Baby won't nap during the day

[MQv2]

I know this is probably an often asked question and probably has too many variables to answer anonymously but we're having a terrible time trying to get our teen week old to nap during the day and it's really starting to overwhelm my wife who's at home all day.

Basically she'll only sleep if she's on one of our chests or being held and even then only for about 20-30 minutes maybe 4 times a day.
Any time we go to put her down shell be back awake and crying as though she's in pain within five minutes.

Was wondering if anyone had experienced similar and what they may have tried to bring degrees of success.
If there's any other information that people would feel relevant for advice please just ask.

My wife thinks the room is too bright, blackout blinds have been ordered.

First baby.
She's good at night one settled (sleeping through semi regularly from about 7/8- 7 in the morning.
She is increasingly difficult to settle at night, I think due to being exhausted, but once settled at night she is fine. She'll settle herself and go back to sleep quickly if woken at night for dream feed etc. But day time is a different animal.

Will she sleep in the pram? Or the sling?

She sleeps in the pram on walks or in the baby Bjorn

We were concerned with the baby Bjorn that it would just further cement her reliance on being held/hearing our heat beats to sleep

This is absolutely totally normal. It's natural and she's not going to become reliant on it. I have always breastfed my baby to sleep and let her sleep in the pram or a sling. Any sleep is better than none and actually it will make your life easier. Now she's 1 year old she'll nap in the pram if I transfer her after she's fallen asleep. She also sleeps through the night just fine. Nursery get her to nap like wizards!

We had exactly this with my 17 week old. From 5 weeks until about 14 he would only sleep 20 to 30 mins during day time naps and it really is exhausting and overwhelming.

He's only just started really sleeping well during the day and to be honest it wasn't really anything we did, he all of a sudden just started managing longer naps. He is in a dark room with white noise, but when he was having his short naps that didn't make much of a difference.

I googled over and over again and all that ever came up was saying it's pretty normal for their age, small sleep cycles etc. I just started trying to go along with it, and felt less stressed when I just accepted that was how he napped and just waited for his tired cues (rubbing eyes, yawning etc) to try him for a nap again.

Sorry you're having a tough time, it really is very difficult but hopefully it will be something your babba will grow out of at her own pace, hang in there, I remember feeling like it would never end!

Thanks.
She's asleep on me right now so it's calm for the minute.
I think it's just how relentless and exhausting it feels because it makes it almost impossible to get anything done during the day.
Thanks for the answers so far.

My daughter was exactly the same. I bought one of those battery powered swings... can you still get them? She would sleep in that for a short time at least and I could take a shower!!! She started sleeping in her cot once she reached 3 months... it will get better!

Seriously if you have a baby that sleeps through at that age you are winning at life.

Also people with newborns don't normally try to get much done so if you stop stressing about getting things done you'll all be much happier!

I'm very comfortable with not getting things done (I assumed this was one of the benefits of newborn's), unfortunately my wife is a stresser/cleaner

Can’t help with the naps as my thirteen weeker is not great in the day but I get stressed if stuff isn’t done too and what has really helped me from about ten weeks on is the bouncy chair and the floor mat/gym. To begin with he would only go in either for a couple of minutes but I kept popping him in the chair or on the mat between feeds and going out of the room and gradually he learned to play a bit longer each time before grizzling for me to come and pick him up.

Now he will entertain himself quite happily in either for twenty minutes or so if not tired/hungry. This gives me time to shower, make food, do the ironing etc. without having to rely on naps so it takes some of the stress out of it all. The chair can be easily moved to the bathroom/kitchen too so I can chat to him and keep an eye on him whilst getting on.

Just mentioning this in case it might help your wife.