How are your babies napping?

[DoulaLMT]

DD was taking at least one 2-3 hour nap a day until a little over a week ago (she's 5 weeks now). Now they are all 45 minutes. Today she took 3 45 minute naps. She's SOOOOO tired and I know this is a common problem. Babies who have trouble with the transition between sleep cycles. DS had this problem too and never napped longer than 45 minutes until he was OVER A YEAR OLD. I think I'll lose my mind if that happens here. DS isn't getting enough attention and is acting out and peeing in his underwear, etc. It was so much better when DD would take a long nap. It would give me time with him. Also she won't nap in a carrier. I've tried a MT, stretchy wrap and ring sling.

Ok this turned into more of a vent. But I'd like to ask a couple questions:
1) anyone had success "teaching" a baby to like being wrapped?
2) anyone had success helping a short napper learn to take longer naps (yes I realize we are dealing with very young babies here...don't worry I'm not talking about CIO or anything even slightly related!)

[Lit Chick]

Do you have a swing? DS1 and 2 both napped best in a swing (we have the Graco Loving Hug, which has a deep recline and is soft, not the typical upright hard seat). Right now, DS2 will start to stir and fuss in the cycle transition - by that point his paci has fallen out, so we quickly pop it back in, and he's out.
Our main tricks are swaddle, swing, and suck (learned from Happiest Baby on the Block)

[Kelly1101]

Like crap.

Rotfl.


Well, yesterday at least. Hopefully today will be better.

[gradstudentmommy]

No advice, just empathy. Sounds EXACTLY like my guy. His naps are a maximum of 45 minutes these days and he is sooo tired. I thought maybe it was his reflux but maybe it's just a phase?

DS hates the swing and won't take a pacifier so Happiest Baby on the Block isn't working well for us, though it worked somewhat for DD.

My DD struggled against swaddling but yet she always slept better when she was swaddled. She always got her arms out though so I eventually gave up and just swaddled her with her arms out.

I haven't had a moment to myself in weeks since DS gave up his long naps. I too am going crazy!

[WithoutWax]

I dont really know her routine (she is 4 wks) possibly because I have a 3/yo and my brain is mush, but my 3/yo still has a 2-3 hour afternoon nap (no idea how I got that lucky ), and my baby probably has several short naps during the day and 1 or 2 really long ones, possibly 3 hours, I really should look at the clock when she goes down but I find I always forget. But if feels like a looong time and I realise I was able to have a short nap, have a shower peacefully, vaccuum, check the net, have a coffee, write an email, and I'm wondering when my baby will wake up cos I miss her already! .... I find there is a magic trick, well not magic, perhaps just timing, she gets grizly (but its very similar to hungry grizly) so not to confuse it and give her a short feed, but put her down to sleep in that moment exactly makes her sleep beautifully, if I mess it up and give her a drink and she gets all burpy and gassy after a few gulps or I think she's bored and over stimulate her then I totally messed up and she will need to 'reset' if that makes sense.
So I'm finally getting the hang of her personality and getting it right, she is sound asleep at the moment (nearly 2 hrs so far)

[Chloe'sMama]

My DD2 seems to sleep alot. I have no idea what her schedule is yet, but am running around with DD1 all morning (almost every morning) and DD2 sleeps along the way usually and cries some and nurses and sleeps. She has a nice awake patch in the morning and evening (I think it is because I can pay more attention to her.)

[gradstudentmommy]

My sleep deprived brain read "wrapping" as "swaddling." Both of my babies need(ed) me to move around when I first put them in the carrier. Usually I bounce on the exercise ball or rock in the glider (though the exercise ball works better). My current baby needs to be in the right mood to be in a carrier it seems.

Is this what you mean by "wrapped"? Also, I know a lot of people have great success with the Moby. So far that's my favorite carrier but my baby likes it the least.

My poor baby slept only 3 hours TOTAL today and was so overtired I couldn't get him to bed. My DD never had a nap that lasted more than 45 minutes until she started sleeping in her own crib in her own room. Now she still naps at least 2 hours a day (she's 3) and sleeps soundly 11 hours at night. If only I could get the baby to sleep like that I'd be soooooo happy.

I feel like I spend my entire day just trying to get my baby to nap! Sometimes it takes me 1 1/2 hours to get my baby to sleep and then he sleeps 30 minutes! Ugh, so frustrating.

[Amanda_Reyasmom]

As long as I will hold her she'll sleep pretty well. I'm blessed with a baby that sleeps really well. In the morning I can expect a 2-3 hour nap that doesn't involve my holding her.

[Kelly1101]

Today he only wanted to sleep if I was holding him. If I wasn't holding him, no sleeping.

Which would be great if I didn't have my toddler climbing on furniture in desperate attempts to get my attention and get me to put down the baby and play with her.

*sigh*

He is not a fan of the sling or the mei tai. He'll tolerate it for grocery trips, but not for much longer than that. He'll sleep okay in the swing-- sometimes. Not today.

[DoulaLMT]

Glad I'm not alone. I guess. I got an Amby baby hammock/motion bed to see if that helps. Will report back. I'm using a pacifier with her and i'm thinking of taking it away. Seems like I'm spending more and more time putting it back in her mouth. I think it might be interfering with her naps, but not sure how I'd get her to fall asleep without it. I'm just soooooo frustrated and my toddler is not handling this well either. I totally agree that i spend most of my day putting her to sleep.

(And yes, by wrapping I meant baby carrier wrapping. I have a gypsy mama stretchy wrap)

[Laurski]

nak

Definitely not alone! E barely napped at all for the first 6 weeks or so--little catnaps of 20-45 minutes and waking every 1- 2 hours at night. Made for a grumpy baby *and* mommy...

It's gotten a little better as she's gotten older (she's 9.5 weeks now). She has two obvious sleepy times--around 10am and 3pm. On a good day, like yesterday, she fell asleep in the sling (she loves my hotsling) for about 3 hours in the morning while I did the laundry and made dinner. Then she also napped later in the day. She pretty much won't nap without being worn, though, and without me being in motion for a good portion of the nap. I have gotten her to nap twice in the swing (major victory!) by turning it on and also swinging it myself to make it swing more vigorously at first, while running my hairdryer on the floor underneath.

Today, a different story. She just did not want to nap in the sling. Hopefully she'll nap after she nurses, otherwise we're in for a looong afternoon...

[Schae]

T was napping okay, but when he hit 6 weeks he became more aware and easily woken. He sleeps great in my arms lol.
He was napping in the carrycot in the lounge, but i'm going to try putting him down in the bedroom from tmw on.

[DoulaLMT]

Much improvement here. i let her cry for a few minutes in the wrap and she conked out finally, and has been ok there ever since. As long as she wants to sleep. Otherwise no. I know that'll change as she gets older.

And the paci was bothering her naps! She was spitting it out and I was putting it back in. When I held her it seemed like bouncing lulled her back to sleep, so I got an Amby baby hammock which has helped a lot. I bounce her instead of putting the paci back in and now she will take longer naps with minimal intervention on my part. (Still uses paci to fall asleep). Thank goodness! Happy baby again. OH the other thing I figured out is that she has a hard time closing her eyes, so I put a hat on her and pulled it over her eyes. She goes RIGHT to sleep with no fuss.