My back really can't handle the naps anymore WWYD?

[kdescalzi]

Hi mamas,
I am in big trouble....I have been diagnosed with severe tendonitis in my upper back and shoulder. The pain in my back causes tension headaches and nausea. My 6 mo old dd will only nap on me and my carriers are causing and exacerbating my pain. My Drs and dh are telling me she has to learn to sleep on her own, even for one nap to give my back a rest. She only stays asleep with my nipple in her mouth so how do I get her to nap alone? I also have a 3 yr old ds so laying with her for naps is not an option. I need your expert advice here!! Do I first have to help her sleep without my nipple before I tackle actually sleeping alone?? I am in so much pain. please help!!

[tracymom1]

Maybe nurse her while laying on your side and and gradually move away from her once she is asleep? I do this with Dd to get her to nap. I put a firm futon mattress on the floor and lay down with her. She usually nurses for a few minutes and then drifts off. At first I had to stay with her during the nap or she would wake up, but eventually she stayed asleep when I moved away. Will your 3yo lay down with the 2 of you? Or maybe you can engage him in a puzzle or another activity next to the bed for a few minutes while she is falling asleep?

Good luck!

[kkfum]

Although I haven't been diagnosed with anything, my lower back has really begun hurting to the point where I can't sit down w/o a lot of pain. My DD, 7 mths, also only slept for naps on me in a sling, and would fall asleep nursing in my lap at night until I went to bed and coslept with her. She's at the top of the curve for height/weight, so it has definitely not helped my back. I have an older daughter, too (4), and can't spend all day getting the little one to sleep.

So, for about a week now, I've begun putting her down and she is actually sleeping. However, I do use a pacifier. She will not go down without it. Actually, that's pretty much how I had to get her to sleep while slinging, anyway.

I usually nurse her sitting on my bed next to her side-carred crib (which has not been used at all until now!). Anyway, once she's asleep and her sucking slows to where she's hardly nursing, I unlatch her, and put her down on her tummy and immediately put the paci in her mouth. I either jiggle the paci or pat her back and after a couple of seconds of crying (really...not just saying that--if she cries for longer, I would pick her up and start again), falls back to sleep. I really never thought it would work.

She has slept for up to 1 1/2 hours. But sometimes it's only 45 minutes. I was able to nurse her back down when I heard her start to wake yesterday after 45 minutes. It took about 15 minutes of nursing, her unlatching, nursing again, but then I could finally leave and she slept for another 45. And today, I actually just put the paci that had fallen back out into her mouth again, patted her back, and she fell right back to sleep.

Good luck! I can only imagine how much pain you're in. It is horrible to have a hurting back and have to take care of 2 kids. Try to keep low expectations and do what you can for you back.

[kdescalzi]

thank you for the great advice. I feel so stuck though because ds will not lay down with us...he is such an active loud child! I spend my days saying be quiet your sister is sleeping but he constantly has outburts that always thwart my efforts to get dd to sleep (or stay asleep) Secondly, she won't take a paci even though she is such a high needs sucker. As soon as she stirs in her sleep and realizes my nipple is not in her mouth she starts to cry. If she would just take a paci my life would be perfect Should I give up that dream??? If she hasn't taken it by 6 mo, i don't think she ever will. How do I get her to nap alone without tears??

[JMJ]

Could you start working on it when Dad's got a few days off and can take your son out of the house for some fun father/son time. Even better, try it when grandparents are visiting and can take him out to do something fun every day for a longer period of time so that you can have some quiet time to work on nursing baby to sleep and sneaking away. Maybe you'll be faster at it by the time you're responsible for 2 again so that you can get back to your son faster.

Alternately or along with that, it might work to try to institute a quiet time every day for your son as well. Darken the room partially, turn on peaceful music or white noise, and let him play with quiet toys or look at books.

[maddymama]

Hi Mama,
One suggestion is to look into a chunei as a carrier option..... they are torso carriers, not shoulder/hips carriers, which might be much better for your tendonitis. If you wear it correctly, there is no weight on the shoulder strapshttp://www.hosausa.com/ is one website to look at.
~maddymama

[major_mama11]

Have you tried a stroller for naps? DS has recently decided that I can't rock him or nurse him to sleep anymore, but the little umbrella stroller works like a charm. My DD is also very prone to loud outbursts when he is napping, but she does this less if she knows she helped to "push him to sleep".

I rock the stroller with my foot once he's out, and he'll usually stay asleep for 30+ minutes.

[Cherry Alive]

Car rides have done wonders for my LO. Once she falls asleep soundly, I just haul her inside in the car seat and let her sleep supervised (in the same room I am in). If I have to nurse her to sleep, I side nurse so we can nap together.

[kdescalzi]

Right now she hates the stroller plus it is absolutely pouring out everyday here. DD despises the car and her car seat with a passion. I think she has fallen asleep in there once our twice. She wants to nurse to sleep and only stay asleep with my nipple. I have tried for 2 days now to incorporate as much advice as I can. Side nursing while ds is sleeping and then trying to slip in a paci or slip out of bed...NO DICE. She will stay asleep for maybe 20 mins before she realizes my nipple/me is missing. Today it was about 3 mins and then she is just super overtired. WHAT DO I DO?