Transitioning 6m baby from lap to cot

[crispysausagerolls]

My son is 6 months and has always napped on me - he generally breastfed to sleep, stays on the breast for 20 mins and comes off for 10, then wakes up. He used to just wake up and cry when put down so I let him
Sleep on me, and he bedshares with me at night (and sleeps through so I won’t be changing this anytime soon!).

However, this week he does not seem comfortable in my arms anymore and ends up using my lap like a bed with his head on a cushion - I think this is a clear sign he wants to sleep lying out of my arms/currently has been asleep
And off the breast for 30 mins so a
More reasonable length of time to put him
Down for than the aforementioned 10 mins.

My question is how to go about this transition? I worry about him
Waking up immediately when put down, being inconsolable and then not sleeping/being tired, or waking up when I’m gone and being scared. If it’s relevant he also does not like to sleep in the buggy or in the car (never has). Any advice appreciated.

How do you put him down for bed at nighttime? That might be a good place to perhaps try to replicate?

If you still plan on feeding him to sleep then transferring him to the cot, I would recommend putting him down at the speed of a snail, and then even slower on top of that. Once he's down, keep your hand on his tummy/bum/side/wherever and then ever so slowly and gently lift it off. He might wake slightly but hopefully with your hand there he can drift back off. If he wakes and gets really upset straight away I reckon you could just feed him again and he'd nod off.

It might take a few goes at first as he gets used to it. I've done something similar with my DS who is 8m and he now naps fine in his cot. It's a very slow transition, don't expect too much too soon and good luck :)

How do you put him down for bed at nighttime? That might be a good place to perhaps try to replicate?

I sheepishly have to admit I just get into my bed at about 8pm with him and feed him to sleep, surf mumsnet or read for a bit then fall asleep too! So can’t really replicate.

Thank you for the detailed advice I will absolutely give it a go - so annoying how the cot bars are it’s like setting us up to fail 😂

firesidetreats

Did you put a blanket on your DS once he was down?

Just do what you do at bedtime but do the Ninja roll and leave him to sleep in bed? That's what I did. Obviously have a bed guard on and video monitor so you can check he's not crawling out/ rolling off.

Crispy I don't because he rolls a LOT and would just get tangled. What does he use at night? A grobag or blankets?

He's almost 9m now and we have an actual nap routine when at home but it's only since the new year this has actually worked and he can get himself off to sleep without me feeding him. We have a 2 minute nap routine - close the blinds, into sleeping bag, white noise on, pat tummy twice then close the door. 9 times out of 10 he goes straight to sleep but I am convinced this is developmental and nothing I've really done as I still have to feed him to sleep at bedtime or all hell breaks loose. We did make some progress breaking the feed to sleep association a few months ago using the "pantley pull off" method but then he got poorly and it all went to pot again... such is the way!

I would just do whatever works for you at the mo - they are changing so much and so quickly that nothing seems to last!

Is he rolling? If so you could just do what you do at bedtime and leave him on your bed - pop some pillows at the edges to contain him, and keep an eye on the monitor if you have one? I've also done this too!

Sorry, I meant if he's not rolling! Otherwise you'd need to keep an eye I guess. Do you cosleep or transfer to his cot at night?

I am
Currently trying to put him
In the cot but he opens his little
Eyes the second I lean down to put him in!!!!! It’s like some sort of 6th sense!!!!

We have bed guards (he rolls a LOT) on the bed and I use a blanket at night so I think for future naps may well just try to feed to sleep and leave (love the phrase “ninja roll” in bed, as this cot scenario isn’t going down very well 🙈😂 i would like
To
Try the ninja roll at night
Time
Too but then I always end up falling asleep myself/we have a dog so I keep having to shut him in the kitchen for these types ot things.

fireside

Well done, sounds like a fantastic routine!!!!!! Because he’s PFB I don’t really mind just holding him (no idea what the hell I would do with a second!) but I do think it’s time sadly 😢

Christ, i just put him down, his eyes opened I let go of him; he rolled onto his side and closed his eyes and appears to be asleep!!!!!!!!! I am now sitting here staring at him with baited breath to see how long this lasts (surely not very?!?!)

