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Why I'm concerned about Tizzie Hall's Breastfeeding Advice - PART 1

I'm going to make this two part entry my last for a while on the subject of Tizzie Hall. I mentioned in my last blog post that I wanted to cover one particular section of her breastfeeding advice - an area which concerned me. However this post ended up so long I have split it in half so you can stand a chance of getting to the end ;)

Part 1 which is below, explores restricting breastfeeding frequency, some of Tizzie's ideas and why I think mums planning on following Tizzie's advice should be cautious...

In her book "Save Our Sleep", Tizzie firstly suggests that feeding "on demand" may be linked to obesity in later life.
"If your baby knows you will keep offering him a snack every couple of hours, he will never feel the need to have a full feed.  Putting your baby on a routine gets him into the habit of filling right up when you offer the breast or bottle, because he soon learns it will be quite some time before you make the offer again."
and
"Teaching bad habits:
If you feed your baby every time he cries, you run the risk of teaching him that the answer to all his emotional ups and downs is to eat, irrespective of whether he is actually hungry.  For example, if a baby is tired and crying because he doesn't know how to put himself to sleep, feeding teaches that he needs to eat in order to fall asleep.  If a bored and crying baby is picked up and fed he starts to understand that if he is bored then eating will help.
My problem with this is that as your baby turns into a toddler, his whingeing will see you starting to replace bottles or breastfeeds with a piece of fruit or a biscuit which reinforces the regime of feeding him when he cries.  Perhaps that is one of the reasons why we now see a lot of obesity in children and teenagers, and why others eat to solve emotional imbalance."
What doesn't get a mention in the "obesity ponderings" is that not breastfeeding has long been linked with increased risk.  But that aside really just how healthy is "filling right up"?  Don't recommendations now support responsive feeding regardless of how an infant is fed?

Breastmilk is digested within a couple of hours, so a baby eating every couple of hours isn't "snacking" -  but eating normally.  Little and often is actually exactly how humans are supposed to eat, it keeps blood sugars stable and promotes normal metabolism.  Paul Mckenna's whole diet theory is based on adults learning to re-recognise when they are full, but at what point did they forget?  Milk is all an infant gets, their tummies are much smaller than ours - yet I wonder how many people reading ensure no food or drink passes their lips unless three hours has passed?

Lynne Daniels, a professor of nutrition at Queensland University of Technology, Australia, and researcher with the Early Prevention of Obesity in CHildren (EPOCH) collaboration, has demonstrated routine fed infants were heavier at 14 months than those fed responsively.

The professor said: 
"If the mother is responsive, she is responding to the child’s cues of hunger and not over-riding them.  Whereas, if a mother feeds in schedule, she decides whether or not he is hungry."
Quite.

Tizzie goes on to say:
"I don't want to infer that demand  feeding won't work for everyone.  In the end, all parents have to do what it best for them and if you are one of the lucky ones that can interpret your baby's cries, that's great."
It's fascinating that someone calling themselves a "Babywhisperer" thinks babies need to cry to tell you they're hungry.  Crying is the last cue of hunger - one that only comes out to play if all his earlier signs are ignored..

Secondly - Tizzie expects mothers to tell the difference between a "protest" (which she defines as the equivalent of a temper tantrum) and an "emotional" (has a need) cry, based on a description in her book - but then states mothers who can interpret cries are the lucky ones.  Confused yet?

Thirdly it assumes breastfeeding is all about calories.  It's not.

Truth is that the breast meets every need a newborn has except a dirty nappy - the skin to skin regulates their temperature and other vital stats, so baby doesn't need to expend energy doing so.  Milk is a live substance and at night contains properties that induce sleep, whilst the act of feeding releases hormones to relax both mum and baby (strange if we aren't meant to feed our infants to sleep or during the night!).  If baby is hungry or thirsty it nourishes, and it provides the ultimate security for a newborn who only has 25% of his brain fully developed at birth and who is working at a very primal level.

Furthermore breastfeeding is recognised as pain relieving, and in the early days has more antibodies than blood.  If baby is feeling under the weather he often turns to the breast, and with good reason.  The germ is passed to mum, she makes relevant antibodies and then passes them back to baby at subsequent feeds.

