9weeks old won’t nap at all. Please help

Lskz · 2020-08-09T19:42:44+00:00

Hi all, I need some help as we are very desperate. I have almost 9weeks old baby girl who stopped daytime napping. It’s been already 2 weeks and she only sleeps 5 min and only when we hold her. She refuses her cot, any other surface. Only held and no longer than 5 mins. She is overtired and not herself as she goes with a few 5 mins naps from 7am till 10pm. I understand it is absolutely not normal and very worried about her health and brain development. She sleeps at night between 10pm till 7 with several feeds. We start to bedtime routine from 7:30-8pm( taking bath, gentle relaxing massage, feed and then till 10 pm we try to put her down. I am so desperate that ready to try cranial osteopath, anyone had any experience to share with me? Baby is exclusively bf, weight gain is good. I underlying conditions, born naturally at 37+4wks. She was alright until 6 weeks and suddenly stopped napping I m open for any advice and help, thank you.

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Cotswoldmama · 09/08/2020 21:16

I don't really have much to suggest but my second child generally only napped on me in the day. Occasionally he'd fall asleep in his pram or pushchair if we were out but if we were home he'd get breastfed to sleep and sleep on me. I'd be ready with the remote a drink and biscuits and just relax until he woke! That's probably not much help but I just did whatever worked for an easy life. You could try to make you daily routine emphasise day and night. By going out for walks in the sunshine and making sure there's normal daytime noise around whilst she's napping in the day and at night ensure it's always pitch black and there's no noise that can definitely help especially with sleeping longer at night.
Good luck.

Cotswoldmama · 09/08/2020 21:19

We also coslept until he was one and started sleeping through consistently. I managed to feed from both breasts whilst lying on one side which meant little disruption in the night for both of us.

Ernieshere · 09/08/2020 21:21

Could she go to bed earlier? See if that helps the next day.

I would talk to the health visitor.

My DD barely napped, and only on me as well.

Is she allowed to go in a sling at this age? She might sleep whilst you sit with her in a sling, I know its not ideal.

welshweasel · 09/08/2020 21:24

Have you tried movement? Sling (whilst walking), pram, bouncy chair, swing etc. Also sounds possibly overtired. Ensure you start trying for a nap max 90 minutes after waking from the previous one.

Original poster

Lskz · 09/08/2020 21:33

Thank you all for the comments.
I would be happy if she sleeps at least on me but she does only for 5 mins and wakes up. Even though it’s difficult to do with 4year old wanting your attention.
I’ve bought a sling and she screams and doesn’t like it at all. Pram and car seat doesn’t work as well. I thought my first one was a bad sleeper
I will try to start her bedtime routine half an hour earlier if it makes any difference.

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2155User · 09/08/2020 21:34

DS only ever nappy when I went walking around in the sling

QueenBarb · 09/08/2020 21:38

I had one like this. It was utterly shit at times and I sympathise. His worst nap was for 30 seconds (I wish I was exaggerating). It was like the trifecta of dreadful sleep - he didn’t nap, woke constantly at night, and woke very early in the morning ready to get up.

Best I could hope for was a decent belly full of breastmilk and he’d conk out on me, but I couldn’t move at all or he’d wake up.

SummerPeony · 09/08/2020 21:40

Have you tried swaddling her?

Original poster

Lskz · 09/08/2020 21:54

Yes, I swaddle for nights and try to swaddle for naps. But usually she will fall asleep on me then I say I will wait for good 20min for her to get into a deep sleep then swaddle but we never get there lately as her nap doesn’t last that long

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Original poster

Lskz · 09/08/2020 21:56

@QueenBarb

I had one like this. It was utterly shit at times and I sympathise. His worst nap was for 30 seconds (I wish I was exaggerating). It was like the trifecta of dreadful sleep - he didn’t nap, woke constantly at night, and woke very early in the morning ready to get up.

Best I could hope for was a decent belly full of breastmilk and he’d conk out on me, but I couldn’t move at all or he’d wake up.

Omg, We’ve got 2 mins naps as well today. I don’t know do you classify them as a nap? 😬

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SlB09 · 09/08/2020 21:59

White noise? Dummy? You've probably tried everything and hopefully this too shall pass, sending hugs x

QueenBarb · 09/08/2020 22:07

I wanted to cry when I saw his little eyes pop open again! He was our first child, I can’t imagine how hard it is for you with an older one as well.

I was the first of my friends to have children and I remember another bad day where one friend came over and the plan was for us to drive over to see another friend - DS was only a few months old and that day had stayed awake from 6am until lunchtime when he generously slept for 10 minutes. He then cried and grizzled from tiredness all afternoon so I barely caught up with my friends as I was feeding/settling him he’s 6 now and a gorgeous happy well-sleeping kiddo but my goodness he almost broke me.

He did seem to prefer movement, DH could sometimes get him to sleep in the pushchair when I wasn’t about - but he’d wake when you stopped, once I had to drive to collect them as DH had absent-mindedly walked so far with him asleep he was too tired to head back

Original poster

Lskz · 09/08/2020 22:57

@SlB09

White noise? Dummy? You've probably tried everything and hopefully this too shall pass, sending hugs x

Yes, we use myhummy and cannot tell whether it helps or not. Dummy is another pain, she won’t take it. My first child was like this as well, buying numerous dummies didn’t help and he grew up with no dummy. Had a hope with this one but she won’t take it. She gags and spits it out.

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Original poster

Lskz · 09/08/2020 23:00

@QueenBarb

I wanted to cry when I saw his little eyes pop open again! He was our first child, I can’t imagine how hard it is for you with an older one as well.

I was the first of my friends to have children and I remember another bad day where one friend came over and the plan was for us to drive over to see another friend - DS was only a few months old and that day had stayed awake from 6am until lunchtime when he generously slept for 10 minutes. He then cried and grizzled from tiredness all afternoon so I barely caught up with my friends as I was feeding/settling him he’s 6 now and a gorgeous happy well-sleeping kiddo but my goodness he almost broke me.

He did seem to prefer movement, DH could sometimes get him to sleep in the pushchair when I wasn’t about - but he’d wake when you stopped, once I had to drive to collect them as DH had absent-mindedly walked so far with him asleep he was too tired to head back

Oh, I can imagine how you felt and tired you were. I guess kids are different and as longs as it doesn’t cause any damage to their health and brain particularly we shall wait and see.

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FATEdestiny · 10/08/2020 15:36

@Lskz

Yes, I swaddle for nights and try to swaddle for naps. But usually she will fall asleep on me then I say I will wait for good 20min for her to get into a deep sleep then swaddle but we never get there lately as her nap doesn’t last that long

Swaddle before you feed. Then feed baby in the cradle hold and she will already be swaddled as she drops to sleep at the end of the feed.

Also, keep going trying the dummy. It WILL be worth the effort!

Fatted · 10/08/2020 15:41

I think something happens at six weeks because that's when it all went to shit with my eldest and I remember having to change my youngest naps at that time too.

With my eldest I held him for naps and he would sleep well then. If I put him down it was 30 minutes max. With my youngest, I couldn't have him napping in the same room as his brother. We had to put him up in his cot, close all of the curtains and have it as dark as possible. He was swaddled and given the dummy. We put white noise on for him really loud ro drown out the noise of his brother. If there was any kind of distraction whatsoever, he would not sleep. He only ever cat napped into the pram when we were out.