The Contented Little Baby Book - Gina Ford

Well firstly I have no idea why this book is in the health and beauty section and not the parental books section – it’s a book about coping with babies from 0 to 1 year especially with regard to getting the little darlings to sleep through the night. Perhaps it’s the health of the parents/mother who the categorisers at Ciao had in mind? Anyway, as it says in the intro, Gina Ford is a very experienced maternity nurse (a nurse who goes to live with mothers to help them look after babies – wish I could afford one of those!). Her philosophy is essentially that babies need ... more

WHAT THE BACK COVER SAYS.... The prospect of bringing a tiny baby home for the first time is daunting. Horror stories of sleep-starved nights, inconsolable crying and feeding on demand can make any proud parent fearful of what the future may hold. If you can afford it, you hire a maternity nurse to help the baby settle but for most parents this isn't an option. The Contented Little Baby Book is the perfect alternative. Based on twelve years of research and studying the natural sleep rhythms and feeding patterns of young babies, top maternity nurse Gina Ford has devised a strategy that is easy ... more

Before I bought this book, I had heard many people talk about it, some were very against Gina Ford’s parenting methods, some the very opposite. After the first read, I absolutely hated the Little Contented Baby Book, not so much because of the sleep training stuff etc. but because it was like reading a maths book; devoid of all emotion involved with bringing up children. I’m not talking about pampering (although I do feel you cannot pamper an infant anyway, as they do not know what it means) or anything like that, rather than the actual feeling of LOVING your child. However, I ... more

The New Contented Little Baby Book was recommended to me when I was just three months pregnant. Being very innocent and believing that I would have the perfect baby anyway I decided to give the book a read to help me along. Gina Ford - author, claims that by following her very strict routines for feeding, sleeping and everything else in between you could have a baby that "feeds well and regularly from breast or bottle, is less likely to suffer colic and sleeps through the night from an early age." - With claims like that which soon to be parents would not give it a read? Two weeks later and ... more

** This was one of my first ops and I have decided to rewrite it. The rewrite is very long. Be warned** As I used to be a nanny I am aware of how important routines are for children. If they have a routine they feel safe and secure. I have used the routine in this book in some of my past jobs and it worked very well then. I was very keen to try it when I had my first baby, but also a little dubious about whether it would work for us when we were the ones doing the night as well as the day. What can I expect. Gina Ford has been a maternity nurse for more than 300 babies. For those that don't ... more