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The most frequently asked questions about The Baby Throne answered

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The Baby Throne was created by Zoe Durbach, mother to her son Hector.  She noticed that her son showed indications of when he wanted to “go” and that a specific squat position triggered the instinct to “push”.  

She discovered that it was not necessary for anyone to be sitting in dirty diapers on a regular basis and that it is possible to be finished with diapers before 18 months.  This is the same age that children were toilet trained before the invention of the disposable diaper over 40 years ago!

Qualified as an engineer, it was easy for her to create the Baby Throne that simply adapts traditional toilet training techniques (taken from the days before diapers or nappies were invented!) to our modern lives.

Any potty training or toilet training technique can be used with the Baby Throne; the choice is yours. However, the recommended Baby Throne Technique (as described in the manual) suggests using the Baby Throne at least twice a day (such as morning and evening, and if possible after a nap) but never for longer than 10 minutes each session. However, once your baby gets the hang of it they are usually done in less than 90 seconds. Less time than it takes to change all those diapers!

Here are some of the frequently asked questions that parents had when considering the Baby Throne:

Start at 4 months? How and Why?

As soon as baby can sit up straight unaided you can start using the Baby Throne, which is at about 4 months. All you are doing is helping baby empty their bowels properly it is just basic physiology and gravity.

As a result of this you end up using fewer nappies/diapers. The Baby Throne has received endorsements from paediatricians and a world recognised paediatric surgeon as a valuable aid especially for children when transitioning from liquid to solid foods.

My son is 25kg, is it too late?

Sorry, at about 20kg the Baby Throne starts to get tight so it would be better to move on to the standard toilet trainers available that simply make the toilet hole smaller.

20kg is the weight of an average 4-year-old but if you have a special needs child and they still fit go ahead. We have had great feedback on this. Always be in attendance and do not leave them alone! It is always possible to fall off the Baby Throne even if unlikely.

Can I really save R6 500 ($950) before the age of 2?

Yes you can and this number is conservative. Have a look through the manual and the Baby Throne Technique and you can understand how. Remember 40 years ago we were all out of nappies well before the age of 18 months as well! Ask grandma.

What do I clean the Baby Throne with?

We recommend warm soapy water or if you want something more aggressive your normal bathroom cleaners are fine too. In South Africa we have a product called Hand Andy that is nice to use but rinse properly.

Remember you do not want harsh detergents against your baby’s skin. It is always a good idea to clean new products especially for using with baby because they could be covered in residual chemicals from the factories. Most people even like to wash new cloths before using them on baby.

Why has the Baby Throne not been invented before?

I get asked this question many times over.  It just needed an engineering mother to be presented with a problem which was simply Hector did not like sitting in number 2 nappies and I made a plan so he could empty his bowels like any normal person and not have to sit in ‘it’.  No one told me I was supposed to wait until he was 2 years old before I should be thinking about toilet training.

It was pressure from friends and family that pushed me to take what was then called Hector’s Throne through product development and now able to make what we now called the Baby Throne for other little princes and princesses!

Is it true that long term nappy/diaper wearing causes testicular cancer?

There is a big argument about the link between testicular cancer, male infertility and long term nappy/diaper wearing.


Everyone has an opinion and there has been some excellent research in this area.  Common sense tells you that these little testicles are not meant to get hot and be kept hot.  If they are you are asking for trouble!  Little girls is a slightly different scenario but again common sense tells you any bacteria, especially from faeces, in that area can give them infections.  Nasty chemicals….keep them away from baby.  If in any doubt read up on scientific or medical research and ask your doctor.

What if my child refuses to sit on a potty or the Baby Throne or even to start toilet training?

The most important factor to consider when putting a baby or a toddler on a potty or even a toilet trainer is that they feel safe and secure.  They must be held and supported on all sides and that magical squat position is what triggers that instinct to ‘push’.  However they MUST feel safe and secure.  It is not so very important that it is made from a nice soft foam but if possible why not?

The original Baby Throne I made was not soft; I made it from wood, clay, plastic and lots of plumbing tape and it worked like a dream.  Now of course the Baby Throne is made from a nice soft foam.  However, getting to the point; no one is going to relax, let nature take it’s course and empty their bladder or bowel if they feel uncomfortable, frightened or insecure.

Toddlers are more of a challenge to get them to sit and relax as they can get bored and want to get off.  Try all the tricks you know.  Bribery works well!  Give them something to do.  A Gameboy, book, toy etc or in our house flash cards were the most popular and I think Hector simply loved the time he had to simply have undivided attention from whoever it was sitting next to him on the bath. Why not teach them how to ‘grunt’ and make funny faces?  We had a lot of fun with that with significant results!  

You want them to be preoccupied with what they are doing and then their bodies relax, that magic squat position triggers the instinct to ‘push’ and they empty their bowels.  They also empty their bladders as well.  And then they simply continue with whatever they were playing with.

Nearly all parents mention this problem at the start and also state that within a very short period of time (minutes, next time they try (just keep with a routine) etc) once their baby or toddler got ‘it’ and made the ‘connection’ they were all ‘going like a Boeing’.  This has to be the most common expression I hear when I ask for feedback or how things are going!

I am a working mother; I don’t have time to train my baby and nanny looks after him in the day so what’s the point?

You save time by using the Baby Throne!! It is also much healthier for baby avoiding nappy rash, infections, testicular cancer in later life etc.

Testicular cancer and infertility in later life is being argued at present but common sense tells us those family jewels are not meant to be kept hot! We have proven that on average you save changing over 2200 nappies (diapers) before the age of 2. That is a lot of time saved!

All the time you need to start is a maximum of 10 minutes in the morning and the evening. Fit this in with your routine; brush your teeth or run baby’s bath whilst they are busy on the Throne.

When you decide you would like to start having baby to relieve themselves in the day (for example after their sleep) outside the nappy you have weekends to start and then why not ask nanny to do the same during week days? Meanwhile always supervise your baby to prevent injury from falling and never leave infant unattended on the Baby Throne!

Do you have a Baby Throne? Send us a story on your experience with it to chatback@parent24.com and it could be published.

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