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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Annabel Karmel wants people to post questions to Clare Byam- Cook - dare you!

262 replies

RubyBlueberry · 15/04/2009 19:20

Have been on AK forum for a while (twas good for baby food recipes) and today she has sent everybody messages asking to post BF questions ... to Clare Byam Cook .... DOUBLE DARE YOU!!

Look here this page

OP posts:
Caz10 · 19/04/2009 14:22

I was more about her manner tbh chequersmate, and that is of course a completely personal reaction - she seemed so smug and condescending to me! But the difference between her saying that and people on here saying that purees can cause choking is that she is seen to be an expert, so people will presume that if AK thinks it then it is true!

MrsJamin · 19/04/2009 19:21

It's the fact that she disagrees with the Department of Health - how is that backed up by AK? She "thinks" it causes choking without any justification for this.

TheCrackFox · 19/04/2009 19:26

Looks like AK is panicking about BLW. Looks like her gravy train has reached its destination.

elkiedee · 19/04/2009 22:20

Some of my best friends have Gina Ford books on their shelves, but I don't think they follow them that strictly. I don't have an issue and wouldn't rant against anyone on here who said they found ideas in the work of any one baby care guru helpful.

I went to a gathering of my NCT class today and one woman was talking about having read The Baby Whisperer (Tracey Hogg) and found bits of advice from that helpful while taking a fairly relaxed piecemeal attitude to the whole thing, but she also compared the Baby Whisperer with the CLBB book (GF) and saw them both as a bit strict. Even the most positive about GF's work there though (a different woman) said she thought it was unrealistic in that if you followed the routine to the letter you wouldn't be able to go out and about in the day and that you'd go a bit crazy.

My issues with all these writers is

  1. the idea that there's one way of doing things
  2. bad advice on various issues which might mislead people
elkiedee · 19/04/2009 22:20

Just one issue which I do have with Annabel Karmel is her inclusion in her menus for young babies from the start of weaning (and she originally wrote the books with weaning at 4 months) of diluted fruit juice. There's no need for it at that age whether babies are fed formula or breast milk. It's bad for teeth and it's better to introduce the nutrients in fruit by giving them fruit, whether you puree or give it whole, and dentists/oral health experts advise caution. The PCT woman who talked about oral health at my baby group advised against fruit juice but not fruit, and also incidentally advised against some particular ready packaged baby foods (including Ella's Kitchen which we gave DS1 quite a bit of) for sugar content.

My ds1 was given fruit juice at his CM (probably from 10 months) although I had said to her I just gave him milk or water at that stage. We let him have fruit juice at mealtimes (pref not for drinking between meals) and other sweet things now he's nearly 2 and can ask for them, is aware of them and can choose what he wants to eat and drink - but he also has lots of other things. I say this because I'm not against ever letting him have fruit juice but I just think it's wrong as part of first weaning menus.

elkiedee · 19/04/2009 22:29

Another thing I don't like about baby care gurus is the spin off selling - I was given an Annabel Karmel book and bought another for recipes and ideas although I'm far too lazy for ice cube trays and purees, but I know she sells a lot of products as a brand other than her books - including pasta shapes and other food, and ice cube trays. I'm not sure what the best known author of a book on baby led weaning, Gill Rapley, can sell on the back of her theories other than the actual book - further books or a DVD or something maybe, but there doesn't seem the same money spinning potential.

MiniMarmite · 19/04/2009 23:15

Agree about the spin offs elkiedee, especially with foods. Obviously they can sell what they like but I think that people may be given the impression that other types of pasta (for example) are not suitable for young children. Mind you I have the same problem with branded baby rice being sold at a marked up price compared to normal rice flour.

elkiedee · 20/04/2009 00:14

I never used baby rice with ds1 and don't plan to with ds2. I may use packaged baby foods but not ones with any guru's name on them. My parenting style is rather lazy see what happens - we do have a very settled routine with ds1 and the beginning of some routine with ds2 but it was what happened and worked for all of us - more luck than judgement or planning.

Babieseverywhere · 20/04/2009 08:45

Trinity of parenting gurus ?...Have we all forgotten about CV Wonder what she is up to these days.

tiktok · 20/04/2009 09:02

Claire Verity is gone, I think.

www.cunningham-management.co.uk/artists/verity.html directs the searcher to a website that's no longer there, anyway.

Babieseverywhere · 20/04/2009 09:45

Thanks Tiktok

foxytocin · 20/04/2009 10:48

AK GF CBC

CMOTdibbler · 20/04/2009 10:54

I see that they have linked back to here already

Babieseverywhere · 20/04/2009 11:18

Bet you £10 that CBC is not given Fussymum's question. Shame I would love CBC to answer that one.

coochicoo · 20/04/2009 11:37

I'd like to know why she believes that breastfeeding beyond 6 months is unnecessary.

The AK forum seems like a rather safe haven for her. She should come for a web chat here and answer some more challenging questions. Why not if she's such a renowned 'expert'?

Whenever I've seen her on tv during interviews about breastfeeding she always seems to fight for the argument against breastfeeding.

coochicoo · 20/04/2009 11:40

Ooh. Mnetters have been branded as 'twats' now. Nice!

lljkk · 20/04/2009 11:52

I never bought into the Anna Karamel worship thing, anyway. Now AK's avid endorsement of CBC kind of seals my initial impressions that AK doesn't offer anything that I could recommend to anybody.

I'm too lazy to be arsed, but am feeling tempted to post a Q about extended breastfeeding, how to make the most of it, etc.?

elkiedee · 20/04/2009 12:50

It's not about CBC, but I'm amused that AK found it necessary to defend herself against my/Mini Marmite's comments on this thread on her own site! Um, I haven't said anything defamatory have I?.

KingCanuteIAm · 20/04/2009 13:15

I love the fact that there are more posts slatting responding to our thread than there are posts with questions for CBC

Looks like even the people it is meant for are not that interested

blueshoes · 20/04/2009 13:55

Hilarious! Wonder how AK knew about this thread ... and why she feels the need to respond to this thread on her site

BCLass · 20/04/2009 16:26

What the 'defenders' on there don't seem to grasp is that though the advice may help one Mum to bfeed sucessfully, it might mean another ten do not.

Just my opinion (huns )

MerlinsBeard · 20/04/2009 16:35

Wasn't CBC GFs 'advisor'? Trying to think back to the programme she did after MN Vs GF

(i just want a yes or no, not anything that would cause trouble!)

foxytocin · 20/04/2009 16:38

CBC is or was linked to GFs website as a feeding advisor.

MerlinsBeard · 20/04/2009 16:39

from AK.... Sometimes babies can become dehydrated if a mum continues to breastfeed and is not making enough milk for some reason...

Is that even true?

MerlinsBeard · 20/04/2009 16:40

thank you foxy, i thought so.