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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Gina Ford The Complete books

47 replies

MissyEm · 31/01/2018 09:57

Hi has anyone read these books, are they any good?

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KalaLaka · 31/01/2018 09:59

In my opinion, no. It's about enforcing a routine before a baby is ready. If you're planning to breastfeed, it won't work for you at all.

whifflesqueak · 31/01/2018 10:01

I’ve not read them.

I got the gist of them from talking to friends and I think the woman is barking mad and talking utter bollcks.

Chienrouge · 31/01/2018 10:01

Completely wouldn’t work for me but I have friends who followed it and rave about it (both breast feeders).

MrsST · 31/01/2018 10:04

I bought it and then ceremoniously burnt it. It ended up giving me anxiety because I wasn't doing everything to the letter as things came up. Not blaming her completely for my PND but reckon she had something to do with it as I felt like a complete and utter failure.
Best thing you can do is trust your own instincts.
I've had two children. With the first I had every book going. Unfortunately your baby won't read the books and will not understand what you're trying to do.

Chienrouge · 31/01/2018 10:09

I read something about how at 4 months my baby should be having 3 set naps (one of them 2 hours long), feeding at particular times, dream feeding and sleeping through until morning, looked down at my cat napping, would only sleep on me with a boob in her mouth baby and sobbed. Then didn’t look at it again.
However two of my NCT friends absolutely swore by it with their first baby. Not quite so much with their second.

sarahjconnor · 31/01/2018 10:14

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CremeDeSudo · 31/01/2018 10:21

I found it really helpful once DS got to around 3 months old and I was desparate for some sort of routine in my life. Attachment parenting was NOT for me. I'd been assured he'd fall into his own routine, but he didn't! Contented Baby gave me something to work towards. I didn't follow it to the letter, but it gave me something to aim towards. I found it particularly useful during the weaning stage as I found it quite stressful!

We bottle fed if that makes any difference!

Rylanmakesmyheartsmile · 31/01/2018 10:23

Worked for me, but you will be flamed for even mentioning them on here, or in RL. I have 4 DC - all quite different and it worked for them all but I got a hell of a lot of grief for it - with the first two anyway, with the twins I was told by everyone (HCPs and friends included) I would absolutely NEED to have a routine - the things I had done with the first two and been totally lambasted for, were suddenly not just ok, but recommended for the last two.

DC1 - totally chilled out baby and fully BF until 5.5mths when we stared weaning. On the smaller side at birth but not ridiculously so (25th centile)

DC2 - complete opposite of DC1 - average size at birth (50th centile) but was overdue and very quickly dropped to natural centile which was around the 2nd (at some points off the bottom of the chart). Severe reflux meaning feeds were very difficult and severe eczema meaning bath times and nappy/clothing changes took forever because of all the creams etc - an incredibly fussy baby. BF until 3m when switched to hypoallergenic formula.

DTs - premature so both very small (less than 5lb when they came home) and much sleepier than previous two had been due to being prem. Reflux again, but no eczema and generally less fussy than DC2 as pain was managed very early, but still massive vomits daily. Both on hypoallergenic formula before home from hospital.

In all cases I had no wider family support at all as all lived hindered of miles away, and in the case of the DTs a routine was essential because I had to get DC1 out to school and activities etc.

All four slept through 7pm-7am by 4 months.

DC1 did 7pm-12am-7am at 10 weeks, DC2 did the same at 8 weeks and DTs did it at 6 weeks.

You do have to read the books with your own mind - I did not eat a banana at 8am because Gina told me to, but her principles of eat lots through the day and sleep less so that at night they are full and tired make a lot of sense. The routines are also very helpful to babies and to parents - I found them incredibly freeing because I knew when a feed would be needed so I could plan around that. The first 2-3 months are the hardest for sure, but the hard work pays off.

You do need a wise head on your shoulders however to be able to read what the essentials are and dismiss the extras that aren't really essential (like that banana at 8am), and to be able to make adjustments - like my DC1 fed in 15min flat - even during growth spurts it was only ever 20min so I had tons more time than the book suggested to keep them awake and entertained because feeds were way shorter.

You also need a very thick skin because you will be called terrible things and criticised to high heaven for doing it

idontlikealdi · 31/01/2018 10:24

I have twins. The contented house with twins saved my sanity.

HOWEVER you need to have a bit of sense about you and realise that if you don't eat your toast at 7.15am the world won't end.

idontlikealdi · 31/01/2018 10:24

I have twins. The contented house with twins saved my sanity.

HOWEVER you need to have a bit of sense about you and realise that if you don't eat your toast at 7.15am the world won't end.

Seeline · 31/01/2018 10:25

I had friends who were driven almost demented by it. Really stressed because the book said ** and baby wouldn't do it Confused
I managed to get routines going, but it was more a negotiation between me and my baby Grin
BTW - the second one just fitted in - much easier!

