Sleep Training

[MrsJones33]

Help, my three and a half month old will not nap in the day unless she is being held (this can be me or my husband or her grandma) and I'd really like her to get used to napping in her cot and falling asleep herself when I put her down sleepy but unfortunately she just cries and works herself up until she is picked up and then she's asleep in minutes and will happily nap on me for over an hour! But if I then put her in her cot or Moses basket, she wakes in minutes. Does anyone have any tips on how I may overcome this and get her napping in her cot? I'm really against crying it out.
I will also add that when it comes to bedtime, she has her bath, feed and bed and will fall asleep on me and then stays asleep in her Moses basket next to our bed all night till her midnight feed.
Thanks from one currently sofa bound mummy

Probably not what you want to hear ... but my DS was also the same until 2 days ago. I have now been able to put him down in his cot for 2 long naps a day. He is 10.5 months old and this has only now happened as he is ready / exhausted from being on the move crawling.

Evetually I stopped stressing about it and just gave into it, enjoyed the cuddles and hoped it would one day resolve itself. I've not know what to do with myself the last few days!

Just to add ... I also got a great sling that I found comfortable so that when he was still taking lots of little naps I could still go out and about or make a cuppa etc whilst he slept on me.

With the cot, I'd recommend taking one side off the cot and butting it up to the side of your bed. That way you can lie on your bed and cuddle up to DD to settle her to sleep. But it does mean she learns to sleep in her own cot.

I am yet to find any babies that doesn't get distressed at that 'being lowered' feeling when being placed into a cot or basket, no matter how slowly it is done.

For daytime naps though, you can't beat the bouncy chair (and dummy) it allows baby to learn to go to sleep and stay asleep (because you can easily bounce back to sleep if baby starts stirring) independently of you.

I just never accepted sleeping on me as an option. So normally od ut them down at least 15min before a nap wa due and let them play on the cot. Also make sure they are warm enough and not over simulated.
It's annoying but worth it.