7 week old only contact naps

[rtab89]

My 7.5 week DD will only sleep in the day by falling asleep on me when nursing. She would then happily sleep on me for a good while but just can't be put down to nap.

She's EBF and I pump for one bottle so my partner has her 9pm-1am while I sleep. She then goes in the side cot and is fed on demand roughly at 1, 5 then 7/8.am.

My question is - should I be trying harder to get her down for naps in the day? I so love cuddling her but it means I get nothing done! Lots of friends' babies seem to be having pretty regular non-contact naps in the day so I'm not sure if I'm doing the right thing.

Any advice welcome - I want her to be a secure, happy baby more than anything! TIA

Have you got a sling?

Sling is the answer. My daughter wouldn't only have contact naps til she was about four months so I just carried her about in the sling. She is my third and last baby and I indulged her to be honest! She transitioned to sleeping in a cot without too much trouble and we are very very close (she's nearly 4), I couldn't breastfeed so I think the contact helped us bond.

Go with it, nothing wrong with giving them what they need at this stage or any other.

Enjoy it while it lasts! I love sleepy cuddles with DD, occasionally I still get sleepy cuddles with 5yo DS. They grow and change so fast that you'll regret not sitting and just holding her. There's plenty of time to do chores and every day stuff at other times of the day

*would

She's still a newborn it's absolutely fine to contact nap if it suits both of you- if you want to get things done use a sling or put her in a little chair while you do things when she's awake, but really you should just enjoy the snuggles!

So did mine at that age, they’re atill so very tiny. I decided to start trying for cot naps at 3 months and he took to it well and has always been a fantastic sleeper. It’ll come, don’t worry about rushing too much if you don’t want.

I have - she cries in it but think I need to persevere!

Totally a personal choice.

I didn't want to be 'nap trapped' and wasn't keen on the baby carrier either so I persevered with putting him down to go to sleep and he soon got used to it.

Ah I’m so jealous! My 2 yr old hasn’t fallen asleep on me since forever 😩 miss all the cuddles and being nap trapped. They grow up so quickly! We did contact naps until 6 months or so. It was my guilty pleasure.

Mine weren't very good at that till they were quite a lot older. Probably around 4/5 months when they'd grown quite a lot and were awake for longer periods between naps.

What sort of carrier is it? The soft wrap type ones are ideal at this stage (we use close caboo and k’tan) and the more structured ones can be great later on!

Perfectly normal and fine for a tiny baby! My boy is 16months now and still prefers to nap on us when we’re home - at the childminders, he’s more than happy to sleep on his mat. I love it ❤️

Thanks - lots of reassurance there! I'll keep trying the sling but will just make the most of the cuddle time for now and worry about routine later.

I still contact nap/sling nap at 9 months old. It’s not for everyone and obviously if you have other commitments you might want to explore other options.
BUT, if you’re enjoying it and the chores can wait or you have good support then grab the snacks and the tv remote/good book and just chill!
Never feel guilty about holding and supporting your baby!
You’re doing a great job! :)

Completely normal at that age take the opportunity to rest and watch a boxset. I eventually used to make sure I had a blanket between my body and my babys so if I was really careful I could gently remove him from me and I used to put him on a little blanket nest I made for him on the floor!