AAAAAAGH! Brother and sister-in-law have first baby... doing it Gina-style!!!

[justnally]

Met new teeny tiny bundle yesterday. Very cute. Then they announced that they are following Gina Ford's book. I know I should respect their decision on how to look after their baby, but I felt like screaming "NO!" !!!

But if it works for them what is the problem? I loosely followed her methods because they worked for us. I would lie and tell friends and relatives that I was following the routines to the letter because I wanted an excuse not to have to see them and I could get out of it by pretending to be stuck in a darkened room with ds. Perhaps that is why she mentioned it it you?

This thread made me laugh. I have a good friend who follows it and it works v well for her....me I am just too lazy and could not make it fit my independant lifestyle. Just taken dd (4mnths) on two duke of edinburgh expeditions, not sure where camping and hiking fit into ginas routine. lol

Mums should do what they think suits them and enjoy.

Of course they should do what suits them, and in some cases using a routine might be what suits them.

My BIL and SIL1 (ds now 8 months) said they found Gina really useful. I asked what she actually said because I'd heard it said to leave your baby to cry forever and I knew BIL certainly wasn't doing that.

BIL said it was useful for guidance on what an average baby might do and you could take it from there and use your common sense. So MrNC got Gina's Complete Sleep Guide so I could read it and give SIL2 (ds 3 weeks) the edited highlights.

Looks like there's some useful stuff in there but her tone is SO condescending and the first chapter on newborns, swaddling in a homemade patented thingy, putting to sleep the same way etc basically says 'do exactly as I say or your baby will DIE!!!'

I suggested to SIL2 she hang in there until 3 months and look then for any pattern she can build on with baby - no way am I scaring her with that book! And MrNC had better hide it from me from the time I give birth until ds is 6 months or so, too - the 6-12 month stuff sounded more sane.