It is a baby's first "vaccination" and the most nutritionally complete food they will ever consume.

Let's look at Tizzie's list as to what she states prompts an "emotional cry" in her TV appearance with Kerry Ann::
  • Discomfort 
  • Hunger
  • Tiredness
  • Wind
  • Thirsty
  • Hot or Cold
Yep - breast takes care of those.  And want to know what else?
"It is now known that high levels of melatonin in breast-milk appear during the night and low levels during the day. Since melatonin is the hormone that regulates the sleep/wake cycle, these changes in breast-milk will doubtless be the signal to help the baby adapt as quickly as possible to the day/night versus sleep/wakefulness environment. (1-4)"
Yaha - so the breast even helps them start to regulate sleep cycles.  Top that Tizzie ;-)

What did bemuse me a little is how simplistic Tizzie's list of needs that can cause an emotional cry is - what about scared, lonely, needing a cuddle?   Tizzie claims in one of her TV interviews that she doesn't support "controlled crying" - the act of leaving a baby to cry but checking in with them every so many minutes. She states that if you return to an infant when they're "protesting", they will then start an "emotional cry", feeling rejected they've been left.

Yet walking in and out wouldn't cause any of the list above, which would seem to prove that babies cry an "emotional cry" for not only the six tangible reasons Tizzie claims, but also for reasons we can't label quite so neatly - rejection being one.  Interestingly in her book she adds a seventh item to her list which is "bored" - we can accept an infant can be bored, but not scared?  or that they might indeed use a cry with gaps to signal a great deal more than a "protest" or "temper tantrum".

The book describes a child falling asleep protest crying (this is from the section advising to leave a newborn to "protest" for a minimum of two minutes):
"If you are able to watch your baby without him seeing, you will see him shut his eyes and nod off before jumping and yelling again, as though he has realised he is falling asleep"
Why would any animal not want to sleep? Especially a tiny baby. Why would it be normal for them to half fall asleep, realise, panic and start "yelling" again?

All I do know is I don't observe any of this fighting, crying or jumping awake realising they're falling asleep when baby does so in a sling or next to mum.  Perhaps because baby feel safe, isn't scared to sleep - ultimately is where he is supposed to be?

Tizzie talks about how many mothers nowadays don't have the community that passes down tips and knowledge - but if we follow that logic right back, Stone Age women used slings...

The psychology of how adults respond to cries is also very interesting, in studies adults responded similarly to different pitch and frequency of crying - different types of cry clearly evoke different feelings and I suspect this is for a reason; the more urgent the cry, the quicker the response (pretty important if there's a tiger near by and you're a baby on your own!) but does this therefore mean as Tizzie suggests that non intense crying, or crying with gaps should be ignored, particularly if they trigger an instinct in mum to respond?

Tizzie warns:
"it's not fair on baby to be taught that someone will respond to every protest because, as your baby grows up, other people won't like this behaviour."
What behaviour? a child who expects his feelings to be acknowledged?  Yes perish the thought.  I do hope Tizzie never has cause to visit Mongolia - because there babies are wrapped up like parcels and put to the breast everytime they squeak for the first six months.  Imagine their behaviour! (not to mention of course they must all be obese).

Regardless, what Tizzie seems to fail to realise is that over the coming days and weeks as the mother learns her newborn and he develops - the relationship progresses so mum can understand his cries, and he soon develops lots of new ways to express himself too; which doesn't result in a comfort eating toddler!  This would make no sense as the entire population would be obese prior to the introduction of scheduled feeding (which took off in Victorian times).

It also assumes toddlers "whinge", and that a mum would respond to this with food instead of communicating with her child, and that a toddler will eat a piece of fruit if not hungry - what are these assumptions based on?  Clearly not cue fed infants as that results in a toddler who has retained the ability to regulate their own appetite (as long as starting solids hasn't been handled insensitively) which I guess will mean he also won't need to buy Paul's book when older....

Click Here To Read Part Two. which explores Tizzie's recommendation to also limit the duration of feeds.

RELATED POST: Suck a finger with Tizzie Hall...

References:
1. Illnerová H, Buresová M, Presl J. Melatonin rhythm in human milk. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1993; 77: 838–841.

