Safely put the Contented Little Baby et al books in the bin

[jesk]

Thank goodness the science has backed up maternal instinct (not that most of us needed it) and Penelope Leach has now proved that leaving babies to cry is damaging.

Can we now see an end to the horrible Contented Little Baby Books and the marketing force that is ruthless businesswoman Gina Ford once and for all?

Read it here
www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/apr/21/leaving-baby-to-cry-brain-development-damage

Not for how strongly I feel about this, no.

Gina Ford does not suggest that you leave your baby to cry...she says that sometimes they need to 'cry down' for a few minutes before you rush in and interfere.

Mothers who don't like 'routine' usually haven't read her books properly!

How many times did you need to post this?
and if it's ALL baby "guru's" then your use of GIna Ford in all your tread titles is inflammatory

You obviously feed strongly about it but I can say I have followed her techniques for both my DCs and I have never ever left them to cry, rather gradually worked them into the routines - eg going for walks at the right time and once they were used to sleeping at that time they'd happily do it in their cot. GF does not advocate leaving babies to wail it out either.

The new edition of GF Contented Little Baby Book clearly states that the baby should not be left to 'cry it out'. Again, knee jerk reaction from someone who hasn't actually read the book no doubt. Horses for courses - if you like it use, it, if you don't don't. It's only a book!

I have to say, although I didn't like the contented baby book, Gina Ford does state that her routines shouldn't be done with babies under 7 lb (need to check, but there was definitely a lower limit). And she doesn't advocate leaving a baby to cry.

It is not a good idea to refer to the person you are referring to in this thread, certainly not on this website.

google this person along with Mumsnet, and see the news reports that come up.

women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/families/article1769332.ece

The contented baby book really worked for my first baby once I started following the routines at 5 months - and I never, ever left him to cry for anything. i'm now starting it with my ds2, aged 1 week.

the whole point of the routines is surely that they provide the baby with feeds and sleeps at exactly the right times, so they never get particularly hungry/overtired and therefore are much less likely to cry?

i've had no problem combining her feed/sleep routines with co-sleeping and demand feeding at different ages - it's only a book, you can pick and choose!

Infact she writes "a young baby should never ever be left to cry under any circumstance".

Try reading the book through before being so judgmental.

Some people think 6 months old is still young.