Healthy Living Books Books

Rating: - A godsend!
I brought this nearly 3 years ago with my first - as a teacher, pre-baby, my days were clearly planned out then baby arrived and life became chaotic! This book helped restore some sort of order to life - and little one became much more settled and happy (who knows if it was because of the routine or because I was happier?)

It certainly is not to be taken without common sense - for example personally if my baby was sleeping at 7am there was no way I was waking him! But as long as you are sensible and do not let it rule your life completely I could not recommend this enough. Unfortunately the routines are not so easy to apply with a toddler in the house - but still taking the spirit of them.

A book for new parents that need to retain some order!

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Rating: - Peace at last
This book brought me great peace of mind and did genuinely help me gain confidence in my parenting. It also helped me get organised enough so that I could really enjoy these early days with my baby - as a single parent that was no mean feat. Gina has a wealth of practical, down-to-earth, well thought out advice to offer. I've found it to be an incredible tool in developing a safe, loving and responsive environment for my little one. Thank you Gina!

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Rating: - Works for the baby, and works for the parents
Such divided opinions on this book! If you wish to demand feed, sleep with your baby etc then you don't want this book. If you like a structured day and to know when your baby will sleep / feel hungry then I would recommend it. We really do get the comments 'the most contented baby I've seen'. Mine is 10 months now and I'm logging in to buy the Toddler book.

However, the book itself is poorly written, which means it is open to misinterpretaion and needs to be repeatedly scanned to find the points you need. However, that cannot detract from the success of the routine for me, and by all accounts from anyone who actually follows it (rather than reading the book and then deciding not to try it).

The point to the routine is this: while babies are indeed individuals, they must broadly need the same amount of food/ sleep etc, and this routine provides that (just like a guide for adults would recommend 8 hrs sleep and three meals: generally it works). So, especially if you are inexperienced with babies or need to fit other things into your life, this routine makes things easier.
For example, having cried all night at the maternity unit, on night 4, back home and on this routine all day, much better through the night. In fact, apart from the expected night feeds for the first few months, my baby has woken me maybe once a week - and once sorted out gone straight back to sleep. The downside is that we are always up at 7am. However, I always have my lunch in peace, we have managed an evening meal after the baby is in bed every night since he came home from the hospital, and I am confident enough to take him to a restaurant in his car seat for a table at 8pm. No fuss at all.

Specifically where this routine helps us is:
- we know when we get up, when the baby will need food and when he will need sleep: so I can walk my dog before my partner goes to work, make phonecalls at lunchtime etc.
- Gina is better than I was at guessing what the baby needed when - certainly in the early months. e.g. about 0845 he gets a bit grizzly and seems to want milk - well, I pop him into bed as she recommends (feeling very dubious) but he's straight to sleep and has a good feed at the next appointed time.
- As my baby has got older, the habits this routine introduces have so far helped us to avoid some pitfalls such as early waking and I hope this will continue as we move on to the Toddler book.

The thing to note is that in following this routine, you do not have to wait until your baby 'demands' to be fed but are able to anticipate that: so with a bit of luck there should be no tears and minimum of stress.
However, I think you need to apply your intelligence to this book and interpret what is needed as it is unhelpfully laid out. If doing it again, I would not express to store milk.

The routine is demanding, but gives you a framework to fit your life around. If this makes the parents happier then that is a great plus, and it seems to work for babies (though I suspect most techniques will work for the baby).

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Rating: - Is this really the way to have a contented baby?
This book should carry a warning .. your baby will learn that the world is a frightening place if you adopt this style of parenting. Babies are a blessing not a burden. How can they develop a sense of being safe and loved if not by being held and near to their family? I have seen many copies of this wretched book being cast out by tearful and frustrated parents who wish they had never tried to 'train' their precious bundles of joy into an unrealistic routine, rather than understand the babies perception of need and of continuum. A newborn grows and develops in their own wonderous world that is unpredictable and everchanging... don't wish it away, go with it and grow too. Sue. Independent Midwife who has seen many smiling attachment parents and babies!

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Rating: - A Lifesaver!!!!
I bought this book whilst six months pregnant with my second child, and the moment it arrived I read it cover to cover.....WOW!!! If only someone had handed me this book with my first child I could have avoided so many tears (hers and mine)and had ample amounts of sleep. My son is now six months old and has been on Gina's routine since he was three weeks old - He was down to just one night feed by six weeks and was sleeping through the night from three and a half months. My husband and I have plenty of couple time in the evenings and eight hours sleep every night thanks to Ginas routine as our son is in bed, clean, fed, happy and sleepy at 7pm!! I am so thrilled with our sucess following Ginas rountine that I've been purchasing this book for any of our relatives and friends that are now expecting!! Buy it and more importantly FOLLOW IT!!!