Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Parenting

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

If your baby wouldn’t be put down…

28 replies

BumbleBee92 · 09/03/2023 16:05

If you had a baby who would not let you put them down for naps, when did (did??) this change and did you do anything you think helped them come to terms with being put down? Currently the ‘you sleep when they sleep’ advice feels a bit like trolling…

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Ringmaster27 · 09/03/2023 16:08

Honestly?
All 3 of mine had majority of their naps in a sling until about their 1st Birthdays. I could pop them in there, go about my day and they’d fall asleep pretty swiftly.
After that, I’d usually cuddle them to sleep on the sofa, then slip away once they were asleep.

Ringmaster27 · 09/03/2023 16:09

Also with the sling naps, I moved my nursing rocking/gliding chair into the living room…so I could potter about to get them to sleep, and then rock in the chair and chill while the slept, and the motion helped keep them asleep.

babyboyHarrison · 09/03/2023 16:10

Is there any chance your baby has reflux or silent reflux. We never got more than 30 mins at a time till we got on top of that, including co-sleeping till 7 months.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Babies & sleep Children's sleep Families General parenting

WeWereInParis · 09/03/2023 16:10

At 8 months she started sleeping in the pram, which continued until she stopped napping. At first the pram had to be continually moving but pretty quickly we got to the point of just having to rock her back and forth for 30 seconds in the living room, then could just leave the pram while she slept. She never napped in a cot or a bed (except at nursery of course!).

However I will say that because she was a nightmare when overtired, I did not persevere as much as I could have earlier on I think. I just wanted to get her to sleep quickly and easily!

OdeToBarney · 09/03/2023 16:15

Still not at 10.5 months. It's bloody hard.

SNWannabe · 09/03/2023 16:17

First baby I just let him nap on or with me and slept when he slept. Other babies slept in slings and could be put down maybe a year old but never slept as long if alone as they would on me.

Coffeeandnaps · 09/03/2023 16:19

I just embraced the sling naps or failing that coslept for naps. Coslept at night too. Plenty of people and half the Internet told me I was ruining my child's sleep for ever. I'm pleased to report it didn't. It gradually improved with time.

Doowop1919 · 09/03/2023 16:26

Naps in my lap with netflix, coffee and biscuits. Walks in the carrier outside mainly with dad but sometimes with me.

Eventually at 9 months old, I wanted to make a change as he was getting heavy and I wanted the 2 hours to do stuff or just relax hands free, plus it hurt my back to carry him for so long in the carrier by this point, so I put a mattress on slats in ds's room, I'd breastfeed to sleep then rolled away. Some days, I'd get an hour, others I'd get 3. It worked well!

UsernamePain · 09/03/2023 16:28

I’ve really tried to take my baby for a walk when they show signs of tiredness so they fall asleep with the motion rather than on me. It can be hit and miss but has got better.

Ciaonow · 09/03/2023 16:30

She’s 1 and we’re still in this boat. Co-sleeping and lowering housework standards is the only way to survive for me! It’s hard.

willingtolearn · 09/03/2023 16:33

3rd child - slept in sling for naps. Once they could move around 10 months they were off and that was that. Until that time the screaming was impressive if they lost physical contact with me.

Many many years later this one is the most independent one of mine.

ditsygal · 09/03/2023 16:38

At around 9 months my baby got to heavy to be rocked to sleep like he wanted and we swapped to cuddling to sleep for naps inmy bed and i often took a nap next to him. I could get up and leave him at that point but if he woke up he wouldnt go back to sleep unless i was next to him. Over time that changed to napping in the cot and eventually only in the car and by 2 he had given up naps completely. I know this feels like forever at the moment but i promise it will pass. (That baby is now 10 and homework and friendships have replaced the sleep stresses!

Original poster

BumbleBee92 · 09/03/2023 16:40

babyboyHarrison · 09/03/2023 16:10

Is there any chance your baby has reflux or silent reflux. We never got more than 30 mins at a time till we got on top of that, including co-sleeping till 7 months.

@babyboyHarrison yes she does have reflux unfortunately. Gaviscon caused its own problems for her and dr was hesitant about trying more serious medication so watching to see how she does. How did you get on top of the reflux please?

