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Original poster

Who is Gina Ford and why haven't I heard of her?

148 replies

LemonJellyKelly · 23/08/2022 22:40

That's pretty much it really.

I had my first child in 1997.
My second in 2009.

She must have slipped off my radar during those times.

OP posts:
KneesAndBees · 23/08/2022 23:26

Lol 😎

Blanketpolicy · 23/08/2022 23:26

I read two baby books when ds was born in 2004. Gina Ford and Tracy Hogg (aka The Baby Whisperer). If I didnt know what that I was doing before I read them I was even more confused after 🤣🤣

Watchthesunrise · 23/08/2022 23:27

billygoatsgruff1 · 23/08/2022 22:57

@Watchthesunrise pregnant with my first and wondering how you adapted GF to fit but still got sleeping babies?

Three tricks, aside from Gina:
(1) I teamed the lessons from GF with the Baby Whisperer (Tracy Hogg) methods, which advocate for the same process used over and over: sleep, feed, play, nappy change, wind-down, back to sleep again.
(2) used swaddling and burping techniques that I looked up online.
(3) I combination fed from the get-go, so that the evening feed could be done by my husband using a bottle and the babies were nicely full at the end of the day.

Still had night wake ups till about 12 weeks (for two feeds, going down to one feed at about 8 weeks). You can't magic those away!

Allmyarseandpeggymartin · 23/08/2022 23:29

The trouble with all the baby books of course is that the baby has never read the books

HelloBunny · 23/08/2022 23:30

That’s interesting, Skinnermarink. My baby only sleeps while moving, or attached to me. And eats on the go, too!

m00rfarm · 23/08/2022 23:31

Worked for me.

Wouldloveanother · 23/08/2022 23:33

I loosely followed the method in the Contented baby book, and it bloody worked! DD went from being a permanently overtired, fractious, screaming, angry little thing to a rested, gurgling, smiling, adorable baby.

I truly believe good sleep habits are underrated on here, it’s always ‘they’re babies they’re not supposed to sleep’ or ‘feeding to sleep is normal’. The babies in my NCT groups whose mums followed the whole baby-led attachment approach were the most discontented ones, always crying and looking tired.

lljkk · 23/08/2022 23:35

I suppose GF made me discover how much I hate monotony. Routine makes me depressed.

Goodnewsday · 23/08/2022 23:35

Watchthesunrise · 23/08/2022 22:52

I used a version of GF's routines and had very contented babies, actually. The books were pretty good. It helped me know what to do, at each stage of development. Ultimately, baby care is about getting enough food into them, cleaning them, smiling at them and structuring their naps. It's not that hard. Modern methods make it way harder than it needs to be; and babies don't get anywhere near as much sleep as their brains need to as a consequence (IMHO).

Lots of women don't like the GF approach because they felt like the books imposed rules and imposed shame for breaking the 'rules'. Some women are unable to interpret suggestions made in a book and translate them to what makes sense to them. Instead they follow these books like they are rules to be strictly enforced. There were some GF women at the time literally holding-out on feeding their crying babies until 3 hours after the last feed on the dot (nuts), waking babies at exactly 7am (nuts) or holding-off on feeding solids until exactly six months (also nuts).

Totally agree with every word. I read it when pregnant with the idea of following it roughly (minus the own room part). Turned out he must have read it too, slept every single night for 12-14 hours since 6 weeks old! I need to try and remember what I did to do it again if I ever have another 😂

lifeturnsonadime · 23/08/2022 23:36

only book I ever burned.

Goodnewsday · 23/08/2022 23:40

@Wouldloveanother have to agree! I’m all for people doing it however they want and some people’s idea of having a baby is having them attached to them 24 hours a day but for me I just knew that wouldn’t work for my life at all. I’ve had friends who’s babies nap on them from day 1 and are therefore only able to nap on them so they can’t move from the sofa for hours on end at 6 months old while they sleep. I’ve got friends who followed that style of parenting who now have 2 year olds up at 5am so I definitely think it continues on way past the baby years.

I have ended up finding the whole thing (dare I say it)… easy 🤔 or definitely way easier than I expected! So much so, I’m thinking of having another much sooner than I would have originally thought. He is such a happy baby, always well rested and will eat pretty much anything, so laidback and easy going! I really wouldn’t do a single thing differently

AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair · 23/08/2022 23:42

Allmyarseandpeggymartin · 23/08/2022 23:29

The trouble with all the baby books of course is that the baby has never read the books

Why would the baby have to have read the book? What does that mean?

I followed GF, it worked fine and didn't need my children to know what it said

supersop60 · 23/08/2022 23:49

My copy was chucked at the wall more than once!

zen1 · 23/08/2022 23:50

My first DC was born in the early 2000s and a couple of people in my post-natal group followed her to a tee. I never read the books beyond flicking through them in a bookshop, but the whole routine thing was too restrictive for me and DH (we did not like to be tied to the house of an evening to keep to strict bedtimes etc and if we went out, DC came too). He was still a contented child!

Allmyarseandpeggymartin · 23/08/2022 23:51

AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair · 23/08/2022 23:42

Why would the baby have to have read the book? What does that mean?

I followed GF, it worked fine and didn't need my children to know what it said

Show quote history

I mean that the baby doesn’t know that it is supposed to follow the book.

HinchcliffeandMurgatroyd · 23/08/2022 23:52

Watchthesunrise · 23/08/2022 22:54

I told no-one I followed the routines, and stopped going to baby meet-ups. It was frowned-upon to have a baby that did everything 'right' and slept all night and woke up happy.

🙄
Here we go.

FlibbertyGiblets · 23/08/2022 23:53

Who knows nowadays what was posted and by whom? I know, obvs am not repeating it, ever, but yeah, it was v v funny. Grin

Strulch · 23/08/2022 23:53

MrsApplepants · 23/08/2022 23:02

Loved GF. Her methods were common sense to me and worked like a dream. But then I’m a big fan of routines for babies.

Same here - the book was a godsend to me as a first time Mum with no experience of how to look after a baby. I didn't follow it religiously but used it as a loose guide.

Glitteratitar · 23/08/2022 23:54

This reply has been withdrawn

This message has been withdrawn at the poster's request

FontSnob · 24/08/2022 00:17

Yankydoodledandy · 23/08/2022 23:10

Here]]

“A third cited example, posted in July, "says our client straps babies to rockets and fires them into south Lebanon".

🤣🤣🤣

Kerrrmieee · 24/08/2022 00:21

EllenWaiteourkid · 23/08/2022 22:50

I have reported this thread, nobody can be that disingenuous.

Sorry, posted and disappeared. Have my 25 year old son living back with me temporarily so was nattering.

Honestly? First baby in 1997.... Second (not planned) 2003... Nope, no idea hence asking.

Going to go back and read posts now.

876starlight · 24/08/2022 00:30

Never heard of her until I saw her name mentioned on the ‘things you can’t say on MN’ thread today. You’re not alone

876starlight · 24/08/2022 00:32

The person who said they reported the thread is so strange. Is this your dad’s website or something? MN aren’t paying you

Changechangychange · 24/08/2022 00:39

Rosewaterblossom · 23/08/2022 23:12

It was the controversy around her that made me discover MN back in the 00s. I also followed her potty training advice which meant my dc were trained in 3 days (they were 2).

Potty training success is just down to child readiness though isn’t it? DS was trained in 3 days aged 2.5 as well. I didn’t do anything special beyond putting him on a potty and praising him when he peed in it, he was just ready to do it.