Gina Ford with 2nd child

Replies

• Bristol

  Apr 26, 2007 4:47PM

  In a nut shell what's the gina ford routine? I'm 23 weeks with my first.

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• daska

  Apr 27, 2007 5:43AM

  Give up now???? You'll have to cope with school runs, play-dates etc all of which play havoc with a baby routine. My sister swore by gina ford with her first and looked down her nose at those of us who didn't use her methods - she didn't realise that the truth was that she was blessed with a very easy child... she soon found out with her second who is an adorable but highly intelligent and mischievious little sprite who, even when child number 1's routine was adapted to fit her by using other people to do school run etc, never took to the GF regime. Don't get me wrong, if GF works for you and baby it's great, but like everything else it's not perfect and it doesn't have all the answers. Use what you can of it but if it doesn't work out then find another way that does rather than beating your head against a brick wall. Good luck!

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• wenders

  Apr 27, 2007 7:09AM

  Hi angela... I agree with daska... I would say relax!! 1st of all... you her mummy raised your daughter into a great little girl. NOT a routine by gina ford. You seem a bit anxious about this & I woud say dont' worry about things before they've happended! lol ) 2nd babies will fall into the routine you have now. How old is your daughter now? Surely you've got a bit of confidence about raising a baby? I'm sure you're a fantastic mum & will do a fantastic job 2nd time around too. If you like the order of a routine you must learn to relax any routine for a while once you have a newborn in your life then after a couple of months, then maybe try to get yourself into some order later on. Don't give yourself too much to fail and you will enjoy your 2nd baby much better. I'm 34 weeks pregnant with no2 & there will be 20 months between them (I must be mad! lol) . ) I do like a routine BUT not a gina ford routine as I find them too constricting, It took me about 3 months but I worked out my routine through trail & error. As it's my routine it's perfect for me & my family. I think every mum should take ANY "advise book" with a huge pinch of salt & not take them literally & remember there is no right or wrong way, just your way. Good Luck with with your 2nd bundle of joy!! xx )
  
  [Modified by: wenders on April 27, 2007 12:10 PM]
  

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• Ange1a

  Apr 27, 2007 2:35PM

  Thank you for the advice, that has really helped. My daughter is 2 and half and is excited about having a little brother/sister to play with. You have calmed me down, I think like you say I am panicking before there is a problem! I think you are right that Gina will have to adapt to our family routine and that I can't be as strict with Gina as I was the first time. I think it is really sad if people who are doing a GF routine make other mums feel bad, it is not right, we all have enough to cope with being mums let alone all this talking about whats right and whats wrong. I had people saying that GF was no good and that I should throw it away, but it worked for me and kept me sane as then I only listerned to one person. When I first had my daughter everyone was throwing advice at me and it was all too much, so I went to the shops and that was the book I bought and I decided to stick with one persons way of thinking, rather than 20 peoples diefferent ways!
  Thank you very much:\)

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• trazi67

  Apr 28, 2007 4:23AM

  Dear Angela, firstly you will be great with number 2. I was just like you, really anxious when I was expecting number 2 (21 months apart). Like you I found the GF book really helpful, although their were some things which just never worked for me and Max. I tried to use her ideas second time around BUT it just didn't really work, however, I did chose bits and again it did help me. I like having my children in a routine BUT that is what suits me and my family. I am now expecting number 3 in September and I still think "Oh my goodness how will I cope "but I also know I will... somehow!!!!! I'll have good and bad days. I will use some of GF's ideas again and adapt them to me and my family. I think books can help and advise, just as much as peoples experience BUT everyone is different and we all have our way of dealing and coping with things and no one way is right. I wanted to say thankyou to you because in your last post you have said so well what I have tried to say on a couple of other debates about GF. At times I've felt quite bad that I have had to rely on a book (any routine book probably would have helped me) especially when I've read some comments during debates but now I feel 'well that's what worked for me.'' Good luck with everything. Tracy xx

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