LO starting daycare in 2.5 weeks

[erdebren]

My LO is 9 weeks old and has been quite a challenge to get to sleep, day or night.  He is a textbook/touchy baby.  Been doing BW for about a week and half and have seen improvements.  He is starting to sleep for 2 hours on his own (just starting).  Prior to this he was waking at 30-45 minute mark.  Sometimes we could resettle him and sometimes not; this is also improving.  Nighttime sleep is still a challenge.  My concern is that he starts daycare, halfdays in the morning, at the end of this month.  I do not expect the daycare to have the time to shh/pat him for his naps and especially to help him resettle.  What do I do?  I may be worrying for nothing.  He may act differently there than at home and nap really well.  However, i am afraid that the opposite will happen and that I will be picking up a very fussy, unhappy LO. 

One thought I have is bumping back is morning awake time, slowly over the next two weeks, from around 7-7:15 to 6:00 am.  That way, I can get an early  morning feed and maybe a short nap, say 1.25 - 1.5 hours in before he is dropped off at daycare around 8:30'ish (it is two blocks away from us).  That way, I know he gets a morning nap.  Otherwise, he would be ready for a nap even before he leaves for daycare.  This would mean transporting him and having him arrive to daycare OT and then needing to be immediately put down for a nap. 

any thoughts, experiences?

[creations]

Hi there. Sorry I have no experience of this but it seems you need to speak to the day care centre.  Ask them what experience THEY have of LOs of a similar age needing naps, ask how many staff/how much time they have to dedicate to helping LOs get to sleep or re-settle.  I'm sure they must have lots of experience with this.  You could also ask if it is possible to arrive there a little earlier and put him down to sleep yourself for the first week or two.  Just looking at your times it seems that even if you moved morning WU earlier you still wouldn't have long enough to fit a nap in.
eg
WU 6.00
A 1hr 15
S 7.15 - 8.15
drop off at daycare 8.30
a one hour nap and only 15 mins to get him fed, nappy changed, coats on, out the house...I just can't see it myself it takes us ages to get out the house.  And then his A time will increase pushing the nap closer to the time you have to leave and therefore making the nap even shorter.

What about
WU 7.00/7.15
A 1hr 15
travel during this A time (leave home say 8am).  Arrive at daycare 8.15 and spend 15 - 20 mins doing a wind down and helping him to sleep?
Over some time he will learn that it is at daycare that he sleeps for the morning and with increased A time he should still go down there well.  Whilst his A time is still relatively short you could put him down yourself (if you can spare the time) for the first week, then maybe have a week when you are there whilst a staff member puts him down for his sleep (you might need to leave the room for this so you don't distract him) so you can step in if really needed.  Then the day care will know how and when to put him down.

Just a thought.

[erdebren]

thank you.  that's a good thought-- having us transition him.  I plan on talking with the child care provider.  It's a small one, out of her home and only a few babies/tots.  Plus, us modeling the behavior may help if they have the time.  thank you!

[creations]

No problem.
You could even ask if she minded you taking him there for a few trial run days in advance.

FWIW I think that LOs can relatively easily adapt to other people putting them down for a nap even when the care giver uses a different method.  LO could very well learn to be rocked there but shush/patted at home.
My DS will be rocked to sleep by his Nana (in pram or in arms) but not by me, with me he wants me to put him in his cot so he can sleep properly.

Good luck with it.  Hope he settles well.