To ask if anyone used Gina Ford method

[newmum1611]

Posting here for traffic
Did anyone use this routine? Did it work? I have a few things I’m not finding clear answers to with it..

I followed the timetable and it helped build a routine. Although nap time wasn’t in the dark still room - sometimes in the pram , sometimes elsewhere. It meant I could have an afternoon nap as well.

@newmum1611

Patience it takes a few weeks to master it. Why was the baby awake every hour? Was it for a feed or just unsettled?

Yes, I followed it loosely for both mine as babies (born in 2002 and 2005) and it worked very well

I had zero experience with babies so found it helped me to have a routine to follow

Like others I didn't follow it to the letter

At the time it was quite popular (although already had its haters!) and those of us that followed it definitely seemed to have less problems with getting our babies to sleep than those who didn't

Yes I did. Sent myself half mad trying to follow it to the letter, but I was desperate for sleep. It did work from that point of view. I never did CC though. It can be quite isolating because you are expected to be at home from 11am-3pm. GF advocates that naps should be in cots, not out and about. I was lucky that my DM hung out with me most days otherwise I would have been lonely.

I’ve bought the book and I wanted to do it, but for me it means I would miss meeting up with friends/ babygroups because of nap times. I try to do some of the basic concepts though.

I wish I could put my baby down while awake and she would go to sleep but she’s 5 months and I think that ship has sailed unfortunately .

I used it but didn't follow it to the letter.

I found it incredibly helpful in structuring the day of my DC1 because he seemed to be taking what felt like a hundred tiny feeds and catnaps during the day and no one could tell me what he should be having "whatever he wants, dear." GF basically said that most babies sleep for X number of hours, in this sort of pattern, try to feed for as long as possible four + times during the day and do two naps and they'll do a longer sleep at night. It was fab, and DS1 just didn't cry unless hurt or unwell, he would wake for food when I expected him to so I was already ready to feed him. It was extremely harmonious. Then I had DC2 eighteen months later and put her on the same routine; I'd have 2-3 hours to myself in the middle of every day while they both napped - saved my sanity!

The one thing I didn't do was wake the baby for a feed at 10.30pm. I usually go to bed around 10. Tried it once - made myself stay up and ended up with a wide awake baby who thought he was up for the day at 11pm. Bugger that! So what I did was let them wake me for a night feed whenever they wanted, usually about 4am - much better!

My third DC was born a few years later and I went back to the book, and was surprised at how many corners I had cut. But still - I think it's great!

I am always surprised on these threads at the things that are attributed to her. I don't ever remember reading that babies "just cry for attention" written in that way (I mean, they do cry for attention, that's the point of crying!, but I don't think the book is anything but sympathetic to babies, and the idea that babies should settle themselves to sleep is a good one, we all need to be able to settle ourselves to sleep.)

For anyone who hasn't been here a long time, please just read this headline before posting

www.theguardian.com/technology/2006/aug/08/news.newmedia2

I read it when mine were small the idea of routine and telling them what was happening was useful. I didn't end up using her book instead the Baby Whisperer who was far more gentle. It's a helpful resource but she also seems determined to have every minute of the day regimented . It's not realistic

I followed it and adapted it to my daughter’s rhythm and preferences from about two weeks. Worked a treat. Happy baby, happy mummy. I thought it was great but wasn’t very different from what my grandmother and mother did with their children.

Well essentially what GF says is that you don't allow them to feed hourly as it is a learnt behaviour not a necessary one, so you let them cry / distract them etc until they learn to follow the routine. I found the routine very useful in terms of feeding and sleeping, as generally I do agree that a routine is necessary and baby and mum do better on one. But I did not do controlled crying, I preferred a softer, slower, sleep reassurance approach where you pick up put down and leave on repeat. I also found it easier to do this during the day as firstly my daughter refused to sleep in the day for months, and so was always over tired; and secondly I found it very stressful at night listening to the crying when I knew I could comfort her and she would settle. Our hourly wake ups coincided with the 4 month sleep regression and us finally getting her reflux diagnosis. It took another couple of months to get on top of the reflux, but then teething started! Basically you should only consider sleep training if you are certain nothing is causing the problems and your baby is eating and feeling 100 % well.

Before this thread gets pulled (it will) I'll tell you I did try it and my baby ended up in hospital.

Jimdandy for a feed! He feeds well and has gained 110g on his birth weight by day 6 so I know he’s getting enough just not sure how to get him to space it out more!

My DD would have gone apeshit if I'd tried to limit her feeds to once every 4 hours. All babies are different but for some that routine would be a nightmare.

Why are people not listening?

We are not allowed to talk about her methods on MN, she threatened to have the ENTIRE site shut down for discussing her methods.

Here is the link again. READ IT

www.theguardian.com/technology/2006/aug/08/news.newmedia2

That links over 10 years old

I would rather take parenting advice from a PARENT - she has never had a child!

That link is from 2006.

I used it loosely for both of mine born 2002 and 2007. Having a structured day with regular nap and sleep times worked well for us and kept me (reasonably) sane.

It was popular when my DC1 was born. I didn't follow it, but I did find it helpful when DC was 2-3 months as an indication for naptimes etc and she did get into quite a good daytime napping routine.

It doesn’t say what to do if baby just doesn’t do the routine?! You don't say how old your baby is, but I sympathise with that comment. It feels like an instruction book, but there is no such thing (DH and I used to joke we wished they came with an off switch - or at least a mute button!) There is lots of useful info in there like the stuff about babies needing to be awake for a certain amount of time and ideas for spacing out feeds. I agree with the pp who talks about distinguishing day from night. If you are an organised person who instinctively feels better with a routine then GF is not a bad place to start, but work out what nap times suit you and fit them around other activities - so before or after a mum and baby group rather than during. In the the pram, if it suits you to get out and do stuff during those times or in the cot if if you want to use the time to grab some extra sleep yourself. It is my personal belief that babies are much happier with a routine, but even the most regimented baby can have a bad day or night and more crucially they are growing and changing all the time so no sooner to you think you've got it cracked than you need to make an adjustment.

Cheshire to be fair she has cared for loads and loads of babies. I don’t think you necessarily need to be a parent, I am a parent but still don’t have a clue!

I used parts of GF. The bits about expressing milk so your DP can give them a feed and you can have a longer sleep in the evening, and trying to get them to have the longer stretch of sleep at night I found very helpful. Some parts I didn't use at all!

Yes the link is 10 years old and unless you have been on MN since 2006 you won't remember the fall out and aftermath. Hence the she who must not be named.

Are people being deliberately thick? Reported this an hour ago.

The only thing I found useful was the realisation that baby needed more sleep during the day to help get longer stretches at night. I was keeping him awake during the day (which was making us both miserable) and only getting 90 minute stretches between feeds overnight.

WHAT THE FUCK IS A DRAW SHEET??