Baby won't nap

[Annabel65]

I have an 11 week old baby girl and a 2 1/2 year old toddler. My baby girl refuses to nap during the day, and is a pretty poor sleeper at night (I suspect because she doesn't nap enough during the day).
I have read lots of advice about swaddling baby for naps, sticking to a 3 hour routine etc.....but how do I do this when I also have a toddler to care for? This morning I have spent 1 1/2 hours in our room trying to get my baby to nap, whilst my toddler sits and watches TV. Baby refused to nap so is now exhausted crying and is only happy when is being held. How do other carers provide a routine for their babies when they also have other children needing their attention? From a very tired mummy....x

Baby wearing. Get a sling, put baby in. She'll just drift off then when shes tired and you've got your hands free for toddler.

Sling

I've a 16 day old baby and a 17 month old toddler.

The sling is the only thing saving me from sobbing into a glass bottle of wine at 3pm everyday.

Lifesaver

That and teaching the toddler how to rock the pram whilst they are watching show me show me on CBeebies so I can go to the toilet.

My 6 week old was up for 6 hours today!!! Only way I can get him to sleep is the sling but it was in the wash and I had to wait for it to dry because I ruined my last one in the dryer.

Having to teach my two other children and do my own work whilst holding a cranky baby was an absolute tonne of fun today. I hope for the same thing tomorrow 😐

Easy to forget this is temporary when it’s so exhausting

Stuff baby wearing - I like my personal space too much for that.

how do I do this when I also have a toddler to care for?

All daytime naps in a bouncy chair.

Sit yourself on the sofa, cuppa in hand and toddler playing. Bouncy chair at your feet and bounce with your foot. Be relentless about bouncing.

Also give baby a dummy - comfort sucking helps.

@FATEdestiny completely agree! I had no desire to 'wear' my baby. She either gets put in swinging chair to nap or on playmat where she drifts off. I would only cuddle her to sleep if she was getting hysterical, then once asleep i put her down.

Now at 5 months i am able to put her in her cot for her 2 naps a day.

Oh and definitely yes for a dummy! When they are overtired it helps to distract them and then they can fall asleep. My LO also likes blanket or comforter next to her face. Give her these 2 things and she associates it with nap time!

I usually agree with you Fate but there is absolutely no way my toddler will play nicely if there is a baby in an exciting looking bouncy thing to play with instead. Any attempts to distract/discipline only make it more tempting for her and I'm having to be very careful arlready to make sure the toddler isn't feeling pushed out by the new arrival.

I'm not keen on having the baby attached to me, and I'm not going to pretend it's not without some massive issues. But for me there are no alternatives currently.

Once I've got her to sleep in the sling I can occasionally transfer her back into the pram. It's only for a hopefully short period of time.

I do agree about the dummy though. Although DD2 currently isn't overly keen.

Just as an FYI, but you don't want the bouncer being anything like an "exciting looking bouncy thing". Most bouncers have a removable play arch, so it leaves just a chair. I favour the Fisher Price Kick N Play, but that's just me. I never used the vibrate and play arch removed when baby sleeps (which was mostly the only thing the chair was used for, so mostly all the time).

As for toddlers playing nicely while baby sleeps - Haha! What sort of Disney world is this?! Having had four children (two only a year apart), I've come to learn that in the baby years it's the toddler who needs your attention more than baby. Mine wouldn't just be left to it and play. So I'd put baby in bouncer which enabled me to play and interact and whatnot with toddler, all while simultaneously getting baby to sleep in the bouncer.

Other people baby wear to achieve the same. That is absolutely not for me at all. But that's OK, both are fine.