"What's Good For You"

[elissas]

Some of you may have seen the post in the cc section re there being a cc "experiment" and episode coming up on "What's Good For You" on channel 9.

Below is the ad:

"Is your baby a restless sleeper? Are you sleep deprived as a result? The
Channel Nine health show What's Good For You are looking for parents who want to trial controlled crying methods and be filmed for a segment on the show. If you're interested in getting involved, please contact Nick Long at Beyond Productions at nick_long@beyond.com.au"

I have just emailed Nick to ask him if they will be looking at other sleep methods, and if they will show all sides to cc, including current research about psychological issues and trauma stemming from this method, such as learned helplessness in adults.

I don't know whether I'll hear back, but thought if anyone else felt like emailing him too, the show's producers might at least realise (if they haven't already) that cc is not the ONLY method of sleep "training" (oh, I hate that term) out there, and that many parents are looking for alternatives.

I am vehemently opposed to any cc or cio methods, they make my blood boil, but I have tried to stay diplomatic in the email I sent to him. I think this is important or we just won't be heard.

[the_queen]

Is there no end to what Eddie McGuire will do for ratings???:mad: :crying: Poor wee bubba's. I hope the show outlines the position of the Australian
Association of Infant Mental Health, as well as the personal opinions of mis-informed parents.

[elissas]

Exactly!!

That's why I emailed them.

I had to calm myself down first of course :banghead:

Does anyone have any good links they can send to that address that shows the research? I didn't think at the time and would have sent him Elizabeth Pantley's and Pinky McKay's website links if I'd thought about it. Hopefully he'll get back to me and I can send them in a reply.

[the_queen]

I've emailed him, I've linked him to the AAIMH and specifically to their position on CC'ing. I've also asked him if he's going to also show the other kinds of sleep-enabling, such as co-sleeping, and I've offered to be on the show to demonstrate how co-sleeping works so well :D I also asked him if he will be following these "experiment" children throughout their whole life, to see what effects CC'ing has on their relationship with their parents.

[elissas]

Nice one!!

I still get angry that people expect babies should just be able to "learn" how to sleep. Many adults, including my DH, still have trouble sleeping, so to expect a bub to sleep like an angel is ridiculous.

And yes, guess what, my DH was left to CIO. So all his life he's had a negative association with going to sleep and will take him hours. He also has strong abandonment issues, and feels "let down" by all the people in his life. Eh-hem!!

[the_queen]

:crying: That poor bubba. DS used to scream in the car (I've now put a dangly thing there for him to play with, and it keeps him occupied :yelclap:) and a 5 minute trip into the shops felt like a 10 hour nightmare, I just cannot understand how anyone could leave their newborn baby to scream itself to sleep. It makes me so angry. I'd better not say any more or I'll rack up more infraction points :rolleyes:

[tweedledee*tweedledum]

Nice one!!

I still get angry that people expect babies should just be able to "learn" how to sleep. Many adults, including my DH, still have trouble sleeping, so to expect a bub to sleep like an angel is ridiculous.

And yes, guess what, my DH was left to CIO. So all his life he's had a negative association with going to sleep and will take him hours. He also has strong abandonment issues, and feels "let down" by all the people in his life. Eh-hem!!

Last week I was talking to a friend who has a 6week old, and she cc'd him at 3 weeks and was going on about how it was the best thing. "It only took 2 nights, he only needed to be left for 20mins" omg, it took all my strength not to scream at her down the phone... :mad:

I know everyone has differing opinions on the issue, but should you really be getting angry at a friend for making a choice that is working for HER? I am not saying that I agree with all aspects of CC either, but I don't feel bad or angry about other people doing it. It is their choice at the end of the day and as a side note, my mother CC's all of her children and we are all very deep sleepers and are a very close-knit family, so I don't feel in my case that there were any bad side effects whatsoever. I will be watching "What's Good For You" to see what their take is on it and I think in this society all sides of a story should be heard and shown, so I agree that I hope they also investigate co-sleeping etc.:yes:

[Sarie]

If they're a decent show they should look at all varieties of ways to help out parents.
With screaming in the car DS2 is still not good in the car, we've ended up getting a portable DVD player for the boys and it helps on short (around 1 hour) trips but even coming back from Brisbane on Wednesday DS 2 was getting cranky with 1 hour to go.
Goodness knows how our 10 hour trip to Mackay is going to be in a couple of weeks... plenty of stops I dare say!

