The EC Glossary

New to elimination communication? Here is every term you will come across, explained in plain English with no jargon. Bookmark it and dip back whenever you need.

Backup (nappy backup)

Using a nappy or cloth as a safety net while you practise EC, so a miss is never a big deal.

Catch

When you hold your baby over the potty or toilet at just the right moment and they go. A little win worth celebrating.

Consistency

Offering the potty regularly so your baby builds the association. The real secret to EC working.

Cue (signal)

The small signs your baby makes before they need to go: squirming, fussing, pausing, going quiet, or a certain face.

Cue sound

A gentle sound you make, like a soft psss for wees, that your baby learns to associate with going.

EC from birth

Starting EC with a newborn, tuning into their cues in the very first weeks of life.

Elimination communication (EC)

Responding to your baby's natural signals and timing to help them wee and poo outside a nappy, from as early as birth. It is communication, not training.

Full-time EC

Offering the potty consistently through the day, often with nappy-free time at home.

In-arms EC

Holding your baby over the potty or toilet rather than having them sit on their own. Ideal for little babies.

Miss

When your baby goes in the nappy or on the floor instead of the potty. Completely normal and part of learning.

Nappy-free time

Time spent without a nappy so you can watch your baby's cues and natural timing.

Observation

Watching your baby, often nappy-free, to learn their signals and rhythm.

Offer

A moment you offer the potty: on waking, after a feed, or before a nappy change.

Part-time EC

Doing EC some of the time, like mornings or when you are at home, rather than all day.

Potty independence (graduation)

When your child reliably uses the potty or toilet on their own.

Pottytunity

A good opportunity to offer the potty, like after a nap or a feed.

Timing

Using your baby's natural rhythm, such as after sleep or after feeds, to predict when they will need to go.

Top hat potty

A small, newborn-shaped potty, like the Potty Plane, designed to fit a tiny baby for EC from birth.