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Gina Ford CLB routine
Hi
our little oscar is just over 2 weeks old, and we are having real trouble settling him in his bed etc - i know its still early, but we would like to get into a routine as soon as possible.
I have heard about gina ford's clb routine and wondered if anyone had tried it? was it successful? how long did it take for your baby to 'get the hang of it'? did you follow it by the book? or adapt it slightly? If you considered it and decided not to follow it, why did you decide that and what did you do instead?
thanks
our little oscar is just over 2 weeks old, and we are having real trouble settling him in his bed etc - i know its still early, but we would like to get into a routine as soon as possible.
I have heard about gina ford's clb routine and wondered if anyone had tried it? was it successful? how long did it take for your baby to 'get the hang of it'? did you follow it by the book? or adapt it slightly? If you considered it and decided not to follow it, why did you decide that and what did you do instead?
thanks
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Replies
I am not the best person to answer re. routines as my LO is 4 months old and doesn't sleep through the night - which alot of the set routines would see as something wrong. I do dip in to gina ford and the baby whisperer but I am mainly just led by my LO.
What problems are you having with LO? Maybe some of the ladies on here could help without you having to look to a rigid routine?
I have taken little bits out of her book which has helped get DS into some sort of routine (he's done it himself to be honest)
one thing GF says in the book is that a baby sleeps better between 10pm and 6am if they get a good sleep between 7pm and 10pm.....
DS is just over 3 months old and he is sleeping from 7pm to 7am......
I personally think that 'mummy knows best'.... not Gina Ford !!!!!
DLAM xxx
Our main problem is that he just won't settle in his bed. I spend about half an hr breast feeding him-he always falls asleep and I'm sure he isn't taking enough food in (I try waking him, but it only wakes him for a couple of sucks then he is back to sleep). He then suffers from bad wind pains despite winding him for up to 1 hr (we have tried infacol and now on dentinox). When we manage to calm him down, he starts to fall asleep on us but as soon as he goes in his own bed he wakes and screams/won't settle till he's picked up. We usually have fewer problems in the morning, and it seems to get progressively worse (I assume as he gets overtired) until after his 3am feed. I understand that newborns are demanding and need attention and cuddles, and i am not expecting him to sleep through or anything, but him not settling in his own bed is getting worse (he was fine in there to begin with) and I dont want to get myself stuck in a situation where he won't sleep by himself at all if that makes sense?
However, I think that if you want to use something then this one is really good. There will be aspects of it that won't work for you, but I believe the most important parts ar establishing good naptimes and a bedtime routine. The rest is flexible.
Even now at 1yr old we still follow the lunchtime nap and bedtime routine.
Have you tried swaddling him before you put him in his bed and then transfering?
Give the book a read, but keep in mind that its just a guide xxx
I had my son in her routine right from when we got him out of hospital, and by routine i mean the feeding and sleeping timings. I dont necessarily put him to sleep in his cot for every nap. It depends where we are and what we are doing and if he doesnt want to sleep then he doesnt sleep! If he is hungry 15 minutes before his feed is due then i feed him! If we wakes up an hour early then i just adjust the timings accordingly.
I think people take her way to seriously, you dont have to follow it rigidly by the book, but take out of it the important bits.
She explains the importance of sleep during the day, how much sleep baby should be getting depending on their age etc...and i really like her bedtime routine, bath and bottle etc. I think its really helpful and helped me understand his needs, as i didnt have a clue at the start, being a 1st time mum.
It really helps me too because i know when he is hungry and when he is tired. I know how much sleep he should be getting a day and during the night. I might just be lucky but he never screams for no reason and i'm sure its because he's been in a routine from the start.
I would definitely have a read of the book and see what you think...
xxx
I have always really been led by my LO and fallen into our own routines. I have found that these will alter overtime anyway as they go through different stages etc.
My LO would never settle when he was put in his basket, and would fall back to sleep as soon as he was picked up. I went through about 7 weeks of no sleep because of this - then one day I put him to sleep on his side rather than his back (this isn't recommended by HV's though) and he slept great. He just didn't like sleeping on his back. He is now 5 months and has just started to be able to sleep on his back. He was / is EBF and suffered with really bad wind, which didn't help - I think sleeping on his side helped with this.
I couldn't believe that that was all it was that was preventing him from sleeping in his moses basket!
Good Luck - don't be too hard on yourself, I found I was that obsessed with routines etc I got so stressed out and wasn't enjoying my baby. Now I just go with the flow...
Have you tried giving him a comforter - my DD had one that I think is called a Kusky - basically anything, even a muslin cloth, but keep it on you overnight or over the course of a day so it picks up your smell, I used to tuck hers in my bra! Give it to him when you put him down and see if being able to still smell you comforts him enough to go to sleep.
If not, rocking and cuddling and shushing to sleep is perfectly ok. I promise. It doesn't 'spoil' them - just do what he needs, he will learn to self settle in his own time.
Oh, and I loathe Gina Ford!
It can't hurt to read it - take from it what you need x x x
But think i will but book first
My daughter's 18 weeks and feeds 3 hourly during the day then sleeps 10-12 hours at night, going to bed at 7pm with a bath/feed/bed routine but other than that we don't have set times for things; she naps (in her cot) when I see she's tired and if she's a bit hungry before 3 hours then I'll feed her. xx
Just ordered her book do u think a 3 month old that has been used to sleeping on us except for nighttimes get in2 routine?
Does it give helpful ideas to get them to sleep as this is why weve ended up doing this as he refused to go dwn.
XX