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Original poster

Health visitor recommending Gina Ford for 5 month old

29 replies

MonsterArcade · 02/12/2019 17:38

DS is five months. We have no routine, he still (breast)feeds on demand day and night. He probably feeds every 2/3 hours in the day (sometimes more frequently but shorter feeds) and will feed to sleep around 7pm. If he stays asleep from 7pm he will sleep through until 4am and have a night feed then. If he wakes up after 7pm he sometimes feeds at 10pm, 12pm and then 2am too. He feeds back to sleep.

Health visitor has said we need to start Gina Ford method and get him to a strict, established routine. My question really is, do I? I'd love more sleep but he's still little and it seems a tad extreme.

OP posts:
Baguetteaboutit · 02/12/2019 17:41

No, you don't have to do any such thing. If he is only having two night wakings that disturbs your own sleep then I'd stick with what you are doing.

curiouscatgotkilled · 02/12/2019 17:42

Only you know what's best for your baby. I suggest you have a read of Gina Fords ideas and make an educated decision.
Your baby is still so teeny and it will pass and you will sleep.
Can you get someone to take baby for a few hours so you can have a sleep?
Could a Bedtime bottle help?

SquigglePigs · 02/12/2019 17:43

Definitely not! As long as you're happy. It sounds like he's doing great. My 11 month old still wakes for a feed earlier in the night than that!

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Maltay · 02/12/2019 17:44

Breastfeeding and strict routine don't go together at all in my experience!

Original poster
MonsterArcade · 02/12/2019 17:46

Thanks. He sometimes has formula for his last feed at 7pm, but won't always take a bottle and often refuses. We've not noticed he sleeps any longer after it though. The nights where he stays down from 7pm and doesn't wake until 4am are fine, that's what I expect for his age really anyway. The night where he wakes up and then feeds back to sleep three or four times on top of his normal night feeds are a bit rough, and have become slightly more regular lately

OP posts:
gamerchick · 02/12/2019 17:48

Tbh it sounds as if he's in his own routine. It's a pain when they're little but he sounds as if he's doing fab.

The only advice I would give is co sleep but you don't need something as strict as what's been suggested.

Concestor · 02/12/2019 17:54

Report the Health visitor. They should only be giving evidence based information and GF is not.

eurochick · 02/12/2019 17:54

Nod, smile and ignore.

If you don't find the HV visitor useful, you don't need to see them you know.

MarieG10 · 02/12/2019 17:57

Report the Health visitor. They should only be giving evidence based information and GF is not.

Oh god....we have the health visitor police on here now. Let's report someone just they are not MN compliant. Take the advice and do what you want with it...she probably has a hell of a lot more experience than most on here

AuroraBor · 02/12/2019 18:24

I wouldn't necessarily follow the advice but I wouldn't just ignore it either. Read Gina Ford, have a think and maybe try it out.
All babies are different and some actually thrive much better with a routine even from an early age. I have a friend who did attachment parenting with her first DC, which worked great, but followed Gina Ford with her second from about 4 months, because that was what that baby needed.
Maybe your health visitor is seeing something you don't and suggesting it cause she thinks it's the best approach in your specific case (instead of just being a Gina Ford fan in general). Maybe she's worried that the lack of sleep will deminish your mental health or aggravate some other health issues later on, even if you yourself are happy to continue like this at the moment. Who knows....
Try it out - if you don't like it you don't have to follow it.

frugalkitty · 02/12/2019 18:27

No you don't. You need to do what works for you and your baby. If you spoke to them different health visitors you could have ten different opinions about what to do. That said, reading Gina Ford's book saved me from a complete breakdown and I found using it as a basis for my day (not literally following it to the letter) saved me from the black hole I was on the verge of falling into. My closest friend did the complete opposite. You just have to find what works for you and have confidence in it, everyone you meet will have an opinion about what you're doing right/wrong.......even as your kids go into their teens in some cases!

