Gina Ford routines - what do you think?
in Baby
Hey mummies!
Gatecrashing from the pregnancy forum, hope you don't mind! I've just started reading a Gina Ford's Contented Little Baby book and it sounds a bit scary! All the routines and the controversy of whether to follow them or not. Wondered whether anyone was following these and how they were going? Also wondered what 'real' mummies had found to be best practice.
xxx
Gatecrashing from the pregnancy forum, hope you don't mind! I've just started reading a Gina Ford's Contented Little Baby book and it sounds a bit scary! All the routines and the controversy of whether to follow them or not. Wondered whether anyone was following these and how they were going? Also wondered what 'real' mummies had found to be best practice.
xxx
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Replies
The book will probably seem scary if lo is not here yet! I must say I found the book really helpful - but I didn't start using it until lo was about 3 1/2 months old. I think early on you just need to adjust to having lo and finding your feet and I think they're too little for routines then. However we are really busy trying to set up a new business so I felt I needed some structure and found that my little girl just slotted straight into the routines. They are worked around breastfeeding - which I'm still doing, with options for Bottlefed babies. The routines tend to work with natural sleep patterns for babies. I must say that I did find it really helpful and helped me feel in control and organised. I don't stick religiously to them, but my little girl likes her routine and it keeps her happy - so I go with it.
I also used her weaning book, as I didn't have a clue when it came to that! A good guide also!
I'd say suck it and see but don't worry if the 'routine' doesn't work straight off - particularly early on. Also if my little one wakes in the night and seems to need a feed, then I feed her - i've never been able to do controlled crying. Use the book as a guide for your own natural instincts and you'll be fine.
Best of luck
Rachael
I found that, as a breastfeeding mama, it was quite hard to put newborn into a strict routine. I fed on demand and LO napped as-and-when he wanted. He always had a bath before bed but that was about the only consistency we had.
Once he turned 12 weeks I started introducing times and a bit more structure to the day. We also reduced his bedtime from 10pm 'til 7pm and introduced a book before bed.
My LO is now 11 months and we have our little routine but I'm not too reliant on it. We do the same things, at the same times, in the same order before bed and he always has a proper nap in his cot during the day; other than that we're pretty flexible.
I think Gina Ford works better for bottle-fed babies and for mums who need/want to return to work reasonably quickly after birth. I definately think that having some routine is better than having no routine.
Good luck with the rest of your preg x
I think it seems good but dont know how easy it wil be to follow when breastfeeding. I dont know if anyone else has done this?
I think Gina Ford has some good ideas but it's possible to develop a routine that suits you and your baby without being so strict.
Good luck!
xx
it does read in quite a harsh/strict tone but its all about how you interpret what she's saying. we followed the GF routine with Joshua from 2 weeks old and it worked for us. Joshua was sleeping through from 9 weeks old (7pm-10pm dream feed then 1030pm-7am) and he really is a contented baby!
we literally followed the timings of feeds and naps (I was bottle feeding from 3 weeks old) and where he slept, methods to help baby sleep.we didnt follow what I consider any of the harsh bits ie no eye contact at feeding etc
im the type of person that prefers a routine, not because I wanted my life back after having Joshua cos thats how I run my life by routine otherwise I can be a right lazy cow so routine works for us. some days the GF way didnt work but I never beat myself up over it just tried again the nxt day. it does say as part of the routine when you should eat your lunch and have your dinner etc but this is obviously only advice and its there to make sure you rememeber to eat and drink cos believe me as a 1st time mum you forget all about your needs.
remember all babaies are individuals just like us and sometimes they dont want to follow a routine so dont beat yourself up if it goes wrong one day. there are a lot of people on here who dont like the GF way but for us it worked but you should do whats right for you and your baby. hope this helps xxx
fea x
From what i get from talking to people, the more 'organised' they seem to be, the more the routine works for them. X
i agree with routne ,although i think of it more as a sequence of events like what was said earlier the 3 b's but mine is more like 4 b's book, bath,bottle and bed the rest of the day is more relaxed but i like her to have 2 naps 1 in the morning 1 in the aft
as a first timemum you get better more honest tried and tested advice from REAL mummies on here not in a book by someone who is just trained (for want of a better term) in child care
fea x
As others have said I have read and then adapted to suit our dayto day needs. xx
I used plain common sense and let ollie settle into his own routine. It worked for us from about 3 months onwards, and he is a very happy very content little boy.
Breastfed babies cannot wait 4 hours for a feed at first or they would be screaming, because bmilk is very easily digested, so that part of the routine would have to be altered....
I like a structure to my day, and I like to be organised (although it doesnt always happen that way) but there was no way i was going to follow a routine from a book. We sorted our own out.
And tbh - who does Gina Ford think she is? Supermum? She hasnt even got any kids of her own!!!!!!
I'm sorry but i think she is an evil person, and she should actually have a child before she comments on how to bring them up!
Enjoy your baby at first, because you wont get those first weeks back, and try to find your own routine that you and your baby are happy with. You might find that you both fall into one really easily.
xxxx
Maybe I needed a book cos I dont have much common sense ) which is probably true but the book does have some really good advice...like anything take from it the bits you want too and ignore the bits you dont agree with which is what i did.
As everyone said though babies generally fall into their own routine, and yes those first few weeks you will never get back xxx
[Modified by: webmaster on July 08, 2008 01:47 PM]
Maybe some people would call me naive or stupid but I didn't know how long babies should go without feedin and i didn't know that after 1hr 30-2hrs a baby needed a nap etc (admitedly i would prob have worked this out) and so for me it was a useful routine. I agree with most people in that if you tried to follow it religously you would have problems but I tried when I could and some days it didn't happen but I always started my day at 7am and bathed baby etc at 6pm ish no matter what and lo and behold out of all my friends who have had babies the same time as me (7 of them!!) mine is the only one to sleep through so far (after dream fed at 10pm) and will go to sleep from being put down awake.......and he was totally breast fed and in special care for 2 wks after a huge fight to live.
I had all sorts of comments (mainly mothe in law!) about how it was cruel to implement a routine etc but hey, I had my social life back on track, can leave him knowing the routine works, have a (mostly!) happy baby, sleep!!, and peace of mind.
I'm not saying she is for everyone but for me she saved my life! But at the end of the day everyone muct do what they feel works for them regardless of anyone's advice!!!