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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

3 weeks to get dd to nap in cot

12 replies

CherryBlossom100 · 07/08/2018 23:00

Hi everyone. Sorry not really an AIBU but need some quick replies.
I am back to work in three weeks time and my 9 month old daughter will be going to a childminder.
The issue is that every nap she has ever had since colic hit when she was four weeks old has happened in my arms.
She has never napped well, always fighting the nap and only sleeping for one sleep cycle at a time so I got into a habit of rocking to sleep in my arms.

I recently moved her onto a two nap schedule which sometimes lengthens her naps but not always. Ideally routine would be
7am wake
10-11am nap 1
2-3pm nap 2
7pm bed
This doesn’t always happen and bedtime today was 6pm because she had two half hour naps and woke at 6am.

So I have three weeks to get her napping a little better and a little more independently for the childminder who obviously won’t have time to rock her and hold her for the entire nap.

I don’t even know where to start and feel like I’ve never really got on top of her napping needs. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

OP posts:

Cornettoninja · 07/08/2018 23:14

I wish you luck - never managed it with my dd (2.5) who still naps in my arms on my days off....

But much to my surprise my childminder gets her to sleep everyday. Not in a cot mind, but listened when I said she dropped off pretty reliably in her pram whilst walking at the time and set her up downstairs with a buggy that she rocked her off in.

They’re not the longest naps but it’s enough to get her through the day.

Have you sat and talked though your concerns with your childminder? There’s a high probability that your dd will find her own way and your cm has seen it all before.

Are you going straight to work or having a few days for her settle in?

CherryPavlova · 07/08/2018 23:15

I suspect the childminder will put her in a cot and let her go to sleep. You could try it? She’ll grizzle a bit but she’ll get over it.

Cornettoninja · 07/08/2018 23:16

Forgot to say... by all means try to do what you can but don’t let it become a stressful battle. It’s really not the be all and end all.

Atthebottomofthesea · 07/08/2018 23:18

My youngest never napped in a cot, even if she was asleep in my arms as soon as I as much stood next to the cot she would ping open her eyes and scream. All naps were on me or in the buggy. The eldest went to a cm and naps were in a buggy.

Maybe try a buggy - worth a punt.

JoanFrenulum · 07/08/2018 23:18

Talk to the cm but I bet she'll manage. Mine gets DD to sleep somehow despite her being rubbish at naps with me. I was worried just like you. Idk what magic she is working but I'm happy leaving her to it.

nokidshere · 07/08/2018 23:19

It's rare that a child behaves the same way at a minders as they do at home to be honest. Just let them find their own way and don't worry about it.

bella2bella · 07/08/2018 23:21

I was still breastfeeding mine to sleep for naps and nighttime when she started nursery. To my amazement she napped fine there, without any help, in a room full of babies. Amazing! (At home she still wanted me) I'd tell the Childminder your concerns but she will find her own way I imagine.

Atthebottomofthesea · 07/08/2018 23:24

She’ll grizzle a bit but she’ll get over it.

Sorry but this made me chuckle (in only a long passage of time allows) grizzle? She would try to lob herself over the side of the cot whilst screaming. Even if I put her in the cot whilst I sat next to it playing a game with my other dc she would hold onto the bars getting louder and redder.

But OP , cm's have some kind of magical powers so stuff happens there but nowhere else. And unless she is shiny and new your little one won't be the first like this, I promise.

fabulous01 · 07/08/2018 23:26

My twins have never slept in a cot in house
They slept in a ruddy cot at nursery.....

Might be same with childminder ...

IceCreamFace · 07/08/2018 23:27

I think it's much more likely the child minder will find a way (possibly after a few napless days) than you'll manage it in the next 3 weeks. Even if she doesn't nap the first few days she'll probably fall asleep in the buggy - a new routine will work itself out somehow! By the way I totally sympathise - DS1 was just the same (except he also required a boob).

Original poster

CherryBlossom100 · 07/08/2018 23:30

Thanks everyone. She refuses naps in the buggy too. Even when beyond tired. If I put her in the cot to nap, she just rolls around and plays. It’s so bizarre because she self settles within 10 minutes at night and sleeps in the cot.
I was worried about telling the childminder how bad she was at sleeping in case it put her off and she refused to take her but I’ll do that tomorrow. She has two settling in days in a couple of weeks.
I’ll try the cot again but try not to stress too much. I don’t want my last few weeks of maternity leave to become a battlefield with her.

OP posts:

ineedaholidaynow · 07/08/2018 23:37

DS(13) never napped in his cot at home (was ok, eventually at night) but never in the day. Had to walk and rock in the pram.

He went to nursery at 12 months. Slept no problem in the cot in the baby room. When he moved up to the toddler room slept on the mats no problem. Don't know how they did it, but they did!

I remember having to pick him up early from nursery once, which coincided with nap time. I looked in the room and there were all these toddlers asleep at the same time on their mats. It was like magic.

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