OP posts:

babyboyHarrison · 09/03/2023 17:59

We used Gaviscon and then ranitidine. It didn't stop him being sick all the time but at least it stopped it upsetting him. And hurting him. The reflux didn't stop till he was over 1. The biggest difference was we got a wedge for the cot so he was inclined but until we got a Velcro strap to hold him in place it didn't work. Otherwise he just slide down and it was useless. I can't find what we had but something a bit like the link below. We didn't get this sorted till he was 7 months old so we were very tired and got through a lot of muslins. I'm sure there are other similar things out there. Ours was actually a plain wedge under the mattress and then a wide band that wrapped around the mattress and then it had Velcro straps that went around the baby so was suitable for older babies than the link but it gives you an idea. He slept better in the car seat too as it was a bit inclined.

Good luck.

www.direct4baby.co.uk/products/clevasleep®-plus-elevated-support-from-birth?variant=43661329662118&currency=GBP&utm_source=google&utm_medium=surfaces&utm_campaign=shopping%20feed&utm_content=free%20google%20shopping%20clicks&gclid=Cj0KCQiApKagBhC1ARIsAFc7Mc6uIeSIiB8ynxrq3y61m44DgJoz4MriOlSC6Sgy0SoX4kf2QM8IIhEaAnz_EALw_wcB

Original poster

BumbleBee92 · 09/03/2023 18:12

Ciaonow · 09/03/2023 16:30

She’s 1 and we’re still in this boat. Co-sleeping and lowering housework standards is the only way to survive for me! It’s hard.

@Ciaonow Yes, this. Am starting to realise it would be easier to let go of the messy house stress than convince DD to sleep in her cot…

OP posts:

Original poster

BumbleBee92 · 09/03/2023 18:13

@babyboyHarrison Thank you. Hope you’re all doing well now.

OP posts:

Fleur405 · 09/03/2023 18:15

My 1 year old still only contact naps at home. She does sleep in the cot at nursery but she only takes very short naps - usually 2 x 20 minutes versus 2 x 1 hour at home.

romdowa · 09/03/2023 18:16

My son spent the first 9 months if his life in our arms. He's 16 months old now and if you go to pick him up then he runs away. Once he started crawling he wanted to move independently.

romdowa · 09/03/2023 18:16

My son spent the first 9 months if his life in our arms. He's 16 months old now and if you go to pick him up then he runs away. Once he started crawling he wanted to move independently.

Ofpalestsilver · 09/03/2023 22:13

My son went through a period where he wouldn’t nap in the cot, either in my arms or in bed beside. I napped when he napped for about 4 months. Lowering housework standards worked for me. No regrets! It was harder when he started eating 3 meals a day though cos I needed to scrub the highchair all the bloody time and therefore napping all the time wasn’t great!

blueshoes · 09/03/2023 22:18

Both my dcs would not be put down for naps. If I put them down, their eyes would spring open like Carrie and then cry.

They did not like the sling either, so I put them in the buggy and walked with them outside to keep them asleep with the movement for maybe about 15 minutes shy of the duration of their naps. Then I would bring them home in the buggy and rocked them for the last 15 mins whilst doing housework one-handed until they woke.

I lost so much weight! They only grew out of it when they stopped napping.

That said, when I used nursery from about 1 year, they would allow themselves to be put down for naps by their carers. But never for me or dh at home.

Lamelie · 09/03/2023 22:26

I didn’t put DD1 down until she was 18 month old😂- coslept until 2. A few teething problems staring nursery and school but not extreme.
She’s now 26, completely independent; she’s on the sofa next to me now though- often comes over for her tea 🥰

Testng123 · 09/03/2023 22:30

Feed to sleep on a mattress on the floor then very, very carefully sneak away.

Original poster

BumbleBee92 · 10/03/2023 02:54

Thanks everyone. Sounds like I should accept that this is how it is!

OP posts:

wandawaves · 10/03/2023 02:57

13 months. Then he just one day decided he didn't want me near him anymore!
I used to sleep propped up by pillows with him on my chest.

Flip

1 2