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

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Author: Gina Ford
Publisher: Vermilion
Category: Book

List Price: ~~Ł9.99~~
Buy New: Ł4.19
You Save: Ł5.80 (58%)

New (32) Used (9) from Ł4.00

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

607 reviews
Sales Rank: 104

Media: Paperback
Edition: New Ed
Pages: 256
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 8.4 x 5.3 x 0.8

ISBN: 0091912695
EAN: 9780091912697
ASIN: 0091912695

Publication Date: April 6, 2006
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand New. Shipped from UK Mainland. Delivery is usually 2 - 3 working days from order by Royal Mail, International Delivery is by Airmail.

Customer Reviews:

Showing reviews 6-10 of 607

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My lifesaver at a very stressful time!!!!! June 17, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

This book was an absolute lifesaver to me. As a new mum, was very worried that I would do the wrong thing for my baby. This book gave me the confidence to make decisions that would benefit him. 1 year on I have a very happy contented little boy who is thriving in every way!!!!!! Thank you Gina Ford!!!!!

2 out of 5 stars

please take this book lightly June 8, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

Having bought this book a few weeks before i was due my first baby I read from cover to cover and was relieved to have some sort of guide as what you do when you bring your baby home. However when the day arrived I realised that this book was not the answer. I found this book rigid and very unrealistic. I struggled with the routine for two weeks stressing when my newborn wouldnt stay awake for two hours at a time or wanted feeding before the three hour mark or wouldnt sleep for two hours at lunchtime until my husband stepped in and told me to chill out. If i had skipped the routine portion of the book but read the advice I would have been much happier and would urge any new mums to take the routine part of the book very lightly. Your baby will guide you on how to look after them not Gina Ford. A good reference to have in the house but I would only use it for that.

5 out of 5 stars

A godsend! June 3, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

I brought this nearly 3 years ago with my first - as a teacher, pre-baby, my days were clearly planned out then baby arrived and life became chaotic! This book helped restore some sort of order to life - and little one became much more settled and happy (who knows if it was because of the routine or because I was happier?)

It certainly is not to be taken without common sense - for example personally if my baby was sleeping at 7am there was no way I was waking him! But as long as you are sensible and do not let it rule your life completely I could not recommend this enough. Unfortunately the routines are not so easy to apply with a toddler in the house - but still taking the spirit of them.

A book for new parents that need to retain some order!

5 out of 5 stars

Peace at last June 3, 2008
This book brought me great peace of mind and did genuinely help me gain confidence in my parenting. It also helped me get organised enough so that I could really enjoy these early days with my baby - as a single parent that was no mean feat. Gina has a wealth of practical, down-to-earth, well thought out advice to offer. I've found it to be an incredible tool in developing a safe, loving and responsive environment for my little one. Thank you Gina!

5 out of 5 stars

Works for the baby, and works for the parents June 2, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

Such divided opinions on this book! If you wish to demand feed, sleep with your baby etc then you don't want this book. If you like a structured day and to know when your baby will sleep / feel hungry then I would recommend it. We really do get the comments 'the most contented baby I've seen'. Mine is 10 months now and I'm logging in to buy the Toddler book.

However, the book itself is poorly written, which means it is open to misinterpretaion and needs to be repeatedly scanned to find the points you need. However, that cannot detract from the success of the routine for me, and by all accounts from anyone who actually follows it (rather than reading the book and then deciding not to try it).

The point to the routine is this: while babies are indeed individuals, they must broadly need the same amount of food/ sleep etc, and this routine provides that (just like a guide for adults would recommend 8 hrs sleep and three meals: generally it works). So, especially if you are inexperienced with babies or need to fit other things into your life, this routine makes things easier.
For example, having cried all night at the maternity unit, on night 4, back home and on this routine all day, much better through the night. In fact, apart from the expected night feeds for the first few months, my baby has woken me maybe once a week - and once sorted out gone straight back to sleep. The downside is that we are always up at 7am. However, I always have my lunch in peace, we have managed an evening meal after the baby is in bed every night since he came home from the hospital, and I am confident enough to take him to a restaurant in his car seat for a table at 8pm. No fuss at all.

Specifically where this routine helps us is:
- we know when we get up, when the baby will need food and when he will need sleep: so I can walk my dog before my partner goes to work, make phonecalls at lunchtime etc.
- Gina is better than I was at guessing what the baby needed when - certainly in the early months. e.g. about 0845 he gets a bit grizzly and seems to want milk - well, I pop him into bed as she recommends (feeling very dubious) but he's straight to sleep and has a good feed at the next appointed time.
- As my baby has got older, the habits this routine introduces have so far helped us to avoid some pitfalls such as early waking and I hope this will continue as we move on to the Toddler book.

The thing to note is that in following this routine, you do not have to wait until your baby 'demands' to be fed but are able to anticipate that: so with a bit of luck there should be no tears and minimum of stress.
However, I think you need to apply your intelligence to this book and interpret what is needed as it is unhelpfully laid out. If doing it again, I would not express to store milk.

The routine is demanding, but gives you a framework to fit your life around. If this makes the parents happier then that is a great plus, and it seems to work for babies (though I suspect most techniques will work for the baby).