To be baffled by Gina Ford...

[Writerwannabe83]

My neighbour just leant me her copy of "The Contented Little Baby" book and after scanning various chapters all I can think is WTAF???

I really, really want to laugh at her shit but I'm too Gob Smacked!!

I have actually reported this thread.

Someone gave me her book when I was pregnant. I read it, shrugged and threw it on the pile of other baby books. This was because the overwhelming advice I was given was that babies had not read the books and would do what they wanted.

I came upon it again when DS was about 8 months old and I'd just gone on my merry way letting him set the schedule. Re-read the thing and as it turns out DS clearly had not only read that book but was the baby get schedule was based on.

He slept to her timetable to the minute bar a bit of occasional sleep regression

Still gave it and all other baby raising books to the local charity shops because one thing is certain: just has DS fooled me by following the damn thing, so would baby number 2 fool me by doing something else entirely!

Why report it though? Nothing mean has been said

I don't even know who she is (off to Google now!).

Is it just GF that we aren't allowed to discuss or are all other baby experts off limits too?

This is my personal view and not the view of MNHQ( my disclaimer)

Gina ford methods are bonkers

I guess I am just giving MNHQ the heads up, just in case.

I have been here on and off for ten years and I was here for the upset the lawsuit caused.

It was horrible.

You're perfectly allowed to say that her book is rubbish, IIRC the thing that sparked legal action was somebody describing in graphic detail something they would like to do to her

Anyway it was years ago. Of course you can discuss her book.

Meadow same here. DS1 got himself into a GF routine without me having read book until he was 6 months old.

This led me to the conclusion that many babies will naturally fall into a manageable routine. Some won't but can be coaxed into one (DS3) and others like DD2 will stick their fingers up and laugh in your face and sleep whenever the bloody well feel like it. Very unscientific research and not peer studied

So as a nanny GF wrote a book about a routine that lots of babies just fall into.

I paid actual money for her book, out of desperation.

She's like every bit of condescending advice given by passive aggressive relatives, personified.

I'm not usually controversial but she saved my life. I was really struggling with DD at 4 weeks when a friend gave me copy of Contented Little Baby.I followed it to the letter and let's just say it worked for us. Calm baby, happy mum but I appreciate it's not for everyone.

She tried to sue the poster as well as MNHQ

I found her weaning book very helpful and the potty training, ditto. I didn't CLB slavishly but there were things I found useful (and aalso things I didn't).

Oh I liked the CLB book and it helped.me to create a routine from day one.
I woupd use the routine again.

I didn't follow a plan as such, but my babies were very routiney - that's just what worked with us.
I think bottle feeding probably lends itself better to a routine than bf though.

I read the book, but got on much better with the baby whisperer tbh.

Also, I don't think she can ever have tried to implement that routine while simultaneously trying to get older children to school & preschool on time, DS2 falls asleep in the car every sodding morning at 9.15am, he'll be 1 in a few days

www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-438225/Both-idolised-reviled-baby-advisor-Gina-Ford-hits-back.html

For all those who aren't in the know. Sorry about Daily Fail link+ (send it's horrific fawning)

Freedom of speech right?

Poor MNTowers

I resent the amount of non evidence-based, non peer reviewed twaddle that desperate, sleep deprived parents are peddled. G f is especially bad in terms of prescriptive, thinly veiled threats that if you don't abide by her dictat, to the letter, you will die via sleep deprivation and general child induced desperation.

Money spinning tosh.

So there.

Don't look your baby in the EYE.

If you do it has WON.

www.mumsnet.com/media/gina-ford

A summary of the Mumsnet/Gina Ford debacle

Dammit 2kids - showing up my Daily Fail link

Yes - don't make eye contact before bedtime is an odd suggestion.

I had no preconceptions and gavevit a read whilst pregnant.

Like the OP I remember feeling absolutely baffled, it felt completely against my natural instincts as a mother.

Of course some people value it but it was a massive load of balls to me.