The EC Awareness

With any diaper-free baby, you’re bound to have “misses.”

Except for the morning poops and post-nap pees, my EC track record is dismal at best. At home in Canada, we went through a lot of cloth diapers with my one-year-old son. Here in China, he is diaper-free most of the time which means he ends up peeing on people, on the floor, in the street, in shops, taxis and restaurants.

What’s different about “misses” here is that you don’t feel self-conscious about them. I’m not embarrassed or apologetic if he pees on someone. We have an Uncle Yang who is a frequent visitor — a man is in his 50s. One day, while holding my son, he was peed on twice. He was rather matter-of-fact about it, and noted how baby boys’ urine has medicinal properties. To be avoid being peed on the next time, however, he would EC my son before holding him.

My 22-year-old cousin, Jing Jing is a different story. He’s tired of being peed on but refuses to EC my son. Before holding my son, he’ll first ask when the baby last peed. He’s willing to take the baby only if baby is not expected to pee within the next 30 minutes.

In a country like China, where you risk being peed on, everyone is more naturally aware of baby’s elimination needs. And even if you’re not aware, the person who hands the baby to you will let you know: “He needs to pee soon” or “He just peed.”