Gina Ford

[Taler]

I know Gina Ford is not everyone's favourite person so would really appreciate replies from those people who have used/are using her CLB method (as have already had an ear bashing about routines not being the way forward for very young babies.

So my question is regarding her feeding times and quantities.

If you're using he method yourself you'll know that she provides a feedin chart for the first year. We are on week 6-8.

The guide is to give the baby 70ml of milk for each pound of her body weight. My DD is 10.2 so she should receieve approx 700ml a day.

The 6-8 week routine consists of 6 feeds a day (7:30am, 10:45/11:00am, 2/2:30pm, 6/6:30pm, 10/11pm and 4/5am). The 7:30am feed and the 10/11pm feed are larger ones.

The middle of the night feed was always supposed to be a small amount (60-90ml) but we knew we would have difficulty with this particular feed as there'd be no way our DD would go from 10/11pm through to around 3am I then only be given 60-90ml and then be expected to last until 7am! We therefore offer her 4oz (120ml) and let her take the full amount if she wants it (sometimes she will take less).

I understand why it should be a smaller amount as the whole point is that the baby comes to not need her middle-of-the-night feed, but I'm just not sure how we will ever get to that point if we are offering her the 4oz!?!? If we don't offer her that then she'll constantly be wanting another feed between 5-6.

Any advice would be most welcome.

Thank you

Your instincts are shoving in....which is FAR better for your baby. I tried it and dumped it about 5 weeks in due to DD1 not being a character in a book. Really not worth the stress OP.

Follow your instincts and throw the book away imo. If your baby is hungry, then feed. I tried it for a few days, really it was not good for my dc and not good for me. Sorry.

Your baby is 6 weeks old and she's advising you limit feeds? Do what the others said and follow your instincts

Take book , rip to shreds or throw in the fire and go with what is right for your baby. NO baby is ever the same so how the heck can a book tell you exactly what to do ? Ok so you have read it you might find so points helpful... Read so more and you might find a few other helpful tips that you could apply. Please don't think it is the only right way .....

That's what Gina Ford does Damp. Of course it's all hogwash....but you often don't realise that as a first time parent do you....not until after you've struggled on for however many weeks with her stupid ideas.

I used the timing for naps and bath but very very loosely for feeds and amounts. It ended up in a routine anyway due to sleeps but thought all the ounce stuff was too much . DD was a grazer especially when BF.

I appreciate your opinions but we fed on demand for first 4 weeks and it wasn't working - for us or for her! AND since she's been on this routine she has - without question - been more content and I'm convinced its because she knows what's coming next.

As I said, I realise she isn't everyone's cup of tea and we are not following everything she says to the book, just taking those bits that work for us.

We have friends who used the CLB method on both her children and swear by it. It clearly does work for some

the 2.5oz per lb of body weight is just a guide and some babies will take more or less than what they 'should' take. DS still fed 3 hourly day and night at that age and that is normal. You are also at a prime growth spurt age so if your lo is hungry you should feed them. Of course your dd will sleep through eventually but that may be later rather than sooner. I always expected a feed in the night until the age of 6 months at which point I encouraged ds to take less in his night feed. I would not limit the feeds of a 6 week old and I dont believe Gina Ford advises you to do that.

Just to reiterate - in the nicest way I can - I dot need an ear bashing for using her method, just advice on my query I I have used/are using the method. Thank you

We did GF and it worked for us.

Can you split the bath time feed into 2 feeds; half before, half after? Then your DD is getting milk nearer 7pm. We used to give DS a massive feed at 10:30; and make sure she wakes up fully and knows she's being fed. Dream feeding just didn't work for us!

So is your DD waking at 4am and wanting a big feed? Because at 6 weeks, there's a big chance she's going through a bit of a growth spurt.

Feed the amount you think baby needs rather than the book as they are all different, even if you stick to the times rigidly.
Routine worked for me after about six or eight weeks.

Thank you ilovepowerhoop - some proper advice :)

Nobody "bashed your ear" OP. We simply pointed out that GF's methods are frigging awful. But your baby...your choice.

I offered my advice from using GF ! Not good enough ?

I used a mix of Gina Ford (timings) and The Babywhisperer (Eat, Activity, Sleep, etc) and picked out the bits that suited me. I tried not to get hung up on clock watching but followed the same steps each day and tried to start the day at roughly the same time.

You have a tiny baby. Its going to take a while to get to the point where night feeds are dramatically reduced. I have used gf. Its not a good way forward, and is simply about the parents needs, not the baby. Not ear bashing, just experience.

