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Newborn not napping

11 replies

hrp2020 · 16/11/2021 13:15

Our 3 week old is so hard to get down for naps. Nothing works...white noise, swaddling, dark room, cuddling, rocking, bouncing, feeding. It can take 45 mins (sometimes more) and even if she falls asleep doesn't stay asleep for long. Especially if put down in her Moses basket. Even if she falls asleep in the pushchair she wakes as soon as we are back home or stop. I have tried letting her be awake longer which seems to make it worse as gets overtired and we have tried nice and early before over-tiredness and nothing works. She is formula fed and clearly is tired as crying a lot when awake. Any tips welcomed. She is feeding every 3 hours approx 4floz sometimes a bit less as she stops when she is full. She has put weight on well so not being underfed. Midwife snd HV both think she is eating the right amount for her age. At a loss of why it's so challenging getting her to sleep. Most newborns fall asleep so easily! She is fine at night time going down.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
PingedPotato · 16/11/2021 13:35

Will she sleep on you?

CallMeRisley · 16/11/2021 13:39

If she falls asleep in the pram and stays asleep while walking but wakes you when you stop, then don’t stop Grin Just keep walking. I burned a lot of post partum calories this way!

Also, I recommend a sling or wrap.

GemmaRuby · 16/11/2021 13:45

Yes sorry, there isn’t an answer to this, you’ll just have to hold her, put her in a sling or walk her in the pram, I.e. whatever works.

I spent many many months pinned to the sofa by a sleeping baby - mine wouldn’t nap in the cot until 5 months.

Fleur405 · 16/11/2021 13:49

My son was exactly the same.

She will nap, just not in the cot! It’s very hard when they basically want to be constantly held but it doesn’t last forever! I found a baby carrier/sling helped as at least I could get a little bit done while he slept.

Temple29 · 16/11/2021 13:59

My second baby was like this. Slept fine at night in his Moses basket but wouldn’t close his eyes all day.

The only thing that worked was putting him in a sling for all naps and he slept like that until 3 months old when I transitioned him to the cot for naps. It was tough going but he was a different baby with proper sleep.

idontlikealdi · 16/11/2021 14:03

Dts didn't nap in a cot until they were one, it's entirely normal but crap. I walked for hours in those days.

WimpoleHat · 16/11/2021 14:06

My DD never napped. She just didn’t need that much sleep. She’s now a teen who sleeps very deeply….but still doesn’t need that much sleep!

Fancyties · 16/11/2021 14:40

I remember that stage, it's hard, mine was contact napper until 4/5 months old. Go with the flow, and do nextflix and chill 😁. You can get a pram jiggler thing can't member proper name. Attach to buggy and it rocks it for you, something to think about. My lo only started cot naps about 7 months old and even then that was on and off, at nearly 9 months we're more consistent for afternoon nap in cot. Have you tried bouncer and just keep moving? Or swinging bouncer x

hrp2020 · 20/11/2021 08:08

Thanks all. The problem I have is I don't have the time to enjoy the naps and sit on the sofa as I have a very demanding 21 month old boy too. He just cries and screams if left to his own devices for too long so I need to figure out a way of getting the baby to fit in with us and not the other way around. An impossible task probably.

OP posts:
GemmaRuby · 20/11/2021 11:54

That sounds really tough. Have you tried a sling?

I personally hated the stretchy wrap kind of slings, made me feel like I couldn’t breathe, but I have seen people out and about with very small babies in the more structured kind which look comfier.

AliceW89 · 20/11/2021 13:23

@hrp2020

Thanks all. The problem I have is I don't have the time to enjoy the naps and sit on the sofa as I have a very demanding 21 month old boy too. He just cries and screams if left to his own devices for too long so I need to figure out a way of getting the baby to fit in with us and not the other way around. An impossible task probably.
I regularly thank my lucky stars that DS (who was like this) was my first. He would only nap if I breastfed him continuously in a dark room with white noise blasting, or if I marched round outside for hours with him in the sling (screamed in the sling indoors or if I was still). The concept of him just ‘fitting in’ and napping on the move or at home in the crib was laughable. Left to his own devices he’d just stay awake for hours and scream with overtiredness. To be honest, he was this way until 6 or 7 months…

If we ever have a second DC I’ve already said I will max out DS’ nursery hours in case DC2 is similar - is this option available to you?

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