Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

To say I don't quite get the hatred for Gina Ford?

132 replies

wineandwhining · 21/09/2020 20:22

So, I have been given a copy of the Contented Baby and the weaning book, and came onto MN to do some reading and realised that you cannot even mention her? I ebf my DD so definitely don't stretch her feeds, but the naps we adhere to quite well.

I see on here lots of divisive feelings for the woman but after reading her books and getting my girl into a good routine, I don't get the controversy.

Can someone explain it to me?

OP posts:
JacobReesMogadishu · 21/09/2020 20:36

SWMNBN......blimey that takes me back!

But yeah, don’t talk about her on MN. It’s a touchy subject! Grin

RepeatSwan · 21/09/2020 20:36

@RedDiamond

I think the strangest thing about her was the fact that she never had children of her own but was telling parents what to do.
This.
chomalungma · 21/09/2020 20:37

Will this thread go?

Or will it be left alone......just to cry it out?

Plesky · 21/09/2020 20:38

@Enrico

Have I just lost 20 years?
Apparently!
DaphneFanshaw · 21/09/2020 20:39

@LittleMissNaice, I really don’t know.
I flounced for a while under a different user name and on my return it appeared that Olivia too had flounced, I haven’t noticed the Helen’s either.
In fact I don’t feel like I know anyone in HQ.

Original poster
wineandwhining · 21/09/2020 20:39

@MarkRuffaloCrumble

So you don’t stick to her methods but you don’t understand why other people don’t like her methods. Ok then.
Don't stick to the feeding part, I feed her way more often but the naps we definitely do.
OP posts:
DaphneFanshaw · 21/09/2020 20:39

@chomalungma

Will this thread go?

Or will it be left alone......just to cry it out?

Grin
CorvusPurpureus · 21/09/2020 20:40

She attempted a law suit against MN some years ago, as I understand it, & mentioning her name or work critically was deemed not ok as her lawyers were circling.

I read her book, for what it's worth, & was well up for getting ds into a nice sensible routine. His younger sisters were having bloody none of it, though.

I'm very wary. By dc3 she was obliged to fit in her with her older siblings & was usually being casually carted about in a sling. She appears to have thrived in the absence of blackout blinds & a detailed timetable.

Neolara · 21/09/2020 20:40

When I had dd1 16 years ago, GF was all the rage. Everyone was talking about her methods. I read her book but my dd just wouldn't do what GF said she should be doing. I couldn't wake her up ( literally), I couldn't get her to go to sleep, she ate what she wanted and no more. She just did what she wanted and needed to do (because she was a few weeks old and that's what lots of babies do). That book made me cry a lot.My very lovely HV told me to burn the book. Best thing I ever did.

AnneLovesGilbert · 21/09/2020 20:42

The woman who bans making eye contact with your baby? Yeah, bloody stupid. But horses for courses. I prefer to look at my baby. Works for us.

Cutthetoastupwrong · 21/09/2020 20:43

@MorrisZapp what didn't you understand about OP's post?

greengreengrass14 · 21/09/2020 20:44

I thought the main thing was she has no babies of herself or kids and then went on doling out advice for other mothers and earning a packet from it. Shit thing to do wasn't it?

picklemewalnuts · 21/09/2020 20:44

It very much depends how you read her book. She never suggest slavishly following it or not responding to the needs of your baby.

It's about encouraging your baby into a pattern, and sticking to the pattern. It works pretty well for a lot of babies, but it's important you follow the routine as well.

When we follow routines, babies tend to fall into them. That worked well years ago when people generally stayed home except for a walk to the shop.
Now we tend to have a lot happening all the time, going here and there, at whatever time on different times. Our babies don't get into a routine.

SerenityNowwwww · 21/09/2020 20:45

@Neolara

When I had dd1 16 years ago, GF was all the rage. Everyone was talking about her methods. I read her book but my dd just wouldn't do what GF said she should be doing. I couldn't wake her up ( literally), I couldn't get her to go to sleep, she ate what she wanted and no more. She just did what she wanted and needed to do (because she was a few weeks old and that's what lots of babies do). That book made me cry a lot.My very lovely HV told me to burn the book. Best thing I ever did.
Haha - my dad said that as new parents they bought Dr Spock. He said that for some reason babies couldn’t read so he threw the book out.
greengreengrass14 · 21/09/2020 20:45

I had dd 15 years ago and just thought Gina Ford was a bloody idiot and took no notice whatsoever of it. or her.

greengreengrass14 · 21/09/2020 20:46

I guess that comes with the self confidence of actually raising a child for 15 yra and making a bloody good job of it. So far at least...

greengreengrass14 · 21/09/2020 20:49

Interesting that, so called experts.

I was called in for an 'eye test' when babes was two ish.

No kidding, they did that eye chart thing, and then told me that her eyesight was defective as she couldn't read the letters...

I said 'er...she can't read letters yet'....

Same thing happened with an eye doctor at the hospital when I thought she got something in her eye aged two and a half ish...

Eye doctor who was bless him very young held up three fingers and asked her how many...

I said...er...she can't count yet...

Good job i had the bloody good sense not to trust so called experts...

MNHQ
EstherMumsnet · 21/09/2020 20:58

Just saying hi. Not keeping an eye on you at all. As you were...

Londonmummy66 · 21/09/2020 20:59

Actually I had 2 contented little babies can't say whether it was that their natural routine mirrored hers or not but worked for us.

I think that the main thing with GF was that she recognised that not everyone has the luxury of 12 months ML to devote 100% to their baby. Those of us who had to go back to work almost immediately do actually need their children to fall into a routine.

ScrapThatThen · 21/09/2020 21:10

We found it quite helpful. Not right from the beginning. Well adjusted teenagers here. Likes routine! Surely the no eye contact when resettling is just signalling that it's not playtime, it's bedtime.

Enrico · 21/09/2020 21:15

@Plesky weird innit. Why would a new mum want to discuss a minor spat about a childrearing guru of the previous generation?

Op are you Gina Ford planning a comeback? Got any contented little lockdown baby tips?

Eg mask wearing timetable, fun social distancing games to play with your baby, how to recognise gran when you've only seen her on zoom? Because tbh this is a fast changing world and you need to be up to speed mate. Just my little bit of advice for you.

RedDiamond · 21/09/2020 21:18

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

KenAdams · 21/09/2020 21:20

Bloody hell its been a long time since I've seen a Gina Ford thread

Gigglr · 21/09/2020 21:22

Beetle Juice! Beatle Juice! Beetle Juice!

Plesky · 21/09/2020 21:24

[quote Enrico]@Plesky weird innit. Why would a new mum want to discuss a minor spat about a childrearing guru of the previous generation?

Op are you Gina Ford planning a comeback? Got any contented little lockdown baby tips?

Eg mask wearing timetable, fun social distancing games to play with your baby, how to recognise gran when you've only seen her on zoom? Because tbh this is a fast changing world and you need to be up to speed mate. Just my little bit of advice for you.[/quote]
Yes, it’s the parenting equivalent of someone running into a room in 2020 brandishing a book and shouting ‘OMG, THIS CHAP DARWIN THINKS WE’RE ALL DESCENDED FROM MONKEYS!!!