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Bringing up Baby Dr Frederic Truby King Style
I sat in front of the television last night in horror, when I watched the so called maternity nurse guru Claire Verity in the channel 4 series Bringing up baby, train two couples to bring their babies up following the 1950s routine from Dr Frederic Truby King. Dr Frederic Truby King’s Strict Routine Method emphasis that all babies should be treated the same. For me it does not work because all babies and mums are different and cannot be treated like machines.
This method says that babies should be fed strictly every four hours and mum should not make any eye contact and keep the baby away from her body. This could not be more inhumane and unnatural to the baby. Firstly, babies should be breastfed whenever possible, as this is the most natural way to feed a baby, it also helps the baby to develop their immune system effectively, protect against infections and allergies, also helps to bond with mum. It is impossible to breastfed a newborn every four hours, as breastfed babies tend to eat every hour or so during the first few weeks of life and gradually increase the gap to every for hours. As babies are born with stomachs the size of a walnut, they need small and frequent amounts of food.
When babies are bottle fed every four hours from the beginning their stomach is inflated to accommodate all the food, also formula milk is more difficult to digest and can lead to constipation, wind, colic and bloated tummy. When babies are breastfed they are very close to their mothers, which make them feel secure and reassured, also it is the best time to make eye contact and bond with the baby.
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For me having a baby is not about sleeping through the night and having a normal life back as before the baby arrived, because it is naturally impossible. Looking after a newborn baby is about enjoyment, pleasure, happiness, tiredness and sleepless nights for a little while. It is about spending time with the baby and learn through mistakes. This is a time of discovery for mum and baby, it is about learning to know your baby and develop with them and then once the baby grows to be a fine man or woman, look back and be proud of all the hard work and time spent with them, which was not in vain.
The 1950’s method of bringing up babies is a post war approach, which discourages contact between parents and babies, with the hope to detach babies from parents as soon as possible in order to have an independent child. Dr Frederic Truby King recommends a mere 10 minutes of cuddling per day. I find this insane, even pets get more cuddle than that. Babies are born to be loved and cuddled as much as possible, all humans are born with a survival instinct to hold on to mummy or daddy, as they need to be reassured and comforted in order to feel safe. In fact resent studies have suggested that babies should be held at least for four hours per day in order to avoid mental health problems later on in life.
Cuddles also release a feel good factor for baby and parents and having a baby is about having fun with him or her and give them cuddles whenever you feel like it. For me, you can never have too much of it and any forced restrictions on cuddles can not only damage the relationship between the baby and the parents but also spoil a precious and special moment that passes by very quickly indeed. Everyone knows that fresh air is good for you, but I find it incomprehensible the idea that babies should be left outside on their own for hours on end… as a parent I want to know my baby is safe and I would not feel at ease by leaving him in the garden on his own with the door shut behind him, knowing that he could be in danger of being attacked by cats or foxes or even be snatched by a stranger.
I think the 1950’s method of bringing up babies is an abuse of the baby’s human rights, as it is no different from neglecting a child. It is hard enough going through birth, babies should not be treated in this way. If a baby is crying it is in need of something, as a parent I want to make sure my baby is content and comfortable with all his needs fulfilled. At the end of the day, a happy baby is a cuddled baby.
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4 Responses to “Bringing up Baby Dr Frederic Truby King Style”
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I also watched this program, and too was shocked. From what I saw the 50’s approach was paramount to child abuse. How an “expert” can get away with telling parents that they should avoid bodily contact with the baby, that it only cries for attention, and this should be ignored, is really disgraceful. Child psychology has cone a long way since the 1950’s, Research has suggested that babies that do not receive enough physical contact with mother and father can be at risk of mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia. And leaving a baby unattended in a garden has to be the most stupid advice I have ever seen on national television. Haven’t Channel 4 heard of SIDS, or read the guidelines to prevent it? Babies should not sleep alone for the first 6 months to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome. Leaving a baby for hours on end while the parents down a bottle of wine is incredibly irresponsible, as well as cruel. I hope the NSPCC take note, and take action.
I also watched this programme. Im at Collage at the moment and studying child care. I hope yo become a midwife. Today we watched this programme and I was shocked that she thinks this is the right way to bring up Babies. I thought that leaving a baby outside in its pram for three hours no matter what the weather was disgusting. If the parents want the child to have fresh air then why not go out for a walk, down the local park or something. Better than leaving out where cats etc can get at the baby. Babies like to feel loved and safe thats one of the reasons why they cry, apart from being fed and changed etc. I found this very hard to watch because I would never bring up my child in this way.
The parents should also think everything through before having a baby because its a life long commitment. I also agree with what Jon had said aswell.
This so-called expert on how to look after a baby is a cold un-loving person. Babies are not babies for long and every moment is precious.
The second episode is on this evening. Maybe Claire Verity can redeem herself. So far I have not met any parents that would put their child, and themselves, through such a cruel method of raising a child.