Baby Can't Fall Asleep in Pram!

[Piemistress]

Hi,

DD is 11 weeks old. Since about 4 weeks she can't fall asleep in the pram. She doesn't cry in it unless she is over tired and cannot get herself off to sleep. Am finding this quite odd as I thought all babies fell asleep in the pram! She also howls in the car for about ten mins before falling asleep. My son was the opposite and I couldn't keep him awake in the pram or car!

This means she takes her naps in the sling but this isn't always practical. If she isn't due a nap she is happy enough in the pram. Is it something to do with the motion or do you think she just wants to be held! Has any body had similar and their babies grown out of it? She sleeps ok in the cot at night.

The only way I can get her to nap in the pram is to put her in it asleep but she always wakes up after 25 mins. Am wondering if it will get better when she can self settle?

Thanks!!

Thanks for all the suggestions!

I did wonder about silent reflux when she was younger but she sleeps at night no problem in her cot, which is flat? She is BF and the only feed she will sometimes fuss at is bedtime when she is usually over tired? She possets occasionally. Is there something I should look out for? I did put a book under the end of her pram mattress a few weeks ago but it didn't seem to make any difference.

poos I think that's why DD cries in the pram, she is tired but can't fall asleep in it. When she isn't due a nap she's ok. Maybe it's just because she doesn't know how? Like when you have to teach them to fall asleep on their own in the cot. She was about 6 weeks old the last time she fell asleep on the pram for 2 hrs!

She will nap in the cot but only if I put her down to sleep and will then only do a sleep cycle (I know we will work on this but not till she is a bit older). My carrier is actually really comfy but is a faff getting her in it. I find myself taking the car seat on the pram chassis into town with her sleeping in the sling then when she is Awake putting her in the car seat where she is ok looking round and I get a bit of a break.

She does look terribly scrunched up in the car seat, she is very long for her age which might be why, I know you can take the wedge out but leave the head support in, can this be done before 5 months?

Piemistress I could have written your post word for word! Everyone I meet thinks I'm mental for 'letting' my 9wo DS have all his naps in the sling, but I have no choice. I get a look of when I say he won't sleep in his pram or in the car. I'm often seen walking around like a fool with a baby on my front, pushing the pram which passers-by then peer in thinking I've got two I'm actually ok with it at the minute because he goes down straight away at night and he's still little and cuddly, but I'm really worried about how I get him out of the habit once he's older. I've got visions of taking him to nursery next year and having to pay extra as the staff have to wear my son for half the day...
Those who've said they did master the pram napping in the end: how did you do it?! I don't mind leaving him to grizzle a bit, but wouldn't let him cry for more than a few minutes really. Is it just a stage that they grow out of or do you have to actively discourage it?
Sorry for butting into your post Piemistress but I'm so glad I'm not the only one!

No problem, misery loves company so they say!! :-)

Will your DS nap in the cot or just the sling? Have you tried putting him in the pram asleep? Today I am going to try putting her in the pram drowsy and then rocking it gently back and forth on the driveway although even if it does work she will only do a sleep cycle. I feel like a total looney having to try and sleep train my baby to nap in the pram!!

My DS would only nap in the pram or car, nowhere else! I did gentle sleep training at about 14 weeks and within 2/3 weeks be was taking 2 x 2hr naps in the cot so am thinking I could do the same again in a few weeks but doesn't address the pram or car issue!

you can remove it when you like

That refers to the car seat BTW!!

So good to read I am not the only one with a car and buggy sleep resistor. 6 months in and although she is happy in both, she steadfastly refuses to sleep. I wonder if it's because shes a tummy sleeper so being on her back means awake and play (certainly true in her cot). I will punch the next person who says to me 'but all babies sleep in cars'. Fingers crossed that one day she gets the hang of it. The sling is getting heavy!

Right. I need to go to the shops. DD is fed, changed and looking sleepy. I'm putting her in the pram in the hope that she'll sleep. Wish me luck!

Ok ladies, we had a 30min Pram nap!

Cheating tho' ...... DP was power washing the drive so I rocked the pram over the lock blocks whilst he had the very noisy washer on which sent her off. Even although things didn't change ie. still noisy and still rocking she still woke up after 30 mins!

Good luck harlett! What kind of sling do you have amateur?

