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Gina Ford

Hi does anyone use the Gina Ford methods? I have a friend that swears by her and although i havent yet read the book i dont like what i have heard. my baby is a week old and im wondering whether i should read it and get him into a routine but thought i would see what everyones thoughts are xx

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  • congratualtions!

    perosnally it doesnt work for us, i found it too regimented and i have found babies esp very young eat and sleep when the want, we did take the bath/bed routine from it though but didnt start until 8 weeks which we found a great help, i think its worth a read, maybe pick one up from the libary? then take what you feel is right for you and your baby, there are so many different routines and the best one is what suits you

    next time i will start the bed/bath routine at about 6 weeks but wouldnt before then as i feel babies need demand care before then, but that is what i feel and every mum and baby is different, my friend had NO routine and that works great for her but our LO needed some structure x
  • First of all, congratulations on your new LO.

    I read the CLB book when pregnant and thought people must be mad who don't do it, then I had Ben and thought people must be mad who do! I chucked the book in the bin!

    However, now Ben is nearly 10 months and I am slightly more chilled, I can see that GF works brilliantly for some families and doesn't suit some babies at all(we were in this catagory!) Each to their own
    I have some friends who absolutely swear by her methods and their babies were sleeping through early.
    Mine didn't sleep through until 7 monthsish but this was right for us.

    I did have a very baby led routine for the first six months but I always had a bedtime routine. You might want to start with this if you are looking for a more gentle approach. However, if you go down the GF route I wish you every sucess (but don't get upset if your baby doesn't fit into her routines) x
  • I know it works for many people on here but it wasn't for me, I think it depends on what your personality is with how you deal with routine. Personally I would recommend 'The Baby Whisperer' by Tracey Hogg.

    But then again if you feel happy with how you are doing things yourself then don't worry about any books, sometimes they can cause more worry as they can be very contradictory.

    Congratulations on your lo, enjoy this time together and don't worry about routines.
  • I meant to say, for the first six weeks(or longer - I was naughty!), just enjoy your baby. Cuddle, kiss, stare in wonder at this amazing thing you have made - it goes all too quickly.

    I did all this and it didn't 'spoil' my LO, form six months he got himself into a fab routine.
  • I would definitely recommend that you read the book as well as the Baby Whisperer. Then decide which bits you like the sound of from each. Just be aware that no baby fits in exactly into her routines. If yours wants to eat at a slightly different time or you to go out at a certain time then adjust the routines.

    I used the routines as a guide to how often my LO should be being fed, sleeps, bath etc but changed a couple of the feed times to suit both her and myself. I used the routines from day 1 (adjusted) and they worked really well for us. Abby had a shorter lunchtime nap and a 1pm feed rather than 2pm - this allowed us to go out in the afternoon.

    I would also really recommend some of the Baby Whisperer techniques. The "shush-pat" and "pick-up, put-down" techniques are a lifesaver and work with babies in a routine or "baby-led".

    Good luck with whatever you choose,
    H xx
    Personally I like to read lots of different books/advice and then pick the bits that I like the most.

  • ha ha ha a one week old in a routine? Ummm I'd try something maybe at 2 months. Congratulations and enjoy rather than organise
  • IMO you don't need Gina no kids Ford to help you- just trust yourself to know what to do with your baby- You are the Mum so you know best.

    The only advice I would give you regarding any kind of routine is to have a bedtime and a routine surrounding this e.g. Bath, massage, feed then bed or whatever takes your fancy. Other than that feed your baby when they are hungry let the sleep when they need too and just enjoy them. Don't panic over sleeping though- they will when they are ready.

    xx
  • I read the book, and found some of her methods to be really helpful. Whether she has kids or not is irrelevant.
    I will say that we dont 'follow' the routines to the letter, we adapt according to what Emilia wants.
    Def worth a read and make your own mind up

    joanna x
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