Diaper-free Before 3 by Jill M. Lekovic (2006, Paperback)

This was a great book. It resonated with my feelings that it was time for my 9 month old to get rid of her diapers. She hated her diapers, and it was so hot outside, that I felt that her hearty protests are her way of expressing her interest to toilet training. This book confirmed that if the babies can not talk yet, it does not mean that they are not expressing their interest; it simply means that we, their parents do not understand their expression. I tried to follow the suggestions in this book, and it worked. Sitting on a potty is not very different from sitting on a high chair. Babies learn this easily. Before trying this, I read a couple of other books on natural infant hygiene and elimination communication. They are all great books. This one is written by a pediatrician. It does not discuss conspiracy theories about diaper producing industry; it just simply lists the health benefits of NOT training your baby to be content in her soiled diapers. It also confirmed my suspect that holding the bladder and relieving it are two different motions. You don’t have to train the baby to hold, you just need to train her to go when she is on the potty. Holding comes later with time, once she sees the benefit of being dry and clean, and once she trusts that you will provide her with potty if she holds for a while.

If you are absolutely against early potty training, try this book, it might change your mind. If you are into natural infant hygiene and elimination communication, this book may seem weaker but you may like the fact that there are some pediatricians that do encourage early hygiene. I am somewhere in between and this book was right for me.