Live chat with Claire Scott, Thursday 4 October, 1pm

[OliviaMumsnet]

We?re pleased to announce that Claire Scott will be here for an online chat with Mumsnetters next Thursday, 4 October.

Claire is an advocate of the Continuum Concept and has two children of her own. She is currently featuring in Channel 4?s Bringing Up Baby where she?s acting as mentor to families and promoting her beliefs on co-sleeping, breastfeeding and slings.

Claire will be joining us for an hour on Thursday at 1 o'clock, so have an early lunch, get your questions ready and join us then.

If for some strange reason, you can?t be here (and we hope you?ve got a very good excuse) please post advance questions here.

Thanks, MNHQ

[morningpaper]

I think she is very very lovely.

But I would like to ask whether, having seen the programme as it has been finally edited, she regrets participating in the programme when it presents an extreme "regime" such as Claire Verity's as a valid and normal parenting approach?

[belgo]

I would just like her to explain what the Continuum Concept is, is it similar to attachment parenting?

[hunkermunker]

I'm reserving my question (about useful breastfeeding support) until I've seen next week's programme.

[codswallop]

who IS she>

[hunkermunker]

Watch Bringing Up Baby on Tuesday night on C4, Cod - you'll see. She'll Irritate you, I'm sure.

[lionheart]

I'd like to know whether, regardless of where she stands on the question of corporal punishment,

she felt like smacking that other wretched woman.

[geekymummy]

I'd like to ask her how she feels about the view that attachment parenting is the preserve of SAHMs?

[puffylovett]

Is Claire Verity REALLY as bad as was portrayed in the 1st episode, or was it just put on for the cameras & to increase ratings ?

[mayzie]

my 10 month old son has never been a good sleeper,only started to sleep through at 8months,however has now started waking again at about 3.30/4am screeming.It takes about 45mins for him to go back to sleep,what should i do?
please help,very tired mum

[ChubbyScotsBurd]

I would ask her how she feels about the way her views have been presented on 'Bringing Up Baby' - I think she's been painted as an extremist as much as Claire Verity really, just in the opposite direction.

I felt a bit self conscious wandering down the road with my baby in a sling after the programme was aired - maybe all the neighbours were saying "Oh look, there's that mad 'tribal' woman with her baby strapped on board".

[hunkermunker]

Did she ask Claire Verity how on earth she had allowed those heavily airbrushed publicity shots of herself to go out when she couldn't possibly live up to them?

[Ponka]

Claire, I had not come across you or the ?continuum concept? until watching the programme last Tuesday, despite having two children of my own. Although I decided that this method would not have suited our family completely, I thought it?s basis made a lot of sense and would have probably taken on board some of the principles if we were having another. I?d be very interested in your comments on the following two questions though:

1. How do you reconcile the fact that sharing a bed with baby is not completely in line with current cot death guidelines? What do you advise when you work with mums who smoke, for example?
   
   
2. You?ve probably been asked this a lot. I heaped love on my first child and carried him around a lot. I gave him constant attention. My second has had to get on with it himself a lot more. My first child seems to have been a lot less happy than my second and a lot more needy. Now, I know you can?t generalise from examples but this certainly is in line with those who say that if you give a child constant attention, you spoil it and make a ?rod for your own back? (words I?ve come across a few times on Mumsnet). Now, I?m not supporting Claire Verity in any shape or form by saying this. I want to make that clear. I think her methods are truly awful but, as they say, ?everything in moderation?. Do you not think that there's chance that a baby who is held at every minute could be a lot more needy in later life?
   
   Thanks very much.

[3missys]

@ littlelapin..... yes now that would be interesting... I wonder how she would defend her ways of bringing up a baby against most of us lot!

I think CS way of bringing up a baby is very natural although I am not sure how practical it is in this day and age..... I like the idea of carrying your baby for long periods but not sure if this should be done all the time as the baby needs to gain some independance and be able to explore his body and surroundings with the freedom of not being cradled in a sling for most of the day. Would like to hear her responses to ponkas points also.

Sarah x

[hunkermunker]

1. Were you badly edited in the programme? By that, I mean that a lot of what Claire Verity said to you went seemingly unchallenged. For instance, when she called you a "raving lunatic...no offence" you just looked a bit like a stunned fish.

2. Did you try to get more help for the mum you were mentoring who was struggling with breastfeeding? Did she see a breastfeeding counsellor at all?

3. Do you regret taking part in the programme? Do you feel that by taking part, not only did you help the families you were mentoring, but you also were kind of condoning the abuse of the babies left to scream and forced into loveless routines?

[moljam]

i want to say i think you are fab and also we were cosleeping untill ds-now 22 months got fed up and seemed to want his own space(he outgrew it before we did!) and babywearing until very recently-he got too heavy for me,we had pouch then ergo,how can i continue this closeness with a toddler?
how do you feel your parenting style has affected your children?

[edam]

LOL at 'stunned fish'.

[AitchTwoOh]

to echo something MorningPaper said on another thread... when the hell did BFing become a TRIBAL method of feeding a baby?

and i'm afraid i'd also like to ask Claire what her actual training is as a BFC because she doesn't appear to have many facts at her disposal which should have silenced Dreena and CV.

[Easywriter]

Ha! If only I'd noticed this before starting another thread...

What is the brand of sling that is being used by the couple she is mentoring? It looks absolutely fabulous! (The one with the large ring at one shoulder)

[AitchTwoOh]

but other than that she's been pretty good, i should say. certainly better than the other two.

[Mij]

Hi Claire

We're a babywearing, co-sleeping family, which was a godsend as dd arrived as a very high need baby and if I hadn't been lent a wrap and had the confidence to take her into bed with us I think we'd have had a very miserable first few months.

As I'm known about the place as 'the sling woman', I have a lot of conversations about carrying - people stop me in the street, nobble me at baby groups etc. I've come across quite a few mums who say 'oh, that wouldn't suit my baby at all, s/he doesn't like to be held too much, he's much happier in his bouncy chair/pram/whatever.' What do you advocate in those circumstances?

[Mij]

easywriter - do you mean the cream one that crosses? I think it's a tricotti.

[hunkermunker]

I agree, Aitch - CS, your heart seems utterly in the right place, but some facts to silence the others would've been good too. Also, I was unimpressed with the way you "supported" the new mum to breastfeed in the first programme. What are your qualifications to do so? Are you a breastfeeding counsellor?

[hunkermunker]

I think that CS actually designed the sling that's used in the prog. Natural Child sell it.

[Piffle]

I had a very high need baby also 13 years ago and was alone, I followed instinct and breastfed when he wanted, co slept and carried him all day long... this was not by choie per se but it worked for him, nothing else did

My two later children were different - neither enjoyed co sleeping, however I now buy a sling for every new mum I know. Godsend, my son now is 6 mths and the sigth of his sling when in a car seat calms him down if he is upset.

My question is this... (I am a stay at home mother by the way)

How can a mother return to work at 6 mths post natal having followed continuum concept care for the first 6 mths - is it incompatible with modern demands? Might this be why mothers are turning to regimes which promise sleep, guaranteed slots for things to make care easier for themselves and others? Childcare surely does not cater for this kind of parenting?