2. Cubero J, Valero V, Sánchez J et al. The circadian rhythm of tryptophan in breast milk affects the rhythms of 6-sulfatoxymelatonin and sleep in newborn. Neuro Endocrinol Lett 2005; 26: 657–661.

3. Cubero J, Narciso D, Aparicio S et al. Improved circadian sleep–wake cycle in infants fed a day/night dissociated formula milk. Neuro Endocrinol Lett 2006; 27: 373–380.

4. Aparicio S, Garau C, Esteban S et al. Chrononutrition: use of dissociated day/night infant milk formulas to improve the development of the wake–sleep rhythm. Effects of tryptophan. Nutr Neurosci 2007; 10: 137–143.

62 comments:

  1. how is this woman not creating failure to thrive infants? or is she?

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  2. Can I forward this article to every mom I know? Scheduled feedings can be dangerous!

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  3. The only consistent thing about Tizzie's advice is the glaring inconsistencies - great post AA!

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  4. Interesting, I read someones suggestion today that what Tizzie deems to be a protest cry is actually a cry for contact, security, and comfort - certainly food for thought.
    Another great blog AA

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  5. I love your work AA, thank you. Quite clearly she's making it all up as she goes along.

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  6. Brilliant thank you :)

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  7. Love this...will be sharing on Facebook. Thank you!

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  8. OMG i couldnt have said it better myself - that whole chapter in the book just had me going WTF are you going on about??? This is the best best of writing yet by AA - thank god you are out there questioning it.....but hey all us mums out there who disagree or challenge TH or SOS are nasty, sad and mean people - get a grip! We are simply challenging stupid, yes stupid advice.....

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  9. AA I have a quick question if you don’t mind but I am very worried about my baby and his crying, I have Tizzie’s book and I can’t find where she says states what an emotional cry is.
    You say “Let's look at Tizzie's list as to what she states prompts an "emotional cry":
    • Discomfort
    • Hunger
    • Tiredness
    • Wind
    • Thirsty
    • Hot or Cold
    But I can’t find this in Tizzie’s book I am worried I have missed it. I can find where she says a cry could be one of the below.
    A wet or dirty nappy
    Hunger
    Tired
    Wind
    Thirsty
    Hot or cold
    Bored
    I didn’t know an emotional cry could be from these. Could you please give me the page number thank you?

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  10. Man - this woman is a piece of work. Babies are incapable of being manipulative when they are born - if they cry, its because they need something - typially, milk, change,sleep or just attention. She is playing on the insecurities of new mothers, Mothers are built to bond with their babies and know how to intuitively respond to their cry - that is why there is so much oxytocin flying about in the early weeks. Please mums - trust your instincts not a book.

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  11. Great article! I was nodding so much, I got a sore neck! lol

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  12. Julie, your question is the exact reason of why people should not be following Tizzie'a advice, it is too confusing. Yes, an emotional cry will come from all of those reasons listed.

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  13. What a brilliant and well researched article. Shame Hall didn't take the time to educate herself in the same way before she wrote a book on the subject.
    And why do all these so called parenting gurus always talk about babies as if they're emotionally developed and intelligent enough to consciously misbehave and play games.
    It's not just irresponsible, it's dangerous.

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  14. Julie: on her TV interview with Kerry Ann - link on SOS page.

    Thanks all

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  15. Can you give me a link to the interview I can't find it. Your blog makes it sound like it is in Tizzie's book maybe you can correct that for other mums reading this.

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  16. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cA0mZw-Wm4M

    In the book Tizzie states an emotional cry is a "need" and a protest cry is the equivalent to a "temper tantrum".

    Therefore how would the list fit under the second type of cry??

    It did originally say in a TV clip - which is why it says "in the book she adds a 7th", but I will clarify that now :)

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  17. ps I have been examining the cry research too - there's nothing to suggest an emotional cry has no breaks. The pitch is associated with how urgent the need is, but to suggest a baby crying an emotional cry does one solid noise with no gaps for breathing is I think a big leap from what the evidence suggests.

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  18. Oh I see so Tizzy didn't say this? She didn't have this in her book this is what you think she is saying. I am sorry I have spent time on this today trying to find the information in her book that is not in her book, I read your Blog as if you were saying you got this information from Tizzy's book but I see now you didn't I am sorry for asking you then I was confussed. Sorry AA thank you for your help.

