Routines to ensure a contented baby and parents. Covers baby’s first year, and includes how to get baby sleeping through the night by 6 weeks (!), feeding (breast and bottle), naps, weaning, dealing with problems eg sleeping and how to increase breast milk production, and even how to wash baby’s clothes.
Highs n lows
Now let me debunk a few myths – something Gina herself spends 20 pages doing at the start of this rewritten book (raw nerve perhaps?). She doesn’t advocate not feeding a baby when s/he’s hungry or leaving her/him to cry (except in exceptional circumstances when treating a behavioural problem) but she does advocate no eye contact with baby at bed time, and is very specific in terms of what you must do and when. The whole tone of the book is quite authoritarian, so prepare for your hackles to bristle when reading it. If you like routine and order, and would appreciate being told what to do and when for every 24 hours during your baby’s first year, this could be the book for you. If not, don’t buy it because you won’t stick to the routines, you’d be better off reading a few books taking the advice you need and leaving the rest. Personally this wasn’t my cup of tea, although I did find the section on weaning quite useful.
Is it any good?
3 out of 5. Don’t let the negative press prevent you from at least leafing through this to judge for yourself.
Posts
1 comment:
I loved this book. I did not stick to the routines, as the first reader stated was a must. But it worked great for me. My daughter slept throught the night, for 12 hours (7pm-7am), by 9 weeks. I did not demand feed her. I did successfully breast feed her for 14 months! She is still a fantanstic sleeper now at 26 months. She sleeps 11-12 hours at night and takes a 2-3 hour nap each day. I would recommend this book to every mom, whether it is your 1st or 3rd baby. (She is my second!) Take what info you want from it. I found the most important piece of advice was to have a set wake up time for the baby! Good luck.
Post a Comment