3-6 month olds

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Once settled in (3-6 months)

Many parents start toilet learning around this age, once they've settled in to having a new person in their home and once they are more comfortable with their babies level of head control. Confident caregivers give a more secure feeling during any in-arms toileting hold, which will help your baby to relax and be confident too.

Babies at this age may be signalling less if they feel their communication signals haven't been responded to previously but the fact they're now in more predictable routines may mean you have more success based on timing of their natural rhythms. Fortunately they are still not very mobile, which means any potential for mess is limited (relative to mobile babies).

It is common to notice the effects of a larger bladder and strengthened sphincter muscles at this age, meaning you may observe them holding a little longer. Maybe the nappy is dry more often upon waking and you have time to catch the pee (especially if you routinely offer after waking), or maybe you had them in the babycarrier slightly longer and find a dry nappy after and catch the pee as soon as you take them out.

Positions that work well for babies that can sit

Once a baby has started sitting by themselves you could incorporate an assisted sitting position, e.g. on an appropriately sized potty or a toilet seat reducer. It is important to support their middle so they don't accidentally lurch off and hurt themselves. They will start communicating their preferences for their favourite (most comfortable) positions and locations more often, so get confident with a few different ones so you can change it up when needed. Remember, you can still use the cradle hold and back hold anytime.

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Clothing tips for rolling/crawling babies

Long or short sleeve shirts, or singlets, paired with a nappy and legwarmers works really well. If you have open-crotch leggings or chaps with a good waist-band they can be your nappy belt, keeping legs warm at the same time. Sleep-gowns with nappies are great for night-time instead of messing with onesies or sleeping-bags. A prefold or muslin cloth tucked into a nappy belt or chaps may come loose as they crawl if they're very active, so cloth nappies over chaps is a safer option.