IPT - The Basics

Here are basic instructions based on my experience with Infant Potty Training so far. They may differ slightly from what you may read elsewhere, but are easier and require less effort. When I decided to give IPT a try, I will say that my attempt was half-hearted so I didn't do everything that I had heard to do, like use cloth diapers or carry my naked baby around so I would know when she urinated. And I was just as successful, so no need for all that.

1. Sometime when baby is between 3-4 months old (when she has head and neck control and can sit with support), make a sound in her ear each time you know she is pooping in her diaper. It can be any sound, but the standard sound is a long "ssssss". Julia thought it was funny when I did it.
2. Continue doing this for about a week. I did it for a month, because I was only doing it for #2 and not #1 and wasn't sure if it would work. I have since heard of someone only doing it for a day and being successful.
3. Invest in a small potty. I recommend the Little Potty by Baby Bjorn - it is just the right size for an infant. Set it on the bathroom counter, or wherever you want, but make sure to have a box of wipes and a box of tissues nearby.
   
4. Pick a time of day that you would normally change baby's diaper, but not first thing in the morning or just after a nap since she would probably have emptied her bladder while asleep. Put the baby on the potty and make the "sssss" sound. If baby needs to go at all, she will. If for some reason nothing happens, try again later.
5. After the first few times baby uses the potty, there is no need to continue the "sssss" sound. She know what it is and what to do and will use it if needed.
6. Take baby to the potty as often as possible - before going to bed, before and after naps, before leaving the house and upon arrival home, anytime you change the diaper, and any other time that is convenient.
   
7. Once baby learns the Little Potty, keep up the habit even when you are not at home. Simply take off the diaper and hover baby over the big toilet - hold her legs and face her towards the wall with her back against you. You may need to make the "ssss" sound the first time to help her make the connection. I think all I did was say, "Can you go?" (something she had heard me ask her at home).

All in all, this process is incredibly simple and does not require much effort. If it seems like too much trouble, just think about all the time and energy you'll spend potty training when she is older, all the books and dolls you'll have to buy, and the hours your child will spend sitting on the toilet reading or watching tv - not to mention all the messy accidents.