Day time naps

[Anonymouslyconercned]

afternoon ladies
just in need of some mummy experience and advice please
baby is nearly 10 weeks old. Everything was going well with sleeping in the day and sleeping at night, but the last two weeks (run up to Xmas and over Xmas period) baby was just constantly passed around and held all day every day by family members. Now, she just absolutely will not go down for naps in the day without being held.
she sleeps really well at night but she is so over tired in the day that she’s a completely different baby, really fussy, crying more, clingy etc. Even to the point she was so over tired the other day that she screamed Sainsbury’s down when I tried to put her in her car seat in the cafe - everyone was looking, she was in such a state and the only thing that would calm her down was some gripe water!!

i asked the health visitor who said to mimic night time and put her down in her crib, make it really dark, put the white noise on and rock her to sleep. I’ve done that twice today and she has slept for about 30-40 mins both times, which is more than she has done lately but my worry is the night time whether she’s actually going to sleep tonight as I don’t want her to get confused and other health visitors keep telling me it’s too early to implement naps with a seperate crib etc.

I just feel at my wits end as I want to be able to stand up and do things in the day but I find myself having to sit down until I’m literally about to burst for a wee and then I quickly put baby down, dash to the toilet, and then I’m back just in time for her to start crying again. I’m having to save all jobs until the night so when she goes down I’m running around like a mad woman at 11pm trying to get everything done.

when she gets over tired it’s horrible she is so fussy and I have to stand there rocking her for about an hour just to get her back down and it then becomes easier just to keep her on me than it is to put her down. I spent my whole day yesterday and whole day today trying to get her to nap independently but honestly I’m more tired trying than just sitting with her in front of the telly!!! I’ve actually given up right now typing this I’m so tired of it all that I’m just letting her sleep on me again…

please help me x

10 weeks is young but nothing wrong with mimicking night-time. When I had my babies ( 20 years ago) it was fashionable to do this at lunchtime with morning and afternoon naps out and about. Will she sleep in the car or buggy ?

@Ascubudr shes stopped sleeping in the car as so overtired and hates the carry cot which I used to put her down into nap, she will napping it when I go for a walk, but that’s about it. Otherwise she absolutely hates car seat, car, and pram. Basically everything apart from being held ….

Honestly at this age I'd just give in to the contact naps, it won't last forever and if it means she isn't over tired I'd rather that. I know it's really frustrating when you have other things to be getting on with. Give it a couple more weeks and try again with the crib naps. 10 weeks is far too young to be able to develop any bad habits so I would worry too much about that just go with what she needs atm.

I agree with above. 10 weeks is very young and you won't set any habits at that age. I get really bothered when mine don't go down for their usual naps but not at this young age. Have you got a sling? Or a baby carrier? Maybe see if she'll go to sleep on your chest in one and then get some jobs done whilst she's asleep on you that way. Otherwise set the washing on a timer for the evening. Hoover while carrying her. Try her in a bouncer when she's awake as if she likes that you can move her around whilst you get some bits done. Other things to try are white noise and checking she's warm enough to nap alone. Sometimes they get cold and want to have your bodyheat. I always think that the cuddles won't last forever, especially the newborn ones and that helps me to see what matters. Even though I'd love to have a sleeping baby and a tidy house at the same time it seems nearly impossible to have both.

I sympathise but just wanted to say this is pretty normal. It probably would have happened anyway, rather than being caused by your visitors.

So much baby behaviour is just developmental or part of their innate characteristics - we think we have some control into steering their sleep habits but we don't particularly. So many parents treat their successive babies the same but the babies have very different sleep patterns. My second is so so different from my first so far in spite of being treated the same.

I hope that at least helps you get over the regret you feel about your visitors. I really don't think it would have made a difference either way