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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

The baby show - was anyone there? Because.......

252 replies

Manictigger · 15/05/2007 12:19

...I went to a mother and baby group yesterday and got chatting to the health visitor (she's the group breastfeeding expert) and she was saying how one of her colleagues went to the baby show at the weekend and listened to a talk by some woman who claimed to be able to get your baby to sleep through within 2 weeks. Colleague was absolutely horrified because said 'expert' (she can't remember her name) talked only about bottlefeeding and when someone actually asked what you do if you're bf she dismissed it with oh just give them a very large feed last thing at night or feed them some porridge. Anyway, colleague wanted to stand up and argue with her but felt too scared too because she would have had to use a microphone in front of a whole crowd of people etc. Both HVs are actually quite angry about it.

Anyway, was anyone there and did they see it, are people allowed to promote bottlefeeding indirectly in this way and who was the 'expert'? Apparently she's supposed to be getting her own C4 show soon. If it's SHMN... just someone say yes and we can all quietly retreat...

OP posts:
serenity · 15/05/2007 13:00

Shocking

I wonder if she really believes all that rubbish, or is hoping to get a bit of publicity a la SWMNBN?

goingfor3 · 15/05/2007 13:02

Controversially, Claire says: "I start them on solids at 17 weeks. I don't care what the Government says, every baby is individual and some babies need more food than others

Isn't there a massive contratdiction there?

At least she calls herself Cruella De Vil.

The baby guru has been advising parents for 22 years and honed her skills while observing animals on her dad's farm.

oliveoil · 15/05/2007 13:02

I can't think of anything nice to say whatsoever so will zip up my foul mouth to be

Indith · 15/05/2007 13:04

Thing I always think with these childless 'gurus' is that its so much easier when not a mum.Of course they can go in and put their routines in place and it probably will work. But they work because they are not the mum, they don't have the motional tie that makes it hurt when your tiny baby is crying, thy don't have to deal with the screaming because you can only feed every 4 hours but the baby is hungry now and they don't feel the need to cuddle their baby just becaus they want to.And at the end of the day they can just go home.

What I mean is that for her it seems easy and logical and it works, she says she sees mums struggling but I expect that if she ever did have her own she would suddenly realise why.

AitchTwoOh · 15/05/2007 13:04

although i actually did meet a maternity nurse the other day who is nannying for my firend with her twins and she was really eye-rolling about BLW (which my friend wants to do) and trotted out that they were hungry babies and unlikely to make it to 6 months. she also said that ff babies overfeed and get fat if they don't have solids introduced. i wanted to say 'only cos you've had them on a routine since the day they were born, you thick bint'. but i didn't, i just said 'now is not the time but i do not agree with you for various reasons'.

Indith · 15/05/2007 13:04

And oh yes Porridge!!!!! what the hell is the woman thinking!

DragonFaerie · 15/05/2007 13:05

honed her skills while observing animals on her dad's farm. ??WTF?!?!?!

If i wrote what I'd like to I fear that there'd be another MN court case...

shonaspurtle · 15/05/2007 13:06

She doesn't seem to have been observing animals very closely. I'm trying to remember instances when I've seen animals feeding their young to a strict routine, sleeping separately from them from day one but I'm drawing a blank...

Paerhaps she's refering to the way humans treat farm animals

AitchTwoOh · 15/05/2007 13:07

i was just about to post the same thing, shona. mammals demand feed, don't they, when they're left to their own devices?

Y0rkshirelass · 15/05/2007 13:08

She sounds like a loon.

She obviously really believes that by dropping a few celeb names that ordinary mums will think 'Ok, it worked for Jerry Hall, I'll give it a go'????

How scary though that vulnerable confused new mums may follow this advice in desperation, IMO it's total exploitation

Manictigger · 15/05/2007 13:25

Yorkshirelass - Yes, I'm annoyed that she's allowed to say these things at a show marketed at 1st times mums-to-be, and that she's described by the show as an expert (although why I should expect any show in association with Bounty to be sensible, I don't know).

To me it's like going to Gardeners' World Live and hearing Monty Don recommend using DDT on greenfly - somehow I naively expect these people to give responsible well thought out advice because a lot of people will think, 'oh they're the experts they must know what they're talking about.

At least I see the NCT were also there so maybe they countered her arguments?

OP posts:
lulumama · 15/05/2007 14:03

jesus wept

four hourly feeds from coming home from hospital

one night feed allowed

no cuddles apart from feed and bath time

baby can sleep outside as fresh air helps them sleep

solids at 17 weeks

this woman is dangerous IMHO

how he feck can a newborn manage on 4 hourly feeds??? and yet she says mums often don;t feed enough, but she is advocating 4 hourly feeds

channel 4 and the sun should look very closely at why they would want to be associate with this childcare 'guru'

Tamdin · 15/05/2007 14:09

totally at this. cannot believe CH4 are giving a lunatic like this air time.

octo · 15/05/2007 14:51

maybe it was a factory farm full of chickens in little tiny cages being force fed eachother every four hours

pinkpip100 · 15/05/2007 15:58

I was there! I didn't hear her as I was working on one of the stands, but my colleague heard some of it and came back saying: "can you believe that women is up there telling people that babies should be sleeping through from 2 weeks old??". Apparently there were loads of people there listening avidly, mainly parents-to-be or couples with tiny babies, and no-one challenged her on it (this was on the Sunday).

I was shocked by just that statement alone, but after reading the article I'm fuming.

DANCESwithnewlytannedlegs · 15/05/2007 16:06

Is there anything we can do to bring this lunacy to people's attention? Who is the times columnist who mentions mumsnet occasionally? Could 'we' write to her?

Honestly, her 'advice' beggars belief...and that's being incredibly mild...

goingfor3 · 15/05/2007 16:09

Channel 4 are just feeding off the SWMNBN controversy. It's all about publicity and ratings. Claire Verity is not going to shy away from publicity which is what it's all about.

bumperlicious · 15/05/2007 17:16

I can't believe people are allowed to make money from this sort of thing.

Lizzer · 15/05/2007 17:24

and thanks for the link, I can't believe she is allowed to make money from this! Why can't someone come along and go,"so you've got a new baby, you're gonna feel like crap for a bit but they're soooo worth it,now give 'em a cuddle!"

pudding77 · 15/05/2007 18:07

Sad Shock

NoNickname · 15/05/2007 18:26

Appalling! I am really and . I have commented on The Sun's website.

Cazee · 15/05/2007 18:42

Unbelievable, and do you know thet "verity" means "truth"????????

RevolvingDoorFlouncer · 15/05/2007 18:52

I can say without any doubt that Hunker would have jumped up and spoken out, same as I would have. (Im even more outspoken in RL on certain subjects ).

"experts" like her really REALLY should be reigned in. There is no regulatory body for these people and there really should be.

VeniVidiVickiQV · 15/05/2007 19:04

Tiktok, Hunker....fancy Earls Court on 20th October 2007?

VeniVidiVickiQV · 15/05/2007 19:11

How bloody over air-brushed is that publicity shot????

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