Editing Elimination communication (section)

== Components ==
The main components of EC are [[#Timing|timing]], [[#Signals|signals]], [[#Cueing|cueing]], and [[#Intuition|intuition]].

=== Timing ===
Timing refers to identifying the infant's natural timing of elimination. [[Infant|Newborns]] tend to [[urination|urinate]] every 10–20 minutes, sometimes very regularly, which makes timing extremely useful. Older babies may still be very regular, or may vary in timing based on when they have last eaten or slept. As infants get older, the time between eliminations will increase. By six months, it is not uncommon for babies to go an hour or more without urinating while awake (babies, like adults, rarely urinate during a deep sleep). Timing varies radically for [[defecation]], as some infants may have several [[Defecation|bowel movements]] a day, while others may only have one every few days. Parents report that some babies as young as three months will appear to hold all their bowel movements until they are held in a particular [[squat position]], as long as this is offered regularly enough.{{Citation needed|date=April 2021}} Parents also offer the potty at various times according to routine, e.g. after a feed, after waking, just before bath or bed.{{Citation needed|date=April 2021}} In the West, infant potty training historically relied on timing as the main method of training.<ref>Lekovic, Jill M. Diaper-Free Before 3. New York: Three Rivers Press. 2006.</ref><ref>Schaefer, Charles E. and Theresa Foy DiGeronimo. Toilet Training Without Tears. New York: Signet. 1997.</ref>

=== Signals ===
Signals are the baby's way of informing a [[caregiver]] of an elimination need. Some babies signal very clearly from the beginning, while others may have very subtle signals, or no signal at all. These signals vary widely from one infant to another. Examples include a certain facial expression, a particular cry, squirming, or a sudden unexplained fussiness, among others. Signals are most effectively observed if the baby is left without diapers for the first couple of weeks of starting elimination communication.{{Citation needed|date=April 2021}} Babies who are [[Breastfeeding|nursing]] will often start unlatching and relatching repeatedly as they feed when they need to eliminate. For defecation, many babies may grunt or pass gas as a signal. As babies get older their signals become more conscious and babies often point to, or look at, a caregiver or potty to indicate need. Older babies can learn a gesture or [[baby sign]] for "[[Potty chair|potty]]". Later they may learn a word as part of their early acquisition of language.<ref name="auto" />

=== Cueing ===
Cueing consists of the caregiver making a particular sound or other cue when they provide the baby with an opportunity to eliminate. At first, the caregiver can make the cueing sound when the baby is eliminating to develop an association between the sound and the action. Once the association is established, the cue can be used to indicate to the baby that he or she is in an appropriate [[toilet|potty]] place. This is especially useful for infants who may not recognize public toilets or unfamiliar receptacles as a "potty". Common sound cues include "psss psss" for urination and "hmm hmm" (grunting) for defecation. Older babies (late starters) may respond better to more word-like cues. Cues do not have to be auditory; the act of sitting on the potty itself or being held in position can serve as a cue, or the sign language sign for "toilet" can be a cue. The [[American Sign Language]] sign for "toilet" involves forming a hand into the letter "T" (a fist with the thumb inserted between the first and middle fingers) and shaking the hand side to side from the wrist.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-signs/b/bathroom.htm|title="bathroom" American Sign Language (ASL)|work=lifeprint.com}}</ref>

=== Intuition ===
Intuition refers to a caregiver's unprompted thought that the baby may need to eliminate. Although much intuition may simply be subconscious awareness of timing or signals, many parents who practice EC find it an extremely reliable component.{{citation needed|date=June 2014}}