Nap time

Rebeeca - posted on 10/12/2012

My daughter who is now 3, spent many hours sleeping on the nursing pillow. She refused to sleep without being held, I tried everything. So I resorted to sitting on the couch, phone and computer near by, drink and snack handy and the tv remote control. It also became my time to relax a little.

Lauren Chanel - posted on 10/12/2012

I would say that at 3 months, life is still brand new for you and her and it will take a few more months for a schedule to even begin to work. I would do research and see when babies will actually get on a predictable schedule. It may surprise you. I do have a few things you can try however. In the babies room, make it as dark as possible so that she associates night with sleep, so when you want her to sleep, go to that dark quiet place. During the day when she's awake, it will be light.

Suz - posted on 10/12/2012

I have already posted once but I wanted to weigh in about the book Healthy Sleep Habits Healthy Child... I am a professional nanny (over 50 years old) with a great deal of experience behind me. One of my mommies turned me on to the afore mentioned book. It is great! Every child I have cared for using the advice from the book will nap like a dream. Some will tell you babies are too little to put on any kind of time table or schedule. Not true! What they fail to realize is that a baby iis born with a timetable. Usually it is governed by what mommy's schedule was, but they do have a schedule and usually it , in some way, uses 2 hours of wakefulness followed by a nap for a total of 2-3 naps a day. (See Austin's note below) follow the schedule, you my not want to wait to see any of the signs like yawning. Some kids never give you the signs or they are so sutle they are eay to miss. If that happens your little one will be over tired and that much harder to get down. Bless you dear Nd best of luck.

Megan - posted on 10/12/2012

I had the same thing. 1st, make sure it's not physical by going to a doctor and pressing him or her for a thorough look at her. So many dismiss crying as no biggy. It's colic (we don't know).

My daughter had an undiscovered medical hip problem that wasn't found until she was 2. Five surgeries later, she's great. We just suffered with sleeplessness until the doctors woke up.

2nd it could be an allergy to what she or you are eating.

3rd, she may just be one of those kids who cries forever. If that is the case, get earplugs, and several times a day, make sure she is safe and then, go someplace you can't hear her. You need to keep loving her, so love yourself. If you have a mate, he may be having a harder time than you are, if that's possible. My husband, bless him, was useless.

There is a book "Rock-a-Bye Baby" by Penny Warner. I wish I'd had it.

Finally, be careful about advice from people who've never been through this torture. "Do Ferber, don't do Ferber, pick her up, don't pick her up, keep her awake".

I drove my daughter to sleep for 2 years. It took however long it took to get her to sleep.

I became a quiet house. My husband had one place he could be. After 7pm, lights were dim and I made it as quiet as I could. Well, my daughter is ten. She loves staying up late like her dad and it's okay. You've got someone in your care who will care about what you think for the rest of your life, so experiment with what you need and what she needs and it will work out.

With a baby who doesn't stop crying, you've been thrown into the deep end of the pool without knowing how to swim. It really sucks. You will find your way. Parenting is not known, it is unique to us all. Oh, the nap thing. If she only sleeps on you, then let her. Just give in. I wish I had given in and not been so obsessed with getting things done. This time seems never ending, but it is really, really short and if she wants to be close to you. You will never regret this, because before you know it, your kid will be in school and other moms will say, how come your are so close to your daughter? Every crisis for a parent is an opportunity to say I'm here and I'm listening. So, for you, write down your ideal routine and talk to her while she's screaming and just do the routine. I wish you the best. And get that book, 200 ways.

