Settling baby for naps

I feel your pain naysgirl!
Wish I could offer some advice, but I need some myself!

This is what worked for us: feed, burp, play time - awake for no more than 1 hour; then wrapped snuggly and cuddled for about 5 min - so we put him to bed drowsy but not asleep. I like to pull the curtains as well and when he was tiny I used to leave the radio on in his room tuned in between stations - the static worked magic!

He used to fight the wrap but wouldn't be able to go to sleep without it, and even now at 9 months I wrap him sometimes when he overtired and hysterical.

I also used to rock him in his bassinet or buggy if he just wouldn't settle or take him for a walk.

Also, and this is just my opinion, a bad habit is only bad if it doesn't work for you, and especially in those first few weeks you have to do whatever works.

Good luck

I'd say do whatever works. We didn't need to feed to sleep but I remember Ashley needing a bit of extra help at that age for her morning sleep. Oddly I found I had to give her a bit more playtime in the morning in order for her to be nice and tired. Don't worry about creating bad habits at this age :)

The internet can be very very unhelpful at times, I know second time round I will just go with the flow a lot more that is what they need you to do, if feeding him makes him sleep it really is ok for now, its the sleep and the feeding that is important for you both.

Wrapping also worked wonders for us, we wrapped until about 9 months and one of those there is no way in hell you are getting out wraps, practically a straight jacket.

You are doing a fab job, those 1st few months are really hard work.

I think I do need to just go with the flow more rather than worrying about bad habits creeping in and like you said Fiona, sleep and feeding are the important things.

When your babies did get unsettled and start crying when you are trying to get them to sleep, did you go in and pick them up and calm them or leave them in their beds and try to rock them/pat them?

At that age, if we settled and he cried we tried all over again, did not leave to self settle just too small, try winding and offering more food, sometimes settling took some time, but you both get better at it.

Hi just poped in to have a read....

One thing that works for our morning feed is I take georgiana back to my bed when she wakes which is normally between 7 and 8:30 depending on how the night has been. She is going through a growth spurt at the moment so a bit all over the place!

Anyway I take her back to our bed after changing her. Let her have a little kick, and then i will give her a good feed and leave her there. Normally within 10 mins she will be fast asleep   She sometimes doesn't have a long sleep but its long enough to have a shower and breakfast anyway....thats the important stuff i reckon...

I agree with what the others are saying, don't worry about any bad habbits at the moment...do what ever works for you. My front pack has been a life saver so highly recomend getting one....

Our wee boy is still like this at nearly 8 months.
The 'sleep begets sleep' saying doesnt apply to Locky Im sure. One day he had 2 great naps (once!) and then didnt want to sleep that night....
There are babies who dont follow the rule book (!lol- whats that!)

We still wrap Locks for day sleeps in his cot- but mostly he escapes then causes havoc in his cot, then yells for attention. starts blowing raspberries etc... We dont leave him to cry, but we can be in and out re wrapping and settling for up to an hour sometimes, he'll be rubbing his eyes and yawning, and fighting the lids-we ussually give up after an hour of this and whack him in the car.... goes out quite quickly then.

The most sleep we get out of him now is 40min in the day.... he often gets up between 5am and 6. I dont know how they do it!

As someone has said- the first few months are soo tough- and you are doing a fantastic job. Go with the flow, and do what you feel is right for you and baby... not what you feel you 'should' do or what people 'tell' you to do. Hang in there.

This has been helpful as a nice reassurance that we are doing a great job!!! and i totally agree that no habit is bad unless it doesnt work for you............
I think following the EASY Eat Activity Sleep then You......and i only really notice that he gets really worked up when i havent paid more attention to the clock.

I have found that he is getting more vocal when tired now at 5 weeks instead of just drifting off and he needs me to wrap tightly with hands under chin and then snuggle him real close in my arms.........he resists for a while and refuses the dummy but normally only lasts a few mins then its like someone flicked a switch from screaming to asleep

handy trying different techniques until i get one that works........