I use a sleeping bag for her, put it on before feeding to sleep. Put very gently in cot. Count to ten (or five mississippis) before you pick back up if he cries--mine sometimes cries out twice then rolls over and goes back to sleep.

What I did, is if she cries, pick back up, get back to sleep through carrying/rocking/shushing. Give it five minutes. Try again. Repeat until it sticks. Alternatively, give three attempts then give up but try it again next time.

He is still asleep!!!! 6 minutes later!!!! Surely this was too easy?!? I could kiss you fireside

!!!!! Was this a fluke?!!

Cross post, mine also goes back to sleep on her side. Sometimes I roll her to facilitate it!

Waheeeey Crispy!! That sounds like a very promising sign. Is he still asleep?

I used to adore feeding mine to sleep but around the same age he would start to wriggle away and thrash about, and that's when we had to start cot naps too.

I also find my DS sometimes cries for literally 10 seconds before going to sleep. Any longer I go in and pick him up but I do leave him just a few seconds as it seems to be a protest but he does know it's sleep time. So don't panic if he does get upset sometimes :)

He is still asleep!!!!!

I love you all!!! 😂😂🙈🙈❤️❤️😘😘

The first 10 times mine slept in the cot I kept saying it was a fluke, so I wasn't too disheartened if and when it went wrong! You never know, he may just be ready. You won't know what to do with yourself!

22 mins in the cot plus 10-15 mins in my arms before that, I am very encouraged!!!!

I read somewhere that lowering a baby into a cot can trigger some sort of primate reflex- "help I'm falling out of a tree!" So it's better to transfer them horizontally - if that's not possible then lower really, really slowly!

unaofstormhold

That makes complete sense!!! But how to transfer horizontally due to the bars?!

That was mostly what I was thinking of with the "if not possible" comment!

Trying it again and it’s not going so well 😭😭😭

Don't worry, baby steps! I always find the last nap of the day a bit hit and miss, sometimes we abandon it and have an earlier bedtime instead.

Don't beat yourself up or worry over this, you know you can get him to sleep one way or another. I don't think it should be a huge battle if you can avoid it :) you can probably tell I am a soft touch!

I don't think it should be a huge battle if you can avoid it

A woman after my own heart! 😂❤️ Everyone has been asking me isn’t it so difficult to have him
Sleeping on me always and I just think to myself it’s probably the much easier/lazier option actually 🙈🙈 thank you; you may well be right about the last nap! For bedtime will try the whole feeding to sleep in our bed/ninja roll. Thank you xx

I bloody loved having his fat warm snoozy body asleep on me. He just won't do it now though, apart from at bedtime.

Tomorrow is another day and you can have another try.

Good luck engaging stealth mode tonight! I am queen of dodging our creaky floorboards

I bloody loved having his fat warm snoozy body asleep on me. He just won't do it now though, apart from at bedtime.

I know right?!? Was sad enough when he stopped sleeping on my
Chest as a newborn!

Will
Be back tonight to bore you about how I get on. Ha I bet you know exactly where the creaks are!

Ok went extremely badly! 30 mins of me
In the bed, he woke up 15 mins after I left. Was fussy and rubbing eyes so tried again, 45 mins of breastfeeding in bed before he was wide awake again and spat out all the milk! So frustrating! Not sure I will bother again, but he isn’t sleeping easily in my arms in the evening at all either so not sure what to do really 😂😩😑 I wouldn’t mind since he sleeps so well at night except he is so tired and clearly needs to sleep!

Ah, no! Hope you manage to get him off to sleep soon. Sounds like he still needs the comfort of you close by at bedtime ♥️