Can a newborn really be potty trained?

Or have we misunderstood what “ready” actually means?

In today’s episode, I’m unpacking one of the biggest misconceptions around potty training and elimination communication — the idea that children must walk, talk, and fully manage the bathroom independently before they “deserve” to be out of diapers.

If you’ve ever Googled:

• “When is my child ready for potty training?”

• “Is elimination communication realistic?”

• “Can newborns control their bladder?”

• “Infant potty training vs traditional potty training”

This conversation is for you.

In this episode, I share:

• Why the cultural definition of potty training may be incomplete

• The three criteria I use to define “potty trained" for a baby

• Why your newborn already shows readiness from birth

• Why elimination communication is about dignity, not pressure

• The difference between independence and capability

This isn’t about adding something new to your already full postpartum plate.

It’s about recognizing what your baby is already communicating.

🧭 Learn more about the Born Ready course (0–12 months roadmap) 🌿 Join community support inside The Listening Circle

______________________________

🐣 Learn more about natural infant toilet learning and elimination communication at readyfrombirth.com

🌱 Check out Hiro Diapers, the healthiest diapers you can buy (for your baby AND the earth)

📲Follow along on Instagram @readyfrombirth.ec

Do babies really have bladder and bowel control — or is that a myth?

In this episode of Held & Heard, Heather Medlin shares what actually happens when you begin elimination communication (EC) with a newborn or young baby.

Instead of talking about long-term potty training benefits, we focus on what changes right now in the postpartum season.

You’ll hear:

• Real stories of newborns holding and waiting for the potty

• What “bladder control” actually looks like in babies

• Why babies don’t immediately eliminate the moment they feel pressure

• How infant potty training builds body awareness and communication

• Why elimination communication works even part-time

• What changes in connection, trust, and confidence when you start listening

Many parents are told that babies have no bladder or bowel control until much later. But when you start responding to their signals, something surprising happens.

Whether you’re pregnant, in the newborn phase, or starting EC at 6–12 months, this episode will help you understand what’s possible.

🌿 Download the Free Elimination Communication Quick Start Guide 🌿 Learn more about the Born Ready course (0–12 months roadmap) 🌿 Join community support inside The Listening Circle

Your baby is aware. Your baby is communicating. And you are capable of listening.

______________________________

🐣 Learn more about natural infant toilet learning and elimination communication at readyfrombirth.com

🌱 Check out Hiro Diapers, the healthiest diapers you can buy (for your baby AND the earth)

📲Follow along on Instagram @readyfrombirth.ec

What is elimination communication — and is it really about raising your baby without diapers?

In this episode of Held & Heard, Heather Medlin — infant potty learning educator and founder of Ready From Birth — explains what elimination communication actually means, what it doesn’t mean, and why every baby is communicating their potty needs from the day they are born.

You’ll learn:

• What elimination communication (EC) really is

• Why infant potty training isn’t about perfection or going diaper free

• The history of modern disposable diapers

• How early toilet learning works in cultures around the world

• Why listening to your baby’s body language builds confidence and connection

• How you can practice EC while still using diapers

Whether you’re pregnant, postpartum, curious about potty training from birth, or wondering if elimination communication works for working moms — this episode will give you clarity.

Elimination communication is not about performance. It’s about listening.

🎧 Learn more about the Born Ready course (your complete roadmap to EC from birth to 12 months)

🌱 Check out Hiro Diapers, the healthiest diapers you can buy (for your baby AND the earth)

______________________________

🐣 Learn more about natural infant toilet learning and elimination communication at readyfrombirth.com 🌿 Explore community support inside The Listening Circle 📬 Grab the free EC Quick Start Guide

📲Follow along on Instagram @readyfrombirth.ec