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Original poster

Newborn baby won't nap in cot

43 replies

Edisnori · 30/05/2022 09:54

I have just tried to put my baby girl to nap in her cot for her first nap of the day after being awake for an hour and a half. She managed to sleep for about half an hour and then woke up and screamed blue murder. She is now on me in the baby wrap. I'm sure countless mums have posted this but the only way she sleeps in the day is on me! She is getting better at napping in the pram (yesterday she managed an hour and a half when my partner took her out). But sometimes we want to clean or just rest at home without her on us (mostly me!). Anyone got any advice? Same experience? Or just some words to preserve my sanity? My mum and granny are both saying I am digging my own grave my always caving in to letting her nap in the wrap on me.
We have also been caving in to letting her sleep from about 3am in the morning. She goes down fine in the cot initially but then after her night time feed she starts to groan and grunt and the only way to get her to stop and for us to have some shut eye is to have her cuddled up on our chests! I love the feeling of her in the sling and on my chest in bed but I am worried that she will become dependent on this!

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nearlyspringyay · 30/05/2022 12:44

Dts didn't sleep in their cots for naps until they were 1. I did a looooooot of walking and driving.it's pretty normal, especially for a newborn.

YukoandHiro · 30/05/2022 13:11

OP don't spend hours rocking in a darkened room forcing a cot nap, especially if you're feeling like you want to be out and about. Go for sling and pram naps and don't worry about a "rod for your own back" - that's nonsense and they change all the time so what works for a while won't work forever anyway. Just do what makes your life easier, nothing that makes life tricky or boring for you.

If they will only nap in the pram you can always push a pram up and down in the house (with white noise) if it's raining and you don't want tot go out. I've done that with both mine. My youngest is 19 months and I still pram nap her in the day

RosieLee2019 · 30/05/2022 14:00

My baby had all naps either in the sling or on a walk in the pushchair. At 9 months I bit the bullet and started putting him down for cot naps. He’s 18 months now and I look back on those sling naps so fondly… the closeness, the snuggles. It took a few weeks to transition him to decent length cot naps, but if you’re consistent they get there.

LittleBearPad · 30/05/2022 14:10

Ignore the doommongers about her getting dependent on a sling. If it works for you and her use it.

If you want to go out and about do too. There’s no need for her to nap in her cot, particularly if she doesn’t like it and you don’t want to be stuck at home.

And sleeping on you is quite normal

AliceW89 · 30/05/2022 14:16

DS took every single one of his naps in the sling until probably 5 or 6 months old. He then transitioned to breastfeeding to sleep in his cot attached to our bed and then we moved to ‘drowsy but awake’ at about ten months. Both transitions were fine. Nothing can’t be changed down the line with babies - just do whatever works now (getting her to nap is far more important then how you get her to nap) and ignore the ‘rod for your own back’ brigade.

Original poster
Edisnori · 30/05/2022 14:17

@Trinacham I just tried to do second nap of day initially me standing and her in sling , then i tried to lie down and she wasn't having it! So resorted to hot water bottle m tshirt and rocking to sleep in cot so I can maybe have 20 mins of chilling lying down on sofa..

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Original poster
Edisnori · 30/05/2022 14:17

@Trinacham takes patience of a saint!

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Edisnori · 30/05/2022 14:20

@AliceW89 Thanks Alice. I guess 9 weeks is a bit young then to be worrying about long naps in cot and maybe I can just try getting her used to sometimes doing it.

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Thejoyfulstar · 30/05/2022 14:22

This bugs me so much! I get so annoyed when people start spouting rubbish about newborn babies getting spoiled. Someone said this to me recently about my baby and afterwards I had a realisation and said to my husband: "Do you know what you call a newborn baby who isn't 'spoiled'? Neglected". I've 3 kids including a baby, and the only regrets I have are the times when I didn't follow their lead enough. I listened to too many people telling me I was making a rod for my own back, and I wish I could go back in time and ignore their advice. Enjoy those cuddles. Time goes so fast.

Your baby is absolutely beautiful!

Bloodyhelldog · 30/05/2022 14:23

What an absolute button.

I let mine sleep on me for every nap and then one day, at about 5 months, she just decided she'd like to nap in her cot and that was that really.

I'd give anything for a lovely snuggly sweaty sticky baby sling nap so, if you're happy, just go with it.

Also used to love afternoon nap with a film.

Man, I miss mat leave!!!

Original poster
Edisnori · 30/05/2022 15:57

@stuntbubbles great advice stunt bubbles! My mum actually apologised for letting baby me cry it out for so long the other day which shows even the old school parenters can see some methods are cruel!

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Original poster
Edisnori · 30/05/2022 16:02

@Thejoyfulstar Following her lead more makes me feel so much happier instead of constantly worrying about the guidance and advice. I guess just roughly following a 10 wk old wake windows and napping mostly in pram/sling is ok and if she occasionally naps in cot then great!

She is the apple of my eye which does help as we spend so many hours staring at them lol

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Original poster
Edisnori · 30/05/2022 16:04

@Bloodyhelldog afternoon nap with a sling !!!😍loooove this idea

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Thejoyfulstar · 30/05/2022 16:31

@Edisnori just enjoy her! Sounds like you're doing a great job!

GreyGoose1980 · 30/05/2022 21:39

Hi OP
my baby is nine weeks and exactly the same. However she won’t go in the cloth sling. One thing I found works is if I am on our bed I can move her from me to laying next to me on the bed whilst she’s asleep without her noticing and she sleeps on our bed if I’m right next to her. I have to keep her on me whilst I lower from sitting to lying down, then gradually ease her off. I can’t get anything done but it gives me a break from holding her!

LillyLeaf · 30/05/2022 21:57

Ignore anyone that says 'digging your own grave' or 'making a rod for your back'. You can't spoil a baby by letting them sleep on you. DS napped on me for months. I would just get into bed and watch Netflicks with headphones on while he napped. I look back now and miss it. Gradually by 7-8 months he would nap for longer in his cot. He's 22 months and loves his nap and takes himself off to bed. Just follow what the baby wants. Housework can wait.

Floydthebarber · 31/05/2022 09:22

I'm glad I came back to this thread and saw the adorable baby photo! Look how happy she is, OP!

You just have to remember that they are not going to nap on you forever, they will sleep in their own beds at some point, they aren't going to be using a dummy at 11 and wanting to be patted to sleep! They will be days when it is frustrating and all they want is to held but there will also be times when they just sleep on their own and you are very tempted to give them a poke to wake them up and cuddle them!

Original poster
Edisnori · 07/06/2022 08:27

@Floydthebarber Sorry I didn't see this! Thank you ! I'm sure when she's a teenager that I look back on the clingy days fondly lol
Having a baby is the hardest thing I've ever done. She's so sweet but all consuming!

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