Encouraging baby to sleep in buggy

[chloechloe]

Has anybody managed to turn a buggy hating baby into one who will happily sleep in it!?

DD2 is 6mo and still a power napper, only sleeping 30 min at a time. As I have a 2 yo as well I've got into the habit of putting her in a sling for most of her naps. She's over 7kg now and it's pretty tiring and I would love to be able to put her down.

I've tried to get her to sleep in the buggy, going out for a walk about 15min before she's due for a nap but she just ends up screaming hysterically until I take her out, at which point she's perfectly happy again. I then resort to putting her in the sling and pushing the buggy and she happily goes to sleep!

Any advice!?!?

I tried to get my sling loving baby to nap in a buggy around about the 6 month mark too. Mainly for the weight reason and just having a bit of space as he's a very clingy baby! However he is now 8 months and still hates it, especially if he's tired and wants to nap he gets hysterical. I did really persevere aswell but eventually thought I was just upsetting him and then he wouldn't nap full stop and I would end up with a very wired overtired baby.

Probably not what you want to hear! I've just accepted that he likes to be close to somebody because from the beginning he has always been in the sling. He is now 10kg! I understand this must be difficult for you with another child though as I have the luxury of being able to nap mine at home if I'm tired.

I am always so jealous of mums pushing their sleeping babies in their buggies!

Do you put a cover/muslin/blind on the buggy so she can't see out? I need to do this or my daughter won't go to sleep. She sometimes screams a bit at the cover going on but then she must realise it time for sleeping not looking about and goes to sleep. She stopped sleeping in the buggy without a cover at about 4 months. Might help might not.

The sling gives a feeling of being held - tight and close to you. It's a very different feeling to the 'exposed to the element' feeling of the pushchair.

So I don't think the two are compatible for an easy transition. You would be better moving to cosleeping floor naps, whereby you get baby to sleep on the floor by cuddling close, then roll away once asleep and leaving baby there to sleep.

Could you maybe swaddle in the pushchair so she feels like she's in the sling?

DS2 was a rubbish buggy sleeper, and it turned out that he was a tummy sleeper (and still is) - so really it was hardly ever going to work well.

Once I sorted of twigged that, I stopped trying in the pram.

I've had to cover both of mine too or they won't go to sleep and just end up screamy over-tired instead.

Both of mine converted to sleeping in the pushchair at about 6 to 7 months having screamed in it previously. The main thing that helped with my first was getting a new pushchair, with a huge hood to make a really snug enclosure (Baby jogger city mini gt). The old pushchair he was really exposed and he hated it. We also did some very long walks, sometimes having to give up and come home with him in the sling....

For DD we started using the car seat on pushchair wheels, as she was refusing the pushchair but would sleep in her car seat. After she got used to that we moved on to the pushchair proper. Dd prefers the parent facing one which has quite a narrow seat - it took quite a while to get her napping in the City Mini. I think that's because separation anxiety kicked in at 6 months so she doesn't like facing away from me and the seat is too big. I also use a white noise app. At 8 months she now settles about half the time if I do a brisk walk on rough ground the other half I have to give up. It got easier with DS as he got used to it so I'm hoping she will too!

How are you carrying your DC? Dd is over 8 kg and for the times I still have to do sling naps I've swapped to putting her on my back which has helped loads.

Good luck, for us persistence has paid off.

I agree-keep persisting.
My DS still prefers and sleeps longer in the sling if we are out.
If i use the pushchair (to save my back!), I wait until he is tired, put snooze shade on and white noise app. He will go to sleep without issue but wont stay asleep for long in there.

Thanks for all the replies!

The pram has a big hood but I haven't been covering it so far, I will give that a try. She needs her dummy to sleep though but as soon as she realises she's in the pram and tired she refuses to take it and bats my hand away, meaning I spend half the time trying to get her to take it which has stopped me using a cover before.

I swaddled her initially and it really helped with sleep but now she's more mobile it makes her really mad.

I will try the white noise app - I use one for cot naps so maybe that will help.

I've never heard of a snooze shade - will go and have a Google!

I'm carrying her on my front at the moment in a Manduca but will have to give back carrying a go. It just seems a bit difficult to do it on your own but I guess it's just a matter of practise. I wonder if dummy re-inserts are possible if they're on your back!?

I think I'm going to persevere but take the sling with me. DD1 was an amazing buggy napper - I just used to walk her round the block then leave her sleeping in the patio which was a lifesaver as she was another 30 minute napper. It's just so frustrating spending ages trying to get her to sleep when I know she'll be awake in half an hour!

Thanks again - lots of ideas to try!

I feel you. Mine is the same age and just the same. How is your DD in the buggy when it isn't time for a nap? My DS hated it, even just for a ride. I haven't fixed the napping problem yet but at the moment I'm taking him out for short trips in it at times I know he won't need to sleep just to get him used to the idea of being in it. I figure I need to make it a happy place to be before asking him to try and sleep in there. No idea if it will work but we have got to a point where he doesn't scream every time he goes in it. Progress of sorts.

Good that you're making some progress!

She's not great in it even if it's not nap time. She tends to be most contented in it if she's just slept and will then maybe manage 15 minutes. I've just today switched over to the seat as the bassinet was too dangerous as she kept rolling over and trying to pull herself up to peer over the edge! She seems a bit small and swamped in the seat though and I can't decide whether it's best to lie her flat so she's more comfortable or tilt the seat so she can see out. I guess it's a case of trial and error.

Ha, I was just going to say that all mine have slept wonderfully in my buggy but most buggies are crap for sleeping.

Mine is the baby jogger. It's like a big old bed in there. My 4 yr old can still fit for a nap.

Mine all hated being flat in a buggy once they coudl sit, so I sat them proped up and tucked stuff in orund them so they were secure and snug.
Thye liked looking out at all that was going on. Once they nodded off I would lie them flat and put the hood/cover over

You can buy padding for the awkward stage where they don't quite fit the big seat. We have this one which was also available from John Lewis at the time but it's gone up loads in price since so you might want to look for a cheaper equivalent www.amazon.co.uk/d/Pushchair-Pram-Head-Supports/JJ-Cole-Unisex-Baby-Body-Support-Graphite/B003554HVU?th=1&psc=1&tag=mumsnetforum-21 (the pink is currently cheaper).

I have a manduca too, and it definitely gets easier. I use a variation of the hip scoot, and you can do it with the straps part done up so there is no point they aren't secured. Because that way i can't drop DD I'm much more confident doing it when I'm out. This video shows what I mean if it isn't how you are doing it already .

Thanks for the link panda. That's a big help as I haven't been confident enough to try back wearing!