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Parenting

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Original poster

Anyone tried Gina Ford?

52 replies

VixiTrix · 09/12/2012 23:26

Hello!!

Has anyone out there tried Gina Ford routines? They are quite rigid but I was thinking about adapting them a bit but still following the principles. Has anyone's else done that and how long did it take for your little ones to get used to it?

Vixi

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3boys35 · 10/12/2012 06:39

I have used the basic GF routine for all 3 of mine. I accept that it's not for everyone but I believe children are secure in a routine whatever that routine might be.DS3 is nearly 2 and still sleeps 2 hours after lunch at home or at his childminder and the bed between 6.30 and 7pm and he sleeps all night. There has hardly ever been any crying at nap time or bed time and if there was I would rock or feed to sleep. I think the key to any routine is making sure that DC don't get over tired and GF routine helps with this. Don't know how old your baby is but don't try to start it too early. I began at about 12 weeks and all 3 just fell into the routine easily . Knowing that ds3 will sleep everyday has meant that I know I get a break, older boys get some time in their own and breaks up what can be a long day.

FamiliesShareGerms · 10/12/2012 07:02

Tried it for about one week but it turned my contented little baby into a very unhappy little boy, who still wouldn't sleep through the night. We ditched it pronto and almost immediately got our lovely boy back.

One of my friends followed it to the letter, but a) she had twins who she wanted to feed, sleep etc at the same time; and b) she was very anxious about what to do, so liked having a clear routine set out for her to follow. She's the only person I know who really rates GF.

Meglet · 10/12/2012 07:19

Yes, from 6 weeks and to the book with DC1. I didn't have a clue what I was doing, no parenting instinct at all. He suited GF straight away, much better than mummy making a hash of things.

I wasn't so strict with DD as breastfeeding went so well with her. Even so she had a rough routine from 4 months old and I fine-tuned it over the following weeks.

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ceeveebee · 10/12/2012 07:25

I did read her book and roughly followed parts of her routines with my twins, but refused to stay in the house every day for the lunchtime nap, so got them used to sleeping in the pram from the start.
A lot of it seemed to make sense though, and they slept through 11-7 from 12 weeks and 7-7 from 5 months and have never had any sleep regressions (13 mo now).

QTPie · 10/12/2012 07:54

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

3b1g · 10/12/2012 08:05

Yes, we had to, or we never would have been able to get out of the house to get DS1 to school. If anyone has managed feeding twins on demand and co-sleeping when they also have a two year old and a four year old, then they have my admiration, but the only thing that was feasible for us was to be routine-based. I didn't follow her book to the letter, but I did adopt the feeding and nap times, also took her advice about swaddling and blackout blinds. It all works.

catwoman101 · 10/12/2012 09:23

I thought about it, but decided against it as I have no idea how you are supposed to get a baby to nap if they are not tired or feed if they are not hungry. She advocates bf for 20 minutes plus and dd is usually done in 5 mins.

We have no daytime routine, and a gentle bedtime routine which works out just great. Dd doesn't sleep through, but wakes for one feed only and settles very quickly, and I am not stressed trying to keep to a routine. (not sure how you are ev supposed to leave the house with her routine)

silverangel · 10/12/2012 13:18

I loosely followed the routines with my twins - I didnt bother until they were about 16 weeks (8 corrected) but it worked for us and they have slept through since they were about 20 weeks. I was strict about the napping times as it did directly affect their night time sleep and we fed on a rough 4 hourly schedule - if they were hungry earlier I fed them but would always woke to feed in the early days if need be.

elfyrespect · 10/12/2012 13:28

I have a friend who does GF. She's thrown me out before - "sorry but it's nap time now"

matana · 10/12/2012 13:30

I read it and tried it. It didn't work - DS got stressed, I got stressed. I ditched the book and enjoyed motherhood infinitely more after that. When DS was a bit older i did more of a Baby Whisperer thing, but by that stage it was probably because he was old enough to develop his own pattern of eating and sleeping, which naturally fell in line with the book, so it wasn't forced against his will. At 2yo DS will not do something against his will and is a wonderfully happy, yet ridiculously stubborn, little monkey. I guess it suits some babies and not others. I was off work for ten months so there was no hurry for me to get into a routine. The more relaxed approach worked well for us and we've been rewarded with an adaptable little boy who likes the familiarity of a loose routine, but does not erupt into meltdown if we want to do something a little differently than he's used to. For us it was the bedtime routine that was the most important - it meant we could still eat out with him fast asleep in his buggy at 18mo. Things have changed a bit now though...

FateLovesTheFearless · 10/12/2012 13:35

Yes with my four children. Adapted to suit each of them however and I didn't bother with some bits like wind down times, no eye contact etc. I think the book can be useful if you want to get some sort of routine but not for a first time mum whom might try and follow it to the letter and get stressed by it. Way I see it, any books are no different to being given advice by well meaning relatives or health visitors etc. you take from it what you want and what works for you and baby. Or you ignore

FridgeBenefits · 10/12/2012 13:35

This was the first, and probably last, book that I literally burned.
I didn't want to pass on the regimented claptrap to another poor unsuspecting new mother.

Was a lovely toasty fire that night

bugster · 10/12/2012 13:49

I loosely followed the routines with my first DD, it worked for her. Not following the exact times we did everything a bit later, but roughly the same total sleep time in a day. I think that it is important to make sure babies don't sleep too much during the day or they won't learn that the night is for sleeping, if that means waking them from a nap so be it. I didn't follow her advice so rigidly for feeding thouh, but I did generally try to make sure my baby got a proper feed instead of grazing all day.

