Help with naps!

[Flossy78]

My DD is 19 weeks old & not a great sleeper. She always fights sleep & only ever goes for 3/4 hours between wake ups at night. Anyway the latest issue is with her naps. Currently most of her naps are taken when in the pushchair or car but I'd really like to be able to put her in her cot for naps when we are at home. Problem being that she doesn't agree! She'll be fast asleep on me & as soon as she's put down she's wide awake & then cries as she's tired. I do the usual sshh/pat/rocking till she goes back to sleep but the pattern repeats itself until I give in & bf her & let her sleep on me. I'm sure most mums have had this issue so was just after some advice on how I can help her to nap in her cot. I don't even know if I should be putting her down awake, sleepy or asleep! Any advice is welcome. Thanks ?

Bump

If she likes the pram can you put her to sleep in it but inside? Might help get her used to her room?
I tried this with ds when he was tiny and found he relaxed and slept quite happily during the day if in his pram but never in his cot, I think it was too "big" and his pram was a bit more secure and cosy? he got the hang of the cot at night eventually once he got a bit bigger.
I still find he will happily go to sleep in his buggy in the afternoon if I put it in his room and rock him for a few mins but never in his cot (even though he is asleep in minutes in his cot at night ) and he is 14 months now...

flossy I can't offer advice as I have the exact same problem with my DD who is 20 weeks. I'm watching thread with interest. Yesterday DD had complete meltdown as I tried to get her to take morning nap in cot, she got so upset that even when I got her out, rocked her and tried to let her sleep on me it still took an hour to get her to calm down. We both ended up in tears I've ordered the No Cry Nap solution which is meant to be very good. Will let you know whether it works!

Thanks for the replies both :) happylittlebear that's a good idea as she likes her pram, I'll give it a go. daisylulu awww I can sympathise as my DD has meltdowns like that too and is inconsolable - I've never cried as much as I have since becoming a mum! Oh yes let me know how you get on with the book, I'll try anything if it works!

Good luck, try not to stress...I know that seems easy to say but honestly we've all been there and it does get better.
Do whatever you need to, don't worry to much about what you're "supposed" to do, once I realised there was no right or wrong way and that no baby follows "the rules" I relaxed a lot more and went with whatever he wanted...that's what led me to the pram idea and I never looked back!
We both got some rest and were both a lot happier!
He also loved a bouncy chair that vibrated that he often had naps in too, it has a similar sensation to being in the car I think so if she likes that it might be worth a try?

My baby naps very well (sleeps very badly at night mind you). The key for me was timing and also the cot, she wouldnt nap anywhere else really. I find I have to put her down after a good BF within 2 hrs of her waking up and if I leave it much longer it is harder. Usually within 1.5 hrs i draw the lounge curtains and quieten our activity; soon she is pulling or rubbing her ears and maybe a bit more vocal or staring into space. I change her quietly and take her to bedroom, curtains closed already, put her in light weight sleeping bag (she associates with sleep, discourages activity), long quiet BF. dummy in and lay her down in cot. Walk out while she is usually still awake. Rarely fails.

Why the hell nothing works in the evening, I don't know!