Why bother try to extend an OT nap?

[marilyn73]

Quick question,
Let's say you've screwed up the day accidently (or on purpose I suppose) - you have a doctor's appt, you bring the baby, the doctor is late etc, etc, lo falls asleep in the car on the way home 20 min past naptime.  You do the scary transfer from carseat to crib - takes awhile to fall asleep and it only lasts 30 min.  Do you bother trying to extend?  I find that if I do, I get 40 min of crying, for 20 min of extra sleep - not worth it in my opinion.
This seems to always happen to us if dd falls asleep in the stroller.  Every day we walk the dog in the am after breakfast.  I try to get home at least 20 min before naptime, but sometimes, she falls asleep anyways, just from the motion.  And trust me, it's not because she's super tired and needs it - could be after a 12.5 hour night (STTN) and only 2 hours of A time (7.5 months old and is at 2 hours and 45 min A).
So 1) Do you bother trying to extend an OT nap? 2) any other strategies for napping after the 10 min power nap in car, stroller?  Is it better to give them a little A and then try again?

[Colin Macs Mom]

IMO it totally depends on the LO. So if you feel like it's not worth it, then don't bother.

[Mashi]

Agree with above, but also, just wondering with the morning naps in the stroller can you just take the dog for a walk later, like shortly before nap time, and have her nap her whole nap during the walk? Or, if you come home early can you push the stroller into the house and just leave her there to continue sleeping?

We were never very successul at the move from carseat to bed, I can only think of once or twice when DS was older that we managed to do it but as long as he was in his capsule/bucket seat, I just carried him in as best as I could and let him continue sleeping in the carseat on the living room floor.  Sometimes it meant sitting in the car for an extra few minutes to make sure he was in a good sleep rather than at a light sleep stage when he would likely wake.

[Tweakster]

We were only able to extend naps when developmentally he had trouble transitioning, in very early days like 3 - 5 months, with shush/pat.  As he got older, if it was an OT nap the only way I could extend was to APOP (rock him).  He never transfers from stroller or car seat, as soon as the movement stops eyes pop open.  And we can't count on him sleeping in those places either.  We do our utmost to have his naps in his crib.

I did have some luck with very short A, staying in his room and then putting him back down again within like half hour.  Stayed in the dark, singing and letting him blow off a bit of steam. And then he would *sometimes* take a normal length nap so I would usually count the OT nap as his CN. I called it 'the salvage'.  But didn't happen often.