A Helping Hand from Nature

'Pottying from Birth' refers to the traditional practice of helping babies to relieve themselves in something that isn't strapped to their bottoms.

Not so long ago, before washing machines and disposable nappies, this kind of practice was common everywhere.

These days it's almost a forgotten skill in the Western World - though for the majority of the world's population, it's still a way of life.

Trust in Evolution - your instincts and emotions have 400,000 years of experience (and your child inherits all that too).

Babies are born with an instinct not to 'soil the nest' or themselves.

Many parents will have experienced a newborn 'waiting' for a nappy change and then weeing all over the wall.

Given the opportunity, and before they have learned anything different, babies like to have their bottoms in the fresh air.

Tiny babies quickly learn to associate their feelings with your reaction and their bodily function. I think it helps them to make a distinction between the different feelings they have if their carers react consistently and appropriately each time. So if they are hungry they get fed, if they're tired they get to sleep and if they need to 'go' they get help with that too.

Many babies who are brought up like this will always try to wee whenever they are held in position - even from a few weeks old.

Alternatively, if they cry because they feel a bowel movement coming on but they always get fed, why wouldn't they associate feeding with soiling themselves?

Babies who always wear nappies can develop a very strong association between the nappy and the action. Parents who potty train their children at two and a half or three often report that they still wet themselves on padded things (like the sofa or the car seat) or require a nappy to be strapped on for them to do a poo. They've had that lesson ('it all goes in the nappy') reinforced every day of their lives - it can take a while to 'unlearn' it completely.