daytime sleep help needed for 16 week old dd

[katherine2008]

dd generally sleeps very well from bedtime at 7pm, through her dream feed at 10pm and usually until 6 or 7am the following morning. my problem (?) is that she has changed from having a lovely two hour nap in the morning, and a usual hour nap at lunchtime with another hour in the afternoon to 2 45 minute naps followed by a collapse after her 3pm feed (at around 3.45pm) where she is too tired to get to sleep in her cot, meaning I fight with her in her cot for a while before giving in and cuddling her whilst she often sleeps for 2 hours til just before her 6.30pm feed. I don't mind cuddling her at all (what a treat!) but I'm not sure it's the answer. I loosely follow the baby whisperer routines and having read up apparently this 45 minute sleep is quite normal and a 'problem' - any advice as to what to do?!! I don't follow the same routine to get her to sleep after her 11am and her 3pm - should I?... thank you thank you ... not sure if this is normal or bad mothering (I think i'm being ironic!)

hello I followed (loosly) gina fords routine of a nap at about 9am for an hour - no more! Then another nap about midday and do all you can to encourage a long nap now ie dark room, keep house quiet if poss and then if needed a short half hr at about 4.30 - 5pm ish. I think you prob need to try and keep the morning nap short so that the afternoon nap can be longer and then she will manage the afternoon better - it worked for me anyway!

IMHO

Ditch the books. All babies are different.

I would look out for signs like glazed eyes/rubbing eyes, yawning, the try to put her down.

Total daytime naps might average around 3hrs at 4mths, assuming about 11hrs at night. For one baby that might be a short morning nap, and a longer post-lunch one. Another baby might prefer a longer pre-lunch kip, and a short afternoon one. My two DSs were totally different to each other.

And IMHO don't creep round the house too much during the naps - you'll make it difficult for her to settle with normal household noise. Also, when they are a bit older, they sometimes find it comforting to hear you rattling around when they are in their cot.

Good luck It gets easier. But do go with your instinct. If your LO is crying and you feel bad about leaving her in her cot, I wouldn't stress to much about cuddling her to sleep etc. at this stage. I don't think at 4mths it makes much difference in the longer term. As she gets older she will know her cot and be happy there, and she will learn the cues you use prior to a nap.

thank you for you kind advice - I'll try to settle her a little earlier and see how that goes - it's weird how different all the books are. she sleeps so well at night I'll try not to stress - and try to not to miss that window!! i haven't left her crying yet.. not looking forward to that one! thanks again