The idea of pottying a baby from birth sounds strange, alternative. Maybe even extreme.

But historically, it was neither unusual nor niche.

Across many parts of the world, for most of human history, babies were routinely helped to wee and poo outside of nappies from infancy as a part of normal, everyday life.

Elimination communication—often shortened to EC—is the term most commonly used for baby pottying in the West.

But where did the phrase actually come from—and does it really reflect what’s going on in everyday life with a baby?

When we talk about breastfeeding support, we immediately think about supporting latch, positioning, or milk supply.

But there’s another piece of the puzzle that’s rarely talked about:

Your baby’s toileting needs and the role they can play in feeding.

When I became a parent, I didn’t think much about nappies beyond which ones would leak the least. But once I started digging into the research, I realised nappies aren’t just about convenience. From textiles, to chemicals, there are issues worth knowing about.

This post isn’t about fear or finger-pointing. It’s about questioning the status quo.