FAQ

Elimination communication (EC) means tuning into your baby's signals and offering them a potty, alongside nappies. It helps your baby understand their own body and can lead to nappy-free dryness much earlier than the average.

You can start EC from birth, and it's often easiest with babies under 3 months. That said, our families have success starting anywhere from 0 to 12 months. Some begin in the first few weeks, others a little later. There's no "too late", and starting small is still starting.

Not at all. EC fits around your life. Even one or two potty offers a day, at easy moments like after a nap, makes a real difference. Part-time EC is completely legitimate. In fact, in a 2020 survey of 1,160 EC families, half practised part-time during the day, and parents rated EC as only mildly demanding (3.9 out of 10) while their overall satisfaction averaged 8.5 out of 10.

Absolutely. Cloth nappies and EC are a beautiful pairing, and EC makes cloth so much easier to manage. Every wee or poo that goes in the potty is one less nappy to wash. Our founder used cloth alongside EC with her own girls and found her washing load dropped dramatically. Cloth was the most popular backup among EC families in the 2020 survey, and families using cloth reported more daytime wee success than those using disposables.

In Australia, most children start toilet training between 2 and 3 years of age, and most are dry at night by around age 5. Families who start EC in the first year often get there much sooner. In an international study of 286 families, children who had finished training were dry during the day at an average of 17.4 months, with bowel control at 15 months. At night, they were dry at an average of 13.5 months when waking themselves to wee, and 17.7 months while sleeping through.

Every baby is different, so EC can't guarantee a particular age, but its benefits start straight away: every catch is one less nappy.

Sources: healthdirect Australia, "Toilet training"; Rugolotto S, Sun M, Boucke L, Calo DG & Tato L (2008), "Toilet training started during the first year of life: a report on elimination signals, stool toileting refusal and completion age", Minerva Pediatrica 60(1): 27 to 35.

Research into EC (also called assisted infant toilet training) is still growing, but what we have is encouraging. Studies have linked starting EC in the first year with earlier toilet-training completion, and the UK children's bowel and bladder charity ERIC now advocates for earlier potty learning. Much of the research is based on parent surveys and we hope to see more clinical studies done on this age-old practice.

Yes, when it's done gently, responsively and without pressure. Many of our customers begin in the first few weeks of baby's life when they feel ready. Before your baby can sit, EC simply means holding them securely in a comfortable position to eliminate as needed. ERIC (the UK children's bowel and bladder charity) says parents can start helping children learn potty skills from the time they can sit up, usually around 6 to 9 months, and it recommends children be out of nappies by 18 to 30 months for their bladder and bowel health. It never asks a baby to "hold on" or control their bladder or bowels.

No. Both are designed for babies, but the Potty Plane™ is a unique, patent-pending design and a Good Design Award Gold winner for 2026 in the Product Design, Housewares and Objects category. Its wings rest across your thighs, so the potty sits suspended between your legs and you don't have to hold it. That leaves both hands free to support your baby. It also has a built-in front splash guard, another feature you won't find on a top hat potty.

Sit down, rest the Potty Plane™'s wings across your legs, and hold your baby over it in a comfortable, supported position. It lets you offer the potty easily and calmly, from the newborn weeks right through until your little one is ready for the toilet.

Yes. It's purpose-built for babies from birth through to walking toddlers. Because the potty rests on your legs, your hands stay free to hold your baby securely the whole time, which is exactly why it works when regular potties don't. As with any baby product, always keep your baby supported and never leave them unattended on the potty.

Non-toxic, recyclable polypropylene with a mirror-gloss finish that wipes clean in seconds. It weighs just 215 g and measures 36.5 x 24 x 14.5 cm.

Yes! We ship worldwide with tracking. If your country doesn't appear at checkout, just email us at hello@bimbibums.com and we'll get your order on its way as soon as possible.

The Starter Kit includes one Potty Plane™ and our guide, Clean Bums & Happy Mums: everything you need to begin. The Complete EC Bundle includes two Potty Planes™ and the guide, so you're covered at home and on the go. It's our best value.

We're building one now. If you're a doula, midwife, or a mum who loves what we do, we'd love to hear from you at hello@bimbibums.com.