Austin - posted on 10/12/2012

I think you are right. She sounds tired. Babies of that age should be taking a nap three times a day, every two hours or so. If you are trying to put her down to sleep after she is already overtired, it is going to be very difficult. My recommendation is to (1)start a bedtime routine ( i.e. lower the lights, book, song, rock). Be consistent and do it each time you begin winding her down for sleep. (2) Make it your goal to sooth her to sleep so that she's not awake longer than 2 hours. The best time to start this is in the morning when she not overtired. Look for sleepy signs, like slowing down, staring, yawning, fussing. (don't be surprised if she's tired within the hour after she wakes up). (3) Read the book Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Marc Weisbluth. We have 6 children ( includes 2 sets of twins). This book was a lifesaver for us. Good luck, Momma. No fear; just do what you feel is best. But, whatever you do, do NOT use the television to sooth to sleep!

Kim - posted on 10/11/2012

It might be a good idea to have her checked out by a paediatrician babies that cry all the time could mean there is some type of pain. My baby cryed a lot and yes she did have stomach problems so its worth getting it checked out. Yes some babies are just cry all the time but its best to make sure they are okay

Shanna - posted on 10/11/2012

I only read some of the replies, so I do not know if someone else offered similar advice. If she is sleeping well at night and problems are just with naps and she doesn't have reflux, you can try a few things. My son had a similar problem with no naps until recently (he is 14 weeks). Sometimes it was gas, so bicycling the legs helped calm him down. I also found that he loved to be rocked. So I would wait until he looked sleepy (yawning, trying to rub his eyes, dazing off), then I would rock him, offer a paci for a few minutes, and sing/hum to him in his room with the curtains closed and lights dim. Then swaddle, turn on white noise then use Babywise PU/PD. It took about 20min the first time, but after a few days it went down to around 2min of fussing. Sometimes he breaks though and really fights for about 10min, but he always naps for about an hour, sometimes 2! The reason I like this method is because you do not leave them when they cry (although if it is getting to you, just leave for a few minutes or take 10 deep breaths). I found with this method my son naturally fell into a nap pattern: nap at 9, nap at noon, and nap around 3 or 4 (depending on how long the noon nap lasts).



Also, there is a difference between crying and just fussing. If she is doing a mantra cry then just leave her to self settle, by rocking her or picking her up you may be stimulating her.

Kelly - posted on 10/10/2012

My son did the exact same thing. He ended up having reflux and he was so uncomfortable that he cried all the time and he couldn't sleep. Also what worked for us when trying to get on a nap schedule was making sure to put him down for a nap before he became overtired, which was about two hours from the time he woke up. As he got a little older he could stay awake longer. He usually got up around 7 then napped around 9/9:30 for about an hour and a half then napped again around 1 for about an hour and a half. Another problem we had was that he was going to bed too late so we started putting him to bed at 6.

Leanne - posted on 10/10/2012

My boy was the same for the first 6 months. Swaddling your baby is a gr8 way 4 her 2 settle, try doing this before u feed her in case she falls asleep and try 2 always put her down in the same place. Eg. Crib. Baby massage also worked a treat 4 me, usually after a bath. If my little boy was unsettled i would bath him and then lay him on a comfortable flat surface & massage him day or evening (we live in a warm climate, which helps)

I certainly don't agree with the "cry it out method" as babies cry 4 a REASON & certainly NOT to manipulate u. You are her mother formost & she knows you as the person she can trust & rely on, if you dont respond to her cues "crying" she will learn distrust. Which certainly is not the best start to life.

Good luck, it can be frustrating but try & try again. Do what works 4 u & rememeber babies thrive on routine. :-)

Miranda - posted on 10/10/2012

She might still be hungry. it is not impossible that your milk does not have sufficient nutrients if you are breast feeding. If you are bottle feeding , you might want to speak to your pediatrician about the formula that you are feeding her. It might need a supplement or change. Hope this helps

Franca - posted on 10/09/2012

give her COLIC CALM it is fantastic, you get it on the internet, it is a alarming color but its all naturl and it works:)

Jaspret Kaurr - posted on 10/09/2012

Dear Tracy,



Try giving her a warm olive oil massage at around 11 am followed by a warm bath. After the the bath warp her in the cloth and feed her she would surely go off to sleep soon after the feed. Once she is asleep hold her close to you and you lie down on bed...if she does not wake up...try to turn one one side holding her firmly after that slowly try to insert one small pillow or cusion between you and her without leaving her.....so that she can get cozy with the pillow...if she still does not get up make sure you keep pillow or cushion on all the side supporting her....she should feel as if someone is holding her...this might not work in one day but i will surely work if you try it for few days regularly.....i did this for my daughter and it really worked and after 10 days she got the habit of sleeping independently...



