Gina Ford

[LulaB]

Hi
I've just started my 13 week old on Gina Ford. Our day usually follows the format of up at 7am, half an hour nap at 9am, 2 hour nap at lunchtime, half an hour nap around 4am, then bath, feed and bed at 7pm. He seems to have slotted into this routine well, but after his dream feed at 10.30pm, he then seems to wake at 2am or 3am, making noises like he wants to play i.e. he's not tired. I feed him just to get him back off, and he takes a full feed but wakes around 6am. Gina seems to think my son should sleep until 7am if we follow her routine, am I doing something wrong / expecting too much?
Any help appreciated
confused

the only thing you need to remember is that your son can't read a book so doesn't know he is supposed to be sleeping an hour longer. DOn't forget every child is different and at 13 weeks, waking once in the night is v good.

It's probably worth noting that Gina Ford has never actually had a baby.

Errrr most babies wake for a feed at that time of night until 6-9 months.

Try not to worry too much if your baby doesn't do what Gina says IMO. And most babies wake at 6am too.

Sounds perfect that your baby likes the routine already though. Nice to have some predictability.

i think you can follow routines broadly, but sometimes you have to tweak them and not panic when your baby does not follow them to the letter

in your own daily life, you will have times and days when you are ravenous, want to eat/drink all the time, days when you can go hours without anything.. why are babies different? especially the first few weeks and months/. expecting a tiny baby to follow a set routine the same , every day, is expecting a bit much on the whole

if you follow the routine broadly, but also get to know your baby's cues, for sleep/hunger/ boredom etc, then you will do well !

he's not read the book.. if he's hungry, feed him! a hungry baby will not settle well, if at all

that's sounds bloody good for a 3 month old baby.

He's not read the book though (or any other baby/parenting books) so doesn't know what some random "expert" thinks he should be doing.

I think when it comes to the books they make it sound so easy don't they, and when your baby doesn't conform you actually beat yourself up.

I did think that waking once in the night at this stage was good, but according to Gina the baby shouldn't be waking at all. I actually feel more knackered now I'm doing Gina Ford than I did when I wasn't !

Not doing GF but..

Have 13 week baby and last few nights he has woken in the night (anything from 12.30 to 4am) and I have gone in and settled him and he has fallen back to sleep until around 6am-6.45am)

Comes clean: so sleep addled am I with two other children, that I have given baby a dummy to quiet him while I go downstairs and make bottle. Then decided that actually, now baby is quiet I'd just lay back down for a minute to wake up properly. To then discover that darling, darling child is well mannered enough to go back to sleep and not bother mummy until morning

Culmination of this is:

See if you can settle baby without feeding in middle of night. Disclaimer: If child wants to feed, FEED!!

Use only as a guide.

The ideas are sound but don't beat yourself up about it if your baby doesn't exactly meet what she suggests. Use it as a rough guide of what to do for feeding times and sleeps. If it really doesn't work get a match and burn it .

agree with SWBL completely. Your baby sounds like he's following a pretty good pattern and to be honest I think I didn't make my life easy for myself first time stressing about the fact that he had to have some sort of routine. They seem to find their own way about 4-5 months. I cut myself some slack with the second and enjoyed the whole experience much more.

I read her book when mine was about 2 weeks and ended up throwing it at a wall in tears. She raises robots in my view - not babies. Friends who did GF were prisoners to their houses as their babies couldn't sleep anywhere but their rooms and they missed out on lots of mummy coffee and cake. Just try and chill - it sounds like your doing just fine as you are.

Can I just say there is a lot of good basic advice in Gina Ford but you have to adapt it to your life and your child. He is not having too much sleep so just go with it and he will get there.
Use it as an outline not a schedule and your life will be easier. That was what I did with my 2 and it worked out OK!

I think I had every book going that I read before and after DD was born. I was so set on having a baby who would eat, sleep and shit at times chosen by me I regret it now so much, the first month completely ruined by brainwashed me trying to mould the 'perfect' baby.

In the end, I got tired of actually feeling angry with not only myself, but her, for not knowing 'what to do' - as if a baby knows how to do these things a book tells it! Binned the lot, and let her rule the roost for a while.

At 3 months, she decided to sleep from between 7-8pm until the same hour the next morning. At 6 months, she still does and is actually a perfect baby without the help of an Author who doesn't know my baby.

Trust your instincts more, you know him best

this is great, my 13 week year old was up every 2-3 hours!!! chill, I tried to do Gina and my baby disagreed most strongly!!! its not fool proof

GF is great for some families and babies but not for all. It's worth tweaking with the routines a bit to see if it makes a difference. It could be growth spurt - many babies go through a growth spurt at around 3-4 months so often want greater quantities of milk.

If you are finding the routines fine in every other way then it'd be worth sticking it out a bit longer to see if a growth spurt explains it.

If it's adding to the stress then don't continue.