nap advice from other co-sleeping/feed to sleepers out there

[paranoid2android]

Hi, my dd is now 11 weeks. We have always co-slept, and when she wants to nap, I've always fed her to sleep. However in the past week or so, she's been crying a lot when she's tired, before she settled really easily but I guess now she's more stimulated by the world, and finds it hard to relax as she's just discovered her hands and likes to stare at them!
I try my usual routine of feeding to sleep, but she will turn her head away, and be frustrated and it can take 30+ mins for her to relax enough to feed to sleep. WShe won't go to sleep in a sling, as she always likes to drink first, but I have tried soothing her in a sling, when she's frustrated and till she eventually decides she wants to feed, and then goes to sleep. I'd just be interested to hear what other MNetters do particularly if you've got a similiar parenting style, as I don't want to resort to anything like controlled crying, or dummy etc. I thought the milk would be enough, but seems like I will have to develop a more elaborate sleep inducing ritual!

I honestly have no idea, TBH. I didn't really think about "naps" at this age, just tended to feed when grizzly, or cuddle, rock, sling whatever. Are you sure she's tired and not just upset for some other reason?

DS used to like sitting in his bouncy chair to look at his hands, I remember. Though I did hold him a lot too. I seem to remember that this was the age where he didn't like me sitting down but liked one of us to stand up and sway or bouce with him almost constantly!

Hi Bertie, I think it's when she's tired, that's what the cry sounds like to my ears anyway! It seems like she finds it a bit difficult to relax before sleep and fights to stay awake a bit. Have found a way to soothe her by walking around the house for a bit holding her, and then she will be more relaxed and feed to sleep.It's just keeping track of all the changes as they grow and develop, it seems like a soon as I get used to her 'ways' they start changing!

Hello OP,

my nearly 11 week old DS has recently decided he isn't interested in being fed to sleep in the day any more too - he arches away and sometimes gets angry and squawks. I think he understands himself better now he's a bit older, and can express his needs more clearly. He wants sleep, not food, and he is very clear about that!

What we have begun to do is this: I take him into the bedroom, darken the room, swaddle him (he complains and grizzles at this point), and then hold him very close to me in a cradle hold. I then rock him forwards and back whilst going ssshhhhhh/pause/ssshhhhh right by his ear. If he grizzles, the shhh needs to be louder than his voice. He quickly relaxes. I put him in his bedside cot while he is still just about awake and he tenses up a bit....at which point I offer him a dummy (he sometimes needs this, sometimes not), put one hand on his head and one hand on his chest, and then gradually ebb away and leave the room.

I know this sounds a bit of a palaver, but it is a big improvement on a very cross exhausted baby fighting against going to sleep! As time goes by I will reduce/speed up the sequence. We've only been doing it for a few days. And it's working! I can't believe it :-)

Got to go - he's chirruping!

Have you tried walking outside in the sling for naps? I remember DS stopped feeding to sleep and indoor naps were hard. Outdoors in the sling he'd cry for 5-10 mins then nap.

We have the same baby. 11wo tomorrow and you have to walk him round on your shoulder to calm him and then feed when he's less rigid and cross. He seemingly hates fatigue and therefore must shout at it.

I have no answers btw.

must be something about 11 weeks! My routine so far is if I know she's tired but won't feed to sleep then I walk around house with her, this stops her tired cry for a bit, and she's quite happy to be held, then when she starts to cry again i will try to feed to sleep and it usually that works, if she's had some relaxing time. i even started singing lullabies while walking today! This seems to be what will work for us as if i put her straight in sling when she's tired she does not like it, as she always eventually feeds to sleep after the initial calming down period. Thanks for all your replies, it's just helps to understand what's going on and that the changes are quite normal!

It's a developmental leap. There's a book called The Wonder Weeks which describes the behaviour perfectly. Thoroughly recommend it.

thanks for that showofhands I just had a look on the website and that's exactly what's been happening. Does this developmental leap also involve taking longer naps by any chance?! I hope so, with all the effort it takes to get her to sleep!