Clingy Baby!!!!

[EnglishGirlApproximately]

Ds is 16 weeks and until 2 weeks ago was happy to nap in his chair or just on a blanket. He became clingy when he had an ear infection and wanted to be with me all of the time - I didn't mind as I can understand wanting mum when you're ill!

The problem now is that although the infection has cleared up he still won't nap anywhere other than my knee. I've been sitting here now for 1 1/2 hours, I'd love a cuppa, I need the loo, my leg is numb and I can't reach the remote control so Jeremy Bloody Kyle is on - aaarggghhhh! If I move at all, let alone try to put him down he starts screaming instantly.

I really need to get him napping on his own again - any ideas anyone?

He sleeps fine in his cot at night, has about 9 hours, but won't go in it during the day.

Help! :)

Anyone?

Will he nap in a sling/pram if you go out, for the meantime? Not in his cot I know but at least you could go for a walk to the shops or something while he snoozes. It will work itself out- and the night sleep sounds fantastic still.

No, he used to sleep well in his pram but he seems to get really overexcited by whats going on around him! Same with the sling.

I'm so glad he sleeps at night it does make the days easier. I just feel like I'm achieving nothing in my day as he's become so clingy. Even if he's awake and playing happily in his mat he starts crying if he can't see me.

Hmm, that is hard. Dd would at least often sleep in a sling, though it would take 20 mins walking around sometimes. How do you get him to settle at night? Dd still needs some winding down for a daytime nap, we pull the curtains, she has a feed in the dark(ish) and then I lay her down in her cot with the music box from her old cot mobile playing. But none of that worked til she was nearly a year old, I just used to try to feed her to sleep, wait til she was deeply asleep then sneak her into the cot, keep a hand on her tummy til I was sure she wasn't going to wake and howl, then escape for that cup of tea!

At night I just swaddle him at the first sign of him being tired and he goes straight off within a few minutes (god knows what'll happen when he's too big for swaddling!) but he fights against it during the day. We tried a routine with bath, feed etc. but it just seemed to stimulate him rather than relax him.

I feel like a human sofa!

I had the same problem dd would only nap on me up until 4.5 months. We did pu/pd which got her tonap in her cot then at 6.5 months did cc so she would sttn which she now does. Pu/pd worked better getting dd to nap in her cot than to sttn.

alabama how long did it take with pu/pd to get your dd to settle? I know I would struggle with cc but I really need a solution. Could you talk me through your routine please :)

Well I really didn't want to do cc until dd was over 6 months, but I had two issues ; dd was waking every hour AND had to be held for all naps. So addressed the holding during naps thing first. I read baby whisperer and basically what you do is out baby in cot, they cry then you pick them up soothe etc and out back down. You do this until baby falls asleep on their own.

To be honest I found this meaner than cc. With cc there was actually less crying overall. My dd cried for 8 mins with me going in every 1-2 mins picking her up. With pu/pd I felt it was a bit like taunting her as I was in the room and she was crying for me. I found when I left the room for 1-2 mins she settled straight away and cried less. She cried on/off about 3 hours with pu/pd.

It worked she napped in her cot fom then on, but in hindsight I wish I dd cc instead as I found it to be less mean IMO.

Good luck!

Just to add after I dd pu/pd she napped in her cot or ll her naps but didn't sttn until 6.5 months when we dd cc mixed with pu/pd.

Dd just went in a sling so I could get on with things. Good slings are very comfy.

Thanks - I'll try pu/pd but I'm a bit of a wimp so we'll see how it goes!