Moving from pram to cot naps

[theoldlocket]

Baby is 8 months old and takes all naps in his pram at the moment. Naps vary from 30 mins to up to 2 hours although I can't predict if/when he'll do a longer nap and I assume this is just developmental and he'll eventually be more consistent with the longer ones.

I'm hoping I can encourage him to go down in the cot after the morning and afternoon school runs. It would make life easier in that I could get stuff done in the morning without tip toeing around his pram and I wouldn't be constantly shushing my older children after school because baby is sleeping! He's also sleeping better in the evening when he rolls onto his side so I'm hoping this would also be the case if he naps in the cot as well

Has anyone any experience of this and how did it go for you? Roughly how long did it take and were there many tears?

Thanks

I am in exactly the same position. My 8 month old sleeps fine in the pram but duration is unpredictable and relies on me bridging the light sleep phase by rocking the pram at the right moment. I actually leave him outside and the birdsong etc seems to be soothing. BUT i would really like to get a nap in the cot if possible. I put him in his cot today after a bit of a routine and he cried unconsolably for 1hr with me patting and shushing and generally picking him up to calm him. We went through all this at bedtime and are now out the other side and he goes down like a dream with me sitting next to the cot. But it doesn't seem to translate at all for naps.

Sorry not to be more helpful. I will be watching the thread for any tips!

This was the same for me until my baby was about 11 months and then one day it was pouring down and I couldn't face going for a walk to get her to sleep so I put her in the cot. It took about an hour of settling her (I'm not a fan of any kind of controlled crying so I was with her for most of that time) but then she did fall asleep. I had to repeat that for a few days but she did then adapt and now we've had a pretty much guaranteed 90 mins to 2 hours in the cot every afternoon for the last few months. Such an improvement from having to walk to nap every single time! Good luck!

Thanks for the replies! I figured it would probably involve some crying but I'm also not a fan of controlled crying hence my apprehension I think. Having said that if he's really tired but doesn't want to nap he will cry and whinge for ages in the pram with me pushing him so I figure what's the difference iyswim? I'll stay with him until he falls asleep. My hope is to get where you are squirrel where it may take an hour or more the first couple of times but eventually he'll get that it's nap time and go to sleep hopefully for a good stretch!

I will give it a go next week and report back!

My dd is 8mo and I can get her down for cot naps when she's tired enough. She has to be in her grobag though for it to work. If I don't put that on, she doesn't last more than a few minutes.