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  19. Julie I clarified three comments back it was on the TV. The list of 7 needs is in her book as the blog states - she states an emotional cry is a NEED a "protest cry" is a protest/tantrum.

    I'm honestly not sure what you're struggling with?

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  20. And I say it again and again: Hear Hear! :D

    Nev

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  21. I think we also need to stop getting hung up on the emotional vs protest cry as if Tizzie is correct in that there are ONLY two types of cries. The Dunstan Baby Language suggests there are many more types of cries - and has videos showing what they sound like - each one associated with a particular need. I was very sceptical about it, but when I looked at the video, I could hear and see instantly the different cries my son was making. I have to say, I found this technique incredibly helpful for the moments when I missed initial cues.

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  22. Hear hear! I really wish that the people challenging this "advice" had such an influence over parents as the Tizzies of this world do...The world would be a much better place with happier, less emotionally disturbed children. Go AA

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  23. QUOTE I think we also need to stop getting hung up on the emotional vs protest cry as if Tizzie is correct in that there are ONLY two types of cries. The Dunstan Baby Language suggests there are many more types of cries

    I absolutely agree with this!

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  24. AA in Tizzy's advice she talks about a tired cry, a hungry cry a wind cry and so on I heard her talk at a twins show when I was pregnant and she explained lots of crys not just two. I took lots of note about this and also about the breastfeeding I wanted to get her breastfeeding advice to the T like my sister did my sister followed the book and fed her twins. Would you like me to fax you my notes?

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  25. Methinks Julie is part of the Tizzie-brigade..! They are well known for shit-stirring on forums and blogs that are anti-TH.

    AA, you rock my socks off - keep up the fight!!

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  26. Gone to dreamfeed Julie!10 August 2011 at 13:04

    Yes Amber I am one of the Tizzie brigade if that is a person who uses her book. I must hae read the Blog wrong I thought AA was saying tizzy said all the above but I have worked out now it is what AA thinks Tizziy's book says so maybe she only has some of the book and is going off that and the tv clips. I spent most of the day looking for the info in the book on the crys but have since work out I made a misstake and it is not in the book. I have already said sorry. I am off to dreamfeed and go to bed good night.

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  27. Really what page is that in her book Julie please? Did I miss a big section? Do you mean In the TV interview when she quite clearly states "there are two types of cry" and goes on to describe them, she didn't really mean this?
    Also, it doesn't really get around the whole issue of crying being the last cue of hunger does it?

    Amber I'm happy for everyone to comment here as long as they are polite/not abusive etc, unlike Tizzie I don't believe in censoring people that ask a question or don't agree and immediately remove their messages - I'm happy to engage in dialogue as I think their is substance to my points......

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  28. Niki Sister of Julie10 August 2011 at 13:28

    Page 21 she talks about a tired cry and a hungry cry as two differnt cries. She also talks on a protest cry on that page.

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  29. Um nope I have the whole 282 pages.

    I am quite clearly stating which bits Tizzie says and doesn't - the font is blue. If she states it in a TV interview does that therefore mean Tizzie didn't say it?!

    Page 21
    "The most important cry to recognise is the emotional cry, as this is when you need to comfort your baby and try to find the cause. One of the most common causes of this cry in a baby under two months is hunger. The cry of an emotional or hungry baby is continuous with no pauses and doesn't change in pitch or tone, something like "waa, waaa,waa, waa,waa". This cry I would never ignore and the first thing I would try is a feed. (this is for a baby in the first two weeks)

    A protesting cry, on the other hand, I feel is perfectly all right to ignore. The most common time you will hear this is when your baby is fighting sleep, and there will be gaps in the crying and the pitch will go up and down".

    From the TV interview:
    "are there different cries parents should be aware of"

    Tizzie: "well there are two main different cries or there are two sounds a baby makes, there's one cry when a baby is emotional and has something wrong and need help. Maybe reflux or hunger - with this cry it's like someone running a marathon and the tone and pitch does not change - here is the cry when a baby has a problem and you need to work out what the problem is - cue Tizzie wah wah wahing. I didn't need to stop to take a breath and nor does baby.

