Moving on from contact napping at six months…

[Boucle]

Now that DS is six months old we are in a good routine of three naps a day. However, unless we are out and he is in a moving pram, they are all contact naps.

DS is a big/heavy boy and I’d like to start to put him down for naps, not least so that I can get some things done around the house, make lunch etc.

The problem is that he almost always wakes at transfer and on the odd occasion he stays sleeping it’ll only be for say 20 mins.

So I have continued contact napping because on me he will sleep for 40 mins or 1 hr 20 min, and I’m worried that by transferring him then he won’t get the length of sleep he needs.

Shall I just try it with one nap a day? How do we get past the fact he won’t sleep for long out of my arms?

Also, practically speaking, where do I transfer him to? He is too long now for the unused Moses basket. We don’t have a cot as we needed to co-sleep.

If anyone has been in a similar situation I’d be grateful for some tips - thank you!

Do you let him fuss for a little bit before picking him up? Not full on crying but sometimes they fuss themselves to sleep. I use a Dockatot/Sleepyhead to put my daughter on so she still feels cosy when she gets put down. With both of mine they would always have short naps at the beginning which gradually transitioned into long ones naturally. If all else fails, use a baby carrier. Mine would fight it but I'd just carry on about my day until they fell asleep.

DS1 was the same until he was ready to nap independlty which was at 9 months. I gave uo teyibg to force him and took that time to get things done like reading, poscast, any enaiks to answer , bills to pay even shopping. Forced ne to relax.

Every few days I woukd attempt a transfer and it wouod work but took weeks and weeks until ge was sleeping longer stretches and then at 9 nonths it clicked. I nursed him. Rolled him onto the bed and then unlatch and wait 5 mins before leaving. It was on his terms.
Every baby is different and will get to thise milestones of aelf aiithing ans self swttling as they get older. They all get there. How many 10 years olds do you know that hate sleep? It is the oppoaite you can never wake them up from skeep