Its just that the small kids if they lose the warmth during the sleep they get up and get cranky.



So you can try this...hope this works for you...



Regards

Jennifer - posted on 10/09/2012

Get the book, Healthy sleep habits happy child. She is fussy, because she is chronically overtired.

Getting her on a sleep schedule is hard, but worth it in the long term.

Cathy - posted on 10/09/2012

part of your napping schedule will be determined by your feeding schedul]e. do you feed her on demand? i have found that when babies are placed on a feeding schedule, they settle more easily into sleepingpatterns. try feeding youb aby every three -four hours during the day, even if she is sleeping. feed ]]]]]]]]]]]]]closer ]]]]tog]ether if she seems fussy or hungry. ]that way ]at nig]h]t she can last fo longer stretches of time. good lu]]]]]cki would avoid using tv as a means of inducing sleepiness. that can become a badhabit.

Katie - posted on 10/09/2012

My daughter never slept in the day and was waking every 2 hours at night what ever u do u would not want to bounce her as she will get used to it and want it to be done everytime. What i need i would feed my daughter and then would sit on the rocking chair with her head on my heartbeat and would rock and sing to her when she started dosing i would put her into the cot still singing stroking her head then i would put the sound of a hoover or hair dryer on my phone. If u have android or apple download baby soothing nosies and play the hair dryer one quietly she will fall asleep as she will think u r there. She will grow out of it aswell at that age they r more alert and wanna play hope she geta better and hope it helped x

Wendy - posted on 10/09/2012

My son cried all the time during the day, but he slept at night. I took him to the chiropractor and it's the BEST choice i made. He needed his head adjusted because the bones in his skull were pushing together. Chiropractic for babies is very gentle.

Barbara - posted on 10/09/2012

Good advice to not try to let the baby cry itself out at 3 months, 9 months it is different. Your little one will be much more secure if he/she knows that they have someone who is there when they need them. I had a child who ate every hour for the first two weeks, round the clock, made me crazy tired. I was breast feeding and did not make enough milk and my lactation specialist told me to not supplement with formula. Finally I got a different one and she was great, told me to feed the boy until he could take no more. I gave him an additional two ounces and he slept for 3 hours, the first rest I had gotten in weeks. It got better after that. My point, find out why they are not sleeping, if they sleep on your chest just fine, at that age take advantage. My youngest is 18 and you can never go back to those first few months of bonding time. It will pass all too soon.

Carolyn - posted on 10/09/2012

DON'T FEEL BAD LETTING HER CRY A LITTLE!! Swings, bouncers, vibrating seats, anything with motion always helped my kids, but above all LET HER CRY A LITTLE as it is essential to your health that your baby learns the art of self soothing....if you pick her up with out giving her a chance to figure out if she is tired, she will just stay awake and fall asleep when you are holding her. Whenever my kids woke up from naps I would let them lay in their crib for about ten minutes so they knew that it was okay to lay in bed without me picking them up right away. GOOD LUCK AND DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR HELP FROM FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS I found that most people didn't mind having a baby for a little bit, and I would go to my best friends house and take a nap in her bed while she played with my kids, because a sleep deprived mommy isn't good :)

