This is going to seem weird to most if not all of you, so be prepared. About a year ago, I began getting interested in cloth diapering. The moment I heard about it, I knew it was for me. When I got pregnant, I spent a long time online figuring out modern cloth diapering, and then researching products to try to find the best one out there. Jared said if we were going to get cloth, he wanted them to be as much like normal diapers as possible. That meant more expense, but it would still save us thousands over the next three years. I lucked into the diapers I chose, Bummis easyfit diapers. They are ingenious, but to make this concise, you'll just have to trust me on that. I thought Tamber, my sister-in-law and fellow naturalist who was newly pregnant, might also be interested in cloth, but she was hesitant. The thought of dealing with baby poop wasn't very appealing to her--who can blame her? But as she was coming around to the idea, she happened upon an idea of her own: Natural Infant Hygiene. In turn, she introduced me to this concept, about which I was hesitant. After reading a book she lent me, I was sold. Natural Infant Hygiene is basically what they use in many places across the globe in place of diapering their babies. Introducing this concept in the Western world often meets with feelings such as those I experienced when Tamber told me about it: That sounds like a lot of work that I don't have time for. I'm so thankful to Tamber for getting me to look into the concept further. Several weeks ago, I began letting Porter lie on a blanket diaperless, with a cloth diaper under his bum waiting for him to pee or poop. When he did, I would make a cueing sound--like running water or grunting. Porter loved lying around without a diaper, and would stay there happily much longer than he otherwise would have. After a while of doing this, I began simply making the cueing sounds whenever I knew he was going--like when he peed on us during diaper changes, or when he pooped in his diaper and I noticed. I was pretty sure nothing good was coming from my efforts, and was feeling pretty frustrated about it. He'd gone on his tiny potty twice, but they both could have been due to luck. The other day, Porter and I had our first real success with Natural Infant Hygiene. Tamber had lent me another book on NIH, written by the woman who coined the term and started the movement in the West. She mentioned holding her newborns over a sink to let them go to the bathroom just after they'd woken up from naps. Porter was napping in my arms while I read. When he awoke, I ran him into the bathroom, took off his diaper, and began making cueing sounds. Amazingly, Porter peed into the sink! After peeing, he bore down to try to poop! I could not believe it. So I tried it again after the next nap--and again he peed into the sink! Later that day, he pooped into the garbage can (which was lined, never fear). I know this sounds goofy, but it was totally exciting! I told Jared about Porter's amazing successes, but he didn't seem all that thrilled. So I told him the next time he had Porter when he woke from a nap, he needed to take him to the bathroom himself. I told Jared what to expect, but he was completely amazed at Porter, who on cue peed into the sink again, and then bore down to try to poop. After that success, Jared was delighted and super proud of his amazing son. He was also gratified that Porter looked so pleased with himself afterward. They say all babies are born with the ability to do this, and we teach them to unlearn this amazing feat by keeping them in diapers all the time. Most babies who practice going diaper-free are toilet-trained well ahead of time for a baby in the west--as early as a year--and with no fights since babies are naturally cooperative. In the book, a woman from India was asked when her babies started going to the potty by themselves. She answered, "As soon as they can crawl." One good thing about NIH is that you don't have to use it exclusively for it to work. Even doing it as little as once a week can keep your baby from forgetting how to recognize the sensations needed to become continent. It also really strengthens the bond between you and your baby; it is so satisfying to be able to understand your baby's needs and fulfill them! I also think Porter feels better understood, after only a day of me figuring this out. They say that as a parent, you will begin to recognize when your baby needs to poop or pee. I'm just a beginner, so we're just doing the after-nap thing, but I'm so excited to understand Porter better in the days and weeks ahead. So, yes, I love my cloth diapers (and Tamber loves hers!) and I'm so glad I decided to use them, But I'm amazed at how natural and gratifying practicing NIH is--I recommend it to any parent! If you want to know more, check your library for Ingrid Bauer's book called, "Diaper Free, the Gentle Wisdom of Natural Infant Hygiene" You won’t be sorry, promise! Excerpt from the book, since Ingrid is much more eloquent than I: It became apparent to me that Natural Infant Hygiene is neither more nor less work. It is an entirely different kind of work, a different frame of reference altogether. The primary focus of Elimination Communication is not about cleaning up after your baby (though that may still be required for a time). It's about tuning in to a baby's needs, being in the present moment with your child, listening deeply, and acting responsively. It's about not disturbing the natural rhythm in the first place, so nothing need be done to fix it later. When elimination needs are responded to in infancy, there is no need for later retraining. Seen superficially, Natural Infant Hygiene may seem far less convenient than conventional diapering and toilet training since you can't just rely on leaving the baby in a wet diaper while you finish some important project. In This way, it resembles other responsive parenting practices, which definitely require time, effort, and attention to answering your baby's needs. Building a relationship with another human being simply takes time. The closeness that is required takes time. But it's the work and time of falling in love, of building lifelong bonds, of meeting your child's needs. When these needs are consistently fulfilled, a sense of ease and enjoyment can develop. The real work of responsive and attached parenting is about nurturing a relationship rather than managing an inconvenience. It takes time, effort, and presence. And there is much joy in the process.