Held & Heard: Infant potty training, elimination communication & postpartum motherhood

Can your baby really be potty trained by 18 months—or is that simply too early? If you’ve been researching early potty training, baby potty training, or wondering when to start potty training your toddler, you’ve probably heard some version of: “Wait until they’re ready.” But what if our definition of “ready” has changed? In this episode, I’m digging into historical and current potty training data...

Is there a way to get your baby out of diapers faster than waiting for conventional potty training “readiness” and an ultra stressful three-day weekend?  In this episode of Held and Heard, we’ll question some of our most basic assumptions about babies, diapers, and potty training—and look at what might change when we approach these everyday parts of motherhood with more intention. We’ll talk about...

If you want a positive natural home birth, how can you overcome the fears you might have grown up with to experience the birth you desire and believe is possible?  In this episode of Held and Heard, I sit down with naturopathic doctor and Rewire for Birth co-founder Dr. Cindy Tahhan to hear the story behind her two incredibly positive natural home births. Cindy didn't grow up assuming she would gi...

Why does early motherhood change you so deeply? You’ve probably heard the word matrescence—the profound physical, emotional, neurological, and identity transformation that happens when a woman becomes a mother. But what if there’s more to this transformation than biology? In this episode of Held and Heard, Heather explores a question she’s been asking about her own journey through motherhood: What...

If you're the kind of woman who researches everything, makes the list, gets organized, and likes to feel prepared before a big life change… pregnancy can turn into one very big project. And motherhood doesn't exactly cooperate with project management. In this episode, I'm joined by Nina Spears, founder of Baby Chick and author of The Baby Chick Guide to Positive Pregnancy, to talk about what high-...

Can you really potty train a baby before one? If you're practicing elimination communication (EC), you may already know that babies can communicate their need to eliminate long before conventional potty training says they're “ready.” But what happens when your baby is using the potty successfully at home and suddenly refuses when someone else is caring for them? In this episode of Held & Heard...

When should you start potty training your baby? Most parents are told to wait for “potty training readiness”—usually somewhere in the toddler years, when their child can walk to the bathroom, communicate that they need to go, handle clothing independently, and physically use the toilet. But what if we’ve confused being ready to START potty training with being able to do the entire process independ...

Every baby is signaling. But what if you can't figure out what your baby's signal actually is? What if you offer the potty and nothing happens…only for them to pee five minutes later? What if they used to poop in the potty consistently—and suddenly they're refusing altogether? In this week's episode of Held and Heard, I'm answering real elimination communication questions submitted by listeners, f...

Five days after giving birth to her first baby, Kate Vazquez decided to try something she'd learned about while she was pregnant. She fed her newborn. Noticed her getting a little squirmy and fidgety. Remembered that this could be a potty cue. So she offered her the potty. And her baby peed. "Oh my gosh. I caught her first pee!" But what surprised Kate most wasn't that it worked. It was how EASY i...

One of the most important things to learn before your baby arrives is how to change a diaper. But has anyone ever taught you what to do before you change it? In this episode of Held and Heard, I’m breaking down one of the most overlooked parts of newborn care: your baby’s natural potty cues. Just like newborn babies communicate when they’re hungry or tired, they can also communicate when they need...

Have you ever watched another mom with a peaceful, content newborn and wondered... "What is she doing differently?" Maybe you've convinced yourself she just got lucky. Maybe her baby is naturally easy. But what if the difference isn't the baby at all? In this episode, I'm sharing the five basic needs every newborn has—and the one that almost every parent is taught to ignore. We'll talk about why b...

When my 15-month-old caught a virus from his new daycare, everything changed overnight. His rash was so severe that he couldn't comfortably wear a diaper. As I cared for him through fever, blisters, sleepless nights, and a week at home, I found myself unexpectedly grateful for one decision we'd made from the very beginning: learning to listen to his potty signals. He didn't suddenly become capable...

