https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 26 Jun 2026 01:11:26 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-decide-when-to-potty-train#post-2289846 Sun, 13 Sep 2015 18:26:39 +0000 skipra 2289846@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DS was showing interest around 22/23 months when he spent a lot of time with his 4 year old cousin. We had a vacation planned right around his birthday so I planned to wait until a couple weekend after we got home when we had nothing planned. I ordered a potty off Amazon in preparation and once he saw it, it was all over. He was obsessed. We started training on a Wednesday afternoon before our trip at 23 months and he did great! A few pee accidents that first night and the following days and just 1 poop accident ever. He did really well on vacation and even pooped on the toilet on the plane!<br /> Eta - I had a 3 month old at the time and the hardest thing was when he decided to poop while I was breastfeeding. I imagine it wouldn't matter too much to YOU if you pt before or after baby because regardless you will need to help with inconveniently timed poops. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-decide-when-to-potty-train#post-2289824 Sun, 13 Sep 2015 17:17:55 +0000 Foodnerd81 2289824@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Corduroy: thanks for all this info, it's nice to hear from someone with the same gap who just went through it. I figure I'll give it a week or so, once we try it. If it's not working or she's stressing, we stop. But if I don't try it soon, I definitely dont want to right before the baby is born, which is also around the holidays and all that. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-decide-when-to-potty-train#post-2289822 Sun, 13 Sep 2015 17:13:15 +0000 Foodnerd81 2289822@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Well Oh Crap was available at the library so they are sending it to my local branch- guess I'll go with that one! </p> <p>This is another time I am glad for wood floors and leather couches. (Not that I want her on the couch during this but still). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-decide-when-to-potty-train#post-2289821 Sun, 13 Sep 2015 17:12:18 +0000 Corduroy 2289821@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: I had the same age &amp; spacing as you. I don't have any advice since I kind of stumbled through it. Here's what we did. I got LO a potty around 20 months and she used it for poop when she was at home. Her reward was 10 minutes of TV but the more pregnant I got the longer 10 min was. </p> <p>At 25 months my mom urged me to potty train prior to LO2's arrival. I didn't read OCPT but we started with the three day method. Things were going pretty well by day 3 but I don't think daycare was ready for her to be potty training. In hindsight I should have looped them in. Daycare required pull ups until she could stay consistently dry. The Pull ups slowed things down because LO was less motivated and DH and I were less motivated. She continued to have a few accidents a day for three months or so. There was no change when LO2 arrived. </p> <p>The regression happened when LO2 was about 6 weeks. All potty use ceased. We went back to diapers. There was no mention of potty. We even put her small potty in the garage. After about two weeks she decided she wanted to potty again. This time daycare said they were ready for her to wear underwear on a trial basis. She's now been in underwear for three weeks. I think we're averaging one pee accident every other day. </p> <p>All in all it has been a slow process but not that bad. Potty training at 9 months pregnant is just about as bad as doing it with a newborn. The regression was a little frustrating but we knew to expect some set back. Since you're just starting potty training you'll still be used to diaper changes &amp; accidents. I think regression must seem worse if the kid has been potty trained for a lot longer. The regression turned out to be a good time for us to transition to the toilet. We had tried to get LO to do that earlier but she wouldn't. </p> <p>Good luck with whatever you choose! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-decide-when-to-potty-train#post-2289818 Sun, 13 Sep 2015 16:49:37 +0000 blackbird 2289818@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: I liked a book because it gave me lots of ideas and such that I hadn't considered. I like having a plan/guideline </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-decide-when-to-potty-train#post-2289815 Sun, 13 Sep 2015 16:25:44 +0000 lawbee11 2289815@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: I recommend reading a book. I read it twice as it was a quick read (once about a week before and once the night before). I found it very useful. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-decide-when-to-potty-train#post-2289812 Sun, 13 Sep 2015 16:18:24 +0000 Foodnerd81 2289812@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lawbee11: @blackbird: do you think reading a book is necessary or can I just wing t based on Internet reading? I think I just need to give it a shot one weekend (or week- I stay home so I can start whenever). It's honestly more lazy than anything! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-decide-when-to-potty-train#post-2289810 Sun, 13 Sep 2015 16:04:04 +0000 blackbird 2289810@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When I was pinning E down to strap a diaper on her and she was taking it off when dirty....and Jojogirl talked me into buying the Oh Crap book. Took a few weeks for day and night and out in public </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-decide-when-to-potty-train#post-2289804 Sun, 13 Sep 2015 15:46:21 +0000 lawbee11 2289804@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: LO had gone to the potty once before we trained and I'm sure it was just a fluke (before bath so water was running). Last Saturday (day 1) she had 18 (!) pee accidents. Yesterday she had none. The author of the 3-day method says 22-28 months is the ideal time and the only readiness sign they need is to be able to communicate that they have to use the restroom (and it doesn't have to be verbally). