Baby Pottying On The Go (ec out and about)

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Baby-led Pottying / ec On The Go!

Do it, do it, do it!

It's so very much easier than when you're at home.

Where?

Anywhere Green

Parks, forests, grass verges, flower beds, and roadside trees.

Drains

In the road, in the gutter, in car parks, at stations.

Public Loos

In coffee shops, department stores, libraries, health centres, restaurants and even public loo blocks (though they're usually pretty grim and the grass is a better option).

In Your Own Receptacle

Bottle for boys, tuppaware or take-away tub (under a folding potty or not depending on preference), open nappy on the floor, directly into a bag of some sort...

You'll get more comfortable with the different options as you practice. Start with an easy journey aiming for a single offer somewhere that doesn't terrify you. Earn your stripes and you'll gradually get braver. It's ok! It's just a baby doing a wee...

How To Dress Your Baby or Toddler

Have them wear something easy to get on and off. This is a doddle when you have a little baby and you have full control over their clothing choices. More of a battle with a toddler at times, but remember the rules of peaceful pottying and all will be well.

Flaparaps are ideal. Popper-up training pants are also good. A nappy is fine, but more of a faff to get on and off. Split pants also make life easier if you have a little baby. By the time they're toddling their legs are usually long enough to pull std trousers up and down.

Nothing waterproof is quite brave, but you know your own child.

Lots of people know their babies signal so clearly in a sling that they go shopping and leave them bare. I wasn't brave enough for that (and I couldn't risk my sling getting wet - it was far too useful to lose half a day to a wash cycle).

What to Take With You

Depends on the age of the child and how long you're out for, but my minimum kit is:

• Spare Flaparap.
• Water (for washing the ground or the box or my hands or a child's bottom).

If I'm out for half a day or more I'll also have:

• Spare trousers and socks.
• Another couple of Flaparaps or pads (because if we have one miss we'll almost certainly have another).
• Some loo roll.

For a newborn, I'll also have:

• Tupperware container with lid (because we never had a clean wee, there was always a bit of poo and you can't be doing that on a tree in the park).
• Small absorbent waterproof sheet (to stand the container on when I was on carpet - don't want to misjudge the angles and cause a mess).

What's The Worst That Could Happen?

My toddler caught me by surprise and had teething diarhea when we were walking her sister home from preschool.

She was walking and wearing only trousers. I saw the signs, but caught her too late.

Most of it was over a drain in the road, but her trousers and socks were already a mess.

I rinsed everything down by squirting water from our sports bottle, gave her a new pair of trousers, folded the messy stuff into the kit bag and 5 minutes later you would never have known there was an incident.

Don't fret - you'll manage!