The New Contented Little Baby Book: The Secret to Calm and Confident Parenting (New edition)

sarah turner

When my first child was born everyone told me that it would come naturally and to follow the baby's natural rhythm. Well that wasn't the case for me and I was really grateful for this book for giving me some guidance. Personally the routines on paper look far too structured, but they gave me a rough template for what to expect in the first few weeks and months. It is a great book for giving you a good guide on roughly how much sleep a newborn needs and roughly how long they can go between feeds, as things change so quickly during the first few weeks. In the early weeks it is really hard to differentiate between hunger and tiredness and this book helps guide you on the likely cause of crying. this book might not be for everyone - but I was the only person in my ante-natal group that used it for a guide and I can honestly say that both my children were the first to sleep properly through the night with a good bedtime routine. I have not once let them cry themselves to sleep and have not needed to - this boook is not about that. By not confusing tiredness with hunger (thanks to this book) I also never had a baby that had to be "fed" to get to sleep. This book helped me understand the type of routines that would benefit them and I think the whole family has benefitted as a result. Gina Ford has had a lot of bad press over the years. You don't have to follow it to the letter, but the theory behind what she writes is correct, she just needs a softer way of saying it. I certainly don't think this book is for everyone, but for someone like me who needed some guidance at the start it was perfect.

Cheryl

I really can't recommend this book highly enough. I was absolutely desperate when this book was recommended to me and have used it for both of my boys who are now 5 and 15 months. They both slept from 7 til 7 from an early age and really were contented and happy. Please don't be put off by how complicated it looks because it isn't and your baby very soon gets into the routine on his own anyway. This really does work!!!

Sha

This book was my salvation. My baby and I were very unhappy with demand feeding. It was exhausting and he was unhappy all the time. A friend told me about Gina Ford and although it takes quite a bit of effort initially, it was so-o-o worth it. Everyone commented on how happy and calm my little boy was and still is. It's all about anticipating your baby's needs, so they don't get hungry or tired and consequently, hardly cry or get upset. I know it doesn't suit everyone, but it really worked for us, it was my bible and I highly recommend it.