Getting out of the pram

[MonkeyPantaloons]

DS is five months old and only naps in his pram, which is much preferable to when he would only nap on me! He was fed to sleep for all naps and bedtime until a couple of weeks ago, although it had stopped working for naps properly and most involved being rocked in the pram. He now goes to sleep for the night in his cot either with me next to his cot, sometimes with my hand on him, or a couple of times with me out of sight next to the door.

We had a go at cot naps this week and the first day went brilliantly. Then he decided he hates his dummy again, now refuses it and has a meltdown the instant he's in the cot. So we're back in the pram, rocking away. I think I've got overexcited and gone too quickly and ought to cut out the rocking before trying the cot again. But how do I go about this?

I do also realise this isn't the end of the world - I guess if he wants to nap in his pram forever but goes to bed nicely that's fine. But I'd like to try and get him in the cot at some point.

[Ibizababyy]

Sorry no advice here, but watching with interest. DS2 only naps in his pram- would love to have option of cot naps but no idea where to start. He goes asleep quickly in there for naps so feel like I’ll be creating work for myself but also think it would be good for him to cot nap. DS1 used to cot nap but no idea how I did it!

[Mummysarah12]

My LO would only nap in the pram until about 8 months when after much effort finally started napping in the cot. Then at 14 months decided he hated the cot again & would only nap in the pram or car. He is nearly 18 months now & this is still the only way he will nap but i think we’re close to not needing naps soon so I’m just going with that flow.

I used to get really stressed about him not napping in the cot but now I realise that napping is only for a short period of time & I don’t think it matters where they nap. If you don’t mind your LO napping in the pram then I’d just leave it. The positive is that at least they will nap on the go if you have plans for the day. I know mums who have the opposite problem in that their baby will only nap in the cot so they have to stay at home every day for nap time x

[MonkeyPantaloons]

I was going with just leave it, but we've now had to sort out a nursery for him to attend in a couple of months. They only have cots available for naps. So I'd really appreciate some advice!

We managed first nap well with dummy and his comforter yesterday, second nap wasn't too bad but he couldn't link sleep cycles so was only half an hour. Decided to just do first naps in the cot and today he just wouldn't settle and get drowsy - after 40 minutes he was overtired and upset so I popped him in the bouncy chair and then managed to settle in the cot. Am I approaching this sensibly?

[MonkeyPantaloons]

And today I'm rocking him in the pram after he's thrown every dummy on the floor while getting upset in his cot for half an hour. Has nobody else ever had to do the before?

[mynameiscalypso]

We didn't manage cot naps until 10 months or so; before then, every nap was in the pram or the bouncy chair. To be honest, I didn't really mind that much (although the first cot nap was quite liberating!) so if it's proving too stressful for you, maybe leave it a few weeks? I wouldn't worry about nursery too much - at mine, they take them out in triple buggies a couple of times a day and sometimes babies will sleep then otherwise, they work some kind of magic to get them to sleep in the room.

[mynameiscalypso]

Oh and I found cot naps were much easier once he'd transferred to his cot/own room for night sleeps.

[Yukka]

My 14 month old still naps in the pram at home. I tried the cot (once in her own room she was in a next to me before that) but she seems to get confused with bed time. Sometime she will sometimes she won't, so I just pop her back in the pram.

I thought the same re nursery as they only have cots - she started 6 weeks ago it's never been and issue she sleeps fine there. She has a comforter teddy which they keep and a dummy.

She sleeps fine at night and seems really cosy in her room so I'm not bothered about it. Especially as it's useful that she'll sleep in the pram if we're out.

So I'd say roll with what baby prefers if it's not causing any particular issue. Sleep is too important!

[MonkeyPantaloons]

Maybe I should just cross my fingers and hope it works out at nursery. I just want him to be as ready as possible - he's only ever been held by me and my partner so it's going to be a huge shock for him.

Thank you all though.