - the concept of pottying your baby, as early as birth - which is what people have done for all of human history and in today's world where there are no diapers. She makes it easy to integrate EC into your modern lifestyle as a new parent, demystifies how to know your baby needs to go, how to take them to the toilet instead of primarily relying on the diaper, and makes EC approachable, accessible, and fun, for all parents...whether part-time, with or without diapers, and in any region of the world. Contrary to popular marketing messages, diapers are tools, not toilets, and babies are ALL born "ready" to use the toilet. Learn how to connect with your baby on this very natural level with Andrea's expert guidance, and experience the freedom of a life without dependence upon diapers, a life without traumatic toilet training, a life where your baby gets a head start on developing motor skills, communication, and learning by prioritizing this age-appropriate skill (0-18 months). EC honors your baby's dignity and makes parenting THAT much easier! Stop changing blowouts...and learn how to listen to your baby's requests for good hygiene. Learn more at godiaperfree.com. (PS - Andrea also occasionally covers potty training, for those of you who find us after 18 months.)
Episodes
Mentioned books
Nov 24, 2020 • 14min
#117 4 Reasons EC Works
Elimination Communication often puzzles new parents because it doesn't fit in with what we have heard or seen about parenting. In our culture, babies wear diapers. They wear diapers all day long, all night long. Babies have a diaper on their butt practically from the moment they are born until they are "ready" to potty train, usually around age 3. To understand why EC works, we need to forget everything we heard about full-time diapering and delayed potty training for a second. If we change our paradigm for a moment, we can see that EC actually makes a lot of sense. Let's look at 4 reasons this is true. Today's show is a guest post I'm sharing from Ariane Blais-Lacombe, our certified coach serving Quebec, Canada. Enjoy and please join us over at the full show notes, and add your comments or questions, here: https://godiaperfree.com/117 Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook
Nov 17, 2020 • 4min
#116 Potty Location
Placing the potty in each room, potty here/there/everywhere... how does pottying your baby in multiple locations affect elimination communication, and should we be pottying our babies in the same place every time? Super confusing! Today I'm going to answer that specific question from one of our community members. PS - in the written version of today's post (godiaperfree.com/116), we've included a little gallery of some of our readers' potty stations. Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/116 Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook
Nov 10, 2020 • 16min
#115 Balancing Work and LIfe
Working from home adds an extra challenge to the already-demanding task of caring for a baby. Or is it the other way around? Caring for a baby (or toddler) can make work extra challenging. I would argue that practicing Elimination Communication can actually make your working and caretaking struggles easier. Here's how - in a guest post by one of our certified coaches, Natalie Robbins. Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/115 Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook
Oct 27, 2020 • 11min
#114 Dressing baby for cold weather pottying
Today I'm sharing the answer to one of our readers' questions: "How do you recommend keeping a young baby warm when starting EC in a cold winter climate? My baby is now 11 weeks old, and I use cloth diapers with her and cue her when she goes in them these days. I've been using baby legs and socks on her feet, but that still leaves an exposed area between the thighs and diaper, which makes her cold in my chilly home." I'll share the answer to this and more in today's episode! Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/114 Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook
Oct 20, 2020 • 9min
#113 Signs vs. signals in elimination communication
Today I'm going to clear up the difference between signals and signs - and whether it truly makes a difference what you call it. Someone recently mentioned that some signals are actually signs and it got me thinking, so let's define both of those and talk about whether it matters. I'm going to give you examples of both of them and, most importantly, we're going to talk about how they can help you potty your baby with more success today. Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/113 Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook
Oct 13, 2020 • 10min
#112 Separation Anxiety
Separation anxiety in little babies: the struggle is real! How does it affect elimination communication, and what do we do about baby's separation anxiety related to potty time? Today I'm going to answer that specific question from one of our community members. Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/112 Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook
Oct 6, 2020 • 16min
#111 I've stopped breastfeeding...forever
I stopped breastfeeding forever two weeks ago. 😭 Today I'm sharing how it feels to have breastfed all 5 of my babies over the course of 10 years, what has happened, how I've weaned, and what I've learned along the way. (Plus how elimination communication + breastfeeding have been the MAGIC KEYS to my new mom confidence.) Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/111 Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook
Oct 1, 2020 • 9min
#110 Mamas just relax
Today I'm sharing a guest post from Natalie in Indianapolis (she's one of our coaches). A snippet: "I hate to break it to you, but counting diapers, or obsessing over the number of catches isn't going to help the EC process - if anything, it'll probably set you back." If you're guilty of keeping count, this episode is for you! The answer of "what to do about this" - and 4 clear tips to keep it stress-free - are in her post. Listen or read now. Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/110 Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook
Sep 22, 2020 • 9min
#109 Playing with the potty
A lot of people who teach potty training say, "Don't leave the potty out. It's not something to be played with." But when we're doing Elimination Communication with babies ages 0 to 18 months, everything is played with. Everything is put in their mouth. Everything is handled, explored, through all of the senses, all the time. Today we'll discuss whether it's ok for babies to play with the potty or seat reducer, and how we can use this as a signal that they may need to go. We'll also cover setting boundaries and what to do if the playing never becomes productive! Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/109 Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook
Sep 15, 2020 • 12min
#108 EC from scratch
Today our Certified Coach Natalie shares various DIY potty options, diapering choices, information sources, and clothing preferences that will allow you to practice EC in a VERY budget friendly manner. If the budget is tight, or you want to try EC but aren't sure you're committed, here are some simple solutions you can try using items you already have at home. Get full show notes and add your comments or questions here: https://godiaperfree.com/108 Get my free easy start guide for EC at https://godiaperfree.com/start Start EC with your baby today with Andrea's popular book, Go Diaper Free: https://godiaperfree.com/thebook