You wanted to start elimination communication from birth... ...but life happened. Maybe postpartum survival took over. Maybe you only recently discovered EC. Maybe your baby is already crawling, cruising, or even walking, and you're wondering if you missed your chance. The good news? You didn't. In this episode, I'll walk you through the exact 3-step framework I use to help parents successfully st...

You started elimination communication because it felt right. But now you're wondering... Am I offering too often? Am I missing her signals? Why does this still feel so hard? If you've ever felt overwhelmed trying to figure out your baby's subtle potty cues - on top of everything else - this episode is for you. Today I'm answering a thoughtful question from one of our podcast listeners who asked ho...

What if your baby's biggest "problems" aren't actually problems at all? What if they're communication? In this episode, we're unpacking five everyday parenting struggles that almost every family encounters—from "colic" and bedtime battles to constant nursing, unexplained fussiness, and babies who just won't settle. Most of us have been taught to treat these behaviors as sleep issues, feeding issue...

For years, I believed elimination communication worked because I had mastered the "right" techniques and was so in tune with my baby and my intuition. I don't believe that anymore. In this deeply personal episode, I'm sharing a simple realization: The evidence for EC can be found right there in the Bible itself - and it will change the way you see your babies forever.  Together we'll explore passa...

If EC has been feeling harder as your baby grows, and now they're refusing the potty? In this episode, you'll learn why relying on timing alone eventually stops working, why "easy catches" become less reliable as babies grow, and how learning your baby's communication completely changes the experience. You'll discover: • why potty refusal is usually an accuracy problem—not a behavior problem • the...

What do you do when your baby has missed naps, missed bedtime, been stuck on an airplane for hours, and is melting down in a hotel room at 3 a.m.? Most parents would assume the answer is sleep. That's exactly what I thought, at first. In this episode, I'm sharing the most stressful travel day I've ever experienced as a mom of three. Flight delays, missed connections, airport chaos, a packed hotel...

Can a potty-trained baby really succeed in daycare? If you've ever worried that returning to work, using childcare, or having other caregivers would undo all of your elimination communication progress, this episode is for you. When my 14-month-old son started daycare, I expected a smooth transition. After all, he'd been practicing EC since birth, communicating his potty needs for months, and was f...

You've learned your baby's signals. You're catching pees and poops. Maybe EC is working beautifully. But now you're wondering: When is my baby actually ready to move beyond diapers? This is where many EC families get stuck. Some parents wait for dry diapers before introducing underwear. Others continue using diapers long after their baby has the mobility and communication skills needed for greater...

Why would a working mom choose to ditch diapers before her baby is even walking? And what’s the actual downside of keeping babies in diapers until age 2, 3, or beyond? In this episode, I’m diving into what I call “The Diaper Effect”—the hidden developmental and behavioral impact of modern diaper dependence, and why our family chose to transition both of our younger children out of daytime diapers...

If you're a working mom, preparing for a too-short maternity leave and already lining up daycare - this episode is for you.  You want the best for your baby, you're setting up the premium diaper subscription (by the way, do you know about Hiro ? They're my number one pick for disposables to use with EC), and you're wondering how you're going to juggle it all.  But did you know, elimination communi...

This week’s episode is unlike anything I’ve shared before. We’re talking about the parts of postpartum motherhood that rarely make it online: the disconnect, the loneliness, the strain on marriage after children, and the quiet search so many women find themselves in after becoming mothers. I’m sharing pieces of my own story — including a rare VBA2C birth after two emergency C-sections, postpartum...

If you’ve ever thought: “It was working… but now I’m missing everything” “My baby was signaling, but now they’re resisting” “I don’t know what to do at this stage” This episode is for you. Because this is the part of elimination communication that almost no one talks about. Not the first catch. Not the highlight reel. But the messy middle—where your baby is learning, growing, changing… and things...

What if your baby is already showing you exactly when they need to pee or poop… and you’re just missing it? In this episode, I’m walking you through 5 clear, everyday signals that your baby is already communicating—some of which probably happened today without you even realizing what they meant. We’re talking about: The moment your baby suddenly goes quiet (and why it matters) What squirming durin...