by Kelli McKee

We make diapers.

They’re unique and adorable, earth-friendly and better for baby’s skin. So you’d think that diapers is our business.

It is. And it isn’t.

Our business is this: we want to keep disposable diapers out of landfills. We want disposable diapers as we know them to become a thing of the past. A brief blip in human history, an “oops” and a slip into a habit of convenience, a regret that we can learn from, evolve beyond, and then put behind us.

So to that end. We make a diaper that doesn’t have to go to the landfill. There are options for disposal of our disposable inserts. And there’s an option to use cloth. But there’s one more option we want to sell you on, and it doesn’t cost a dime. In fact, most of the world is already doing it. And lots of US parents are starting to do it, too.

It’s called elimination communication. Or EC. Or diaper-free. And no, it does not mean that there will be baby poop all over your house and you. And even if it did, we’re all parents here. We have definitely had baby poop all over our house and selves before. But again, no, EC does not mean your baby just poops all over the place all the time.

Elimination Communication is the practice of tuning into baby’s physical cues so that you know when it’s time to hold baby over the potty. This is not a new trend, folks. It’s kiiiinda the oldest method of toilet-training/un-diapering that there is. Disposable diapers are ridiculously new in the scheme of things. Emerging as a general market in the 1950′s, they were developed to be a part-time diapering reprieve for the increased amount of moms in the workplace. They were not developed to be a full-time diaper for 95% of Americans, which is where we find ourselves today. So we’re here to break us of that disposable diaper habit, by whatever means we can. Use cloth. Use our flushable/compostable/biodegradable* inserts. Or use nothing at all when you can. Look at that. 3 options that work to the same end.

Check out this video from attachment parenting expert, Maggie Howell, to really get the inside scoop on elimination communication.

Reading material? We got that, too. Here are some blog posts from real honest-to-goodness parents about elimination communication.

Give diaper-free a try. You’re bound to get peed on anyway, at least this way you can say it was for a valiant effort at relieving the world of a dirty habit.

My Crunchy Life, “Elimination Communication or Communication Elimination for those who aren’t interested”

Boolah & Beso, “How’d that work out for ya?”

The Texas Walkers, “Infant Potty Training – The Beginning”

C and MC, “Elimination Communication”

*Disposable inserts are biodegradable in home composts per ASTM standards by a third party independent lab (wet ones only please). Nothing truly biodegrades in a landfill. But gDiapers give you 3 options for disposal. Flush, compost or toss. The choice is yours.

**********

Kelli McKee (also known as Kelli Martinelli) has been with gDiapers since 2006. Her work as blogger and communications manager has been to build and nurture a community of moms and dads across the vast expanse of social media. She also writes web content, press releases, her own blog Sunshine Daydreams and lunchbox love notes for her 2 kiddos. Follow Kelli on the gDiapers blog, google + and twitter.