always naps on me...

[cara7]

my three month old nurses to sleep and then will wake up either when i pick her up to move her or 20 minutes after i put her down. i don't mind one 2 hour a nap a day like this, but she's supposed to be napping 5-6 hours a day at this point, and i can't be stationary this long. does anyone have any ideas?

[wombatclay]

Welcome to MDC! And congrats on your little one.

Have you tried a baby carrier? I found that if I put my babe into a soft carrier they'd fall asleep and I'd still be able to get things done. I really love the moby wrap for the first few months, then ring slings and the ergo for bigger babes. I've found that the "upright" carry in the moby and ergo work well for nursing to sleep. You might want to check out the Babywearing forum for more ideas too.

My first babe actually prefered to nap in a small bouncy seat so I'd nurse her out, wait till she was totally, completely, arm floppy asleep and then tuck her into the bouncy. If she was swaddled and in the bouncy she'd sleep for a good 45 minutes or so.

Also, keep in mind that the 5-6 hour number includes all of her naps... so ten minutes here and 20 minutes there still counts! I know it's frustrating, but little babes wake up frequently no matter what you try. It'll get better, but till then maybe try a carrier or swaddling?

[Knitting Mama]

Yep, my two month old is the same way. The soft, lightweight cotton gauze wrap I got has proven to be a lifesaver. I just wear her around the house when she's sleeping and I can get things done without a problem!

[Bebe's Mom]

You can also try side lying nursing, she will fall asleep and then you can get up. When they are this little, you should be able to put them on the bed with pillows around, or you can put a pallet on the floor if you are worried that she will fall off. I still do this with mine, works very well. Good luck!

[Tattooed Hand]

MY DD was like this and I either sat at the computer and did work with her asleep in my lap (on a brestbfriend) or else wore her in the Moby. Just so you know, the last month she has been transitioning to me nursing her sidelying to sleep and then getting up when she's asleep. She used to wake every 20 minutes, but now only wakes every 45 minutes (I can sometimes hop into bed and nurse her back down) sometimes, and sometimes sleeps 1-2 hour in one go. It took a month of trying to get here though. I started doing this when she got too heavy for me to wear for so many hours a day (I am 110 lbs myself and she's around 16 at least).