Sarai - posted on 10/09/2012

Babies can cry it is okay to allow your babies to cry. I had a child who hated to be left alone in his crib and I had to let him cry it out. He is a well adjusted 13 year old now who is a stuco rep, honor vocal choir, band and a very good athlete. Crying doesnt make him unadjusted and feeling abanded. I have 5 children and all have been allowed to cry. I always made sure that he was fed and and changed and then I would rock him for a little bit and then lay them down. Sometimes they would cry and sometimes they would sleep. At first it was a very long day of crying and after time it was down to no crying and all he did would be put down and he would sleep. It took about 2 months of working with him on this but with time and consistency it worked. I can tell you now that I am a mom of 3 teenagers, 1 pre teen and one in the single digits still that the sooner you get them on a routine that works for your family you and your children will be happy. You can also try different positions for them to sleep. If you are up and can watch your baby I would try putting you baby on her tummy. My kids preferred their tummies. My kids also liked music put on in the background. I made it classical and a whole less stimulating. Good luck

Debra - posted on 10/09/2012

Whatever advice you go with just remember one thing. She is going to grow at lightning speed. Just when you think you figured this out you'll be dealing with something else. Parent with love, patience, and as much consistency as possible. Enjoy your little girl:)

Chress - posted on 10/09/2012

hi dear , my son is 3 month old too and exactly the same case , i felt like ur talking about him , but u know what ive been trying this way and so far it worked 3 days in a row , just jump in the shower with her , like if she wakes up at 8 or 9 like mine i give him a fast shower with me at like 11 or 12 , then he eats and sleep minimum 2 to 3 hours straight then he wakes up playing not crazy crying like ev time , try it but dont give her a warm bath so she wont mix between bed time and nap time , good luck

Kaley - posted on 10/09/2012

In my opinion 3 months is still pretty young to let her cry it out for too long.. Too long for me is prob about 10 min - but you know your child. If you don't already i would swadle her and put her to sleep on her belly. Never mind all the hype about not laying them on their bellies. She is Strong enougn to mhve her head and she'll likely sleep much better.

Stacy - posted on 10/09/2012

Haven't read everything here. But I just want to tell you that young babies have no memory. The only person you're making bad habits for is yourself, and you can change your own habits. :) At three months they are still pretty young. I only have two (and my youngest is just now 5w) so I'm no expert. But with two reflux-y babies, I will say if they are crying because they are uncomfortable or spitting up or gassy ... get a swing. You don't have to turn it on or even use it but it keeps the baby at an incline and can help with gassy / refluxy babies. My 5w old naps in the swing every day and sometimes at night if the spitting up is a problem.



It does no one any good if no one is sleeping.



And for the record I nursed my oldest son to sleep for 10 months, when he grew out of it himself. And he slept through the night at 7months, for 12 hours. All kids are different and react to things differently. (For instance my oldest always hated pacifiers - wierd). So go with your gut. You're the mama. You know best.

Stephanie - posted on 10/09/2012

Formula feed. My son didnt take naps, cried all the time and didnt sleep more than 4 hours at night until he was 7 months old. We switched to formula and that all changed

Angelina - posted on 10/09/2012

My son who is now 6 months has never been a napper. I spoke to the Dr about it & she didn't think it was a problem because he was never fussy, irritable & he was always happy. But during night time I have a schedule for him dinner at 5, playtime, bath time, bottle then bed by 8:30 & asleep at 9. Maybe she's not eating enough that's why she's not content when she's asleep

Lucy - posted on 10/09/2012

I used to use a baby sling and pootle around getting on with some bits while she fell asleep then carefully lift her down into her cot.x

Courtney - posted on 10/09/2012

does she eat very good? maybe she is still hungry or her formula isn't satisfying her. i had a friend of mine whose baby cried a lot too but it was the formula wasn't satisfying her. After switching to a different formula it helped and her baby was a lot better.

However, if she is eating good try car rides always are great for my two year old. I also take her for walks in the stroller some days that are nice outside and that helps her go to sleep. Hope this helps at all. Good luck and hope she will take better naps. Also maybe playing soft lullaby music might help her become sleepy as well.

