6 month old naps

[goldenpineapple]

My 6mo only naps either in a sling or at the breast, with nipple in mouth the entire nap (refuses dummies point blank). I've kind of got to a point where I've accepted it and just sit and watch tv and enjoy cuddles but should I be attempting to stop it sooner rather than later?! I've never managed to get him to sleep in his bed in the daytime. I would love even just one independent nap. He's also pretty awful at night, and wakes every 1-2, occasionally 3hrs if I'm lucky! I've had PND and only just starting to feel better so have taken the path of least resistance up til now!!

Honestly? It's only going to be more difficult to break this habit, the longer you leave it.

That said, nothing wrong with just accepting this is the way naps will be and decide to frame it differently - that you are just going to enjoy the cuddles.

I still let my DS nap on my knee. He's 17 months. He started to grow out of falling asleep with a nipple in his mouth at about 6/7 months with absolutely no effort on my part to encourage him. He almost never does it now, maybe just if he's ill. I'm a SAHM and he's my only DC so that was never going to be a problem for me. Are you going back to work? I'm tempted to say if it's not for a while and you are still recovering from PND then just continue to do what is clearly working. If you need to stop in the coming months it may be easier if he's older anyway?

Also we don't use dummies either, he still comfort sucks a few times a day when awake. I think babies like to suck, I don't see the problem with you providing this need for him if you are happy with it.

I had this, it had to stop when I stopped breast feeding at 11 months and then I'd put her in her cot for naps, hold her hand while she cried until she eventually fell asleep. The time it took her to fall asleep gradually got less and less but it was still stressful. I'd often spend longer getting her to sleep than she'd actually sleep for! Then when I got pregnant again I started lying down with her on my bed and we'd fall asleep together. She's always been difficult to get to take naps during the day so I feel your pain.

Hmmm, yes I do fear the longer I leave it the harder it'll be but I don't know how to break it and not sure I have the emotional resilience to do it yet (or possibly ever...)

Laundry thank you, I'm glad it's not just me. It feels like everyone else's babies nap solo sometimes! Can your DS nap alone or does it have to be on you? If mine would just let go of me I think it'd be a big step so hearing that yours learnt to do it alone is encouraging! I'm not planning on going back to work & he is my only dc so technically yes i can continue. I fear it'll make me go back downhill if I have to battle him for naps again and I agree, babies like to suck and what he is doing is perfectly natural. I just sometimes could do with a little break, or a nap myself.

Pip do you think it would've been any easier if you stopped it sooner? He is a nightmare to get to nap any other way, and I can't bear crying so feel a bit stuck! But again, glad it's not just me!

I tried to stop letting her sleep on my lap with a boob in her mouth sooner but there seemed to be no other way to get her to take a nap in the day that didn't involve her crying (or driving or pushing her around in pram) so I just went with it, enjoyed the cuddles and watching TV or reading a book. It is annoying when you feel you have things you want to be getting on with and you're stuck on the sofa but just try to enjoy it as soon you'll be running around after a toddler and you'll look back at this time and think it would be lovely to relax and read a book or watch something other than cbeebies!

Just to add, my second (now 6mo) is the same but I don't have the luxury of sitting around for her naps. I have her pram in the hallway and rock her to sleep in that while my toddler watches tv. It does involve her crying a bit as she resists the nap but I'm less fussed about the crying to sleep this time, needs must I guess! But I still say if you have the option to put your feet up and let her sleep on your lap then make the most of it!xx

My baby was like this, always a sling or lap napper. He also refused a dummy but I really persevered and he eventually took it. I got to around 6/7 months then started to make him have one nap in the cot and the rest on me, would snuggle him to sleep and put him down, sometimes worked sometimes he woke. Eventually we managed this and I moved on to the other naps too which happened quicker. If he was a total nightmare I relented and took him out in the sling but gradually he got better. The half hour naps have eventually at around 10/11 months become 1.5 hour naps, he goes down like a dream (with dummy). I didn't work massively hard for this I think they get to a certain age and just 'get it'. Good to start with good habits around this age too. We always do sleeping bag, story, song, bed. Don't stress tho, the best advice I was ever given was 'You won't look back and say I cuddles him too much'! X

Sorry to keep drip feeding my response but you've got me thinking whether I could have made my life easier by persisting with getting DD1 to stop napping on my boob sooner. I will never know for sure but I really don't think so.

I know all babies are different and some can settle themselves to sleep with no fuss, some will cry for a few minutes then fall asleep and some will scream the house down for half an hour and even then might not fall asleep! My DD just happened to be the latter variety. Maybe persisting would work for some but for me personally that wasn't something I could do so I'll never know if it would have helped but I really doubt it.

'Can your DS nap alone or does it have to be on you?'
I could take him up to bed/cot (we co sleep with him in the cot attached to the side of the bed), lie down with him and feed him and cuddle him until he fell asleep and then get up and he'd stay asleep, but I almost never do this because i feel I'd just be watching the monitor the whole time so no able to get much done and certainly not able to relax. Nap time is my favourite time of day, I get a cuppa and some chocolate and make myself comfortable. it's so relaxing watching him happily and easily drift of to sleep then I can relax and watch a film or some TV and Mumsnet

'I fear it'll make me go back downhill if I have to battle him for naps again '

I think this is key. You need to take care of yourself. If this is working for you at the minute and for him then no need to fix what isn't broken. I think it's the appropriate time to trot out the old Mumsnet cliche 'enjoy the cuddles'

Ah sorry for my insensitive post, I've just noticed you said you would like a nap too! Do you co sleep? Could you pop him down and sleep next to him?