Among the Inuit, a deep and warm hood is used as a baby bag. When the mother feels her baby has to urinate, she takes the child out of the hood, often with the help of another woman.... When the mother goes on a long trip, she slips lichen or rabbit skin into her anorak to serve as a diaper....
In Western countries, this method is called “elimination communication,” “diaper free baby” or “natural infant hygiene.” In countries that regularly use this practice — including China, Vietnam, Korea, Japan and India — no special name exists; it's just what's done.
And, how do Eskimos keep their babies warm, you might ask? The traditional Inuit carrier is made from animal skins and the baby is cradled next to it's mother in a large, furry hood-like compartment. Mothers are able to nurse their babies in this carrier just by moving them from the back to the front.
Juniper, shredded cottonwood bast, cattail down, soft moss, and scented herbs were used as absorbent, disposable diapers. The Arapaho packed thoroughly dried, and finely powdered buffalo or horse manure between baby's legs to serve as a diaper and prevent chafing.
(2) Ancient diapers consisted of peat moss and grasses placed into animal skins and cloth to absorb urine. In Japan, parents used old kimonos that were fashioned into diapers, and in China, young children had slits made in their underpants and shorts to allow them to go as needed.
Traditionally, “after the baby was born, the child assumed its place on the family sleeping platform next to the mother. From the day of birth, the baby was in almost constant contact with the mother, either in the hood of her parka (amauti), or nestled in the front of the parka feeding”(1).
In Japan, you'll find that diapers come in tape-type (テープタイプ) or pants-type (パンツタイプ). You likely used tape-type on your newborn, which has the tabs on each side that you attach to the front of the diaper.
Using slit-bottom pants called kaidangku, Chinese children have traditionally used very few diapers. Instead, they're encouraged from as early as a few days old to release when they're held over a toilet.
Yet throughout human existence, parents have cared for their babies hygienically without diapers. This natural practice is common in Asia, Africa, and parts of South America, and was traditionally practiced among the Inuit and some Native North American peoples.
So how do the Eskimos create this warmth? Firstly, they don't build igloos from ice, but use bricks made of compressed snow. This allows for plenty of tiny air pockets in the bricks, so they don't just act as walls, but as clever insulation to hold in the heat.
The 15,000–20,000 years that the American Indians have been there is too short a time. Eskimos stopped along the way, but kept some of their dark skin colour because they ate Vitamin D-rich seafood. Their diet made completely white skin unnecessary for them to survive.
Inuit women often gave birth in the company of other women and a midwife or in some circumstances, such as during a hunting trip, women gave birth alone or with the help of their husbands (Jansen 1997, p. 384). The midwife played, and to some extent still plays, a significant role in Inuit childbirths.
In the early 1800s, a cloth diaper was a square or rectangle of linen, cotton flannel, or stockinet that was folded into a rectangular shape, and knotted around the baby's bottom. These were often hung to dry, if they were only wet, but seldom washed.
Before disposables, cloth nappies were used in the western world. Early potty training was desired to avoid the tedious process of laundering. But going back in time, there is not much information available on how people got on with baby pee and poo.
Cradleboards made from animal skin and wood were used in different ways to deal with baby toileting. The Navajo would strap their babies to a cradleboard, wrapping them tightly with soft, absorbent bark packed around the lower part of their bodies.
Some Native American communities embraced menstrual huts, moon lodges, or secluded wigwams for menstruating women to escape to during their period.
Infant Potty Training in India - the Sikhs
They use timing, intuition and cues from baby. A mother will either squat and hold her baby in position in her arms or else sit on the floor or ground and use her feet to form a toilet seat for the baby. In traditional Sikh society, babies do not wear diapers.
They used soft, dried moss for the absorbent material in nappies. Moss absorbs four times it's weight and is good for the skin.
Until recently, certain Eskimo groups were reported to practice female infanticide in the belief that the time spent suckling a girl would delay the mother's next opportunity to bear a son, males being preferred to females because of their future role as providers in a hunting economy.
Under these assumptions, Inuit life expectancy would have been 60.2 years (95% CI 58.6 to 61.8) in Nunavik, 60.6 years (95% CI 58.1 to 63.1) in Nunatsiavut, 64.4 years (95% CI 62.1 to 66.7) in the Inuvialuit region, and 66.2 years (95% CI 65.0 to 67.4) in Nunavut.
There are between 171,000 and 187,000 Inuit and Yupik, the majority of whom live in or near their traditional circumpolar homeland. Of these, 53,785 (2010) live in the United States, 65,025 (2016) in Canada, and 51,730 (2021) in Greenland.
Thus, the Amish don't use cars or bicycles for transportation, but they will use skateboards. They don't use electricity, but they do use disposable diapers.
Diaper Etiquette
As a general rule, diapers are burnable trash, (燃えるゴミ or 燃えやすゴミ) but must be disposed of separately. Take diapers home to dispose of them if you are out with your baby. The exception is if you are at a facility that has a specially designated trash can for diapers.
The ancient Chinese method of toilet training called the elimination training is the reason why some Chinese mommies don't opt for diapers. This practice encourages babies and toddlers to use the toilet on demand while a caregiver is making whistling or shushing noises.
Chinese children reported significantly higher usage of pacifier (95% CI; 47.5, 58.7) as well as those resided in urban area (95% CI;32.5,37.7).