We’re gonna need a bigger boat…

Not according to Claire Verity.

Verity believes in four hourly feeds, no cuddling during those feeds, and leaving the baby outside in the pram for three hours at a stretch, in the middle of winter, crying as much as it likes. By using her method, Verity reckons you can be throwing a party within twenty four hours of giving birth, as your life will have "returned to normal. I guarantee it." Verity is obsessed with the idea of parents drinking wine from 7pm onwards, whilst their 24-hour-old baby wails itself to sleep upstairs.

So, show your baby little, or no, affection, leave them outside to catch bronchitis, let them scream for hours? If I did that I’d have social services on my doorstep.  Verity advocates no eye contact while feeding and bottles are in, breast is not. Hold baby at arms length, don’t pick them up and cuddle if they cry. What kind of emotional damage does that do? All her advice goes against the current guidelines from FSID and against all my instincts and the instincts of every mother I know.

Women all over the UK are up in arms and getting very very vocal about this. You can join them here, here, or here, and I’m sure there are more.  There’s a petition here, please do go and sign it.

Although a more direct and probably more productive route would be to complain direct to OfCOM, or to Channel 4 who broadcast the programme "Bringing up Baby" that sparked the whole furore.

‘From the OFCOM website:

“The involvement of people under eighteen in programmes

1.26 Due care must be taken over the physical and emotional welfare and the dignity of people under eighteen who take part or are otherwise involved in programmes. This is irrespective of any consent given by the participant or by a parent, guardian or other person over the age of eighteen in loco parentis.

1.27 People under eighteen must not be caused unnecessary distress or anxiety by their involvement in programmes or by the broadcast of those programmes.”

So there is definitely a case. To complain, go to:

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/complain/

Start by selecting ‘Programmes on TV/Radio’ in the righthand column. Then follow the steps as prompted by the website. It’s very easy and takes about 10 minutes. The programme is Bringing Up Baby, Channel 4, Tuesday the 25th September at 9 pm.

You may also wish to contact Channel 4 or Silver River (the producers of the show) using the following contact details:

Channel 4 Enquiries
PO Box 1058
Belfast
BT1 9DU

Silver River
Brook House
2-16 Torrington Place
London
WC1E 7HN

This is what I wrote under ‘Description’ of my complaint, I pinched it from here and I know it was borrowed from somewhere before that:

“Baby ‘expert’ Claire Verity instructed parents to neglect, abuse, and place newborn infants at risk of short and long-term physical and emotional harm. Her instructions to leave babies unattended for long periods, despite being in clear distress, goes against current scientific knowledge of child development, and against the current recommendations of the Foundation for
the Study of Infant Death (cot death). The children taking part in the programme were therefore harmed during its filming. This clearly goes against OFCOM guidelines 1.26 and 1.27 for the protection of people under 18 in programmes.”

It’s not great but you’re welcome to use it.’

Spread it around, blog it, mail it, spam it - this woman is downright dangerous and needs to be stopped before her *clients* get pulled up for child neglect or abuse.