10 month old twins won't nap!

[Swissmrs]

Hello Moms and Dads out there.  This is my first time posting although I read the forum quite regularly.  I guess I've reached a point of desperation with my 10 month old twin girls, who are fantastic and lovely to be around EXCEPT when it's time to take a nap.  They've even slept through the night without any problems since they were around 3 months old. 
I started them on the Baby Whisperer routine at 4 months because they wouldn't nap without being rocked or carried around or bounced and I stopped being able to do that on my own.  Everything worked fine except when it didn't work fine.  They almost always cried themselves to sleep, but at least it took less and less time for that to happen.  They never napped for more than 1.5 hours and even that was rare.  It was generally more like 1 hour at a time, 3 times a day. 
At about 7 months they had a fever and then a major growth spurt and our schedule got off and needed to change.  So, I began the transition from 3 to 2 naps, but it never went smoothly. I began taking them for more walks at nap time in order to be sure that they napped and to avoid all the crying.  I just could't take it anymore.  Now at 10 months they still have about 2 naps a day.  The morning nap is almost always in the stroller for about 1 hour or 1 hour 15 min.  The afternoon nap takes forever to settle them in their crib, sometimes 40 minutes, and then it lasts 1 hour or so IF I get them to sleep.  I know I should be doing PU/PD (or just PD at this age), but I don't have the strength anymore.
Our daily routine looks more or less like this:
6:30-7 - Wake-up, bottle
8:00 -    Breakfast solids
9:45/10 - 11:15 - Walking nap
11:30 - bottle
12:30/1 - Lunch solids
3:00- 4:30 - Nap attempt #2 (doesn't always work)
4:30 - bottle
5:30/6 - Dinner solids
7:30 - bottle
8:00 - bed (typically this goes very smoothly.  we lay them down awake and they go to sleep with no crying. Usually)

I would really appreciate some advice about these nap issues.  I don't know if I'm putting them down too early or too late or too much! 
Thank you so much in advance for any response.

[Kellyjs]

Hi and welcome to BW. 

I think that first nap is far too early hun. I'm surprised you haven't had EW! It also sounds like you're in the throes of the 2-1. Afternoon nap refusal is a key indicator.

I usually write much more on the first post, but would you mind having a read of these two links for me first so we can come up with a plan for you? Then you can ask questions based on what we will be working towards from the links x

Average A times- BOOKMARK ME!

From 2 to 1 nap transition (10-12m and older)

[Swissmrs]

Thank you so much for your response.  It feels good just to be heard!
I looked at the links and I'm not sure which path to follow. 
I am convinced that the girls only nap in the morning because I take them for a walk.
Should I try the #2 solution, pushing the morning nap back?
Then, would I skip the bottle feed before lunch? What time should I try to put them down for the afternoon?
As it is now, I try around 2:45 or 3 and they fall asleep, maybe, closer to 4.  Then, if they sleep an hour we have a bottle feed much to close to dinner time.
We have actually had some EW's in the past 2 weeks as well.
i am looking forward to your suggestions!
Thank youuuu!

[Kellyjs]

It's totally up you hun and how you feel they'll cope. We can try one way, then switch to another if it's not working.

What you could do is keep the morning walk nap if you wanted to but cap it at around 45 mins then try for a nap around 2pm ish? The problem with this is that it might take a while to find the right A time for a longer nap in the pm and end up with 2 short naps. This way might be less disruptive for them though?

An alternative is to push the first nap back as you said but put them in bed rather than walking. Ideally we want them to be sleeping their main nap in bed and they're CN out and about.

If you go for the second option, you'll provably have to push that first A by at least 30mins to try and get a good nap in?