    CUE LIST OF 6 NEEDS COMING ON SCREEN. THE SAME LISTED IN THE BOOK EXCEPT THERE'S A SEVENTH ADDED AS I DESCRIBE IN THE BLOG ENTRY

    But a baby who is crying for another reason - a little baby, a tiny little baby say 0-3 months will cry because they're overtired, or because they don't WANT to go to sleep, or because they don't like the person they've been passed to. That cry doesn't worry me. So if you put the baby in bed and it cries because it doesn't want to go to sleep you listen and it goes

    Then the interviewer asks if you should stay and comfort:
    you can put baby into bed and make sure all their needs have been met. So you make sure they've got a clean nappy, that they're swaddled so their arms are down and that they're warm enough because babies will cry the emotional cry because they're cold. So once you know all they're needs have been met yes you can say no, you're crying because you need to sleep, you're overtired or you've been passed around lots of people and you can then stay with them until they go to sleep - or you can go and make yourself a cup of tea because they're not going to come to any harm with that cry.

    Tizzie then clarifies the hungry cry would be the wah wah wah (emotional cry) because they NEED something.

    Interviewer - any other cries that we should be distinctive (think she means distinguishing)

    Tizzie - no, because obviously they're the two most important, but obviously the emotional cry there's about 5 reasons for it - it could be wind, it could be a need to feed - so they're the main things you have to listen for.

    SO - can you tell me please exactly WHAT in my blog you don't think Tizzie actually says? You state I'm putting what I think Tizzie is saying, not what she's actually saying but what part don't you belief she says? I want to ensure my blog is accurate and clear.

    Thanks
    AA

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  30. I believe the cries are also distinguished in her PDF, titled 'Self Settling Guide' (or something like that too), echoing exactly what's in her book and what she has said on a number of TV shows, both on the Kerry Ann shows and the Ireland:AM shows.

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  31. Julie on her way to bed!10 August 2011 at 14:22

    Ok you are having a leand of us now, not very nice. AA you have left out the fisrt Paragragph on page 21 to make it look like Tizzy didn't say that, I am not sure why you would do that? Why did you leave that bit out AA?

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  32. I'm not sure what having a leand of us means? Sorry

    You state I left out the first paragraph to make it look like Tizzy (it's actually TizzIE) didn't say that - didn't say what?

    I didn't type the top paragraph because it wasn't relevant to the discussion and I figured I already typed you out an awful lot that can easily be listened to.

    You still haven't answered my questions? Generally in a discussion that's the way it works?

    So the top of page 21 for anyone who feels a need:

    "it's important to understand what demand feeding means,: not feeding your baby whenever he cries but feeding whenever he cries a hungry cry."

    Following my routines will mean your baby seldom has a reason to cry, but when he does you should try to listen to the cry and interpret what he is saying. The good thing about my routines is that when your baby starts to cry, you can look at the routine and see what is due to happen next, a real help when learning to distinguish tired and hungry cries".

    Again I can only see that it confirms what I've stated?!

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  33. Tizzie's supporters seem to be nitpicking now... you're great once again for being polite and informative in your replies. My reply would simply be "the little thing is crying, pick it up and give it some comfort already!".

    She seems to think that babies are born thinking like adults, able to manipulate and all that, why can't we treat them like adults then? I wouldn't leave a person to cry, no matter whether it's for food, sadness, tiredness being frustrated or just having an "off" day.

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  34. I think that Julie is failing to correctly read what Tizzie has written.

    Yes, she mentions a hungry cry, but she clearly bundles that into her 'emotional' cry. So to simplify what she is saying - there are two types of cry either an emotional cry - which could mean hunger along with the other things she has listed, not that there is a different type of cry (in terms of pitch and rythm as she describes it in 'wahs') for hunger.

    IF she was describing a hunger cry in addition to an 'emotional' or 'protest' cry then surely there would be more different lists of 'wahing' to describe it in the same way as she has 'emotional' and 'protest'.

    Sorry I feel I'm waffling a bit, I don't have such a way with words as AA does :)

    Oh and it was me who had suggested that perhaps a 'protest cry' was a cry for contact, security, and comfort. I feel all important now I've been quoted lol.

    AA I love your work and have huge respect for the way you are handling all the nonsense that is pushed your way and ours.

