That Claire Byam Cook shouldn't be constantly being wheeled out

[Minifingers]

as a 'breast feeding expert' in the media if she

A) does not have a currently approved training or formal qualification in breastfeeding

B) Is dishing out information and advice which is in conflict with that given out by pretty much 100% of formally trained and qualified breastfeeding counsellors and lactation consultants?

She worked as a midwife many years ago but is no longer registered. Her midwifery training (which I image she completed more than 2 decades ago is referred to in every article in which she features.

She's mentioned in the Daily Wail again today as a 'breast feeding expert'. In the article she says that 'lots of mothers hardly have enough milk to feed their babies'.

She criticises women who sell their milk as it might 'disrupt the bonding process' and suggests it is like a sort of 'boasting' that they can make masses of milk, while many other women can't. "there's a lot of competitiveness out there".

Seriously - this is 10 types of shite. How little knowledge does the media have when it comes to breast feeding that they are happy to keep presenting as an expert and a spokesperson, someone with so little no support from the medical establishment, no up to date qualifications, and someone who so clearly has a personal axe to grind (she had supply issues herself which stopped her bf her own children, and never allows an opportunity to communicate the view that 'many' women can't make enough milk' go by).

Can you imagine them doing this in relation to pregnancy and childbirth? So why breast feeding?

Never heard of the woman.

She may have views that some don't like and is quite contraversial but she helped a friend of mine in dire straits with feeding. After a difficult start my friend went on to exclusively bf. But CBC let her know it was ok to mix feed without putting the fear of God into her.

I reckon she might come over better in person.

I know 2 people who went to her who raved about her BUT neither was breastfeeding 8 weeks later. She doesn't keep detailed records of her work and follow up that are available for scrutiny, unlike those working in public health.

By 'not putting the fear of god into them' regarding using formula, I assume you mean she rubbished the evidence that formula use in the first few weeks can and often does compromise on supply in the medium to long term. She probably rubbished the evidence on the impact of formula on gut flora, and the risks of early exposure to cows milk proteins for some babies. I don't think parents should be bullied or pressured to exclusively breastfeed, and if supply is the issue and can't be rectified it's absolutely necessary to use formula, but - parents have a right to make a decision based on the best available research, and deserve help from someone with medical training and expertise in relation to supply issues, which can be very complex. This is NOT Byam Cook, who tends to view poor supply as normal and not usually amenable to fixing for a large minority of women.

Wasn't she the woman that compared breast milk to a can of coke?

YANBU.

YANBU I can't believe she is still being trooped out as an expert.

I remember watching her on morning tv once a few years ago and had steam coming out my ears.

Doesn't she work hand in hand with "she who must not be named". Says it all really.

Who's that I do, the crying it out woman, what's her name

Yanbu. Never read a single quote of hers that makes any evidence based sense.

Yes she is an advisor on her website.

She's an odd fish all right.

I should imagine her manner is very reassuring for some people. She seems to deal in absolute bollocks certainties which can be attractive.

e.g: Do this, do this, do this to bf successfully. If you can't do these things then you don't have enough milk. Give a bottle. Don't feel guilty, lots of women don't have enough milk and can't bf. Job done.

It's very different in emphasis to the idea that you might have to try a range of approaches, that every mum & baby is different, that it might take time, that there are no guarantees. This can be hard when you just want someone to say "do it my way and all will be well" even if that means you end up using formula when you probably didn't need to.

She's deeply annoying. Her book is full of spurious latching advice like squashing your boob like a hamburger and just shovelling it in.

She talks nonsense and is completely unqualified. Basically a successful self-publicist, nothing else.

She's also associated with Christine Hill, who runs West London page girl antenatal classes straight out if the '50s. www.christine-hill-associates.com/. Note that the antenatal classes are for "girls" only...not for WOMEN!

I get the feeling that Christine and Clare are the sort of people who feel there is no need for them to read professional journals or attend further training because they've already made up their minds about everything to do with birth and breast feeding years ago.

Why bother when they're coining it in from spouting their '70s advice to West London ladies who want to buy a "special" antenatal experience.

I'd just like to point out that Minifingers and I are unrelated, although our NNs suggest we should be cousins or something!

Unpopular opinion clearly but I think her book is great. Midwives, NCT consultants, passing strangers - none of them helped with BF and left me traumatised. I read her book before my second came, followed the advice and was BFing successfully before the hospital BF expert showed up..
I suggest that those who scoff found BF easy peasy, unlike many of the rest of us. One midwife told me when she saw me BFing my 2nd that she didn't know why "other women" made a fuss as it was so easy. I wanted to scream "I was that soldier!".

Lepetit - her advice works for SOME people in some circumstances. So does mine. But I don't present myself as an expert on breast feeding on the strength of this.

I think it's good that she's helped some people, but her insistence that many!women simply can't make enough milk to feed their babies, no matter what, and her insistence on rubbishing the evidence is profoundly unhelpful.

I can only point out that my friend was so determined not to ruin the gut flora of her now very healthy 3 year old (but thanks for that anyway) that her baby was close to being dehydrated.
Sometimes babies don't feed well for whatever reason and anyone reassuring is important.

I followed my hospitals breast feeding experts advice (but I'm not in West London so I guess that makes it ok!) and it was impossible to follow. Oh and I got PND as a result of guilt over feeding. All experts need to get back in their bloody boxes. Very few know what works for that particular mother and baby.