Six months old and I still can’t transfer DS without waking - when will contact naps end?

[WhyCantIdoIt2025]

I actually could cry right now. All I want is to have one contact free nap a day. Just 30 minutes even where I have both hands to myself.

I’ve just attempted yet another transfer to the cot and once again he woke up on transfer. I’ve tried all of the tips and tricks. They just don’t work. None of the other mums in my ‘circle’ experience this - their babies have been going down for naps since day one or at the ‘worst,’ since 12 weeks.

If one more person tells me to soak up the cuddles I may scream.

Now, not only did the transfer fail but he’s now wide awake after only 20 mins’ nap (normally it’s an hour plus), so god knows what the rest of today is going to be like.

😭 please send coffee! Only posting to seek solidarity as I’m aware there is nothing that will work.

I stopped trying to get her into the cot. Instead, I used to either sit on the floor on her Mat with her on my lap and a blanket between us to easily transfer her onto the floor or else sit on the couch and transfer heronto the couch. Being cuddled up in the blanket seemed to help her nap for longer

Will she go to sleep in the pram? My 8mo's naps are all from going for a walk in the pram as it's the only way she'd sleep without contact! She's currently snoozing away in her pram in the hallway

Sorry, he not she!

It's all about self-settling. We never let our babies fall asleep on us, always put down awake. If you've never done this, it will take a a lot of practice but you'll get there.

Yep, he sleeps in the pram if we’re out and about. If he’s asleep once we get home then he’ll stay asleep for about 15 mins on the garden path (as he can hear the traffic noise and I continue to rock the pram a little). But if we come into the house, we have just a few mins before he wakes up!

Would you use a sling? Was my lifesaver with my Velcro baby

I was never able to transfer mine and they didn't sleep in the pushchair or pram.

You need to teach them to fall asleep where you want them to nap if you want the hand free time.

I would look into gentle sleep training methods- you've currently trained him to sleep on you- you need to train him to sleep in his cot. We used Lucy Wolfe's book took a couple of days. Whatever you do consistancy is the key!

How about trying him in the pram with white noise and a rockit? rockitrocker.com

Appreciate you've prob tried what feels like every single option! If the above doesn't work, just tell yourself it's a phase (over and over again)...I know it's not helpful right now, but he will eventually get better.

Sling was the only way to get a hands free nap for me. Sorry.

I used make a little cushion blanket nest/bed on the floor then put a blanket or muslin between my body and my sons and once he was asleep transfer him to the nest with the blanket, it worked most of the time!

Is he in his own room yet? It was only once DD1 went in her own room at 7 months she decided she would nap in a bed. Feel your pain OP as DD2 has decided she’s only having contact naps too!

Some time by 9 months for us I think. I went back to work around 7 mo and DH managed to get DS to nap in the cot. His naps then gradually lengthened. Then at weekends I started sitting in a chair in his bedroom with him napping in the sling. Gradually I was able to put him down once in a deep sleep. Eventually progressed to him falling asleep in his cot. I guess it was a combination of him doing it for DH and his naps getting longer. I think his sleep then became deeper and it was easier to transfer him without waking. As soon as he could roll onto his tummy his slept on his tummy for several years. I think I would have had more success transferring him if I'd put him on his tummy. Think he hated being on his back.

No 1 slept on a double mattress on the floor so I got to bf/cuddle to sleep and then sneak away.

No 2 didn't get the same cuddles and couldn't fall asleep in arms (only realised this on a cramped plane seat 😀)

I never managed it, so solidarity with you because its so bloody hard.

1st child slept either on me, or in a moving car or pram. They woke as soon as I stopped moving. We sleep trained at about 10 months and would happily go to sleep on their own in the cot at night and they still never napped in the cot. They literally would scream for an hour instead of sleep. At 20 months I got pregnant again and told them they had to nap in the cot now and it took a few days of screaming for them to do it.

2nd child I just put them down and they stayed asleep. Pretty much 100% of the time. Just different kids.

Solidarity, my 6 month old won't go in a cot either. Will only sleep on me. I can occasionally roll him onto the mattress but he tends to wake up boob-seeking. I use the time to read or do admin on my phone or just nap as well.

My babycwas always put into basket/cot to sleep why would you not do this?

It’s not you OP, or anything you’re doing ‘wrong’. It’s just how your child naturally is. Try not to compare him to other babies, as you’ll only drive yourself mad.

My DC1 was absolutely impossible to transfer. Woke up screaming the moment we tried. We tried SO many techniques; in hindsight I wish we hadn’t bothered. Started having limited success around 11 months I think, but that was onto a bed not into a cot.

Sending solidarity!

Firstly, the sleep industry has been capitalised on and is basically a cult now. Don’t overthink naps and wake windows, babies managed to sleep fine for centuries before all of the tech and preaching.

Next, get the Rockit for your prams just to save yourself some of the trouble when you’re back and waiting for the nap to finish.

With contact naps, the way I got them was to lay down with him (bed / floor) and feed from that angle (this is how he fell to sleep) and eventually remove myself and he’d stay asleep. If not BFing try your other comfort techniques (tapping, patting, dummy, bottle) and lay next to him and then eventually move once in a deep sleep.