How to settle for naps without feeding - help!

[Jenny1565357]

My 9 month old only wants to fall asleep nursing. It’s fine for me but I’m the only one who can settle him for a nap. He’s going to a child minder when I go back to work. She mentioned having a travel cot for him but if you try and put him down for a nap in the cot without feeding he screams! He also will not take a bottle. I’m just wondering what techniques people use to get baby down for a nap a not sleep training - and get them used to not nursing to sleep. Any advice is welcome. He will fall asleep sometimes in the buggy but i don’t want her to have to go walking for hours if it’s raining etc.

You might find that if you’re not there then he just adjusts and can nap without needing to feed.

Alternatively, you can do gentle sleep training type techniques where you just change his sleep associations. So at the minute his association is with feeding, but you could introduce something new, like having a routine that lets him know it’s nap time. Or rocking or patting as a way of comfort instead of feeding. He will most likely cry if you’re changing what he’s used to. But as long as you’re offering comfort in terms of cuddles or whatever else you want then he’ll be ok.

The child minder will be used to getting babies to sleep (assuming she is experienced with babies) and some sleep better at childcare than at home. Mine’s always fell asleep independently at nursery but needs cuddling at home. Also needs her dummy. Even at 3 one of us usually needs to stay with her until she is asleep.