My DD is 15 months old. She is down to one nap a day. I am a SAHM. She has always been nursed down for her nap. She started being able to lay down in her crib to fall asleep on her own at night (with someone still in the room) 2 or 3 months ago. I have rarely left her at nap time because of the fact that she still nurses to sleep.
Â
The few times I have lately (3 times in the past 2 months) My husband has had to put her down for naps twice, my father once.. My father said he had no problem rocking her to sleep. My husband says that she screams and cries and fights him for 20-30 minutes before finally falling asleep.Â
Â
I kind of decided on my own that I should try to make it easier for others to put her down for a nap (in case My husband and I ever want to go somewhere alone during the day). For the last week at nap time I have been nursing her for a little bit, then trying to lay her down in her crib like we do at night time (all while telling her "we aren't going to nurse to sleep. We are going to nurse for a little bit then you will go to sleep in your crib like you do for bedtime"). The first 2 days were okay, she would start to fall asleep while nursing and I would place her in her crib and pat her butt. She would cry and fuss a little but fall asleep within 15 minutes. Since then I've been having 20-30 minute battles with her screaming and crying and signing for milk. It has been hard because I know I have what she wants. (she will eventually calm down and fall asleep)
Â
I am trying to decide if I should continue on this path of trying to get her to fall asleep on her own at nap time (to make it easier for others to put her to sleep), or if I should continue to nurse her to sleep for naps because that is what she prefers and try every few weeks to see if she is ready to fall asleep on her own? (When she started falling asleep on her own at bedtime it was definitely her preference (one night she wouldn't fall asleep nursing so I laid her in her crib and she fell asleep).Â
Â
Any similar dilemmas? Or advice?