@ AwfulMaureen a previous post I got an ear bashing. Clearly a controversial subject Gina Ford but all I wanted was an answer (if people were familiar with her method) to a question

@ ziggiestardust - we were doing a 'cluster' feed up until a few days ago - one feed of 90ml at 5pm, then bath shortly after followed by a further 90ml at 6/6:15.

Up until a few days ago the night time feed was 2/2:30am where she - most of the time - went to that time. Now it's been pushed back to 4/5am!! A huge jump!!

Last night she fed at 4:20am but that's only cause she slept on me for an hour prior to that feed!

I did GF when DD arrived two years ago. I picked out the bits that worked for me:-
Fed three hourly in the daytime
Offered a dream feed at 10.30/11pm
Fed again in the night at 3 (dd actually stopped waking for this at about eight weeks!!)
Bath bed routine
Sleep/nap timing gaps.

Cannot praise the routine highly enough for me

I wish people.on here would accept that we are all different, and cosleeping, feeding on demand etc just doesnt work for some parents.

I must say I really didnt think about the middle.of the night feed and the quantity - just gave the same amount at all other times iirc.

Just keep giving the feed and eventually ahe will stop. waking for.it.

@ KenDoddsDadsDog - yes good enough - thank u

@ mynameiskenadams - THANK YOU!!! You start to feel like you're doing something wrong with all the comments you get as soon as Gina Ford's name is mentioned on here!

To be honest whilst the routine overall seems to be working well for us, I can't say I'm particularly impressed with Gina Ford herself! Went onto her website earlier for the first time to use her forums and not only do you have to be a member but you have to PAY to be one!!! I think that is disgraceful! Surely she gets her money from her books? Her website should be there purely to help parents!

Any way I digress!

Thanks again for your advice. Will just stick with the same amount then and see how that goes.

Did you use Gina's nap times too for your DD? I haven't Ben sticking to that too much as have learned that there's only so much 'entertaining' you can give to a young baby and having an overtired baby is definitly not a good thing! Plus you can't make a baby go to sleep if they don't want to.

I am generally letting her sleep when she wants and trying to look out for signs of tiredness so that i can attempt to eat her to bed before the overiredness kicks in.

However I also know that the feed times are conducive to the nap times so if you have any suggestions I'm all ears :)

What I did was time dd. I never woke her,.apart from lifting her to offer milk at the set times during the day. Therefore I timed from when she woke up. at that age, id swaddle her and put her down after 60mins awake time. So if she woke at 7, by 8 od be putting her down for a snooze. Whether she woke at 8.45 or 10, id count again 60 mins awake time. That gradually extended.

We have had rough patches,.where she has been teething etc, but even at two she is a fantastic sleeper. 7pm-8am no wakings at night, and btwn 1.5 & 2 hrs during the day every day (she can miss a nap if needs be but would rather have it and sleeps better generally whilst still napping).

Sleep begats sleep, so let her sleep as much as needed (whilst also aiming to get the majority of her milk feeds btwn 7am and 11pm).

We used GF and it worked very well for me and the. TBH its too long ago to remember it well enough to give you practical advice, only that like KenAdams we fed three hourly in the daytime, gave a dream feed at 10.30/11pm each night, fed again in the night at 3am (stopped around 8 wks), did the bath bed routine every night and followed the routine for the nap timings through the day.

Again, like KenAdams I can't praise the routine highly enough.

On here you won't find much support for following GF, my main advice is to do what is best for you and your baby. For some that is a routine like GF, for others it isn't. Because having a baby is so emotive the messages on these boards tend to be quite strong, try not to take it personally.

Hi taler if you're still there I did gina ford, the night feed can be kept smaller by either using a slower flow teat than you do for day feeds or 3 scoops of milk in 4oz bottle, that way they settle because they feel like they've had a full feed but actually haven't so will be hungrier at 7 and then drink more. Can't remember if I would've done that at as young as 6 weeks though and I would only do either of those if your baby is definitely drinking enough during the day and is a decent weight. Hope that helps

I don't like Gina Ford's advice for babies. Your baby should lead when it comes to how much she should be drinking. Feed on demand & give her as much as she will take. FOR ALL FEEDS.

The whole point of the smaller feed is that your child is supposed to decide that it isn't worth waking for, but that is bollocks. Your baby is tiny & needs her food when she asks for it, not when some 'guru' (who doesn't even know your child) tells you to give it to her.

"been more content and I'm convinced its because she knows what's coming next" Of course she doesn't know what is coming next. Sorry op, your child has no long term (or short term) memory & will not know what is happening next at all. She is content because you have found a way to help you through the early days which has given you confidence. THAT is what you dd is reacting to. She can feel the change in you.

Oh & Gina Ford wanted to help parents so much that she threatened to sue MN if we continued to discuss her methods.