I will try to make the story short.
Girl, 20 months. I stopped breasfeeding three days ago, if it matters.
Goes to bed in the evening ok, I lay with her, she crawls around a little bit, hugs her bear and me, then falls asleep. It takes around 20-30 minutes, I don't mind. Sleeps alone in her room all night long.
As for her nap... OMG.
I used to breastfeed her, laying with her all nap long. It would typically last from 40 minutes to 2 hours. Usually 1 hr 15 minutes. I would hug her, read, sleep with her, it was peaceful, so I did not mind.
Then, breastfeeding stopped calming her down. It started taking longer and longer to put her to sleep. She would kick me (ouch!), scratch me, you name it. So I decided that it was finally the end of my breastfeeding saga, the nap BF should go! (By then, I did not bfeed her in the evening.)
At first it was all ok. I mean, of course there were tears and refusal, but eventually she forgot about eating while sleeping. It was hard to put her down but I managed to do it within 30-40 minutes. She used to sleep for 40 minutes. Then she kind of learned to transition between phases and for a week or so she was sleeping for her usual 1 hr 15 minutes.
It has been over a month now... It got much worse. Now she only sleeps for 40 minutes and wakes up. I have to walk in, she then goes to sleep for 20-30 more minutes.
It takes me ABOUT TWO HOURS to put her for a nap. She is exhausted but she won't lay down. She jumps, runs, laughs, talks, throws pillows around. I tried laying with her, sitting with her, and then finally leaving the room.
If I leave, she screams her guts out the moment I get up. She screams so bad that she throws up. She get absolutely, insanely hysterical. When I walk back in (in a minute or so), she falls right asleep. The last three days it was the only way for me to put her to sleep. I feel horrible!!!
If I don't leave, she won't calm down on her own. Been there, done that. Two hours later (with breaks), I get to mad that I am afraid I will do something to her. I just can't stand doing it every day, every damn day, same story, no changes, I am exhausted!!! Today was so bad that I started hitting the wall next to her head screaming and crying at the same time. I am surprised the neighbors did not call the police. I am feeling as the worst mother in the world, a failure, just a failure.
She wakes up earlier and earlier every morning. Today it was 5.05 am. I try to put her to bed at 11 am (keep in mind that she only sleeps for an hour and I have to last her till evening somehow), she won't go down, two hours later she probably will. Her bedtime is 7 pm (asleep).
Honestly, I just want to abandon naps at all. I cannot stand this anymore.