VenusClapTrap · 02/12/2019 18:29

Up to you. Everyone does this stuff differently. I did Gina Ford and it was great; I didn’t find it harsh at all, and it really helped with sleep - both my dc’s and my own. Breast feeding with it wasn’t a problem.

But there are those who will tell you it’s the devil’s work. 🤷‍♀️ People get very opinionated and worked up about baby routines. Do what works for you.

Vintagegoth · 02/12/2019 18:34

Also, if he is 5 months, the waking and feeding to sleep may be caused by his teeth starting to come through and he is feeding for comfort.
Not to minimize, but I would have loved my DDs to have slept that well at 5 months.

Go with your gut instinct.

HelloDulling · 02/12/2019 18:36

Of course you don’t have to. You can carry on as you are, or you can try something else. Whether that is Gina F or not is up to you. It worked like a charm for me, but it’s not for everyone.

Lovemenorca · 02/12/2019 18:37

You don’t have to and I be much doubt she said you have to do anything.

I did Gina Ford though. Absolutely brilliant.

Ohdeariedear · 02/12/2019 18:39

My two were Gina Ford-ed but that was more because I don’t cope well without a routine. Both were breastfed and it worked for us.

However! They key thing there is it worked for us. It might not work for you. No harm in having a read of it and seeing what you think though.

PurpleCrazyHorse · 02/12/2019 18:46

You don't have to do what the health visitor says. Sometimes it's useful to think about what they mention and maybe work out your own way of doing things, but I've found that babies tend to do what they're going to do anyway!

If you're happy and your baby is happy, then that's what counts.

ColleysMill · 02/12/2019 18:57

I think it really depends to a certain extent on you and your baby.

First time round i found it really helpful - i was completely overwhelmed, didnt have a clue what i was doing, was all over the place with feeds and it really helped me with a bit of structure and find our own routine.

Dc2 - different kettle of fish and wouldnt/didnt work at all but i was more confident in my own skills and we found our own routines much more quickly.

So i found it both successful and unsuccessful :)

OrchidFlakes · 02/12/2019 19:09

He sounds like he has his own little routine going on and is perfectly where a 5mo should be! My 2 DS were similar at that age and both eat and sleep well now at 7 and 4

bowchicawowwow · 02/12/2019 19:24

I would have a quick read through if Gina Ford but you don't need to follow it to the letter. I vaguely followed it with DC2 but I was a single parent and I had to get DC1 up, dressed and out on the walk school from the get go as I had no support after getting home from giving birth.

I found that getting up at the same time each day, before the baby woke me up and getting myself sorted helped me to feel a bit more in control. I would put DC2 to bed at the same time each night and not bringing them downstairs for each feed but instead going up to them etc. I certainly wasn't ironing sheets or anything else for that matter Grin night feeds were done without lights on or fuss.

LipstickTaserrr · 02/12/2019 19:35

I'd love to know how to force my DS 11 months to stay awake while breastfeeding Grin
All the advice it to stop the feed to sleep association from an early age but I found it impossible with both my children.
My DD stopped breastfeeding at 16 months and started sleepin through with good sleeping routines almost instantly so this gives me hope.
For now I'm just going to carry on feeding to sleep because he wakes up five times a night and it's the path of least resistance Blush

HoldMyLobster · 02/12/2019 19:53

I wouldn't call GF a strict routine - it's up to you how closely you follow it.

Mind you, I thought her book was the devil's work until I actually read it, tried it with my 3 month old, and discovered it made us both very happy.

Nonnymum · 02/12/2019 19:57

No of course you don't have to. He's your baby do it your way. You don't have to have a routine if you want to be baby led be baby led. I did and my children are now delightful adults and so has my DD and she has 3 happy, confident children.

NearlyOutedMyself · 02/12/2019 20:13

GIna Ford is very prescriptive and her suggested timelinecan be a bit intense. By all means read the book but you don't have to follow it.

Brown76 · 02/12/2019 20:19

I think your baby is going through the 4 month sleep regression thing, hang in there with it.

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