Please help me with 6wo naps

[Me.and.my.two.boys]

Ok so C will be 6wo tomorrow. During the week he sleeps in his carseat for most naps because I have school runs/swimming lessons/shopping etc and I'm not always at home for naps but on the days I am at home I would like to try and get him asleep in his basket upstairs and then maybe I can get some stuff done!

I just feel like I have no clue - at bedtime and nw's I am bf and then 60% of the time he will stay asleep when I put him down, the other 40% he will wake up but usually manages to get to sleep, sometimes just needs his dummy replugged.

Naps are a totally different story - yesterday he wouldn't nap, I tried everything, he ended up having a 7hr A time and the only time he slept during that was while feeding. I don't want this to happen again today so I've been watching his cues.

This is today so far:

E - 7.45am - 8am
A - 8am - 8.40am
S - 8.40am - 9.30am (in carseat while I dropped DP at work)
E - 9.30am - 10am
A - 10am - 10.20am (when I noticed jerky movements - he had a poo so I changed him and noticed a yawn)

I took him up at 10.20 and swaddled him but he didn't like me holding him so I just put him in his basket. He dropped his dummy and tried to get his hand out the top of his woombie to suck it but when he couldn't be cried and was looking for his dummy. I replugged it and rocked his basket but he just lay there with his eyes open, I had to hold the dummy in so I stroked his face and he seemed to be falling asleep but he just started crying and moving his arms loads like he wants them out to suck his fingers? He won't take his dummy now. I unzipped the woombie a little to see if he will settle but it hasn't helped!

Should I hold him longer even when he's crying? I don't know what to do - I dont want him to get into an OT mess like yesterday

[Papaya]

Hugs Kelly.

How's the reflux, hun? Could there be some discomfort there?

xx

[Me.and.my.two.boys]

I don't know - I don't think so. He just seemed over tired, he was doing this squeak cry that he does when he seems to be OT!

I shouldn't be stressed about naps but I just feel like I can't do this! I have no energy! DP is home tomorrow and Tuesday and I can't wait, he's been on lates all week and I've had no help with both boys!

When I took him up at 10.20, it took me 40 mins to get him to sleep (in my arms) and I was too scared to put him down incase he woke up so I just lay down with him. He woke at 11.45 so only had 45 minutes

I am letting him fall asleep in his chair this nap because I'm getting so worked up about napping in his basket and I don't want to get stressed about it. I'm going to be driving to collect ds1 from his dads later so C will nap in his carseat. If I have to drive all day to get him to sleep then I will!!

[Aishi]

Don't beat yourself about it hon. It's not easy with 2. Btdt! I would and did do just whatever to get lo to sleep especially if OT has crept in- he's so tiny that it'll be ok to apop (and this was before I discovered BW).

With my dd she would usually sleep with her dummy or sometimes being held which weren't too difficult to wean. I also got her used to sleeping wherever during those early weeks as due to ds i couldnt be everywhere every hour or so! And then whenever I got the chance (ds out with dh or napping) I would put dd down drowsy for nap downstairs in moses basket and see if she settled her self and leave her to it as long as she was calm. if not i would just apop and try again another time.

Don't be so hard on yourself. I'm sure you're doing the best you can and you're doing great!

[Roseii]

Kelly have you tried loud white noise? The key to dd2 napping upstairs for me was: full tum, dummy, swaddle, black out blinds and white noise. She still did the 45 min naps til she was about 7mo but I didn't stress about that, just concentrated more on sleeping independently in her cot x

[Roseii]

Also I think she liked the "enclosed" feeling of the carseat so rolled up towels under the sheet were really helpful x

[Me.and.my.two.boys]

He has rolled up blankets under the sheet for his reflux anyway so that helps. He is swaddled as well which help him sleep better but if he isn't drowsy he hates being swaddled!

Today he had one nap in his carseat, 2 naps on me and 1 nap on MIL, we eventually for home at 9pm and DP swaddled him and tried to settle him but was getting frustrated and I took over. I held him close, held his dummy in and shushed loudly and he fell asleep in 10mins. I managed to put him down and he spat his dummy out and I thought he would wake up but he didn't

Why does he settle better at night than during the day? Don't get me wrong, he doesn't sleep long at night, no more than 3 hours but he seems to settle better

[ZacsMumme]

Hugs Hun. FWIW it takes T up to 40 mins to properly drop off in the hammock, or baby seat and that is progress! If I hold him he takes up to 20 mins. Have you observed C when he's drifting off. Does he tongue thrust, or make little noises like he's bringing p a tiny bit of milk? This is what wakes T over and over. The paci helps, but I have to replug a few times sometimes if he is fluxy.

Z was a rubbish napper, but crashed at night. SMS refluxers have periods they are worse than others. Other ones ie Z just crash from exhaustion.

I know you feel the reflux is ok on gaviscon but I wonder if he's still in discomfort. Unfortunately there isn't always much you can do about it let him nap wherever he can. Try to let him sleep wherever he will for naps, even if on you or in the baby seat. You won't create bad habits.

Did you get a sling or wrap? May help you get out a bit more too while he sleeps? X