To consider gina?

[Pickles77]

Okay AIBU to consider buying a gina ford book? I have the mumsnet baby book which is great... But got the impression most mumsnetters don't approve of gina ford? I'm not sure I will, I'm just intrigued by the fuss? And want to be the best mum
I can be...

She doesn't like us, this thread will disappear.

yes yabu

Get it out the library, have a read, see if it suits you. There are people who swear by her, but given her litigious history on MN, you aren't going to find many vocal Gina fans on here.

Well I bought it, and read it, but haven't actually 'used' it iyswim. It's just SO prescriptive 'baby must be up and dressed and playing by 7.15, baby must have x oz of milk at x time, then sleep for x amount of time'. It's like, if you wanted to raise your baby how the army train recruits, then go for it. Some say it works, I'm sceptical. It looked like much more effort than it was worth TBH.

Ha, don't think this thread will last long!!! I did it and loved it - the routines worked very well for my babies and me, but I'm well aware that some MNers will have me hung, drawn and quartered for that.

I did Gina routine. Dd is 6mo now and we do a relaxed version. If you are able to pick out bits that you think will work for you and use them it may be better than feeling like you have to follow it to the letter (like a LOT of MNers seem to think ypu have to)

You don't have to use it from the start if you don't need it. And it doesn't make you a better mum, do what suits you best.

FWIW I did it to the minute from week 4 and it worked straight away, it was much easier than my attempt at going with the flow. I don't do relaxed.

Gnocchi -it's not MNers. It's the book itself which basically says you have to follow it to the letter. I totally agree that it seems most useful to people who just pick out some bits, but that's not how I think it is intended to be used. I haven't ever done Gina, but I have read her books (including the original version of CLB) from the library for my own education.

I took what I liked out of the book and it has worked for me. However, I do that with everything

I used it 3 X and thought it was fab. Actually a lot of Mners rate her highly, they're just not so easily bullied off threads these days.

Gina worked for me, I must say. Whatever else my 16mo is, she's a 7-7 sleeper (lets not mention the wakings during that time tho) and has a 2 hour nap in her cot every day. I think as long as you take the book as a loose guide and ignore the strident, hectoring tone, the advice she gives is pretty sound. Don't even THINK about following it during the first few weeks cause it will make you cry when you compare your hectic schedule to the rigid one detailed in the book.

Yes, yabu.

Move away from the books!!!

Worked great for us, as I see it, if you read it you can use it or not. We used it strictly from 7pm till 7am, but didn't follow it for day naps, did use it for times between feeds etc

it is EXACTLY THE SAME as baby whisperer, except baby whisperer is writtin in a more fluffy way, and the baby whisperer keeps SAYING its not a routine... but if you were to follow baby whisperer, you would be doing a GF day apart from one single difference - one wakes for the dream feed, the other that one is a sleepy feed

Not really related to Gina, but I think the most helpful book for me was the Baby Whisperer. It just put a lot of things in perspective for me (like, why babies cry) and it had enough of a suggested 'routine' to get me started in structuring our days a bit more, but it's still flexible. Plus I found her sleeping/bedtime routines really good, and they worked for us.

I bought it, I read it when pregnant and felt quite emotional at the fact that the routines seemed so strict. I consider myself to be an organised person, but I couldn't see how the routines could possibly work unless I had an army of staff cooking and cleaning for me.

The book seems to suggest that if you don't follow the routines from day 1, you'll have an uphill struggle, but I actually found it helpful revisiting the book when DS was 10 weeks old or do and doing my own version of the routines.

My advice would be to get to know your baby and get to know yourself as a mum, then try and and establish a routine around your baby's rhythm. Babies do have a routine of their own - its easier to fall in with what works for your baby than to try and force a baby into someone else's routine. The book is really useful though as a guide to number and length of naps. Key to a happy baby is good regular napping.

YANBU. I used it from 7 weeks cause I hadn't a clue what I was doing and really struggling. I found it very useful

I thought this was a baby names thread

IMO her routines are undoable unless you are completely prepared to ignore and override your baby's basic emotional and sometimes physical needs and lose touch with your own intuition when caring for your baby.

Awaits deletion .

It's a really useful book.

If you have a table that wobbles a bit and you want to tuck something under it to keep it steady. Probably works well for lighting the fire too.

Is it ok if you're breastfeeding? Can you feed on demand and still follow?

I've never read Gina Ford and tbh she really doesn't appeal to me, especially after she said that women shouldn't say no to sex after birth even if they don't want it. Wtaf?

The best advice I had was that babies are like adults - individuals.

GF really doesn't allow for that so I would say YABU (and a bit mad - but you're expecting your first baby - it's allowed! .

I was a struggling new mum. I tried to follow Gina Ford. My baby didn't fall into line. So then I was struggling failure of a new mum. I imagine it can be great if you have an amenable child.

I thought that said Gin GF no, Gin, yes

I found Gina very helpful. I am a control freak and like meglet don't do relaxed. I was a 20 year old who had never had any contact with babies and not the first clue what to do with one.
I didn't follow it to the letter but took most of the times and jiggled them to suit us. The ideas of a bedtime routine and blackout curtains are fab and the weaning book was a godsend! It helped me to feel confident in what I was doing and to have something to refer to.
Try reading the book and if you only take one thing from it, let it be blackout curtains.