Too many "expert" theories

Oh dear

No not really, those experts figured out a lot of ways to reduce mortality in infants and it is working extremely well

Yes our DD & Sil, were the same, our DGS, born just over 12 months ago, they had contradicting advise especially while she was in hospital , she had a C Section and baby ended up in Special care because he wouldn't feed, but they kept ignoring her on the ante natal ward when she was asking for help, one nurse being quite offhand with the baby and called him a " lazy feeder" which obviously upset my daughter. She caught covid when she was hospital as well but not found out after discharge. They followed everything to the letter for the first few months she was expressing as he didn't like being breast fed, then he had very bad colic. After a while they realised that they knew their baby better than the experts and calmed down and went with their own initiative.

Yes, there are new rules. As VS said, it has reduced the number of deaths.

IMO though, the breast is best push (not sure what it is called in the UK) can be damaging to some mothers and babies due to the expectations and guilt it causes.

FED is best and if a mother can't not produce enough milk she should not be made to feel inadequate or guilty.

Agree imaround

It all depends on how much mum wants it..

If mum mentions moving to formula definitely support that and reassure fed is best OP but don't try to push it

There have been expert views since the beginning of time - not a new phenomenon - when MIL died we found a copy of Dr Spock's book that she bought in the early 1950s to get expert advice

Advice changes as a result of more research and knowledge. For example it is over 30 years since Anne Diamond campaigned for research into cot death after the death of her baby and that research found that babies who slept on their backs were less likely to die than those that slept on their tummy. In the late 1980s over 2000 babies a year died from cot death - by 2015 it had dropped to around 200 following the expert advice

Whether to stop breastfeeding or not can be a very sensitive and difficult thing for new mums and something each one has to make a decision on for themselves

I’ll always remember my daughter developing a few nervous tics. Dr Spock’s book said ‘too many activities’. I asked her if there was anything she wanted to stop and she said she hated Brownies, so we stopped it and the tics went away. Strange thing is she’s a Scout leader now! It scares me that I put my babies on their tummies to sleep using a special mattress and I remember being annoyed with my MIL who ignored what I’d said and put my baby on her back. I was so inexperienced about looking after babies.

I somewhat agree with you Choxaway.

Some people love for "experts" to tell them what to do.
And to be fair, some people do not have common sense anyway.

Little GD not sucking well from the breast - must be tongue tie, out come the scissors, screaming baby, no difference

I do hope they were not the kitchen scissors used to cut the rind from bacon, or even needlework scissors.

I hadn’t got a clue when I had my first child. In the first few days I had conflicting advice from my GP and the midwife about sleeping, amount of clothes/ covers, feeding. ( GP’s advice worked best- he was a young father ).
A useful book was a Do It Better book, but there didn’t seem to be the same gurus as are now giving advice so dogmatically.

Ps I saw DD in tears, trying to feed baby with one of those Nanny books in her hand: "What shall I do, Mum, he's not feeding/sleeping how he should?"
"Put the book in the bin, dear".

….out come the scissors, screaming baby….

Am I reading this right? Did they cut the baby’s tongue/mouth? Or is this a joke?

I breastfed with mastitis. I was glad I persevered as breastfeeding was much easier than bottle feeding later on, as well as better for the baby.

The new rules on sleeping have saved many lives, as PPs have said. No baby soap in the bath may be to cut down eczema.

Most of these experts have never had a child,their so called expertise come out of a book.
If breast feeding is done just make sure mom is eating enough to give the child milk,dieting is a no no whilst breast feeding.

maddyone

^….out come the scissors, screaming baby….^

Am I reading this right? Did they cut the baby’s tongue/mouth? Or is this a joke?

Reading this made me really upset. Surely they didn't?

Skye17, so did I and so glad I persevered. I had slightly inverted nipples, but it all worked out in the end and babies thrived.

But I see what you mean Choxaway- so many books with contradicting advice- magazines, videos, etc, etc. Just bombarded with info from all sides.

My two DDs had to sleep on their tummies they had Aberdeen splints on their hips and could not move if they had been on their backs and vomited they would have choked, One size does not fit all things have to be adapted for each child.
If the scissors were administered by the health worker then I think she needs reporting, how did she sterilise them?

My baby bible in the 1970's/80's was by Penelope Leach - lovely illustrations, but the book got ignored after I found I got on better making it up as I went along and now I have three healthy strapping 40yr girls to prove it, and none of them use baby books to tell them how to bring up their children.

Tongue tie is a tiny bit of skin under the tongue attached to the mouth that means a baby can't feed properly

Not addressing tongue tie leads to baby not feeding well, taking in too much air and sore cracked nipples or mastitis for mum

It's a small procedure, the baby may cry for moments but not long. No different to getting jabs really

But is should not be done by parents surely!

Fleurpepper

But is should not be done by parents surely!

I wouldn't have thought so!!

Choxaway:

'Do other grannies find it's all very didactic these days?'

Er - no, 'it' is just the same as ever, but now we have research based evidence for current trends. Most new parents will feel 'lost at sea' to begin with, will be shocked by how much a new baby can cry, will feel that they're somehow failing at parenthood, will be sleep deprived, exhausted and tearful at times.

What new mothers need hasn't changed, though. They need support, understanding, help with shopping, cooking, housework, plenty of rest and a calm atmosphere. They don't need any disagreement, interference and misguided 'advice' from the older generation - that's for sure!

'Do other grannies find it's all very didactic these days?'

Well, I read Dr Spock in between nappy changing but my first DC obviously hadn't understood it or didn't understand - or was rebellious from birth 😂😂😂

Typo! Or not
Obviously hadn't read it

Fleurpepper

But is should not be done by parents surely!

No, the health visitor probably referred them

Cold

There have been expert views since the beginning of time - not a new phenomenon - when MIL died we found a copy of Dr Spock's book that she bought in the early 1950s to get expert advice

Advice changes as a result of more research and knowledge. For example it is over 30 years since Anne Diamond campaigned for research into cot death after the death of her baby and that research found that babies who slept on their backs were less likely to die than those that slept on their tummy. In the late 1980s over 2000 babies a year died from cot death - by 2015 it had dropped to around 200 following the expert advice

Whether to stop breastfeeding or not can be a very sensitive and difficult thing for new mums and something each one has to make a decision on for themselves

Very true, but I did read that the experts at the time were saying that babies should sleep on their tummies then changed their tune after all the many sad cot deaths.
Seemed obvious to me that my baby should sleep on her back.
Choxaway tell your DD to follow her own sensible feelings and chuck away the baby books.