The local newspaper published this opinion piece on Tuesday 27 March 2001 in
response to a feature they ran on *The Baby Whisperer.* The heading was
theirs - I titled it *Mommy Whispering* - and they cut a reference to Hogg
being diluted Ezzo, and how he was now also being discredited.
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One more book about raising kids
*Baby Whisperer* offers advice contrary to that of pediatricians
by Norma Ritter
I was not really surprised to see an article about the current fad book
"Secrets of The Baby Whisperer" in the March 13, 2001 issue of the
Star-Gazette.
Hyped by Random House publishers as "this groundbreaking book," readers are
enticed by offers of "Tracy's Three Day Magic--how to change any and all bad
habits (yours and the baby's) in just three days." Which mother would not
be happy to "get baby to eat, play, and sleep on a schedule that will make
every member of the household's life easier and happier?" The very
unpredictability of babies is what makes new mothers' lives so chaotic.
Mothers don't get coffee breaks, lunch breaks, or go off duty at 6pm. It is
plain, hard work taking care of a baby.
Look in any bookstore or library and you will see pregnant women and new
mothers searching eagerly for advice on child raising. I remember doing this
myself, devouring every morsel. Think how many editions of Dr. Spock's book
have been sold over the years! Fashions change in child rearing as in all
things. We have gone from strict scheduling to permissiveness and now we are
back to scheduling again. Tracy Hogg's "Secrets of The Baby Whisperer" is
the latest in a long line of books purporting to know "the right answer" to
parents' concerns. As any experienced parent will tell you, there is no
"right" answer. What works for one child will not necessarily work for
another. Listening to your baby is the first step towards understanding him.
So who is this wonderworker who can tell instantly whether a baby is hungry,
tired, in real distress, or just in need of a little TLC?
According to Newsweek magazine (http://www.newsweek.msnbc.com)(Feb 26, 2001
issue):
"A registered nurse in England, Hogg left her two daughters, then 8 and 11,
with her mother and moved to L.A. in 1992. Unable to use her nursing
license here, she began taking care of babies. She had, as they say in the
movie industry "great word of mouth" and soon Hogg opened her own
baby-equipment store in Encino, CA. Her book and her Web site claim that
she got a Master's degree in hypnotherapy from the University of California,
Irvine. But a University spokeswoman says they have no record of her.
Earlier, according to her book and Web site, Hogg was "assigned" to the
Great Orman Street Children's Hospital," an apparent reference to London's
famed Great Orman Street Hospital, where she, in fact, attended a
three-weekend-long training course. And a "stint with the World Health
Organization in India" turns out to refer to a two-week trip she took there
in 1989."
This leads us to ask, how good is the advice she gives?
Not very.
Despite being endorsed by celebrities like Los Angeles stage actress Kate
Mulligan who can afford $250.00 for "1 Hour Intense Consultation" or
$350.00 for "Baby's First Feed," the information offered by Ms. Hogg is out
of date and inaccurate. While she is entitled to her own personal opinions,
they are not based on any scientific studies or research. Moreover, much of
her advice conflicts with that given by the American Academy of Pediatrics
who advocate feeding babies when they indicate hunger rather than on
artificial schedules.
Rather, mothers - and fathers, too - are the real experts on their
particular baby because they live with him 24 hours a day. What we really
need are more books like "The Baby Bond: How to Raise an Emotionally
Healthy Child" by Dianna Hine and " The Baby Book: Everything You Need to
Know about Your Baby from Birth to Age Two, " by Dr. William Sears and
Martha Sears. These books help new parents to meet their baby's basic needs
through a loving, nurturing, attachment style of parenting.
Norma Ritter, IBCLC
Norma Ritter,the mother of three grown children, (all breastfed,) is a
Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant who has been helping
mothers and babies for 24 yrs.
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