help to get 7 week old to nap!

[Iphonemumma]

I'm a first time mum and new to mumsnet so not sure if this is the right place to post but need advice on getting my 7 week old to nap during the day before I jump out of the window!

At best I can get her down for 10-20 mins after feeding her to sleep (which I know isn't ideal) then she's awake and won't go off for love nor money. I try to catch her when she's tired but she refuses to go to sleep and we can be walking her in her pram, rocking and singing, playing white noise, you name it for ages and she still won't go. I've tried all brands of dummies but she can't get the sucking motion right and hates being swaddled so doesn't like being confined in a sling.

I'm breast feeding on demand but am at my whits end as it seems a constant cycle of feeding which I'd hoped would ease off after the '6 week growth spurt' as the health visitor said it would but no joy at 7 weeks and counting. I keep reading about how babies should sleep for 3 - 4 hrs at this age and be awake no longer than 1 1/2 hours at a time. Is this true and if so how the hell do you get them to do that?

I want to get her into the pattern of eat, play, sleep but gently, at the moment we get as far as eat and fall asleep whilst eating, with the odd occasional play time if I'm lucky. I know 7 weeks is still young but I feel like I'm wishing her life away in the hope she'll just become a little more settled and stop feeding.

Please does anyone have any advice? It's really getting me down

My 4 month old was the same around that age and is still bad with naps now. He would fight it all day if he could. He's a nightmare sometimes as he will give all the signals under the sun he's knackered but still refuses to sleep! He doesn't take a dummy, he hates it so has basically no comforter. What i did find worked was putting him in his chair and rocking it in a faster than usual motion and play lullabys quite close but quite quiet. Now at 4 months he falls asleep quicker than he did but will still fight it.

It's trail and error, I used to have to be out with him in the pram almost all day to keep him asleep. I find he's satisfied after a nap if he has ATLEAST 40 mins. Anything less and he's even worse than he was before hand.
Can you drive? My ds would be fast asleep as soon as the engine would start. It'll get easier. I find myself wishing his life away now he's teething 😓 - I also use Colic powders / teething powders and tummy massages etc just to make sure there isn't a little pain stopping him from drifting off.
Hope you find something x