FunnysFuckingFreezing · 10/12/2012 13:55

I did what loads of others have said, took bits from GF and the Baby Whisperer and adapted them to suit me and the DC. I followed the DC's natural routine, but I did like knowing what to expect next.

As it turns out I am not an attachment parenting type at all!

SandyChick · 10/12/2012 16:33

I did the contented baby routine with my ds who is almost 6. He was pretty much doing the routine anyway. I don't find it stressful, he slept beautifully from 12 weeks. He was definitely a contented baby.

Ds2 who is 8 months isn't quite the same. I tried the routine with him but it was too stressful. I can count the abound if nights he has slept through the night on one hand. I have loosely started the contented baby routine for nap/feed times. It does work. The only nights ds has slept all night is when he has napped and fed as per gina's routine.

I personally like having a routing. I suppose if gives me a sense if control. I think my boys are happier for it but each to their own. If ds2 slept during the night and wasn't in a routine then that would be marvellous but that's not the case

MillionPramMiles · 10/12/2012 16:56

I wish I'd had one of those chilled out babies who just slept when they were tired and ate when they were hungry - apparently they exist :)
Instead I have a 6 month old who has struggled to sleep during the day since 3 weeks and through the night since 12 weeks. When the usual options (sling, co sleeping, pram etc) didn't work, I had to start following a routine. Anyone who has spent their days holding a crying baby that hasn't slept for 12 hours knows how hard it is...

Like others, I took bits form gina, bits from the baby whisperer. The best advice I had (echoed by a Hv and midwife) was to encourage proper feeds instead of constant grazing. It wasn't easy and there were days I'd be shush/patting for hours in tears but I didn't have a choice. I'm also one of those who is tied to the house in the afternoons but again, I have no choice. It's that or my dd just does not sleep.

I did though adapt the routine to suit when she was most tired etc rather than following the prescribed timings to the letter.

weegiemum · 10/12/2012 17:01

I read it.
I tried it
I ended up in a mother&baby psychiatric unit for 3 weeks, because of it.

Find your baby's own routine.

Don't end up being found, by your dh, sitting on the floor weeping outside the room while your dd1 is screaming inside (he came home about 10am knowing I was struggling).

Bin the book, really I mean it!

pylonic · 10/12/2012 19:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SquidgersMummy · 10/12/2012 20:28

I would just like to say that in RL I am a paid professional working with children and their families.....I have just had my first baby - I have always been an advocate of attachment - it just makes sense and builds well developed brains - even so when I go back to work my outlook and advice will be soooooo different. My experience makes me question someone who hasn't had their own baby. Attachment - basically following your instincts - all the way. x

Bananapickle · 10/12/2012 20:38

I have a friend who has used it religiously with her DC and it's worked brilliantly for her. I read it and found some of it useful as I am a routine person. My biggest sticking point was that my DD fed at a rate of knots so keeping her awake for a specified period of time was impossible!
I would suggest maybe reading it but with a BIG pinch of salt and if you find some it useful, great, if you don't, great.

lola88 · 10/12/2012 21:53

I read it didn't like it and there no way DS would have gone along with it at all anyway i swear Gina Ford herself could not make that boy sleep

amothersplaceisinthewrong · 10/12/2012 21:59

I had like routines for my two which sound rather like like Gina long before Gina existed - both slept from 7-7 at 10 weeks and were very content babies. And I was a content Mother to have my evenings to myself.

Pyrrah · 10/12/2012 23:19

If you are a mother who likes routines and schedules and have a DC who likes routines and schedules then I'm sure you will like this book.

If your DC decides that sleeping is for sissies and breasts should be attacked as if you were a shark and all feeds finished in 5 minutes flat, and you are a not a particularly routine person then I guess you will end up thinking it's one of the worst books you wasted time reading that year.

Personally I couldn't bring myself to do some of her suggestions. I went out and bought Dr Sears Baby Book, moved DD into our bed, fed on demand, stuck her in a sling in the daytime and was a gazillion times happier for it.

That said, I have a child who hasn't taken a day-time nap since she was 6 months, doesn't go to bed till 9.30pm and is happy, confident and incredibly energetic and busy the entire time they are awake (unlike their exhausted mother).

MizK · 10/12/2012 23:30

I used GF routines on DS and DD2 and they were both good sleepers. DD2 is a little minx and on the go all day at 21 months but still has a 2 hour nap every afternoon and sleeps 7 til 7. I used the blackout blinds and put her to bed when she was tired but not awake. This means I've never had issues with having to feed her to sleep or rock her etc.
However I ignored advice about when to feed because I don't like the idea of making babies wait for milk. This may be why my otherwise perfect sleeper still got a middle of the night feed til she was 15 months! Just take what works for you but PLEASE don't stress about following it to the letter or it will make you crazy. The routines are far too military and detailed but if you use them as a general guide you'll be grand.

bbface · 11/12/2012 08:05

Yep, we did, very early. Adapted I.e. no crying out, but as GF writes, if you follow from really early on, having a routine will be all that your baby wil veer know, so needing to cry it out is highly unlikely.

Anyway, I digress. We did it, and LOVED it. DS is now 2.4 and I kid you not, after going to bed last night at 7.15, he is still in bed fast asleep. He loves routine. Having an afternoon nap in his cot all he has ever know, from day 1 and he still has a 2 hour one. We re a lot more flexible now, but as a new number, I was happy with the fairly restrictive nature if the routine.

Following gins ford lite gives you so much confidence as a new mum, because it hand holds you. I did not have any support network at all as both parents passed away, in laws abroad and closest friends all childless. So it was me, dh and gf and we had a very easy time of it if I am honest. DS hardly ever cried, at all, andninthink that was because he was genuinely so content. All his needs were met before he even came to a point of realising that he needed something!

Number 2 in feb, and plan to do the same,

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