    (usually comment as chezzie but for some reason I can't sign in on my AIM login to comment)

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  35. Hi Holly
    I'm really sorry but I've had to delete your comment as it said some things that could be libel. If you could rewrite it with the TH is xyz bits left out that would be fine, but I think we need to be careful to ensure things are written as opinion not statement for legal reasons.
    Hope you understand
    AA

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  36. I think for people who follow her routines, (such as Julie and her sister) it is very difficult to read this information and realise that the research shows they *could* be harming their baby. They also feel the need to justify the decisions they have made. You're never going to change the mind of a parent who has been getting a full nights sleep though, regardless what you say unfortunately.

    I, on the other hand, have always fed or cuddled my boy to sleep, and I'm knackered, but I'd rather put up with bi-hourly wakings than listen to him cry for a second, regardless of it being a "protest" or "emotional" cry.

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  37. Julie: throw the book away! It is nonsense and will not help you in your parenting. Go with your instincts, your body knows how to care for your baby better than any "expert".

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  38. Very well said! the truth needs to come out now, it's time these experts stopped misleading parents.

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  39. Thanks for sharing this. love it!

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  40. I think its a big funny to be quibbling over different kinds of cries - I mean who cares if you offer the boob to a baby who is doing a "protest" or "emotional" cry..If the baby is hungry, he'll eat, if not, he won't!
    I always think, better to offer it just in case, than mis-interpret and have baby go hungry.

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  41. If in doubt, get your boobs out. Much easier than running through your 'list of assorted cries' with a upset babe in arms.

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  42. Quote:
    If in doubt, get your boobs out.
    and
    who cares if you offer the boob to a baby who is doing a "protest" or "emotional" cry..If the baby is hungry, he'll eat, if not, he won't!

    Well said ladies!
    How many of us have seen the baby "let go" of the breast when he/she has had enough. And when you try and offer more, they won't have it. They simply won't have anymore if they've had their fill! So they were obviously hungry to start with!
    Thanks for a great article, great read AA.

    Happy and currently sleep deprived mum of healthy and previously breastfed 5yo, 3yo and brand new 4 week old.

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  43. Great article, In addition no one has mentioned that milk supply is based on demand, if you limit baby from the boob then what impact on supply? if you follow TH and it works for u great, but don't act like your superior to everyone else this is adding to the whole 'if your baby acts this way and sleeps you have a good baby and if not you are a bad mother'.

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  44. I'm now so embarrassed that I bought Tizzie's book while I was pregnant! I nearly threw it out a few weeks ago but then decided to keep it on the shelf so I can refer to 'what not to do'! I keep it on the shelf now for a laugh!!!

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  45. i am not a fan of scheduled feeding etc but i will say my personal experience does not match AAs statement that she has not seen a baby cry to sleep next to mum or in a sling.i must say that my lo cries every time before sleep and always has done.even in a sling!but worse if in my arms,just seems to need to have a wail before sleep.ive tried absolutely everything.he is otherwise happy but before sleep always has a scream

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  46. Hi Anon (the last one) if baby needs to cry to release tension before sleeping, have you considered seeing a paediatric osteo/chiropracter or suchlike?

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  47. You know you've written something right and insightful when someone argues a pointless bit of it to try, in a vein attempt to undo the truth. They always fail and end up looking like a fool. Shame really. If people are so secure in TH's advice, why argue the toss? You don't need to cause you're confident and secure in your decisions.
    The argument that's being brought to the table is well, just a bit silly. Like others have said, just get a boob out :)

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  48. hi AA .IVE THOUGHT ABOUT OSTEO ETC BUT HE IS 16 MONTHS NOW SO?TOO LATE.HE NEVER CRIES IN THE CAR BEFORE SLEEP BUT WEIRDLY DOES SO IN MY ARMS EVERY TIME OR OF I LIE NEXT TO HIM.HE IS A VERY HAPPY BABY IN THE DAYTIME

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  49. Hiya - no not too late at all! Cars tend to go one way or the other for babies with tensions I find - either they LOVE the motion and sleep brilliantly or they HATE it and scream a lot lol, never seems to be a middle ground.

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  50. My god... this woman Tizzie sounds nuts. Ladies who follow/read her, hiff it in the bin and go get yourself The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding (and international bible on the matter).
    Keep up the good blogging!

