Help- I've been brainwashed!!!M

[Shootingstar100]

27wks pregnant (first baby) and a friend has lent me her Gina Ford 'Contented Baby' book. Have read it from cover to cover and am seriously tempted to follow her plan to the letter!! Am I totally mad?

[belgo]

What is it that is so attractive about her plan?

[Boogiemumma]

My DS was very fretful and I follwed Gina Ford plan from when he was about 5 weeks old. It helped me and helped settle him into a beter routine, so it worked in my case but everyone is different. I'm expecting DD next week and will be following it again. If it appeals give it a go - you'll know whether it suits your baby or not, remember they are guidlines. Good luck.

[MotherPanda]

I read a little freebie version of this - and it does sound tempting.

Its like she's promising me a good nights sleep for eternity.... we'll see how it goes, shall we?

[PrincessJenga]

Shhhh.... don't tell any of my NCT friends but it makes a lot of sense to me too.

[Shootingstar100]

It's the 'do it exactly as I say and your baby will sleep well and be perfectly happy' claim that's tempting me! But then maybe I'm just gullable!! It's VERY structured though!

[Shootingstar100]

boogie did you follow it strictly?

Thanks for replies, it's not just me then?!

[louboutinslover]

I have done it with both my DCs and it has worked wonderfully with both of them. Have both slept through the night from about 8 weeks and have never had any sleep problems at all. Eldest is now 2.7 and the younger 13 months! Recommend it thoroughly and dont let anyone tell you it is cruel! Rubbish!!!
Enjoy your contented little baby and good sleep!

[Shootingstar100]

Ooo louboutinslover I'm even more tempted now!!

Can I just ask about the feeding aspect? I would love to be able to breastfeed exclusively but she recommends expressing too. Anyone have any advice on this?

[Boogiemumma]

I did follow this quite rigourously but DS setled into it so well it never concerned me. IMHO babies like routine it helps them to be secure (and it helps you plan your day). I never BF DS but will with DD and yes I'll be expressing also - it makes sense that it'll help increase milk supply and also I may be able to get a little more rest sooner rather than later if DH can do a night feed or 2!

[PrincessJenga]

Oh, I have that question too (sorry Shooting, I'm totally nicking your thread!)

I was considering expressing after reading Gina, but the NCT breastfeeding lady says it will take just as long as feeding yourself. Part of me wants to save the money and not buy an electronic pump, the other part of me wants to liberate myself and be allowed a few hours 'off' while DP bottle feeds.

[Shootingstar100]

That's the thing Princessjenga - I don't like the idea of expressing, or the cost of buying the machine. In fact, I was hoping not to have to do any sterilizing at all!! It's such a dilemma!!

How much work is the sterilizing?

[louboutinslover]

With DS1 i Bf and expressed and it worked for us. I know people who have not done this and it still worked. Also, with DS2 I mixed breast with bottle. That worked very well too. Sterilising is no work at all really. Just fill the steriliser and press start! Strongly agree with boogie in that babies thrive on routine which is exactly why Gina Ford's routines work so well. The earlier they get used to it the better and sooner you will see results! Stick with it and it will pay off. It is tough at the start to follow it rigorously but oh so worth it in the end :)

[aethelfleda]

A very small word of caution- a few years ago the lady whose book you refer to sent a load of very grumpy legal letters to mumsnet, as she did not like perceived criticism of her work that was occuring on mumsnet at the time.

So this thread (or post) may get pulled!!

But I will say one thing- if you get on with this then fine, but I had a friend who tried to follow a very precise baby regime (I'm not saying which one...), Her baby didn't get on with it (didnt want to feed at those times, didn't sleep when "scheduled") and my friend felt a total failure and got quite severe postnatal depression. I know she might have got it anyway, but her desire for "achieving" a perfect routine just made her feel worse when it didn't work so well.

Good luck with whatever you find works for you, and hope this thread survives!

[Jill72]

no no no

[barristermum]

I did a sort of Gina "lite", crossed with Babywhisperer type thing.

I think Gina can be very stressful if you try and follow it to the minute (and I used to feel a bit rebellious - What if I don't want a slice of wholemeal toast at 8.07am?!!), but the basic principle of a bit of routine and plenty of sleep at the right time made sense to me so I tried it and it broadly worked and my little girl slept through the night bar a dream feed when I went to sleep from about 11 weeks I think.

I wouldn't stress if she didn't want to go down (never did long sustained jags of controlled crying) during the day, but I would wake her up if she was sleeping long over the rough times.

I also found Gina impossible to combine with the early stages of breast feeding - my milk didn't come in quickly enough and I could never express.

Just don't feel dictated to - you feel so unsure of yourself in the early days you think every book knows your baby better than you do and the more you read the stories of "So and so were totally shattered and feeling like terrible parents until I came round, showed them my techniques and where they were going wrong and now their baby sleeps like a dream" the more you feel it must be your fault. Have confidence - no-one ever had/looked after your baby....

Enjoy!

[charlienotcharlotte]

Expressing and breast feeding isn't more work. Expressing doesn't take long if you can learn to hand express effectively (I can hand express 60ml in 10 mins on a good day). Also in answer to the sterilising issue, if you get a microwave steriliser its cheaper than buying a proper steriliser (mine came free with a manual breastpump) and takes no effort at all. Just pop in microwave and press start! Babies do like routine and my 6 week old now sleeps 6-8 hours a night. But yes do be wary- all babies are different and you have to find a system that suits you and the baby. There is no right way to do things and no method is fool proof and 100% effective.