Strategies for contact nap babies

[Mamma37338]

My 9 week old is needing to lie on me
all day! We had a rocky start to breastfeeding so I offer it as often as possible and she usually falls asleep on it. And then I’m stuck! If I try to move her, however gently, she soon wakes up and cries until I’m cuddle her again.

I use a sling out and about, and try to use it at home too but it’s quite tiring and as I’m quite short and have a big baby it limits what I can do like pick things off the floor or reach up high shelves.

I feel guilty as DH has picked up on almost everything at home while I’m sitting under the baby all day. I know I should enjoy these moments, but we also have an older child with substantial SEN and I’m worried DH is going to burn out from looking after us all. And the house is a permanent tip now (since we can’t pick up after older DC), and not nice to live in.

Any ideas or strategies? I will try them all!

We have no support either, no family to hold the baby. Baby wakes with the slightest noise, if I cough etc, and I feel that she’s not getting as long a sleep as she needs.

Think of what admin you can do- menu planning and online shop, any other sitting down jobs. I always had a list of jobs to get done when stuck under my babies. Also get some snacks and a bottle of water and your remote and rest. You're doing loads too so rest so that you can then feel refreshed for when you can do active stuff

Trapped under the baby now and desperate for a cup of tea.

My solution to this with my clingy 2nd and 3rd babies was a carrier. I used a Babybjorn one and found it a lot more supportive on my back than a sling. When it came to bending down to the toddler or loading the dishwasher etc I would basically do squats. I was quite toned by the end of it!

I sympathise as I experienced the same, my velcro baby would only nap on me or, as he got older, in the car. Neither conducive to getting things done. We had no extra family support and husband worked away a lot.

Standards just had to be lowered really. This time is important for your young baby and won't be forever.

Can you afford a cleaner once a week? That might help keep on top of things and at least have a 'nice' house for a day if not longer. Otherwise, just try and get zen about it and realise it's a passing phase.

Honestly, just enjoy it and take what short cuts you can whilst it lasts. My six month-old is asleep on me right now so I’m in the same boat, yet know these days are numbered and I’m already feeling like I’m going to miss them.

Thanks for the replies. I think if was just us two then my standards would be rock bottom. But I need to do better for my older child with SEN. For example, we are losing stuff more frequently because we can’t see it in the mess, resulting in panic and meltdowns. DH also has a tiring job but he comes home to do meals every day. (We batch cook a bit but it’s not quite enough.) There’s a queue of laundry waiting and I can’t even get outside in the lovely weather to hang it up and I don’t always have DC’s uniform ready.

I do manage to find 5 mins here and there but I have to save it for essentials like getting a drink, preparing DC’s tea and so on. Chores are already taking a backseat.

I don’t think getting help in would help as it’s the untidiness rather than the cleanliness that is the problem and knowing where everything is. I do wish we could afford and live off ready meals every day.

Slings and carriers work for a limited period as she will sleep in them. She doesn’t like the pram or car unfortunately.

I do enjoy the contact naps but when DH and older DC come home it is hard.

My baby was like that. Would only nap on me. Wouldn’t nap in her bassinet pram if the pram stopped moving or went inside. The car just screamed for hours.

tbh I found it easier to accept that that was how she was than to waste time and energy trying to get her to nap elsewhere, getting her cross, and getting me cross.

if it helps became an excellent sleeper at one and sometimes I like to think the extra security I gave her when she was so small paid off as she feels so secure now( that’s just my thinking)

It is really bloody hard though and I found it SO frustrating!! Especially seeing other babies napping in their bassinets etc out and about. A tough time xxx

DD was a contact napper until 10 months and it’s such an emotional dichotomy because you desperately want to love it, but also just want 5 minutes to do things!

My best survival tip was to stop thinking of jobs as entire units of things to be done, and break them down into things that can be done whilst holding/wearing baby, and things that can’t. Eg tidying up - can’t easily scurry round picking toys up off the floor, but can do that whilst baby is awake on the floor next to you. Either tidy them completely, or onto a surface where you can then sort through them whilst baby sleeps. Laundry - maybe not easy to carry laundry basket downstairs whilst baby wearing, but bring it down when they’re awake and load the machine whilst they’re snoozing on you. Unload machine onto table, sort whilst they’re having their next nap. It means for most of the day you’re surrounded by half done jobs, which is irritating, but ultimately you do achieve more.