Bad 7 months old napper - Please help

[Maritsa]

My DD has only short naps most of the time. They last about 30-40 min and she has 2 of 3 of them. We have been following the Babywhisperer and tried all the techniques and I am beginning to think if her napping is random after all. We have experimented with awake time (called activity time in babywhisperer) but I cannot really figure out a pattern. We try to keep her awake for 3 hours (She 7.5 months old) and we know that the third nap (called cat nap) should be dropped at her age. But we fail to do so as she short naps most of the time. She has refused the cat nap a few times.
I am wondering if I should just have her nap at set times every day (we haven't been able do this because of her erratic morning wake up pattern) and see if that helps. Saying that if the first nap is short and you have second one at set time she will be awake for ages!
Can you please share any expierences/give advice?

What time does she wake up in the morning, and what time is bedtime?

Good question. Because she used to wake up between 6 and 6.15 am. Now she is in and out of sleep between 5 and 6 am. We always put her back down until 6 am as this is the rule we have. No getting up and breastfeed before 6. She is usually in bed by 6.30 pm.

I wouldn't worry as DS did exactly this until suddenly naturally he dropped to 2 1.5 hour naps at around 7 months. They do it themselves.

(However, I shouldn't be too smug as now he is playing around with these and wants to be up all day then crashes with exhaustion near bedtime....)

It changes all the time.

Hope that you're right dycey as she always has been a bad napper. But she has managed some longer naps...

He was the same - always 30 mins or 45.... and I was worried about it but he did suddenly evolve into longer naps. Such a relief as I could sleep too!

FIngers crossed that time will do its trick. I think some babies evolve longer sleeps later than others. My nephew was the same. Good luck.

Thanks a lot. I hope so as it is driving me mad. I can't get anything done or never finish things because she wakes up!Let alone get some sleep myself.