Similar story here - pram naps on the move are quite a rarity. Naps lasting longer than 30 minutes unheard of except in sling. I am knackered.

I chickened out Took her out in her pushchair instead, knowing that she doesn't usually sleep in it but is less likely to howl because she can see more in it. So, just to prove me wrong, she fell asleep within minutes and stayed asleep until after we got home. I think I just have to accept that she hates her beautiful, luxurious, expensive pram.

I've got a Moby and a Calin Bleu. And about to borrow an Ergo. And the double buggy I hormonally insisted we buy just before DD was born is sitting gathering dust in our bathroom..

I was hassling DP for a double buggy before DD was born but he said wait and see! So needless to say we haven't got one! I was convinced it was something like motion sickness until last night. I had popped her in the baby swing whilst I cooked tea, turned around and she had fallen asleep!

Oooh piemistress, I've been thinking of getting a baby swing. He shows no interest whatsoever in the bouncy chair with supposed magic pile of crap vibrating qualities. Hitting amazon now. Good work on the driveway sleeping: I think the problem is I'm too lazy and impatient to put the time into getting him asleep anywhere else bar the sling. He was asleep by 2 minutes this morning and will do a good 2 hours no doubt.
And well done HarlettOScara on managing to keep your DD asleep once you've got home. Maybe I'll have a go. Next week...

I got mine second hand for £15 off my local netmums board ( am I allowed to say that here?). She slept in the car today but after 20 mind of howling then woke after 20 mins SiGH!! So back in the sling for afternoon nap.....

I was brave and attempted an at home pram sleep. He went to sleep after 25 minutes with a combination of frantic pushing, lots of loud shushing and Ewan the Dream Sheep. He slept for 20 minutes. This did not seem worth the effort! I too opted for the easier option in the afternoon of 2 minutes bobbbing in the sling for and was rewarded with an hour and a half's worth of sleep.
If you saw someone driving at an extremely consistent 60mph ('Speed' style) with only one hand on the wheel as the other was in her son's mouth trying to get him to stop screaming, that was me.
Ah well, small steps...

I also had an at home pram nap fail, darn thing practically took up the whole kitchen! Maybe these babies that don't like sleeping in the pram or car just want to be close to mummy and might grow out of the phase [clutches at straws!]. I was thinking of putting photos in the car so she can see them?! Or at least an outline of our faces!

Have to go into town today so will try and do the drive when she isnt due à nap to see if that.down scales the howling any!

DD did an epic 4 hour nap yesterday....on her play mat

That's fab!! How old is she again?

Well today in town, DD was happy in her car seat on the pram until it came to nap time when she just couldnt fall asleep so ended up back in the sling. So, its not that she hates the car seat or pram, I really think its because she isn't snuggled up to me? She did another 20 min nap in the car on the way home but not without howling first.

Going to the beach tom, so will take pram and see if DP can have better luck than me. Maybe the sea in the background might help! I can play on the sand with DS :-)

Could you try making naps in the sling easier for you? Put the baby on your back for example? DD1 took all her naps in the sling until she was practically a teenager tbh I found it practical and was happy for it to carry on. I didn't have a pram though (and don't now for DD2) so I don't know if she'd have been a refuser. Car seats were always alright. Just thought it might be seeing how you can make the sling work for you alongside trying to get her to use the pram how you want.

Hi missc! She is a bit small yet to go on my back think they recommend 15 to 20 lbs and she is under 12lbs. My sling does look great for rear carrying tho! Its à faff at the moment as am struggling to get her fully comfortable on my front facing in. Am hopefully going to à local sling meet soon. What sling do you use?

Piemistress - what sling do you have? I had DD on my back from about 4 months - as soon as she had good head and upper body control - this was in a mei tai, and woven wraps...

Little, its à boba G3? I think its the,same with head control and being able to sit comfortably with their legs open around the mum/dad?

With the legs thing you can "froggy" them up so they sit on their feet from very young. I thought the boba 3g had an infant insert so you could use it from birth? But obviously I'm wrong!

Well, only another couple of weeks before you can attempt back carries! :)

The boba has a way you can make it suitable for newborns by folding up the waistband but DD is very tall for her age so doesn't fit! Do you find bubs sleeps when you carry them on your back?

It's too hot today for the sling. I'm buggered...