When it comes to parenting, certain things can often become quite expensive.
But one couple have revealed how ditching nappies for their two-week-old baby has helped them save a fortune.
Montana Lower and Tom Linwood recently spoke out on getting their newborn to use the potty after spotting “signs” on her face.
The parents, from Byron Bay, Australia, used the EC method, known as elimination communication, to potty train their tot.
Now Montana and Tom say their 15-month-old daughter Blue hasn’t done a poo in a nappy since she learned to go without one.
Posting to their 12,800 subscribers on YouTube, the couple shared their tips for parents who are interested in giving it a try.
Montana said: “It is listening to your baby for when they want to go to the toilet, and taking them to the toilet instead of going in their nappy.”
Tom added: “Every mum knows when their baby is hungry and they have cues for that and they have the same cues when they need to go to the toilet.
“It’s just about listening and watching for it.”
At first the mum thought the practice was “a bit crazy” until she realised EC is used all over the world.
Tom says nappies were a “luxury item”, while Montana claims disposable ones have only been around for the past 50 years.
Although the couple do use “some nappies”, they have cut down drastically, saying EC is better for the environment.
Montana explained: “It’s a lot cleaner if you just take them to the toilet.
“Babies are born with no preconceived knowledge about how to go to the bathroom, so if we don’t teach them to go in their nappy, then we don’t have to unteach them. So it makes sense to straight up say we got to the toilet this way.”
Meanwhile for parents who want to try elimination communication, the couple say it’s better to start in the summer.
Montana added: “Number one try and stick to your baby, dressing them in a dress or something you can take off easily.
“Another good thing to do is get a potty, we started off with a Tupperware container.
“We recommend setting aside one day, Blue took one day to learn she needed to go toilet in the Tupperware container. Then after that it was up to us to read the signs.”
Want to bring a little glamour to your life every day with all the most exciting real-life stories, fashion and even sex tips HOT off the press?
Well, we’ve got you covered with our great new Hot Topics newsletter – it’ll drop straight into your inbox around 7pm and you can unsubscribe whenever you like.
And signing up now means you’ll get a front row seat for our great new series inside the lives of the next generation of Daily Star Page 3 girls.
You can sign up here – you won’t regret it…
Montana claims you should take babies even when it’s a “maybe” sign as it’s usually a definite signal they need the loo.
She continued: “After that you could tell Blue is like ‘I go to the potty now, take me to the potty’. Which was really sweet because she was two weeks old when that happened, and it blew our minds.”
The NHS states most children are potty trained between two and two-and-a-half, adding: “Remember, you cannot force your child to use a potty. If they’re not ready, you will not be able to make them use it.
“Most parents start thinking about potty training when their child is between 2 and 2 and a half, but there’s no perfect time.”