am I too late to start?

[oceanworld]

any thoughts/tips on getting started? i'm stopping work (again) next week after a disasterous 5 weeks back so can focus fully again on DS. he's 16 months approx 26lb (ish) i'd say. i'd love to get a sling to wear him as it were. althou DH doens't seem to think it will be very good. DS loves to be on the hip, however also likes walking and exploring himself.

would it work at all? also has anyone tried the 'potty training' type stuff - I watched a programme on it where you pre empt the toileting iycwim. (can't rememebr the proper terms.)

anyhow any thoughts would be appriciated.

[smirnoff]

i started using a sling with fern only recently (she is 2) and she loves it. We have a pouch that i love and a ring sling that im not so sure about!

Trogette is a good person to talk to about ap as are loads of others here, im very new to it!!!!

[Seren]

i think you are talking about Natural Infant Hygiene or Elimination Communication. Trogette did that with at least one of hers.

Slings are fan, good places to visit are

wwwthebabywearer.com for reviews on all types of slings and it also has links

nicky at bits for bairns is good and has some rather lovely angeltail ring slings, phillipa at Little Possums is good and Big Mama Slings hires. Trogettes site is Baby Armadillo.

I would advise you take a peek at the baby wearer website and have a peek at slingmeet.co.uk to see if anyone is near you.

HTH
B

[Tess]

im a sling fan. and mostly new to it
i love the mei tai sling for my dd2 :wub:
when my dd1 was one i used a wrap sling by calin bleu which i found comfy as she was older.
but imho, i think im going to stick with the mei tei...see the i did it thread on AP :D

[oceanworld]

thanks all, i'll have a look at the sling sites.

yes it was the elimiation thing I was thinking of - is it good/does it work/is it like potty training? will take a look at trog's site.

[ann_of_loxle]

Here is a good website about EC - I did this with my son :) - I would highly recommend it! :D

http://onyx-ii.com/birthsong/page.cfm?elimination

I didnt start until my son was 11 months (mostly because I kept arguing with myself if I should do it or not as people think im crazy enough as it is hehe) - And the only thing I regret is not starting sooner - will deffinatly be starting from birth when and if I ever have any more children! :)


We are also 'newish' to slings - though I used a carrier for the first many months of his life - I didnt discover slings until recently but I love them! -I have a freedom ring sling and its ace - I leave it out on the sofa and my son goes and gets it when he wants to be in it - melts my heart! hehe

[trogette]

Is it good? uhm, it's about communicating with your baby... can't ever really be bad... (until your 5yo doesn't shut up talking all day, lol)

does it work? It depends what you're asking. If you're asking 'does it make your child reliable?' then it depends on a lot of factors. But it's really about communicating with your baby, and on that level yes it works very well :)

It's not like regular potty training, the focus is on recognising what your child is doing and working with them to keep them clean and dry. There are no reward schemes, no end goal in mind, it's all just about here and now.

At 16m you're looking at 'late starter' status so googling 'ec late starter' should turn up some good info.

[baby-bean]

No experience of EC (though actually I do know when J is doing a poo and often get nappy off beforehand, maybe it's another one of those that if I read up I'll find out I already do it LOL) but slings are my THING. :D

16 months is definitely not too late, at that age he'll be wanting to go off and explore by himself but also REALLY needing the reassurance and comfort of being close to mummy when he wants. At that age I'd recommend a mei tai or a carrier like the Ergo for getting him up on your back, it's a bit daunting at first but really comfy for an older baby. Or for short carries when he's just had enough of walking for a little while, a ring sling or pouch that can squish up small in your bag is great and lets you carry him on your hip without getting a dead arm!

[ann_of_loxle]

Here is a great website for 'Late Starters' - Its the first website I visted a month after I 'started' ec as I was a later starter as well lol I found it very informative and useful and helped me organise my mind a bit better and prepare myself for confrontation lol

http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/articles/potty-infant.htm

[melthammum]

We started late ecing with DD but it was very sporadic- nappying when out and about etc.

At about 22 months I decided to go for it properly but it can be hard explaining to other people that you are not potty training/learning but communicating. Be prepared for a few people going 'huh?'

As for slings I can't recommend meeting other babywearers highly enough (www.slingmeet.co.uk), and trying out lots of things to see what you like best. If you are in an area with a NINO group they may have a sling library so you can borrow a sling to try out properly. A few of the online shops including www.bigmamaslings.co.uk have a hire shop.

Good luck with everything :happy72:

Kirsty xx