......to think that pram naps aren’t a problem?

[Njh1986]

Interesting debate on this subject with friends today; literally divided the group in half.

Background: Our 4 month old has a serious case of FOMO and major issues sleeping where it’s light. Self settles and sleeps beautifully in her cot at night, waking only for the odd feed. Our house is south facing and has two or more full height windows in all rooms apart from bathroom. We use a blackout blind AND blackout curtains at night but can’t in the day as her room gets too hot. I spent week upon miserable week recently trying to to train her to sleep in a semi light cot, then accidentally stumbled upon the magic of a pram plus Snoozeshade and she’s napped like a dream ever since!

I think it’s brilliant; I literally pop her in, switch white noise on and cover her up and she’s out in seconds. Pram doesn’t need to be moving, no dummy etc. Means I can be out and about shopping/walking/chilling in the garden at nap time without having to be tied to the house. Also meant she napped like a dream last weekend when she stayed with the in laws.

However, a couple of friends seem VERY convinced that she should be napping in her cot. Like, practically trying to stage an intervention! When I pressed them on this, their reasoning was that it’s just what babies should be doing, she can’t nap in her stroller as a toddler etc.

AIBU to carry on with my system, thinking that it works and it’s fine? MIL keeps telling me that babies have napped in prams since prams were invented, but I’d love to hear some more recent points of view!

Ha ha ha! And what do your friends suggest parents of more than one child should do if the baby's nap time happens to fall during school runs?!

I mean seriously. They sound mad.

All my babies have napped in their prams with no problems. They now sleep beautifully in their own beds at night. Never had any issues with their sleep.

The only exception is when they get to about 18 months I find they are a)not quite as comfortable in the buggy and b) more likely to wake up from external sounds than a baby.

Enjoy your new found freedom OP and ignore your friends.

Mine is the opposite and will only nap in her cot. It would be so convenient if she slept in her pushchair! It is annoying being tied to the house for two hours, or when she's dozed in the car seat for half an hour and is then a grump. As pp said if air flow is OK and its safe I can't see a problem.

My dd had maybe one or two naps ever in the cot, transferred after she fell asleep on me. She always slept in the pram or when she was tired I'd cuddle with her on the sofa with a film on and I'd leave her there while I got on with bits (safely, in a quite open plan flat so I could see her when she was v young). Ds naps in his pram always and he'll be 2 soon. Do what works for you and your dc.

I much preferred my DS napping in his pram, it meant we weren't tied to the house, he would nap anywhere provided I had the pram. Sometimes he wanted to be moving so I'd push him back and forth in his room or in the living room, mostly he was happy to be still. We only stopped because he figured out how to climb out of the straps & if he naps now (very rare) he'll nap on the sofa at home.
I had friends whose child only napped in the cot and it meant they had to be home at certain times of the day so that the child could be put in the cot to nap as they just wouldn't fall asleep in the pram etc.

It never occurred to me to try to put mine in a cot to nap. How often was I near a cot when they felt like sleeping in the day? We would be out and about, in the car or in the buggy. No need to worry about getting home. Worked perfectly.

Thanks all - they were so adamant about this I was beginning to think that there was some major, life-threatening risk involved that I’d somehow overlooked!

I’ve got a funny feeling she won’t be napping much beyond 18 months anyway, she’s just so alert and awake all day. Even as newborn she rarely just nodded off randomly 🙈

I'm a massive advocate of getting babies to sleep in pram/pushchair if at all possible. Obviously, not all babies will do it, but if they do it improves your quality of life a lot. I felt rather sorry for people whose babies had to be asleep in their cot in a dark quiet room, because that meant the parents couldn't go anywhere or do anything at nap o'clock.

I presume people are worried about coverings and health warnings and are thinking like putting any cover over the pram = instant danger, but as long as there's air circulation and it's not very hot it's not a problem.

It's swings and roundabouts and I don't believe for a second that parents decide where babies sleep. Babies decide where babies sleep.

DC1 at that age slept anywhere - mainly in the cot but also in the car or buggy, moving or stationary. She wasn't fussy and she was a big sleeper.

DC2 was a totally different kettle of fish. Try as I might she wouldn't sleep at all anywhere apart from a sling. I spent a miserable 3 months (from 4 - 7 months) trying every single nap time to get her to sleep in in a cot for naps. One day at 7 months old she just did. She refused point blank to nap in a buggy. Even in her beloved sling, the second you left the house she'd wake up. When she went to a childminder at 14mo she wouldn't sleep in the cot there. I was baffled and worried but the childminder got her to sleep in a buggy - even out and about. You can't make this stuff up! She will still take a nap in a buggy now and she's 2.9yo.

DC3 is 5mo and only naps in her buggy (but refuses to out and about). I haven't tried her in the cot yet because I don't know where to put her 2yo sibling while I try!

If you can get her napping in a buggy then do. You're more likely get her napping in a cot in the future than your friends will get theirs sleeping in a buggy.

Mine are 11 and 7. Both napped in their buggies/prams as babies and toddlers. Walk around town and you’ll see tonnes of other babies and toddlers doing the same while their parents or whoever, are getting stuff done.

Your friends are weird Your MIL is definitely right about this.

