Healthy Living Books Books

Rating: - LIFE SAVER
OK Gina Ford is my hero!!!

I was given this book when I was expecting my first child and thought 'Great - Thanks - another baby book'. However the advice at the beginning was brilliant - things I had never thought of and the routines were amazing!

My breast fed son slept though the night from 2 months old because I really struggled with weaning in time for work, but it would have taken twice as long without the book, however my second child slept through from 6 weeks, and life resumed!!!

You do not have to follow her routine step by step, apply it to you, but she offers so much and really helps to get your head around routine and what the heck to do when you think you have tried everything.

For almost 2 years the book never left my handbag and I buy a copy for everyone I know who is expecting.

It will be the best buy of the year I am certain, and if I have a third I will be sure to purchase the latest edition!

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Rating: - This book saved my sanity!!!
When my beautiful daughter was born in March, I couldn't believe my luck - she slept all day and night, fed well and was the perfect baby. This lasted for 6 weeks then all hell broke loose! She refused to sleep during the day, screamed for hours on end and woke up constantly throughout the night. I was at my wits end and would spend hours walking round the streets with Ruby in her pram, as this was the only way I could get her to sleep and therefore stop screaming. I was exhausted, emotional and on the verge of a breakdown.

I had bought The New Contented Baby Book when I was pregnant, but had been told so many horror stories about the harsh routines etc that I had dismissed it.

At 4 months I decided that something had to give so dug out the book and started Ruby on the routine and within 4 days Ruby was following the routine to the letter. As a result she was well rested, happy and contended little girl and I became the Mum I had always hoped I would be - relaxed, patent and confident. The transition was so incredible that other Mums from my first time Mum's group were all keen to try the routine too, and now we all have perfectly joyous little people. Don't get me wrong - Ruby can still have her off days but in general she still follows the routine to the letter. She goes down for all her naps without any tears or tantrums, she eats fantastically well and has been sleeping through the night since she was 4 months.

Routines aren't for everyone, but it seems from my experience those Mums who don't have any routine of sorts in place seem to be much more anxious and tired than those who do. Babies like to know what is going on and what is coming next, and as such enjoy having a daily routine.

Gina Ford saved my sanity and helped me become the Mum I always hoped to be.

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Rating: - Great book!
I love this book. I remember thinking in the beginning when my baby was just born that it must be a manual for how to maximise you and your baby's happiness, and this is it! Everything that I have had problems with there has been an answer for in this book. My baby is now very happy and contented and so am I.

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Rating: - If you want to follow a routine there are better books
I bought this book whilst pregnant and fully intended to follow Gina Ford as I'd heard so many great things about her. However, I hated this book. Her writing style is really cold and half the book is spent congratulating herself on her successes. I was sent into a complete panick by her list of what you must have. So terrified was I by her authoritarian writing style that I immediately bought a baby changing unit which I had never intended to buy and which ended up being my first baby purchase -admittedly probably the most useful item I did purchase but hey!

As books on routines go I found Rachel Wadilove's 'the baby book how to enjoy year one' much better. Rachel is a mother herself and the book is written in a sensitive and understanding way. There is also a lot more in the book besides details of a routine which is almost identical to Gina Fords (but minus being told when to eat and sterilise your equipment - also blackout blinds are not obligatory).

In the end however I am not following a routine. I also read 'Why love matters' and the Sears 'Attachment parenting' and there seemed to be much more evidence to support these approaches. The Sears are not against the idea of scheduling naps (as long as the baby isn't left to cry) just feeding as this can interfere with milk supply in breastfeeding mothers and is cruel if your little one is hungry/thirsty. I must admit my 3 month old daughter feeds more often than 4 hourly during the day but this isn't a problem as I quite enjoy feeding and she a very fast feeder. She also wakes once or twice in the night but again this isn't something that really bothers me too much as she sleeps well in between(I think breastfed babies tend to need to feed more frequently and are less likely to sleep through the night than bottlefed babies anyway).

I tried to follow the suggested nap times in Gina Ford (also the same as Rachel Waddilove's book) and find that I can get my daughter to roughly follow them when I'm at home for the day. However, as soon as I go out anywhere, everything goes haywire. Considering most things that a new mum is likely to want to do (eg meet people for lunch or mother and baby groups in the morning) clash with the nap times I really feel it is not realistic (for me at least) to follow this routine (I think most mums would go stir crazy if confined indoors all day).

If routine is something that you really need in your life by all means go for it as it obviously works for lots of people but please don't buy this book. Opt for Rachel Waddilove's book as there is so much more to it.

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Rating: - Definitely not a book that covers it all but might have some useful points for some.
First thoughts - wow, it's complicated. Second thoughts - I can't see how one routine can work well for all babies of all temperaments, sizes and metabolisms.

I confess I didn't read the book cover to cover before taking it back to the library but I don't think it's designed to be read cover to cover in one sitting even if you're a fan and it makes quite a dry read if you do.

Some points:

- the words 'illness' or 'cold' don't figure into the index at all - does the routine work when babies are ill? I know that when I'm ill, my sleeping, feeding and definitely playing don't work the way they do when I'm well.

- no mention of premature babies - not an issue in and of itself I guess because us premmie mums can correct but it'd be nice to have a nod as to what to do in those early weeks when your baby is minus x weeks.

- a complaint to be made about many baby books I've read, not Gina-specific, very little mention of cloth nappies or cloth breast pads or anything that's a bit more eco-friendly.

- if you're exclusively breastfeeding, then it's pretty much impossible to do it without expressing - she says this herself - not the end of the world but still - adds more complication to something that can (and should?) be very simple.

- she (probably deliberately) misses the point regarding 'feeding on demand'. She talks about how babies can switch day and night through this and mums can end up feeding all the time and getting sore nipples etc. due to poor positioning because they're tired. That's very true, but it's a bit like saying 'driving cars leads to people getting into road accidents so no-one should drive'. Yes, it's true that without a bit of management (and effort), feeding on demand can indeed result in the things she describes but it's not a given - I should know as it's my own personal experience.

- she suggests that non-method mums have even less time than this routine provides for her mums; again, personal experience has found otherwise. Maybe I've just been lucky with my own baby but flexibility on my part with regards to feeding and sleeping times has resulted in a flexible baby too and I can pretty much do what I want when I want with a bit of planning and he'll either tag along happily or when necessary be looked after by other people.

- she also assumes that it's impossible to bond with your baby if you are up in the night to feed him/her because you're tired (!).

I found myself thinking that I was doing it all wrong and that the only way to 'do it right' was by her method which, of course, was her aim but it was interesting that I felt it (luckily only a little bit and in passing) even though I knew to expect that. *This* is why I've avoided any method books, heheh. :)

Overall, despite my many points above, I took some useful things from the book and one of the reasons I read it was because I think my child is ready for more of a routine. Feel free to borrow it from a friend (or buy it if you want the full collection) but if it doesn't feel right to you, don't do it and don't feel that you're being a bad parent because of it.