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Baby won’t sleep in cot

6 replies

Ljhunt · 28/11/2023 10:25

I know it’s not abnormal

But im feeling so down that my 12 week old DD won’t sleep anywhere except on me during the day. I’m lucky that she is great at night, sleeps in cot from 7:30 pm to 7am with one wake up, twice has slept through. But it’s a different story in the day.

she has three naps. Morning nap every single day I try to put her in cot, she sleeps for 20 mins then wakes up crying and is impossible to resettle without feeding, rest of the nap then on me. I try this every single day and it’s exactly the same, no gradual improvement. At lunch I try to have her out in the pram for 2 hours, it’s an anxious 2 hours of pushing and jiggling. Final nap is always on me as she sleeps very lightly.

I don’t know if it’s even worth continuing to try, it feels like a pointless routine every single day, and I’m so fed up of feeling so anxious about her naps and worrying about her not getting enough and then being grouchy rest of day. But if I totally give in and let her sleep on me all the time I worry she’ll never learn. She’s a lovely baby when she’s awake and in stark contrast to nap time I just love hanging out with her

just very jealous of all those who can put their baby down reliably in the day and get on with their chores. I’d also be so much better at socialising out and about

don’t know what I’m looking for just some solidarity I guess, or reassurance that this won’t last forever. I had thought that by 3 months she would have grown out of it

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Wahwoo · 28/11/2023 10:30

It sounds like you have a brilliant sleeper! I’d just go with the flow, they’ll get there.

brownbutterfrangipanetart · 28/11/2023 10:33

Mine also only contact naps during the day! I think it’s normal at this stage but following for any tips!

CatMadam · 28/11/2023 10:53

She’s still so little- it took my son at least six months to stop contact napping! After yet another soul-crushing attempt to put him in his cot and his eyes springing open, wide awake and ready to party, I decided to embrace the contact naps as a form of rest for myself. I’d watch tv with subtitles on or read a book- it was lovely looking back on it. I still had days when I was frustrated that I was ‘stuck’ though, also I didn’t have to worry about socialising as my son was born during lockdown! Eventually I was able to put him in his cot after he’d been asleep for at least ten minutes. Putting him in a little sleepsack at nap times helped a lot- the routine of changing into it seemed to remind him it was time to sleep.

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Superscientist · 28/11/2023 11:17

My daughter only slept on me until 5 months then it was on me or walking in the pram. This was day time and night time.
Up to 5 months she couldn't be put down when awake either and making a cup of tea involved picking her up and putting her downs about 10 times!

Babies need to be held, to feel your warmth and listen to your heart. Completely normal but it's not forever.
I really struggled with all the contact then I learnt the term touched out and then made sure she got handed over to my partner for a 20 minute chunk of time for me to reset when he finished work

ISeeTheLight · 28/11/2023 11:25

Just get a decent wrap sling and get on with your day. You are INCREDIBLY lucky she sleeps so well at night.

Nat6999 · 28/11/2023 11:34

Ds slept in his bouncy chair during the day, have you tried to put her down awake after a feed & not give her any kind of stimulation, no noise, eye contact, no jiggling etc. It may take a few days but she will learn to settle on her own.

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