NameChange30 · 31/01/2018 10:30

I never had any desire to read Gina Ford and never did. I’ve heard enough about her to think she is far far too rigid.

I’ve heard good things about Tracey Hogg, the Baby Whisperer. She is a bit more flexible I think but still advises on a sensible routine.

Twofishfingers · 31/01/2018 10:31

The book made me very anxious that I wasn't doing things right. I would think 'baby should be asleep now and he's not' then it would mess up the schedule for the rest of the day. It was a nightmare to be honest.

The key is to figure out when your baby is tired enough to fall asleep. The cues are different in each baby. I used to see how long he would stay awake for (one hour to start with) and take cue from that. Feeding was on demand, as recommended by Health Visitors.

Twofishfingers · 31/01/2018 10:32

Baby Whisperer also game me lots of stress. I'd say 'I have done EVERYTHING it says in the book and he is still not sleeping when he is supposed to'. I lost my ability to figure out myself if he was tired or not!

sarahjconnor · 31/01/2018 10:32

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mindutopia · 31/01/2018 10:33

Not for me. We are laidback and child-led and what little I read in them out of curiosity completely freaked me out. But I think if it works for you and it doesn't go so far over the edge that you're tipping into neglect (like withholding feeds to force a strict routine), but the key is that it works for you without much effort or stress. I have a friend who tried to follow Gina Ford and it stressed her out so much as she could never get it right and her baby wouldn't follow the routine the book said and naps were always the 'wrong' times and she eventually was diagnosed with PND several months later. Now who's to say that the PND wasn't why she was seeking some sort of routine? Or if it was caused by the stress of trying to force her baby to be a way she just wasn't meant to be? But I'd say borrow it from the library before you waste money buying it in case it's not for you. Personally, I'd just enjoy the first few weeks, go with the flow and then think about what you might need rather than trying to decide when you're pregnant what approach you're going to take. If you find you're someone who needs a strict routine, you'll know after a few weeks and can make adjustments then.

NameChange30 · 31/01/2018 10:36

Wish I had found this list before having DS
www.mumsnet.com/books/best-parenting-books

LorelaiVictoriaGilmore · 31/01/2018 10:38

I did pretty much attachment parenting - everything on demand. But I occasionally picked up GF when something just didn't seem to be working and neither I nor ds could figure out what he needed! GF was often right!

Buxbaum · 31/01/2018 10:53

I read Contented Little Baby. It wasn't for me but I know it saved several friends' sanity. From anecdotal observation I would say that her routines are not necessarily suitable from birth if you wish to establish breastfeeding - I would wait until at least 6 weeks to attempt.

A lot of people absolutely love her weaning books.

FWIW DD fell naturally into a very similar routine to GF by the time she was about 7mo and I'm not convinced that any GF training would have made much difference.

And look! A GF thread with no flaming or being called 'terrible things'! How novel.

TheLegendOfBeans · 31/01/2018 11:00

I feel that following GF has allowed me to have a life. I can go out to the pub quiz in the evenings, DH and I can watch a film uninterrupted and the benefit on my mental health of getting periods of near-guaranteed sleep is amazing.

DS is now sleeping through 6-6 at 16weeks and really tagged onto the routine from week 8.

Just be aware that when your baby comes it may have to be on a feeding schedule for you guys to leave hospital (mine were to gain weight). I found this a good platform to set a routine in place.

GF is a very divisive character on here and prepare to weather the storm.

MissyEm · 31/01/2018 11:05

Hhmmmm all very different opinions ladies, thank you. Looks like I need to buy it and decide for myself.......I am a routine bird and hate the thought of the baby been attached to me and only soothed, content etc by me. I have not read up on attachment but could naively assume that this is what it could mean.

OP posts:
StylishMummy · 31/01/2018 11:07

I think they go against every natural instinct a mother can have, feeding and loving your child are natural bonding, forced sleep patterns don't work and you forget to trust your instincts.

Parenting isn't a tick box exercise so I've never understood how someone who presents it as one can sell so many books. It's utter bollocks

Loosemoose28 · 31/01/2018 11:08

Her name makes me angry Angry

Luckily more and more scientific evidence is coming out against her theories.

TheVanguardSix · 31/01/2018 11:16

For my friends who live by military time and need their schedules totally structured, Gina Ford was their patron saint, her books their bible.

Her book was given to me when I had DC2. It was SO not for me as mum. I need to wing it and just take each day as it comes. I don't run like clockwork as a human being. Why would I inflict this on my fresh outta the womb baby? If you need to be in control at all times or else your world will go into freefall, her books might suit you.

Her toilet training book was excellent with DC2. But totally didn't help with DC3.

TheVanguardSix · 31/01/2018 11:19

And what stylishmummy said! Her books totally go against your maternal instincts. She doesn't tap into that at all.

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