[Immaculata]

Good for you girls, for emailing the show! You would think that there is enough information out there about CCing now for such a show to be leery of promoting it. Pity they can't lead the pack and show the public that there are other ways. Oh well :no:

[Immaculata]

I have also emailed the producer with my (rather briefly mentioned) concerns. :)

[reAllytee]

And yes, guess what, my DH was left to CIO. So all his life he's had a negative association with going to sleep and will take him hours. He also has strong abandonment issues, and feels "let down" by all the people in his life. Eh-hem!!

I agree that CIO isnt always a great option but everyone makes a choice in their parenting whether it being something you agree with or not & sometimes this means it will be on t.v or the likes as Sarie said if they are doing it right you will find they are showing many different alternatives for parents to find what works for them.

Anyways the reason i have highlighted the above comment from one of your posts is to add a different spin.
I co-slept with my parents until i was 6yrs old & would still often go in & sleep in their room on the floor when older or when i was sick.
I have ALL these issues. I dont get to sleep until 2 or 3am & have abandonment issues that i thought had been dealt with until recently so im again working through them. There will be more to add to than just being left to CIO.

[Chickadee]

The purpose of this forum section is to promote and discuss alternatives to CC methods. It is NOT to criticise other parents for choosing to use CC. While you may not agree with CC, it does work for some parents and children and from my understanding, when done properly does not involve leaving the child to cry to the point of vomitting, nor should it be used on babies under 6 months of age. So examples cited are, in my opinion, not CC.

I'll be cleaning out this thread. Please restrict further discussion to non-CC methods that the show's producers might need to be more informed about as alternatives.

[Can I?]

I get really irritated with the fact that CC is often the only method ever mentioned to parents whose babies aren't sleeping well. There are so many things that you can try, that work just as well (if not better).

I'm off to email the show.

[pookiesossige]

I'm keen to learn about non-cc kinds of settling (apart from the ones I do know about such as co-sleeping and the great sedative known as breastmilk) and have bookmarked this thread. I hope that they take heed of your emails girls!! Good on yoos for contacting them! :thumbsup:

[reAllytee]

I think CC is often used on shows because its often a last ditch effort for many parents who have tried every other option.

[Can I?]

I have to disagree with you Allyoo. If you go down to your MCHN and state that you are unhappy with the way your child is sleeping, the first thing you will be given is a video/book about CC. Then if you look at supernanny - CC (and in a pretty harsh way too). The baby whisperer on Sunrise - CC. Massive business done by sleep schools etc around the country - all support CC. It is the first and only thing many parents are presented with, all with the pretty weak excuse that "well babies need to LEARN how to put themselves back to sleep".

It is easy for the 'experts' to push CC because it isn't their little one that is crying itself to sleep. It isn't their heart that is being ripped to shreds with each scream, or them that will have to deal with any long term consequences.

There are so many alternative options for any sleep problem you could care to name, but people just don't know about them, or for some reason think that those things just don't work. I have three children, none of whom have been left to cry for any length of time, and they all sleep well. They are also secure, confident, outgoing and happy, so that is all the proof I need - you don't have to let a baby cry to teach it how to sleep.

[reAllytee]

Well sorry but my CHN actually advised many various ways of getting bubs off to sleep & yes we did also view a video of CC & it wasnt anything like many people assume it to be or even explain on here. I have been quite shocked to hear what many on here say about it when everything i have seen or read has been nothing like it.
Anyways as i said i was shown many different techniques like rocking, soothing , co-sleeping.
We rock & cuddle to sleep i have only let Boof cry while trying to get him off to sleep a few times but only because he had cried all day & i needed a break so i think every parent needs to find what works for them & i also think that shows need to show CC for parents who have tried other options which have failed but also to dissprove what many believe is CC when it isnt.

[Wivi]

I just want to make a little comment about the term CC. A lot of the other posts mentioned CHN's, Doctor's and sleep schools all using this method. I think a little confusion has come out in that the CC they speak about is "Controlled Comforting" not "Controlled Crying or Crying it Out". The bit I know about Elizabeth Pantley is that her methods are not unlike those recommended by the sleep schools.

I would never leave my baby screaming his lungs out but I will let him cry for short periods before resettling. More often than not he is just looking for his dummy, when he finds it the crying is over.

I would not criticise non-crying methods either. It's whatever the parent feels comfortable with. I have coslept with my boy at times as well.

At the end of the day all the babies will grow up and "learn" to sleep. CC is just one method for parents who, rightly or wrongly, are at the end of their tether.