Baby won't nap during the day. Help

[Aandrew2]

Hi
I am finding it really difficult to get my baby to nap during the day. She is 8 weeks and resists going to sleep when tired. She will often yawn and become very grumpy when tired. I try and catch her as soon as she is showing signs of being tired but no matter what I do she fights going to sleep. I have tried rocking, patting, shhhing, white noise, etc. But she just fights it and cries. I try and do the wind down in her room with the curtains drawn where it's quiet. I know that she will often fall asleep if I feed her again when I know she doesn't need it but I don't want to get into the habit of her falling asleep at the breast. If I do manage to get her to sleep as soon as I put her down she will wake up or only last about 5 mins before waking and crying again. I have tried putting her down awake. Again she will start crying straight away. Any suggestions of how I can get her to sleep.

[claremoss]

Have you tried walking her in her pram? Also if feeding to sleep works for now, you could do it. You can stop again in a few weeks and she how she goes, she just wants to be near you :o)

[TheGreatHunt]

The boob works so use it

Sleep is way more important than how you get there at this tiny age. You'll probably
find in few weeks it will stop working anyway!

[Hazeydays]

I'm in the same situation but my little one is 20 weeks old and the boob has stoppped working :-(
Any suggestions for naps, she is just so so tired and just will not go, its breaking my heart, I feel like such a rubbish mummy...

[cogitosum]

I put ds in the sling and he'd always sleep. It helped him get into a great nap routine and still works now at 6 months.

[beachesandbuckets]

Ï think perhaps 8 weeks is too early to try a formal nap routine, at this age they want proximity to mummy, cuddles or motion (car/buggy), certainly my 6 month old twins are now only just going down well at lunch for a nap.

[callamia]

Feeding, and if that fails, then a walk in a sling.
Mine only needs to feed for a couple of minutes if he's tired, but the sling pretty much always works - and it's hands free for you.

[PurplePidjin]

Let her feed to sleep, it's natural and will boost your supply. If she's not hungry she'll spit the nipple out!

Invest in a stretchy wrap sling, eg Moby or Close Caboo type of thing. Your heartbeat and the closeness might be the reassurance she needs.

At that age I think they need to sleep every 1 1/2-2 hours so try giving her the opportunity - car, sling, buggy - at those intervals. There's a thing called the EASY routine which is Eat Awake Sleep You time which worked for us, although it was more of an Eat Sleep Awake for 5 minutes and no Me time in my case at that age; it consolidated more when ds was older.

Enjoy the cuddles, ds is 15 months now and has gone from The Unputdownable Cling Monster to preferring his cot and I do kind of miss him crashing out on me! I'm sure they do it to force us mums to sit the fuck down and rest after the trauma of giving birth

[Aandrew2]

Thank you for all your replies. I try rocking etc but will go to boob if nothing works. It's so hard though because you get told not to do it by the health visitor and feel like your failing if you do but bubba more important :)

[PurplePidjin]

my hv has been the least supportive person I've met since becoming a parent. obviously they're not all like that all the ones at my practice are but they're not the fountains of all wisdom, it's worth doing your own research. kellymom.com is good

[Mrswellyboot]

My five month old doesnt nap much but I used dark curtains and lullabies and he napped for an hour today.otherwise I have to take him on long walks.

[ArtemisTheHunter]

My 6 month old won't nap anywhere but in the pram unless she has a nipple actually in her mouth. Feed to sleep is great until you get to this point and have a baby who won't go to sleep any other way. Same at night: she's up every couple of hours wanting the boob, she can't possibly be hungry every time, she just can't go to sleep any other way. I didn't worry about it when she was tiny but now wish I'd worked on finding other ways to get her to sleep, she doesn't get the sleep she needs and I'm just exhausted

[kernow13]

Our 4 month old had only ever slept if held in arms or in her car seat. How about trying a drive? Take a magazine with you so you can enjoy quiet time whilst parked up. I found eventually just the engine straying would send her off to sleep. (Ours had probably has gotten used to being comfortable upright due to reflux). Good luck.

[Poshers]

I discovered this site www.troublesometots.com

I now use white noise & swing & it WORKS! But early days xx

[mrsbug]

Have you tried swaddling?

I'd just feed to sleep if it works, but then I still feed my 14 month old to sleep most of the time

[Oly4]

My son (now 22 months) didn't start napping properly til he was six months and would certainly not settle in the cot before then. He'd only fall asleep in my arms, in the pushchair but only when moving or in the car. Don't stress, your baby is still v young. Now my son sleeps 2.5 hours every afternoon and it's bliss! They do get there eventually. Just try as many non boob ways as possible

[bellini1]

I was about to post about my 6 month old when I saw this thread . So I'm following it with interest to see if anyone has an answer. She used to sleep really well in the day . From 7 weeks old until 4 1/2 months old I could put her in Moses basket and leave her . I was sooooo smug ! Now the minute I lower her into the cot she goes mental . I can't even attempt sleep training / controlled crying as shes hysterical instantly . It's awful and I'm getting really wound up as she will only sleep if I sit with her in a chair and shove boob in her mouth or if I go out in pram or the car . She doesn't do this at night and when she wakes up in the morning in her cot she's really happy so it's not an issue with the cot . She's had back to back colds so I comforted a lot with feeding .My HV suggested using the pram and parking it up inside so I can still get on with stuff . She thinks dd has just got used to being fed to sleep .

I'm going out of my mind as i can't get anything done and she's so tired . Plus I have a toddler who isn't getting my time as I'm always upstairs bloody battling . I feel like exploding as I'm becoming obsessed with it ! Any advice would be great .

[ilovemountains]

One of my DDs used to wail at nap/bed time. She wouldwail for about five minutes and then just fall straight asleep. She did this for about eighteen months, it just seemed to be her way of settling herself. Apparently my sister did exactly the same.

[Kernow1973]

Have you had any luck yet Bellini? We have similar issue now with our 5 month old and just started a sleep training programme from the baby sleep site.

[Itsfab]

Please just do what feels right to you and works. All this rod for your own back rubbish is such a pointless stick to beat yourself with. I regret so much not holding my babies more because I thought I would spoil them. I found I had no instincts or trust in myself as a mum and it has really ruined things for me.

If you want to feed her to sleep. Do it. If you want to do anything at all. Do it. She is your baby and HV do not know your baby. They know average babies they have read about in a text book.

Nothing lasts forever. Feeding her to sleep might work now but you won't still be doing it when she is ten . I remember one horrible night when we were trying to make DD sleep in her room with the door shut. Tears, puddles on the floor, tying the door shut, me thinking I was failing and worried about giving in. All pointless. She is 10 and never has her door shut now. It really doesn't matter. Just do what you feel is best.