Amy - posted on 10/09/2012

Hi, Please get your baby tested for Gerd. I had the same issue, with her crying all the time. They thought it was colic and I had to wait 9 months before they sent me to the hospital.. At the hospital, they had her drink a fluid and X-Ray at the same time.. they seen the delay in her stomach and she had Gerd. Simple fix when she was finally dx. Gerd hurts them :( Good luck

Marta - posted on 10/09/2012

Tracy

I would get your baby checked by a doctor. Because apart from the usual suspects (teething, hunger, need to burp, can't cope with the noise in the house, too much light in the room) which may be stopping your baby from sleeping, here are some examples of medical reasons which I've only found out about after a month or two of hell:

- wind caused by not being able to digest the lactose in the milk: my younger baby suffered of terrible wind. He would spend hours during the night moaning and bringing his legs up to his tummy while sleeping and would not be able to settle at all during the day. Once the pediatrician prescribed some lactase drops for his milk, we've never had problems again - he started napping very well during the day and still does so.

- reflux: as a baby, my older boy never slept well. He would fall asleep easily on the car seat or by being put upright against our shoulders but the minute we put him down, he would wake up screaming. It wasn't until months afterwards that he was diagnosed with reflux. By putting him to sleep in a small incline, he started sleeping much better.

With my older boy, it took me a long time to have him checked by a doctor and his reflux went undetected for much longer than was necessary. So it is worth checking.

Phoebe - posted on 10/09/2012

She may be listening to your heartbeat. Newborns are sometimes very attached to the sounds and smells of their mothers. Being apart from you may be very scary to her. Try getting a sound machine that offers a womb setting, tgis is the sound of your heartbeat in utero. Another thing that may help is a small blanket that you have slept with, this will have your scent and when placed with your child will help in the adjustment of no longer being attached to you.

Christy - posted on 10/09/2012

I don't know if you can get her on a schedule this early, but you can get a few good naps in there. We swaddled my daughter until she was around 5 months old. We also used the swing for her naps a lot (I know not the best solution, but sometimes you take what you can get). Get a good mobile, try to swaddle her (she may not like it at first) and stick her in the crib in a quiet dark room, drowsy but awake.

Rachel - posted on 10/09/2012

first i would take her to an infant chiropracter. my sis in law is one and it got rid of her sons colic. it sounds to me that your baby has colic. GRIPE WATER will work wonders! and i would ALWAYS SWADDLE HER because that will make her feel like she is being held and it wont hurt her at all to have her sleep in a swing or bouncy...then she is upright like when in your arms. keep her nice and warm..i had to help my neighbor with her TWINS going thru the same thing..email me and i can help more rachelsue21@gmail.com

Monica - posted on 10/09/2012

I have to agree with Dove. I used a swing sometimes but mainly I kept my baby boy with/near me until he was asleep. Dark room with white noise does work best. I now have the most awesome 2 year old who knows I love him, is exploring his independence and is a wonderful sleeper. But I firmly believe cry it out is a selfish modern practice that is unhealthy or helpful for both Mom and baby. Your baby needs to feel safe, it isn't enough at 3 months for u to just know they are safe if they don't feel it!

Allison - posted on 10/09/2012

The exact same thing happened to me with my daughter. I spent my entire maternity leave walking, hushing, rocking her and always resorted to having her sleep ON me for every nap. When I could get her too. Eventually I got her to sleep in her crib, but like clockwork she woke after 30 minutes exactly. I'd run around, trying to do anything - shower, clean, etc. before she was up. My overall advice is that she will grow out of it (I promise!). My daugher is turning 2 this month and takes a solid 2 hour nap in her crib every day. Otherwise, I do encourage you to keep trying whatever it takes to get her to sleep. I firmly believe that babies like ours our cranky b/c of lack of sleep. I read Healthy Sleep Habits, and it clicked for me. The only other thing I would recommend - one of those "wish I had known it then" things - is to really get her on a schedule where she falls asleep unassisted. If that means letting her cry a bit to soothe herself to sleep, it's worth it. It's the hardest thing in the world, I know. But the routine, and the ability to get themselves to sleep will be a life saver as they enter toddlerhood. My baby girl still cries almost everytime it's nap time or bedtime, but she's sleeping better and so am I. Good luck!

