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

[Manictigger]

...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...

oh

i hope get a more thought out response later on

don't hold your breath

i got exactly the same response.

Seriously, you gotta look at this site

Quote:

'Please contact Urban Nurture directly to learn about our infant sleep training rates.'

'Nanny Fix-it is a fully personalized service offered at an hourly rate of $150 with a minimum booking of two hours. The rate will be discounted if the time involved on a particular program exceeds 10 hours.'

'Urban Nurture accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover.'

I'm wondering if C4 get loads of comments on the progaram, even before it's aired, then they'll just be thinking; 'great viewing figures will be high'!

well i won't be watching it...

But deesting at least that site only claims to get them sleeping through at 6-8 weeks. The bonkers woman with no kids reckon 24 hours!!!!

ROFL @ Laundry - quite right BUT, I do think that the kids/no kids is a little bit irrelevant!

My DS is only 6 months old and I look back and laugh now but I was DESPERATE for some level of order/control over my life mainly because popular belief (older generations mainly) led me to think the chaos that I was living was going to go on forever if I didn't take control. Routine Routine Routine was drumed into me through cultural sources and no book/relative etc prepared me for the upheaval to my life or the constantness of the demands!

My poor little one had to go through two days of hell before I realised that whilst I was the adult, his upbringing was a relationship between us that I could steer but not dominate and control. Things then became much more relaxed and I'm always being told that I have a really good, happy and independent baby!

I am not sure that someone without their own baby (natural or adopted) who has never allowed themselves to develop a bond can really advise on relationships and bonding.

My sister is quite strict as a nanny but is desperate to cuddle her own kids.

evenhope.

She became a maternity nurse because it was "a good business decision"

Laundry, - I think you could be right about maternal instinct, but I do also believe it is possible to become an 'expert' based on a sound knowledge of current research and good practice (as opposed to made-up mumbo-jumbo)!

you must be aware that the advice of this woman and some others has nothing to do with current research and good practice?

Absolutely ruty - that is my point - rather than she doesn't know what she is talking about simply because she has never been a mother!!

it is interesting though that the 'gurus' who advocate these routines and parent led, rather than baby led feeding/sleeping etc are the ones who do not have children...

The thing about all these books is that they don't tell you how to be a successful parent - they tell you how to be a successful nanny/maternity nurse. To a certain extent it doesn't much matter if a maternity nurse chooses not to cuddle the baby she is looking after, because its parents will do that anyway. The trouble is they are marketed at parents, and if you don't cuddle your child no-one else is going to do it for you.

It's all so, so sad. I have made flippant posts about this woman but only because if I didn't laugh I would be crying.

Excellent point, MissGolightly

I've always thought GF did a great service to maternity nurses.
She basically told them how to do their job.
Maybe we need a book to tell us how to be mothers?

lynette and missG, that's it exactly.

What about contacting India Knight at the ST? She's had lots of say about GF in the past and would have field day with this woman I think.

I would LOVE to see a Panorama type programme about this woman in the same style as the Scientology programme. Worth emailing Panorama / Tonight do you think?

D'you know what? I think all this is totally playing into her PR company's hands. They are obviously pitching her as "stricter than strict", and have realised that they only way to break into the market is to be as controversial as possible. I think by jumping up and down about this we'd only be encouraging more publicity and more books sales.

You know what they say ladies, there's no such thing as bad publicity, and I speak as someone who works in PR.

Which is not to say that a panorama exposé woudl not be highly entertaining!

I'm wondering if my cousin would be interested in this. She used to be a journalist and is now a producer and has done some big things on the bbc. I think she's just set up her own production company as well. Not sure what she has on at the moment though as she's usually busy. Will have to send a text/call her way.

I'm utterly speechless, and that doesn't happen often.

So she's being promoted giving dangerous advice because it's controversial and will sell more books?

[head in hands]

I don't think a TV expose would help. She (and her ilk) need to be denied platforms. The ideal would be no more opportunities to speak at Baby Shows, no book deals (if there is one in the pipeline - and there may well be), no TV shows using her expertise (ha!) or TV programmes criticising her.

A columnist pointing out the ludicrousness of her approach, and its potential for harm, might be good, however.