Product reviews

I wish I had not been given this book as a present before my baby was born.

The problem with Gina Ford is the micro managing, one-size-fits-all timings she sets out. People say she's not inflexible but you look at those timetables: where is the sensitivity to each different baby, or alternative approaches? I was constantly thumbing through to the daily schedule for my baby's age thinking, "What is it I'm supposed to be doing now!?". I was slightly nervous as a new mother and this book did nothing to reassure me. It became an obstacle to my simply getting to know my baby's own natural routine, trusting her signals and needs. I'm not a hippy, I do believe that some babies need help to get a routine going but this book was too much for me.

Oh and where in the schedules does it mention when exactly you as the parent are supposed to get yourself up, washed and dressed...? Figure that one out for yourself. Before you wake the baby at seven a.m.?

Having had no rotuine on my first child and paid the price with sleepless nights etc, on my second I bought this book as a friend used it for both her girls who went straight into a routine. When I tried to follow it I nearly drove myself insane as it is so regimented I lost my life somewhere! I gave up and started Tracy Hoggs baby whisperer which is a more relaxed way of setting a good routine. I'm sure there are soem good tips but It's not for every mum or every baby.

Most of this book is patronising, overcontrolling, condescending, and completely unflexible if you don't want to do EXACTLY the same thing EVERY SINGLE DAY for the first year of your babies life. Gina Ford is most definately a complete and utter baby nazi (she's also a bit of an ego-maniac if you consider every one of her nanny stories, there's one every 5 pages or so, goes along the lines of 'there was this long-suffering family, I changed their lives in a week, etc, etc.)

HOWEVER, not only did I use contented little baby, I now also refer to contented little toddler frequently. Although I don't use 80% of the book, the routine pages are fantastic. I was a young first-time mum and when Lola went onto bottles from breast at 8 months I had no idea how much milk I should be giving her and how often, if/when she should be sleeping during the day, what time to put her in her cot at night etc. etc. and this book really helped. We still use the routine now and Lola is 2.

If you can get a friend with the book to photocopy the routines for you, it's really not worth buying the book as the rest of the material is utter rubbish. Otherwise rent it from the library and copy them yourself! :p

Most of this book is patronising, overcontrolling, condescending, and completely unflexible if you don't want to do EXACTLY the same thing EVERY SINGLE DAY for the first year of your babies life. Gina Ford is most definately a complete and utter baby nazi (she's also a bit of an ego-maniac if you consider every one of her nanny stories, there's one every 5 pages or so, goes along the lines of 'there was this long-suffering family, I changed their lives in a week, etc, etc.)

HOWEVER, not only did I use contented little baby, I now also refer to contented little toddler frequently. Although I don't use 80% of the book, the routine pages are fantastic. I was a young first-time mum and when Lola went onto bottles from breast at 8 months I had no idea how much milk I should be giving her and how often, if/when she should be sleeping during the day, what time to put her in her cot at night etc. etc. and this book really helped. We still use the routine now and Lola is 2.

If you can get a friend with the book to photocopy the routines for you, it's really not worth buying the book as the rest of the material is utter rubbish. Otherwise rent it from the library and copy them yourself! :p

Most of this book is patronising, overcontrolling, condescending, and completely unflexible if you don't want to do EXACTLY the same thing EVERY SINGLE DAY for the first year of your babies life. Gina Ford is most definately a complete and utter baby nazi (she's also a bit of an ego-maniac if you consider every one of her nanny stories, there's one every 5 pages or so, goes along the lines of 'there was this long-suffering family, I changed their lives in a week, etc, etc.)

HOWEVER, not only did I use contented little baby, I now also refer to contented little toddler frequently. Although I don't use 80% of the book, the routine pages are fantastic. I was a young first-time mum and when Lola went onto bottles from breast at 8 months I had no idea how much milk I should be giving her and how often, if/when she should be sleeping during the day, what time to put her in her cot at night etc. etc. and this book really helped. We still use the routine now and Lola is 2.

If you can get a friend with the book to photocopy the routines for you, it's really not worth buying the book as the rest of the material is utter rubbish. Otherwise rent it from the library and copy them yourself! :p