Pram doesn't guarantee naps any longer!

[mookickkick]

Help! I've been relying on the pram to get DD (11 weeks tomorrow) to nap at lunch and this week she has started crying instead of falling asleep after 15 min. As soon as I pick her up, she is quiet. Is it just boredom? DH thinks she probably wants to sit up, but she's too young, no? Can't hold her head steady yet.

And if I then put her back down and keep pushing, she will cry again. Eventually, enough time passes that she is hungry, and will sometimes sleep afterwards. Yesterday she only napped 30 min (usually 1-1/2 to 2 hrs) at lunch. By 3pm she was overtired and wailing and I nearly put my back out rocking her to sleep!

I definitely go into nap rage when she doesn't get her day sleeps, which is often, as she won't sleep without my assistance. I feel obsessed but I can't help it. All the books would say I am encouraging all the wrong sleep associations but I'm desperate. So tired and still getting up 2-3 times at night. Am Bf by the way. Trying to establish dream feeding by DH but DD keeps waking up. Any tips out there?

I'm close to caving in and giving formula!

IME please don't rock her to sleep otherwise she won't learn to fall asleep by herself and you will be doing it for months

Don't be so hard on yourself. My personal advise would be to take all baby books walk slowly to the bin and tear them up one by one....

Your baby is all brand new and getting to know the world. I found it helpful to know what her sleep cues were (eye rubbing was the biggest giveaway) and just let her sleep when she pleases. It never affected our DD's sleep at night. Oh and white noise! That was good for daytime sleeps. I do remember being quite disappointed when the car and buggy stopped guaranteeing sleep but just try to relax and enjoy her. Good luck!

give her something to look at when in the pram like a mirror {unbreakable} jammed into the gap between mattress and side of pram

she will enjoy looking at herself

or put a picture book or a picture of a smiley face where she can see it

The idea is that she will enjoy being in pram and looking at herself or face that she will send herself to sleep

I agree about baby knowledge books ~ bin them all

Also agree about white noise and make lots of noise around her so she doesn't always need it to be quiet and then wakes up when phone rings or doorbell

Try putting her in a darkened room? It really really works once they get to about that age

Thanks, I will try the mirror in the pram, and white noise at home. I live on the £$%^& A1 so I cringe at every siren and honk and shouting miscreant.

BTW, I know rocking her to sleep is not good, but she resists sleep except when on the breast!

At this age by DD began to get miffed with the pram too - so i made sure i had the sling with me when i went out with it. I put it down to her being bored of just lookign at me and so have her in a pushchair now.

HTH