How will he ever nap when I go back to work?

[juniper_mama]

I am scheduled to return to work two days per week in about two months time. DS will be one year old when I go back. He currently takes a morning and an afternoon nap and is nursed to sleep on my bed for both of them. I think I'll probably be hiring a nanny to care for him in my home for the two days but I can't imagine how she will get him to take naps. The only way he goes to sleep for DH is if he takes DS out for a walk in the stroller which usually works but obviously this isn't a good solution for every nap. I'd like if he slept in his crib for a nanny so I knew he was safe but that seems highly unlikely. Also, he won't take a bottle, which is another problem entirely, but for the purpose of this thread, it means he can't be settled to sleep with EBM in a bottle. What can I do to prepare?

[LynnS6]

I started back to work when dd was 5 months. She was with dh for a year, and then started daycare 3x a week at 14 months.

Several things came of this:
1. She never took much in a bottle. She reverse cycled. She still managed to be in the 90th percentile for weight!

2. She learned at daycare to fall asleep with a teacher patting her back.

3. When I was at home (the 1 day a week I was home and weekends), dd nursed to sleep.

She had no trouble with the different routines in different places/with different people. I haven't a clue as to how dh got her to sleep, but he did.

Trust that your son can learn.

[justKate]

Lynn is right. Your DS will not expect the breast for his naps because he knows you're not there. There is a learning curve for us all when these changes happen but he will be fine!