Oh lordy, your friends would have a field day with me. Both DCs napped in their prams, outside (unless it was raining or snowing).

I also let them nap whenever and wherever they needed to as toddlers, because toddlers who need a nap are scary AF. DS needed naps until he was almost 4, he's slept in a washing basket, the bottom of a trolley, across 2 seats on a train, on a church pew, across me and DHs knees in a cinema, and my personal favourite, in a makeshift hammock I fashioned out of a huge pashmina at a cricket match on a village green one lovely balmy summer

Seems perfectly reasonable to me - I'm off to buy a snoozeshade as I have a similar problem with DS!

Neither of mine ever napped in their cots. I can’t stand being stuck at home all day. They both always slept fine at nursery (on a mat on the floor) and at night. Being stuck at home on some rigid routine sounds miserable so definitely keep doing what you’re doing. It means we’ve always been able to enjoy days out and pub meals and visits with family without stressing about nap time.

Do your friends never leave the house? That’s a completely crazy idea.

I wonder what they think of feeding to sleep and letting your baby nap on you. They’d look at me in horror! Do people only really let their baby sleep in cots? :/

Seriously though, relax and just be relieved that your baby even takes naps.

My son used to do 2 naps in the cot, 3rd nap in the buggy, so I used to jog with him napping (he was >6mths at this point). When I stayed with my friend who had a big back garden, I'd bundle him up, walk round and round until he fell asleep then park him outside and watch through the window. You do what works. Intervention indeed! Silly people

I think the whole thing about settling them to nap in their cot is so that they sleep in their cot at night, because a lot of babies are easier to settle in the day than at night. But this isn't an issue for you. I can see why it would be a pain if you had to be moving around but if you don't, then it means you have the best of both worlds. I had a baby that only slept in a cot and it tied me down so much, we are still turning down invitations as we know we will need to be home at a certain time

My youngest slept in her pushchair in the day. She would be hysterical if I tried to put her in the cot. If she fell asleep on me, I would only need to start leaning forwards over the cot for her to ping her eyes open and scream but would happily transfer into the pram. I figured I'd prefer a baby who would only sleep in her buggy to one who would only sleep in the cot.

My first would have slept on a washing line.

My child has never slept in a cot. He co-slept after 8 miserable weeks trying to get him to settle in his moses basket, which he eventually did before almost immediately outgrowing it (he's huge). Co-slept for ages at night along with naps in the buggy / car / on me. Got to 12mo and naps suddenly 'clicked' - could put him down at roughly the same time every day and he'd actually sleep a decent amount. Now 21mo and transitioning straight to a toddler bed from co-sleeping. His cot is basically unused but keeping it as currently pregnant with DC2 so will see if they like it! Anyway, in this house it's whatever works. I don't worry too much about what 'should' happen.

When mine were tired they slept where they were, never had naps in their cots - that was for night time

Have to echo everyone else and say don’t worry about it. Pram naps are fine.

With DD1 I wasted hours and hours of my life trying to get her to nap in her cot. Like your friends, I was convinced she needed to learn to nap in her cot. It was utterly pointless work as she started dropping her nap at 1 anyway.

DD2 came along when DD1 was a toddler. She slept wherever was most convenient as PP have said .

They are ridiculous people. My baby has never napped in her cot, always in her pram or on me or in the car. She has only just started napping in her cot at 13 months old since she's been going to nursery as they seem to have trained her by magic. The benefit of this is that she can now sleep pretty much anywhere and isn't tied to a cot and nap routine.

I'm a fan of the pram nap. my baby is a good sleeper though so I don't need the shade or white noise machine. I did like my scheduled not being planned around baby naps. loved the freedom of maternity leave. Also thought if I get her used to sleeping in different, eg noisy places, it's good long term. I rember at a toddler group a mum mentioning trying to do the holy grail of cot naps for her baby and I just looked a bit confused....

I am absolutely loving hearing the random places in which people’s babies have napped! Maybe we should start a thread of ‘extreme napping’ locations 😂

Obviously my FOMO-afflicted DD could not contribute to this (neither could I, as I apparently only slept in a moving vehicle until 9 months 😩), but there is a famous family photo of one of my sisters fast asleep on a potty and another sister asleep in the baking cupboard covered in flour....

Ignore them! My ds was the same. Terrible sleeper, no way he was napping in a cot unless it was bed time and even then he woke up all the time!
We got a snoozeshade for holiday at 5mo old and it was literally the best baby item I bought! We used it when we got home and he napped in his pram til 18mo when he used to try and turn over and wake himself up and then we did get him into his cot.

Him napping in the pram was a lifesaver as he would sleep for 2 hours so I had a decent break.
Actually it makes you more flexible as they will sleep when out (we could park ds up and enjoy a peaceful lunch!) But if at home we would just park him in the hall or dining room.
He is 4 now and sleeps in his bed no bother!

Mine all napped in the pram, usually while I was walking the dog!

LOL ignore them.

Mine never napped in a cot, never slept in it at night either, slings and buggies only for daytime naps which were short and stopped altogether at 2 yo (so no napping in the buggy as a toddler at all!). They're all different and it's no-one's business but yours and your baby's.