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Infant feeding

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Original poster

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:
UCM · 15/05/2007 19:15

I do agree with the 7oclock bed thing. I did this with DS and it has never been a problem getting him to bed.

tiktok · 15/05/2007 19:16

VVV - I thought that about the publicity shot, too

Hmmmm.....October 20, you say?

VeniVidiVickiQV · 15/05/2007 19:18

yes...its a saturday - advance tickets £12.50 - £14.50 on the door......

tiktok · 15/05/2007 19:18

UCM - people can put their babies to bed at whatever time they want....I don't have any argument with her there, as long as the same mothers don't expect a newborn (inc a pre-term one, FGS) to stay there for the rest of the night.

And as for not cuddling or playing outside feeding or bathtime.....because babies are like dogs......dear me.

tiktok · 15/05/2007 19:20

And it's the prescriptiveness of it that gets me...why '7 o'clock'? Why not '7.15' or '7.30'?

It's because she (the nanny) wants to watch Corrie and East Enders - nothing wrong with that, of course, as nannying is a job, and she needs a set time off!

But 'mothering' a baby is different from being its nanny.

VeniVidiVickiQV · 15/05/2007 19:22

Kinda reminiscent of this....

oldwomanwholivedinashoe · 15/05/2007 19:25

Anyone with an ounce of sense will realise hat no one without their own kids can possible imagine what dealing with your own children is like. She's a loon! Pity for the first time mums who will be desperate ot get it right and follow her advice. Both my children slept through quickly (6 weeks and 4 months). I cuddled them constantly and bf till 7 mths. No solids till 6 mnths - hope they wont be scarred for life!!!

VeniVidiVickiQV · 15/05/2007 19:26

I thought this was rather interesting......

"People believe you should have kids to be a baby guru, but having a baby doesn't make you an expert. I can prove that, because the majority of mums in the country are struggling."

Apparently - most of us are struggling.... I'd like her to prove that.

hotbot · 15/05/2007 19:29

actually i wouldnt treat my dogs like that, and my lo may need a cuddle, but tbh i get more from a cuddle off her than she does off me....becos i love her loads.....
load of old rubbish,,,these mums will miss so much if they follow her advice

Waswondering · 15/05/2007 19:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

FlossALump · 15/05/2007 19:36
Sad
FlossALump · 15/05/2007 19:37

Actually WW - DS just used to grunt. Lots, but I get your meaning!

Cazee · 15/05/2007 19:57

The only time I was struggling as a mum was before I found Mumsnet, and tried to get dd to wait 3 hours between feeds, sleep in her cot, not my bed..Now I co-sleep, feed her when she wants and am LOVING it. The sad thing is that "experts" like her make you think it is right to fight your natural instincts.

SmileyMylee · 15/05/2007 20:00

What I don't understand is that we seem to have so much regulation in all areas of our lives, but anyone seems to be able to set themselves up as a childcare expert and spout such dangerous rubbish. The more extreme (and hence dangerous) it is, the more publicity they get (articles in the papers and their own television series) and hence the wider the audience to these dangerous practices.

I don't want to suppress 'Freedom of Speech', but I wish that where 'experts' spout views which are against medical guidelines, there should be some sort of health warning on the impacts of following this advice.

Is there any professional body that can censure experts who give advice which is contrary to current medical thinking?

DaisyMOO · 15/05/2007 20:02

This bit made me PMSL (in a horrified kinda way)

"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."

Right. Babies are individuals, so you do the same thing with all of them That makes sense.

TheArmadillo · 15/05/2007 20:06

It seems amazing that people can write and publish this type of damaging information. Surely there must be something that says books like these at least have promote WHO recommendations.

I hate this kind of thing being pedalled as 'expert' advice. How many desperate people take it on board.

VeniVidiVickiQV · 15/05/2007 20:34

It seems that "many years of experience" qualifies them to be experts.

I rather think that it just makes her 'habitual', or 'ritualistic', more than an expert.

lyndyloo · 15/05/2007 20:39

The woman is a clown. No night feeds for a newborn? Surely it would starve to death? They don't wake for a feed just cos they can - THEY ARE HUNGRY BECAUSE THEY ARE GROWING ALOT!

Give me strength! This and the Nestle rubbish has finished me off for the day.

melpomene · 15/05/2007 21:02

The recommendation for no night feeds for tiny babies is shocking. I dread to think of how that impacts on establishing milk supply and weight gain.

"She says she can get a baby sleeping through the night within 24 hours" . How? By anaesthetising it? Even the staunchest advocates of controlled crying admit that there's going to be lots of crying for the first few nights.

"I don't care who the mum is, no one wants to be getting up at 3am to feed their baby." Some of us love cuddling our babies, looking down at their faces as they feed and knowing that we're meeting their needs. Especially when the baby is just a few days or weeks old.

amidaiwish · 15/05/2007 21:23

i am actually shocked and upset by this

and i don't get shocked or upset easily!

and as for that nose says it all really.

amidaiwish · 15/05/2007 21:26

if i was to write a book saying "just give the baby a whack every time it cries" i would soon be arrested/banned whatever.

feeding porridge at 17 weeks? wtf?

doesn't anyone control these nutters?

it seems the more outrageous you are, the more controversy and debate you can generate, the more airtime you get, the more successful you are. it's got to be stopped.

TheArmadillo · 15/05/2007 21:34

books have been published and sold with 'smack children and babies with sticks' advice. Written and published in America but they were available on Amazon uk.

Disgusting.

It seems to be all down to what the publishers choose to publish rather than being restricted by a professional organisation or by legal restrictions.

rattleskuttle · 15/05/2007 21:53

saddened by this. her "expert" advice is dangerous.
channel 4 is getting a reputation for showing misleading programmes. i'm shocked that she is given a platform by the baby show. i hope they reconsider for the furure.

ruty · 15/05/2007 21:54

Why on earth has Channnel 4 given her her own series? Why do people find 'no nonsense' approaches with tiny babies attractive? i guess it fits in with our convenience culture. Barking and dangerous.

Lizzer · 15/05/2007 21:55

Another thing I can't believe is that she helped Sting's children....And you think that old Stingmeister and Trudles would be loving and caring at all times, and made lots of tantrastic lurve and chanting to get their offspring conceived.......................................................

Perhaps that's it, they were too knackered from all that love making to get up in the night with the newborn

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