‘Do X while the baby naps’ but she doesn’t nap 😩

[Pinkbluecream]

I’ve been quite laid back up until now about this because I remember day naps being tricky with DS (now nearly 3) but my almost 4 month old is a complete pain for day naps. Just to be clear I mean the napping issue is a pain rather than her personally!

DS used to nap on me but she hardly even does that. The ONLY time she seems to nod off is in the car - I’m starting to think if I didn’t drive she’d stay awake all day. She hates the pram and I hate the sling so I’m starting to feel quite stuck and as if spending the day inventing places I can drive to is the only answer.

I wouldn’t mind if she was happy awake but she’s grouchy and cries when put down. I know it could be in part due to the four month regression but she’s been like this since about 7 weeks so I don’t think it’s that.

i am partly having a moan but does anyone have useful tips or suggestions?

I am going back 30 years, but a friend lent me a mechanical swing thing that had a comfortable reclining seat, shallower than a car seat, so safe to lay the baby in. you wound it up and it would swing gently. It was perfect for day time naps in full view at all times, for a baby who hated being put in his cot.

Thanks - I might see if I can get one second hand. She will sometimes tolerate the Baby Bjorn chair but not for particularly long periods. She’s actually fallen asleep now (though on me) so perhaps moaning on MN is the key 😆😆

It is a struggle as I know my toddler is feeling left out and I can see why but I can’t really leave her crying while I play with him.

Maybe look for one that mimics the car seat experience together with similar noise? There are a lot more choices these days.

Mine used to nap in the bouncy chair, I’d bounce them to sleep !

DS did sometimes but while we’ve managed to do that once the problem is then she just wakes up as soon as you stop bouncing. I also can’t really do it on days I’ve got them both because DS is a bit of a liability.

As it is she gets a lot of brief naps in the car but it does feel a bit like I spend my days in and out of the car - on days I’ve just got her I’d love it if she’d just chill and sleep for a bit so I can get stuff done or god forbid rest a bit myself … yeah I am being insane aren’t I?! 😂

Something electric or battery operated is the way to go.

My first was a non-sleeper.

Can you try and find a day when you have time and are feeling resilient and work on the dislike of the pram? I.e. when it's almost nap time, pop them in. And walk. Stick some earphones in if they cry. Keep walking. Eventually they might sleep.

Do it the next day.
And the next.
Until it's the habit. They you only need to pop them in and walk two mins and hopefully they'll fall asleep.

I know plenty would say it's creating a rod for your own back if they'll only sleep in a pram, but IME it's easier to force than in a COT. And if it saves your sanity, it's worth it.

You can actually buy a chair thing that has a car setting mode ;

https://www.very.co.uk/4moms-mamaroo-50-rockerbouncergrey/1600858759.prd?cmcm--mmc=googlegle--PLA+-+Generic--Nursery+-+Bouncers+Walkers+%26+Swings+-+Rockers---PRODUCTGROUPPp33748558686&utmmcampaign=GenericDeveloping+Categories+%26+Seasonal+-+Nursery+-+Bouncers+Walkers+%26+Swings+-+Rockers&utmmmedium=cpc&utmsource=google&utmmterm=PRODUCTGROUP&campaigntype=shopping&gbraid=0AAAAAD2k1i1a77qEcfC0emtlKMq5vZchq&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI5aaT7eLAggMVSfntCh2HYARSEAQYAiABEgIy22DBwE&gclsrc=aw.ds#sku=sku26054947

I haven’t even thought about cot naps to be honest - she sleeps fine overnight so putting her in the pram and letting her cry just seems a bit cruel. Also, we don’t live somewhere there are pram walks so I’d have to drive to somewhere I could and she’d fall asleep then anyway!

I am hoping she might like the pram a bit more when she can sit up in it. DS loved a pram walk!

Ooh yes I think I’ve seen those - problem is it’s so expensive especially if she hates it! Might have to see if any are being sold second hand.

There's still time for it to change. My daughter at least contact napped but her naps could be as short as 7minutes and as long as 5h.
She screamed if she was in the pram and as I had no car I had to push on through with headphones and switching her from pram to sling and then from sling to pram just to get a few minutes of peace with the change. One day around 4.5 months she fell asleep on the walk to our baby sensory class and that was it. She napped in the pram. I ended up walking for 3h a day. If she was asleep in the pram she was happy if she was awak she screamed still. Walk modular routes so were never more than 10 minutes from home due to extensive knowledge of cut throughs I developed!

She woke after 20 minutes and is still pretty tired and angry!