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-decide-when-to-potty-train#post-2289802 Sun, 13 Sep 2015 15:41:45 +0000 Foodnerd81 2289802@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lawbee11: @travelgirl1: yeah, I've kind of been like, oh yeah, maybe we will start before, we'll see where she is. Then suddenly I was like, well crap, I have less than 3 months!? When did that happen? </p> <p>She says she has to go potty sometimes, and will happily sit on it while I read to her, but hasn't actually gone in it yet. So that makes me think she isn't super ready (I keep hearing about kids who will go occasionally at least). Today she said she was going to poop so we went to the potty, but nothing.</p> <p>Eta: oh and her bathroom is kind of small and only has a shower, no tub, so no place for me to sit besides the floor. So yup, 6 months pregnant mama sits on the bathroom floor reading to her. Then requests a book from the other room and I'm like, nope, mama is only getting up once. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-decide-when-to-potty-train#post-2289787 Sun, 13 Sep 2015 14:54:09 +0000 lawbee11 2289787@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@travelgirl1: Haha! We're not having another but DH was like "Man, this is the best birth control!" :silly: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-decide-when-to-potty-train#post-2289784 Sun, 13 Sep 2015 14:48:20 +0000 travelgirl1 2289784@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lawbee11: Lol, that is what we have been doing this weekend! I agree with that sentiment :silly: </p> <p>We half heartedly started doing it a few months ago, led by her as she started refusing diapers and peeing on the potty unprompted. We stepped it up this weekend though, mainly because I feel it's time but also because DH is out of work for a while so can help me with the baby while I train A, her besties are trained and I don't want her to feel self conscious, and I read the Oh Crap potty training book and it shamed me into getting serious. She will be three in November but has been ripping off diapers and refusing them for months. I delayed training for myself, I feel like she was ready a few months ago. I have to say that after yesterday's fear of pooping on the potty (turns out she had an upset stomach) there will be no going back because it's too traumatic. We are nailing this this week. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-decide-when-to-potty-train#post-2289781 Sun, 13 Sep 2015 14:43:04 +0000 lawbee11 2289781@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would 100% do it now if I were you. I cannot imagine doing it with a newborn.</p> <p>ETA: We did the 3-day method last weekend and it went much better than expected. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-decide-when-to-potty-train#post-2289776 Sun, 13 Sep 2015 14:39:20 +0000 californiadreams 2289776@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>we decided to wait after we moved, which was a month ago now but we've had constant family staying with us, and before baby comes (due in Feb). He will be turning 3 in November, so I would like to have been started or starting by then and be mostly done before February when baby is due. I was never in a rush to do it early. I just am hoping not to have 2 kids in diapers. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-decide-when-to-potty-train#post-2289773 Sun, 13 Sep 2015 14:32:52 +0000 Smurfette 2289773@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>They started at day care and she would go at least once of the times they took her. She was telling us when she pooped and wanted to be changed right away. So we tried in early June. She lost interest after a couple weeks. Wouldn't go and was crying when we told her it was time to use the potty. We backed off. Day care still took her. Then she started telling us when she peed in her pull up. She started having an interest in going again(at home). We had already decided to do boot camp over Labor Day weekend. She is doing great a week later. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-decide-when-to-potty-train#post-2289772 Sun, 13 Sep 2015 14:31:25 +0000 Applesandbananas 2289772@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I read Oh Crap! Potty Training, which says 20-30 months is optimal and LO was just shy of 30m and there was a 3'day weekend coming up, so we went for it. He was interested in the potty at school and could tell us when he was pooping so it just made sense. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-decide-when-to-potty-train#post-2289769 Sun, 13 Sep 2015 14:28:58 +0000 Mrs. Oatmeal 2289769@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We are taking a wait-and-see approach. K is very interested in the potty, and we have a potty seat in each bathroom. She uses them maybe 3-4 times a day, and her diaper is often dry in between. But I really didn't want to tackle it fully before the baby is here because I've heard a lot about regressions post-baby.<br /> Not that my answer REALLY helps....but that's our plan! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-decide-when-to-potty-train#post-2289757 Sun, 13 Sep 2015 14:12:01 +0000 Foodnerd81 2289757@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>There have been lots of posts on potty training lately, and with the new baby coming in December, I need to decide if we are going for it soon or waiting until after she is born. She is 25 months now, will be about 28 months when the baby is born. </p> <p>So how did you decide? Timing that worked best for you/ your SO, or signs of readiness from LO? What were the signs? How long did it end up taking? </p> <p>I know they say, and I believe, that if you try to force it too early it will take a long time, but if you do it when they are ready it will be quick(er). But I'd love a clear sign that says when they are ready! </p>