This is what happens when a Baby Whisperer loses it

This is the beginning of a tirade by one of Australia's most respected baby experts – Pinky McKay. She's author of the books Parenting By Heart, Breastfeeding Simply and Toddler Tactics and her popular blog pinkymckay.com is normally a source of calm, gentle and level-headed advice. But, after an emotional phone conversation with a client last week, Pinky logged on and let fly. Her foul-mouthed tirade shocked loyal followers and sparked a passionate conversation between mums who follow her parenting philosophy called "cuddlers" and those who argue for a more regimented approach to parenting called "tamers".

In this excerpt from her post Pinky McKay's Most Frequently Asked Stupid Questions, she writes:

He is programmed to expect a sabre tooth tiger or a crocodile or an eagle to swoop and gobble him up if he’s all alone. So don’t leave him alone in the frigging cot if he gets upset.

The 'advice' continues. She answers mock questions such as 'Why does my baby cry if I won't feed him for 4 hours?' and she helpfully points out that they are hungry and by the way, how long do you last without chocolate or coffee? Her choice of words, once again, is colourful. "Your kid is fucking hungry – or thirsty!" She adds, "WATCH YOUR BABY, NOT THE DAMN CLOCK!"

To the question 'Why doesn't my baby sleep 12 hours' she says, "I'm surprised you found the energy to MAKE a baby if you are so fucking lazy that you need 12 hours sleep."

The responses to this post were instant. Helen wrote, "I normally love your blog but I have to admit this post has left a rather nasty taste in my mouth. I don`t think being nasty to people who don`t know any better is a way to win them over. It`s judgmental and basically just mean."

Tiffany wrote, "I understand your frustration, but your lack of professionalism is difficult to swallow. “Mummy matters,” right? Even if mummy doesn’t agree with you or gets your hackles raised. Plenty of women do not understand normal baby behavior and have their own, personal reasons for trying sleep training. Some moms are desperate for sleep and will try anything, and don’t need to be called “fucking lazy,” and other choice words."

Pinky posted an apology of sorts the next day, responding to her critics in a post called Why I flipped my lid at baby tamers.

She goes on to advise that parents need to show more empathy towards their babies. She worries that parents are looking for quick fixes instead of experience the joy of raising a baby.

So parents – both cuddlers and tamers – choose your words carefully when submitting a question to Pinky's site. You have been warned!