8 week old hates to be napped in our arms

[SarahR1985]

Within the last few weeks our little one has suddenly found it really hard to relax and drift off in our arms when we try to nap her. As soon as we lie her back and sssh, rock, stroke anything sleep related, she cries, goes ridged, red in the face but at the same time seems tired and goes between chomping her dummy to not being able to with crying so much

We try to calm her, give more food, wind and see if she really is tired (which she is) but each time she creates and seems to dislike napping / going to sleep on us. This is difficult when out or indeed at home, as we’ve not begun to nap her in a cot yet….or essentially when we’re not in the car / using the pram.

She sleeps well at night with 1 formula feed and self soothes a little already.

Any help is much appreciated as it’s so hard battling each time she needs a nap and my joints are killing with the pacing and rocking!!!

Thank you

What happens if you put her down to nap? I'm slightly puzzled at you wanting to hold her for her naps but maybe you have a reason?

Will she nap in her cot? Why does she have to have naps in your arms? If you don’t want to have her in a cot away from you, perhaps a Moses basket in whichever room you’re in?

DD was like that. It's a good thing! Just out her down for her nap. Moses basket, carry cot etc.

Why are you having her nap in your arms? She obviously doesn't want it so why aren't you letting her nap in her pram or cot?

I dont understand why it's even an issue.

Just put her down then! Unless I'm missing the point.

Just put her in her cot. Or put the pushchair up in the room and lay her in that.

None of mine napped in my arms.

What’s ‘trying to nap her’? Surely sleeping in your arms is the last thing you want. Put her down in her cot/Moses basket.

If she settles and sleeps well in her cot at night it’s far better that she does that in the day too.

Well put her down in her cot. It's a nap. She needs to be lying down and she'll settle herself if she's in a routine and she does fine at night. She's probably irritated as hell with all the rocking..

Get a moses basket or something for downstairs if you don't want to put her upstairs in a cot.

Ds hated cosleeping or laying on us while he slept. He would lay on my dad though 🙄

So he slept in his cot or moses basket. I really don't think this is an issue.

You should try and put her down to nap. Means you get a rest too!

Dd wouldn't nap anywhere but on me, not wanting to nap in my arms would have been a dream!
Does she sleep in a Moses basket?
Or can you rock the pram in your house?

She might be one of those babies who needs to have a bit of space to relax to sleep. I’ve had both types!

Am I missing something? Why don't you want to put her down in a cot to nap? It's what most babies prefer to do and then you can relax more yourself too.

If she's resisting napping on you, surely it can't be any worse to try the cot?

Ds was like this from the day I brought him home. He'd only go to sleep if I put him down and left him alone.
It took me a while to figure out because I do think we're primed to think that "putting" a baby to sleep (rocking, walking, singing etc) is the "good parent" way to do things. So it took a while to understand that this was just not what he wanted.
Perhaps your dd is the same?

My first baby hates being held when she was tired she wanted to be put down to sleep and left. I don't see the problem

Nothing wrong with a baby napping in a cot/pram/mosses basket !!!

None of mine napped in my arms, I found that a good thing.......it meant I could actually get on with things while they had a nap!!!

Thanks for the responses

Sorry if it came across as I was against putting her down or napping in her cot…I did this with my first but not at 8 weeks!

I guess it’s more as “Chr1stmasCarole” says you assume you’re able to as a parent soothe your child to sleep in your arms if needed. I need to get my head around the fact, this is not always the case

I’ll take all the comments on board

One of mine liked to be swaddled and a gentle shugle in the baby carriage.

And yes, when you've previously had a Velcro Baby, it is odd! I couldn't quite get on board at first.

I had twins so didn't have napping babies in my arms. I just popped them in a Moses basket.
Then you can either nap or crack on with things.
It isn't a hassle.

OMG I'm of the "put them down and have some time to yourself as early as you possibly can" brigade. 8w is not too young to be put down to nap!

OP a point - the verb is to nap or to take/ have a nap . You do not ‘nap a baby’ .... very odd way to phrase it...

Your baby naps.

@olympicsrock

OP a point - the verb is to nap or to take/ have a nap . You do not ‘nap a baby’ .... very odd way to phrase it...

Your baby naps.

Oh come ON she's got an 8 week old baby, there's no need.

Don't make a rod for your own back! Baby in cot tout suite

Put the baby down they only cry for a couple of minutes then fall asleep

What's the problem?