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  51. Completely disagree with Tizzie. Please, new moms, do not take her advice!

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  52. Julie honestly don't worry about where it is in the book, I have it too and I am pretty sure it is as AA says.

    However I am a trainee breastfeeding counsellor and have read very very very widely on the subject and helped many hundreds of moms on the ground over the past 4 years and I can tell you with absolute certainty all of Tizzies breastfeeding advice is all her own 'opinion' not an ounce backed up by science and biology. For all of that read the likes of the WHO, Dr Jack Newman, kellymom.com, The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding These books will not undermine your self-confidence. They will tell you how bf works for real but won;t tell you they know better how to parent the little babies you will have over your life time, they will mearly give you confidence in your own body, tell you why things happen, reassure you, reference themselves so you can go to the primary published and peer reviewed research which all basically explains your intuition and the science behind it. That is why no book like Tizzies can tell you how to parent because it is not your intuition.

    So please don't take a word this lady has said as anything more than her opinion, which completely disagrees with all the bodies and professionals who specialize in breastfeeding. And honestly who are you going to think holds more weight? A lady who is very candid about her lack of medical, child developmental psychological training, breastfeeding training, in fact who holds no qualifications in any of the areas she talks about or bodies and medical people and the likes of La Lechie League who have dedicated their properly trained careers and lives to really helping women and babies and one of the fundamental keys to all of their help is often...giving you the confidence to know you do know better than any book.

    Close the book, have lots of faith in your baby foremost and then your body and enjoy every second of your baby. And who cares what each cry is for? A cry is the very last sign of hunger, so very often if you feed on cue then all other cries must be attended to as they are a need cry over and above hunger anyway and most certainly should NOT be ignored as a tantrum etc at 2 weeks old (which is when she say to start her non-cry it out, cry it out, method of baby training and I can definitely supply the page number for the 2 weeks start the routine page if you really need it, but it is a waste of my time cause we all know its there if you have read the book in full). If you want to 'train' something get a dog and just love your babies unconditionally.

    Sorry can't add comment as anything other than anonymous as I've no account set up other wise.

    Aoife

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  53. Well said Aoife. I just don't understand why people want their babies to grow up so quickly. I am trying to slow time down

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  54. It's nice to hear some voices of reason! I feel bad for the parents who swear by this book - you obviously lack the confidence in your own abilities. But I feel even worse for the babies of those parents. It's such a shame that TH would never be held accountable for when things go horribly wrong. As my sister says (who works for Sids & Kids) "Use common sense. Babies who are over-heated don't wake up".
    Caroline.

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  55. Where is Part 2?
    :-)

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  56. Here: http://www.analyticalarmadillo.co.uk/2011/08/why-im-concerned-about-tizzie-halls_17.html :)

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  57. ps have updated blog post to click through, thanks x

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  58. Only read a few sentences of Tizzie's "advice" and I have to say something. Does she not understand that you CANNOT force a baby to feed. If a baby is hungry, it will feed! If it is bored and you offer the breast, it will fuss around for a bit but not properly feed, it won't learn that if you're bored you eat. Grrrrr silly woman!

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  59. "What did bemuse me a little is how simplistic Tizzie's list of needs that can cause an emotional cry is - what about scared, lonely, needing a cuddle?"

    ^--^ this really gets me, it's like babies don't have feelings. Very sad.

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  60. I just found this site and am a new mom with a now 9 month old. When my baby was 6 months old she was still eating 2 oz. every 2 hours during the day; however sleeping through the night from 7:30pm to 5:30am. This all started at around 4 months. At the 6 month check-up the DR. stated no that shouldn't be going on. She needs to be eating every 4 hours, 6-8 oz. Well, interestingly she had reflux and her body was naturally regulating itself to take in increments. I followed DRs orders and started spacing out her feedings and she has never been able to sleep through the night since then and it took 4 months for her to get into a feeding pattern that she naturally developed. I suppose it will take another 4 months, which will be after her 10 months if that is the case. It all happened right when I changed the feeding pattern, not a couple days or weeks later, but immediately. Could be teething, milestones, etc., keeping her up at night, but who really knows. This is great that you question and put together such great information to show that there can be other reasons to do things differently.

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