The Complete Sleep Guide For Contented Babies and Toddlers

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On the other hand, Dr William Sears (a paediatrician who therefore holds actual qualifications in infant development) and his wife, Martha Sears (a paediatric nurse, and also therefore qualified in child development - Gina Ford holds no qualifications at all) have eight children. They are the writers of the highly recommended ' The Baby Book' amongst many other publications. Unlike Ms Ford's book, The Baby Book is not a prescriptive system. The advice is given and it is up to the reader how they apply it. It also has huge amounts of information on all aspects of a child's development from birth to two years old.

Benefits of no crying method: This baby-centric approach minimises upset to parents, baby and family. Fans of the method say it can help your baby sleep for a full 12 hours from just a few weeks old, but you’ll need a fair bit of willpower and self-discipline. So, is it right for you? What is the Gina Ford method? Contented Little Baby is now a lifestyle choice for millions of people around the world. But part of this success is down to the fact that Gina still makes a point of talking directly to many mothers every week. The idea is that your baby should be able to sleep through the night by eight to 10 weeks. Plus, this method allows you to plan your day around your baby’s feeds and naps, giving you time to do whatever you need to or catch up on sleep. It's worth noting however that the NHS recommends starting a routine after three months.Keep in mind that the routines are strict. You’ll also need your partner on board with the idea – it’s a lot for one person to manage and you will need a break from time to time. Why is Gina Ford controversial? It's interesting that I don't find very much information on how to put newborn to sleep (probably because they sleep all the time???). But mine doesn't. I just don't have baby that sleeps all the time. She's 3 weeks old this Thursday. When he reaches stage two, where he is settling within 10 minutes for several nights, you should try leaving him to self-settle using the crying down method. It is important to understand that crying down is not the same as controlled crying. Crying down usually lasts around five to ten minutes at which point it will turn into fussing before he drifts off to sleep. It will also help with the self-settling if your baby gets used to being happy in his bed if you put him in it for short spells during the day, when he is fully awake, with a small book or toy to look at, whilst you stay close by, talking and reassuring him.

In answer to criticism about her methods she writes, "I would never advise that young babies should be left to cry for lengthy periods of time to get themselves to sleep. I do stress that some overtired babies will fight sleep and they should be allowed 5-10 minutes' 'crying down' period." Ford writes further on this subject in her book. As Gina’s reputation grew, she was approached by a number of publishers, and in 1999 she wrote her first book, The Contented Little Baby Book. It was a runaway success, largely due to enthusiastic personal recommendation, its matter-of-fact style and practical approach appealing to fathers and mothers alike. With a new edition of the book published in 2006, it continues to be the bestselling parenting book in the UK, with sales of over half a million copies to date. It has also been published in the US and in several foreign language editions including Spanish, Hebrew, Dutch, Portuguese, Polish, Russian and Chinese. Since the success of her first book, Gina has gone on to write a further nine books and co-written two others, covering subjects such as Weaning, Feeding, Sleeping, Potty Training and Twins, as well as the popular Ella and Tom series of children’s books. But, as the critics cry, having had no babies of her own, how can she really know what it is like to have a baby cry it out? For me, it comes down to parents' attitudes to the baby and to parenthood, the extent to which they are willing to let these influence their lifestyles, and for how long. There is no doubt in my mind that pretty much every parent loves their child and wants what is best for them. However, it seems to me that many are intent on reconstructing their lives as much as possible and as soon as possible, exactly as they were before their new arrival. I have met mothers who refused to breastfeed their baby, or ended doing so after a few weeks, so that they could leave the infant with a minder as soon as possible, mainly so that they could go out drinking and clubbing again. I try not to be judgemental of other parents, but some people make it really really hard.Ford was the only child of a single mother, born 42 years ago on a farm in south-east Scotland. Her father left the family soon after her birth, so she and her mother were desperately short of money. "We were so poor we didn't realise we were poor," she says. "To me, working-class people were posh. We were like peasants compared with them." Learn the secret to getting your baby to sleep through the night--so you can get the rest you need. You’ve heard horror stories about babies who cry constantly, need to eat every two hours, and never learn to sleep through the night. And now, whenever you think about your soon-to-be-born bundle of joy, you can’t help wondering how you’re going to manage those two a.m. feedings and non-stop crying jags--and how you’re going to live your already-hectic life on little (or no) sleep. Relax! If you follow the practical, real-life advice in The Contented Little Baby Book, your baby should be sleeping through the night at around six to ten weeks. You’ll learn why you shouldn’t follow the conventional “feed on demand” advice. You’ll understand why even older babies can benefit from sleeping and eating schedules. And soon you’ll have what every parent wants--a happy, healthy, contented little baby. Drawing on twelve years of experience researching and studying the natural sleep rhythms and feeding patterns of young babies, one of Britain’s top maternity nurses shows you how to… * Recognize the difference between hunger and tiredness

Gina’s first appointment was to help a mother whose baby had sleeping problems and Gina’s years of hands-on experience led her to solve this particular family’s problems within a few weeks. On the strength of this gift with babies, and her proven practical ability, she was recommended to other families and her reputation escalated. For years she was one of the most sought-after maternity nurses, specialising in caring for newborn babies and toddlers with serious sleeping and feeding problems. She would live with families for anything from two weeks to six months, and was on duty 24 hours a day, six days a week. During this period Gina was nominated by Harpers & Queen as one of the top ten maternity nurses in the country. She worked in many parts of the world with hundreds of different families, from leading lawyers and high-flying bankers to newspaper editors and other media personalities.

What is the Gina Ford method?

This method is also found to help with crying for some parents. After a few weeks, your baby should only be crying when she’s filled her nappy or isn’t well, so you know how to respond to her tears. How to manage it These methods should not be confused with the more extreme methods advocated Claire Verity. Gina Ford herself has condemned Claire Verity's methods as tantamount to child abuse! At this age, I would try a certain period of time (personally, I wouldn't do more than 15-30 minutes, maybe even less for some babies) to help her go to sleep and then after that time, help her go to sleep in any way possible. When babies this age get overtired it is often impossible for them to go to sleep. Just try again at the next sleep period. When she is past the newborn stage you can do a slightly more aggressive approach.