to want my 3.5 month old to nap....

[domesticungoddess]

I need help.....my dd wont nap appart from being carried in a sling out side. I've tried to get her to sleep other ways but no luck. My back is killing me and I'm nakered from walking 1-2 hrs twice a day. If I dont do this she just gets more and more tired, breast feeds continuously and screams uncontrollably.

Nights no bad-7.30-8pm ish sleep, wakes up 2-3x in night to feed then gets up at 8 am ish. Bed time routine starts at 6-6.30pm.

Tried swaddling her today-attemoted nap when she was showing signs of being tired at 10am gave up at 1pm-am breast feeding her prior to a walk now. Last three days the same or worse. She falls asleep immediately in the baby bjorn. She does repeatedly fall asleep on me when she is tired during bf but I can't get her off me into the cot without her waking. Tried no cry nap book-not working on her.

Its really getting me down (crying a lot at the moment) and I'm really worried about her as without sleep during the day she doesn't manage to do anything other than feed and scream. When she does sleep (in carrier) she is all smailey and we can play. I'm worried she wont develop.

Am I just being a crap mum >?????

YANBU and you are not a crap mum. My DD2 is similar (9 weeks) won't sleep then won't do anything, even feeding is a struggle. Could it be colic? Sometimes I think DD2 just hasn't learned how to go to sleep when tired yet, and, like you, am walking miles a day...

Sounds like you are doing everything you can, no real advice but you are not alone.

Youre not a crap mum!

You have my sympathy... My DS, also 3.5 months, doesnt nap too well either. In the pram he'll sleep for hours, but here in the house he will only sleep longer than 5 mins if someone is cuddling him. Hes asleep on DH as I type!

So am watching to wait for any advice... :)

PS YA so so so so so N BU!!!

PPS, My DS is the same at night, a little angel. And everyone says "oh youre so lucky", cause they dont think of how bad it can be in the day!! :(

Yanu.

Do you bouncy chairs, swings or an activity gym? My 3mo will tend to nap in the swing or bouncy chair when it is switched to vibrate. I also use a comfort blanket at the side of her head to help her drop off then i take it away. I think the softess helps against her head.

Meant to say yanbu btw.

Hiya, it's not you, it's your baby - she's picked up a motion sleep habit. It's SOOOOO common.

I had exactly the same thing with my DD and it was horrible so I really feel for you - I've been there. When she was 4 mo I bought one of these lullabub (as recommended by Elizabeth Pantley's No-Cry Nap Solution), then did Babywhisperer Shh-pat description here as I couldn't stand it any more. It took about a month to sort out but it DID happen and it was better than the 4 hours a day of walking I was doing to get her to sleep! I was a zombie.

She is now 13 mo and an excellent day sleeper if a bit of a rubbish night one < sigh >

They do also get better at day sleeping naturally but it takes a while. And she WILL develop, mine is as bright as a button despite her utter lack of day sleep in the early months.

Any other qus, feel free to PM me.

Could you try getting lots of things to hand (coffee, book, laptop, remote etc) and then sit on the sofa and bf her when she is tired and when she does fall asleep on you, dont worry about trying to get her in the cot, just relax back and let her sleep on you while you read/watch tv?
Might not be ideal but perhaps better than a long walk if you are not feeling up to it..

Yanbu. Dd is just over 5 mo and will pretty much only nap on me or dh. I would post more but guess who is asleep on my right arm. X

Is it the movement she likes? What about one of those rocking swings? And what fel1x said - sound advice!

My first didn't sleep in the day at that age unless pushed in the pushchair - I also did a heck of a lot of walking, but it was easier on the back. I used to manoeuvre the puschair carefully into the hall after a walk, in the vain hope that she'd not notice she'd stopped moving.

I did get quite fit, on the plus side.

I muddled through (not the most gifted with babies, me) until she started to settle on her own, but you'll probably get more useful ideas to accelerate the process on here.

spongebob - It's true, you don't get any sympathy when they sleep relatively well at night.

She'll develop anyway, domesticungoddess - my baby is 13 years now, is 5'6" and doing fine.

YANBU DS would only nap on our laps. Still does if one of us is at home with him during the day (at 19mo).

It was a nuisance sometimes and of course I worred I was 'doing it wrong' but tbh I quite liked the enforced sit down and cuddles.

I walked bloody miles when DD was that age (lost loads of weight though!) It was so hard - she used to scream in her pram for ages before dropping off.

OP - you're definitely not a crap mum, some babies are just like this, it will improve in time.

Oh yes, and DD is developing like anything (crawled at 6 months etc) in spite of never being a great sleeper so don't worry about that!