Dijana - posted on 10/09/2012

As if you are talking about my daughter. :-)

I didn't have a decent sleep for 9 months and I had occasional good nights for another 2 years. Whatever I tried it did not work. Sleeping just got better over the time and I realized that my daughter just wanted me near her all the time.

All I can say is that I survived that period and she is a good sleeper now.

Just try to be patient and be there for your daughter because she currently needs you more than some other babies need their mothers.

Kerrie - posted on 10/09/2012

Rule out acid reflux and invest in a good swing... they are awesome and you will not regret spending a little extra- it's a comfort to them and to you... don't be afraid to let her cry for awhile too there is nothing wrong with letting them cry themselves to sleep- don't be afraid to wait on things such as laundry or cleaning and spend some time holding your baby- it goes by so quickly

Stephanie - posted on 10/09/2012

She could have acid reflux. I'd talk to the dr. No matter what anybody tells you they don't have to spit up all the time to have acid reflux. This is what my 4 month old has and even with meds she has a hard time taking naps at daycare. This is because she can't fall asleep on her back as it hurts too bad. When home she sleeps in a Fisher Price Rock n play sleeper. She's elevated then. If she's home on the weekends she'll take a 2 hour nap in that. She also likes to sleep in car seat as she is elevated in there too.

Joan - posted on 10/09/2012

Run, don't walk, to your nearest physical or online bookstore, and get this book: http://www.childrenshospital.org/views/j... It's available for as little as 3 bucks on Amazon.com. It will help you figure out what you and your child's problems are and what you need to do about it. It saved my sanity!

Marietta Gloria - posted on 10/09/2012

I think you are over stimulating her while she is awake.Avoid this over stimulation and create a calm environment whenever she feels sleepy.Even a bath can do the trick.Also try to breast feed her while lying down so that you dont need to move her afterwards.Avoid lullabies and all those things that spoil our little ones most time.I know what it feels like to have a restless baby but we at Circle of Mums we are here and are ready to work with you at this.

Diane - posted on 10/09/2012

my daughter was not a contented baby at all and cried a lot and the only way to get her to sleep was cuddle/rocking or in baby bouncing chair with gentle movement. I would check with dr that all is well with baby and then find something that suits you both to get baby to sleep. I think 3 mths is too early for sleep training. take your time and relax.

Martina - posted on 10/09/2012

I had the same problem...but i started laying with her in bed ...just make sure she cant fall off ....but lay with her and hold her hand...and give her a soother ...also u can feed her laying down...bottle or breast ....and then give the soother....i hold my babys hands as i cuddle her so she doesnt knock the soother out ...then she falls asleep...works for us....then u can slip away and do other things....u just have to check on her alot...or have a nap with her....or if u have a really good baby phone...as soon.as u hear her wake up or stirr...check on her...u dont want her to fall off...u could also move her to the crib once she fell asleep beside u...but thats easier said than done....the bed is the only thing that works for us

Maria - posted on 10/09/2012

At around that time would be a good time to set her on a good nap routine ... I used to put him to sleep around 30-40 minutes after a feed .... if the only way of napping is in your arms let her do so for now. until u establish a good schedule and understand her napping times. Maybe sing a song that u may use later to get her to sleep on her own in her bad.



hope this is helpful



take care

Alwen - posted on 10/09/2012

my twin boys were like that, does she have colic because that might not be helping, i would take her to see her doctor and see if he can give you anything to help if she does and if that isn't the case i would put her in a crib at the same times every day so she knows that is a nap time, if she cries let her because she knows that she is winning and getting out of the crib if you keep to in a few days she will understand that is nap time, thats what i did with my twins after 5 days they went to sleep when i put them in the crib because they knew it was nap time

Greta - posted on 10/09/2012

You might try getting a wind-up clock, wrap it in a blanket and put it somewhere near the top of her crib. It will remind her of your heart beat. You also might try, taking one of your t-shirts and using it as her pillowcase. You also might try playing a cd softly in the background.



