Balancing out the naps

[Lulu m]

Hi there. I am looking for some suggestions.

My DD is over 8.5 months old, and is taking 2 naps a day. She lately has been refusing her pm nap - signs of the 2-1 switch I think.
I therefore have tried shortening her am nap, but she does NOT like this, and I end up with a cranky and OT baby on my hands.
I have tried to extend her A time to give her a catnap before bed, but DD will not nap too close to bed time (anytime within 3 hours before bed).
Yesterday it took my husband and I about an hour to get her to go to sleep at night - she was very OT by bedtime and was crying her little head off. I felt just terrible.
Anyone have thoughts on how we can balance the 2 naps out? She still needs 2 naps!

[~*~Little Miss Sunshine~*~]

Hi there!  Many moms have not had success shortening their LO's first nap (me included!!).  Just let her sleep as long as she'd like for the first one while very slowly increasing A time.  The second nap will often times be a catnap but usually this is enough to bring them through until bedtime.

[Lulu m]

Hello! Thanks for the response!

I am having trouble shortening my LO's first nap, BUT the other problem being is if I do not, she will NOT take a second nap - not even a catnap. So I feel like damned if I do, damned if I don't.
Yesterday I was able to shorten her am nap to 1 hr and 15 min, and then her second nap to the same, and it worked out. BUT her A times are rapidly increasing (she is already at 3.5 - 4 hrs) and I am finding it hard to fit in 2 naps. I'd either have to shorten both naps to 45 min - which is not enough day sleep, or wake her at 5:30am! She is often an early riser anyways.

I am just not sure how to balance  it all out.

Thanks!

[~*~Little Miss Sunshine~*~]

Well it certainly sounds like she's getting ready for the 2-1 nap switch although it does seem quite early.  The shortest I would cut the naps is to 1 hour a piece.  This has worked for a few moms I know.  Hopefully her A time increasing will slow down and she'll find a nice medium, but until then, continue to cut the nap short.  Once she increases her A time so her first nap isn't until 11:30 or 12, just let her sleep as long as she wants and leave it at one nap.  My ds sometimes goes down at 11 and will sleep until 12:30 - that will be his only nap - I just compensate by giving him an earlier bedtime.

[Lulu m]

OK, thank you. I think it is early too, and I have seen a couple of posts on here about an 8 mos and a 9 mos old going down to one nap, so I am not alone! BUT I am going to try and keep the 2 naps as long as possible.
My LO is typically in bed at night before 7pm. If we have a bad day it is 6pm. So if your wakes at 12:30pm and it is only one nap, what is his bedtime?

[~*~Little Miss Sunshine~*~]

I'll put him to bed at 6:30 pm - In your case I might even try to put your LO down earlier.....depending on how cranky you LO is