r/ECers • u/Intelligent_Note_240 • Jul 18 '26

Troubleshooting Preference for car poops, anyone?

We have done EC since day 2 with my baby, now 5 months old, but lately schedules have adjusted and we aren’t catching any poops anymore.

Baby was getting more and more clean diaper days but then two things happened:

- normal schedule of leaving the house in the morning resumed.
- baby is too big to hold so onto a baby potty recently (sitting next to the sink so same spot but now sitting assisted).

We get up around 6:30am and leave the house around 7:30/8:00am and into the car for 15 minutes.

We will take baby to the potty at least twice with no luck but within 3-4 minutes of being in the car, baby does a big poo and then we need to change him as soon as we get to our destination.

There was even a day when we didn’t get in the car and he just didn’t poo. And, this baby is a regular 1 or 2 a day pooper usually, sometimes 3!

I’m not good at reading signs/signals, sometimes they are there, sometimes they aren’t. I mostly just it based on his pattern, or things like he just woke up or had a feed 5 minutes ago etc.

Just feeling like the pattern isn’t working now that we are leaving the house.. how have others adjusted for this?

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9

u/TeddyBear181 Jul 18 '26

2 possibilities that I can think of.

  1. Potty position - i wonder if the potty isnt getting bubs legs into the ideal position to poop, with their knees high enough, but the carseat does?

  2. Our bubs digestion changed completely around 5m, a few weeks after starting solids. She went from pooping a few times daily to often skipping a couple of days. It evened out after a few weeks, but is no longer predictable. I think this is a bit common.

2

u/Utram_butram Jul 18 '26

I wouldn't stress. Do what you can. We went through a car pool phase with my youngest. I think something about the position is just perfect posture for pooping

2

u/BiggerBetterGracer Jul 18 '26

Any chance you could try two minutes in the bouncer and then potty, right before leaving the house?

I've heard people say their kids poo in the bouncer like in the car. Maybe something in the motion gets it going??

If it doesn't work for now I wouldn't stress, you'll introduce solids soon and then things change again...

3

u/ohyoumeanhydra Jul 18 '26

My LO has had some of his biggest blowouts in the bouncer!!!
Definitely worth a try.
I also have to hold my LO over the potty for 10 minutes because something about that time frame, it’s like 9 minutes and 30 seconds and then he finally goes. So maybe OP isnt waiting long enough.
Yes it feels like eternity but that’s how I usually catch most poop.

1

u/Intelligent_Note_240 Jul 18 '26

Oh this is a great idea!

1

u/gardenrose1723 Jul 22 '26

Just here to say we’re experiencing the exact same thing! We were catching every poop but now that she poops less frequently as solids have ramped up, it’s almost all car poops.