Also I am assuming, that she is now on baby foods, not just a bottle. She may be discontent, due to being hungry. You might try adding a little baby cereal to her bottle, before nap time.

Amy - posted on 10/09/2012

I would be cautious about saying the baby "may not be getting enough nutrients" while breastfeeding. As long as you're eating healthy and taking your pre-natal vitamins your breast milk is more nutritious than formula. However, she could be lactose intolerant and if you are drinking cow's milk that contains lactose (human mild does not) then that could be causing her stomach discomfort and spitting up. Talking to your doctor may help!

Amanda - posted on 10/09/2012

I have a 9 month now... I'm sure someone else said this but you just have to pick a time for nap and stick with it .... You can't leave her crying though .. That can damage them as well as have trust issues when older. .... But I'm also not saying to go to her every whim ... To get a routine going you do have to let her cry but you have to do it a certine way... 1 does holding her stop her crying ? If so she usually want attention ... If its nap time when she calms down put her back down ... But don't take her out of the room .... Next day stroke her hand but don't pick her up .... Next day Stay in the room but don't touch her ... Next day stay out of the room but pop your head in when she crys ... Next day leave her ... She should only cry 3 mins or 6 tops .. If she goes longer pop your head in like last time ...this slowly gets her use to the nap time and she knows she not abandoned .... Also works for bed time. And remember you can't be stressed you have to be up beat... If your stressed she's stressed ...... If picking her up does not stop her crying .... There is something else wrong ... Your job to figure it out.

Jamie - posted on 10/09/2012

Ask your pediatrician about Cholic. When my daughter was a baby, almost 9 now, she was exactly the same way. She would not sleep, scream all the time, and constantly whined. Come to find out she had cholic. It was like night and day when we changed her formula. I would chat with your pediatrician. I am pretty sure the formula she was changed to was Enfamel Lipil. If you are breastfeeding maybe she is not getting enough nutrients from you. She may be hungry too.

Amy - posted on 10/09/2012

Hi Tracy, my son is 3 1/2 mos old and can be difficult to get to nap unless he's on me as well. Cindy mentioned that babies like to be warm. I found this definitely helps make him sleepy. Hopefully you're breast feeding; but, I'm sure you could do this with a bottle as well. Take her to bed with you. Lay on your side with both of you under the covers and nurse her with both of you on your side. If you are using a bottle then have her on the bed beside you in the crook of your arm. When she's good and asleep sneak out of bed and put the pillow you were laying on that is warm and has your scent next to her so she feels and smells you beside her.

This is what I use as a last ditch effort to get him to sleep on days that he's over tired and won't settle. After a while she will get used to napping at that time and you should be able to wrap her in a blanket and rock her to sleep (I recommend feeding her and rocking her) and put her down in her own bed beside the bumper pad, again so it feels like someone is beside her.



Good luck!!



Amy

Savitri - posted on 10/09/2012

Your baby misses you when you leave her. I had the same problem and What worked was for me to wrap the baby in a piece of my clothing like a robe or nightgown or even a t shirt. Use one that you have worn but not a dirty one. This gives them the illusion that you are still with them. You can even put it on the pillow where she can get the scent of you. I know it sems as though you are tricking your baby but it worked for me and i was greatfull to get that advise . I hope it works for you. Let me know.

Cindy - posted on 10/09/2012

Hi Tracy,

I had the same problem when my son was a baby. My great aunt had told me that the baby's temperature is different from ours, they like the warm. Try wrapping your baby up like they did in the hospital. Keep the baby as warm as he feels even if the baby is sweating they like that. You might be hot but the baby is not.

Try putting pillows around the baby as if it was another body.

Don't expect to notice in one day try it for a week. And please write back.