why can't my 20 week old take her catnap?

[Lisa J]

I have been struggling with the tea time catnap for weeks! My LO just gets so worked up I have to abandon it and she stops crying the minute I take her out of the room.  This means that by the time she goes to bed she has been awake for 3 1/2 hours!  She is a short napper so takes a 30 - 40 minute nap every 2 hours approx but won't go down between 5 and 6, so I put her to bed by about 6.45 pm.  I wouldn't mind if she wasn't waking up 3 or 4 times after this.  I weaned her from the dummy a few weeks ago and used pick up put down.  She has no problems with her other naps, putting herself to sleep and at night if I don't feed her I use PU/PD and she goes back to sleep pretty quickly.  Do other people have problems with the catnap?

[Joey'sMom]

DS 2 has been horribly resistant to the catnap.  I think he's getting to the age now where we can drop it if his other naps have been good (which they usually aren't  ).  I've given up trying to get him to catnap in his cribby, and I actually hold him when I know he's getting OT.  Not very BW, but at least he sleeps well at night for me.

I'm not telling you to hold her, especially she does well putting herself to sleep.  But every babe is different and you just need to find what works for her.  The catnap time is so short, if she's doing okay otherwise, just hang in there.

PLUS, someone will probably be along soon to post something totally opposite of what I've told you, anyway, and they're probably right!!   

Hope I helped, anyway! 

[deckchariot]

I actually am with you Mary Pat.....Abby always fought her catnap as well - so we used to go out in the stroller or use the swing etc.  She dropped it completely at 6 mos (and I was glad to quit fighting it!).  I also wanted to preserve a good night, so I did what I had to to get her to take any kind of a catnap - and it didn't affect her independent sleep for other naps or nighttime.

hth
michelle