Baby Secrets, by Jo Tantum

I read this book when I was pregnant and decided to follow it, great routine I thought. Then I had my son, a clingy hungry baby. Things were going well 2 weeks in, I was feeling fairly confident I was getting to know my baby. I flicked through the book again at this point... oh no, I'm doing it wrong, I'm feeding too often, he doesn't sleep this much, if I put him down awake he screams... 'spaced soothing' (controlled crying basically) for a newborn baby, really?

It's not a dreadful book, the routines are not dissimilar to GF but are more flexible. The BF advice is better than GF and the baby whisperer. The soothing advice didn't work for me, trying to soothe my hungry baby by stroking his nose just didn't cut it!

As with all of these books, take some really useful advice and ignore what you want!

I Only found this book when my daughter was 10 weeks old, before the book I fed on demand and had no routine in place. I had a very unsettled baby who would not sleep unless she was on me. She cryed alot during the day and night. Bed time was awful and it would take forever to get her to sleep, there was alway tears along the way.

I did not believe in routine and teaching babys to sleep until I got to the point where I could no longer go on and something had to give. Thats when I come across Jo Tantums book and I thought, I'll give anything a go. IO was not really expecting it to do what she claims.

Once I started with her book I implemented her routine and It was amazing!
My baby changed over night. (literally) She become much more settled, happier and did not cry even a third of the amount she did before. I could now take her out and about with out worrying she could kick off at any time and I would have to leave.

I implemented the sleep advise (to get baby to bed with out fuss) and I have to be honest the first night it took 2 hours with lots of tears from both sides, it was grueling and the hardest part of the routine. The second night it took 45 minuets. The third night it took 10 minuets. The fourth night I bathed, fed and put baby in her cot and she went off to sleep no problem, no fuss, no crying, not even getting her to sleep on me first, just straight in to the cot and off to sleep she went.

After that my baby went from waking every 3 hour to waking every 4/5 hour.
It has gradually got longer and longer. My baby is now 6 month and sleeps 7am to 7pm some time until 8am if im lucky. Jo Tantum does claim to get the babys sleep 7am to 7pm before six month, but My baby is a small baby and I think thats whys it has taken a bit longer.

This is the only book you need for a young baby, If you dont believe in her methods but you are at your witts end buy it, try it and give it a couple of day im sure you will see instant results.

This book was also recommended to me by a friend and I have found it to be the most straightforward and practical of all the baby books out there. There is a chapter dedicated to getting your baby to sleep through the night and lots of different routines which you can use as a guide and flex to suit your family.

Jo also has a really good website and if you have a specific problem, she has an email service aimed at guiding you through that problem - I have used it myself, as have a number of friends. Sometimes you just need a neutral third party to talk something through with and reassure you that you are doing the right thing!

I was given this book by my friend as a gift when I was pregnant .I also heard about Jo from my Mother in law who is a neonatal nurse and has used this book for the last 3 years with her patients .
I loved how friendly and easy to read it was ,I could dip in and out of it when I needed to .It also was very reassuring to have a plan of how to look after this little person when he arrived .
When he did arrived I was so exhausted from a difficult delivery that this book became my bible. It made me able to have some rest when Josh was sleeping and also gave me confidence to understand why he was crying and there was so many tips on how to get him sleeping through the night .
I never felt like I was being pushed into the routines as there are so many ,I felt I could help Joshua without him getting upset .
Well after following the book Joshua started sleeping really well ,and now he sleeps from 7pm - 7am every night ,and has done for months .
Thanks Jo - I now buy it for all my friends and it has become their baby bible .