I would be inclined to try the first option as they're used to going out for a morning walk nap. Wdyt? Still push that out a little so at least 10am, 45mins nap, then try for the main nap after lunch/bottle at 2pm. Or even 1.30pm if you feel they can't handle it? At least then hope for a reasonable nap of 1.5hrs or a little more, then BT will have to be moved earlier to around 7/7.30pm for the time being x

[Swissmrs]

Hmmm. Yes, I think I will try to stick with the morning walk/nap and then try for a longer afternoon nap.
Not only will we have to shift our BT, but also probably our lunch and dinner times have to be a little earlier. 
That should be ok. 
Now, as far as getting them to settle in bed for the nap...this is almost always difficult.  I don't know that my back can handle PU/PD at this point.  Even just leaning over to get them to lay back down after standing is taxing if I'm doing 2 at once.  Mostly I stay next to them and pat them or the mattress and shhhh or sing or reassure them that I'm there while they cry or fuss for 45 minutes or more.  It's not usually both.  One of the girls usually falls asleep at some point or seems to need less comforting and it's not always the same one.  Do you think I should just tough it out and do PD every time they stand to see if it helps or just continue what I'm doing and pay more attention to the A time in the hopes that it will work itself out?

[weaver]

Just jumping in to say - if they're standing up on their own, encourage them to get back down on their own by patting the mattress as you say.  it'll save your back too if you perhaps sit on the floor rather than lean into the cot. Is that do-able? I spent a lot of time sitting on the floor, patting backs, or with my hand on a back or whatever.

I think a routine tweak is definitely in order if they are fussing for 45 mins, and PU/PD should not be used if it's a routine issue

[Swissmrs]

I will try tweaking the routine and encouraging them to lay down on their own.
Thanks for the tip!

[Kellyjs]

How's it gone today hun? Anne is totally right as always. I'm sure once the routine is sorted, getting them to settle will be so much easier.

The idea will shortening the first nap is that they should be more tired for their afternoon nap and not give you as much hassle. It might need some more tweaking, but we'll get there ok? With your back intact  . Well, as much as it can be  x

[Swissmrs]

Well, today was kind of rough.
The girls, S & O, woke up early at 6:15, instead of at 7. 
I took them for a walk at 10 and they fell asleep at 10:15.  I woke them at 11. (maybe I should have adjusted the nap back to 9:15?)
Put them down for the afternoon nap at 2.  S fussed until 2:45 and, O did the same until 3!
They each only slept about 45 minutes.
They were cranky all day, but it is also really hot here right now, so that could be part of it.
I put them to bed at 7:30 instead of 8 because I figured they had already had a long day, but S
cried and fussed for a bit, which is unusual.  I can typically put them in bed at the end of the day, say a quick good night, I love you, and that's it.
Should I stick with the same plan tomorrow to see what happens?  I'm really not sure what to do, but I want to thank you again for all your help!

[Kellyjs]

I'm actually thinking that second A night need to be pushed a little more, wdyt? Did they wake up happy?

So as they were fussing for so long, how about we try the pm nap at 2.30pm? What does your mummy instinct tell you? Dyt they can go that bit longer?

I think we stick with this for a week, if it doesn't work we can look at plan B where we have them nap at home for the first nap and perhaps apop the CN in the buggy in the pm if that's doable with family life? At least we know they will sleep in there.

I've got DD's bday tomorrow so probably won't be around, but post and let me know how it goes and I'll get back to you on Sunday hun ok? We will get there, I promise    x

[babybarr]

Hi I've got twins too! I haven't read through everything but it def sounds like you'll be going to one nap soon! And prob sooner than you thought because there's two. Do you wake the sleeping one to keep them in sync? Are they identical cos that can have an impact.
I personally would either chop the morning nap right down or try pushing it to nearer 11am let them sleep then have a catnap say 3.30ish. I found it easier to persevere with an am nap so xe could get out in the afternoon rather than be confined to the house with TWO babies desperately trying to get them to nap. Hope that is of some help!

[Swissmrs]

Happy Birthday to your DD!  I hope you have a wonderful day!

All of us here are feeling a little fried from yesterday, but today is a new day and we will keep on trying.
The girls seem to be waking consistently at 6:15 now.  This is about 1 hour earlier than usual.  Today they chatted happily as they woke.
The first nap was at 9:45-10:30.  I woke them up.
The afternoon nap started out with some progress. I put them down at 1:45 and they fussed until 2:20.  Only about a half hour this time.
But then they woke up 40 minutes later screaming and then continued to scream for another 45 minutes.  They could not be consoled.
We put them to bed at 8 without any problems or complaints. 
That afternoon nap is so tricky!  Today I will try to push it further back.  They are typically happy after lunch and enjoy chasing each other around for a while, so I don't think it will be a problem.  They just get upset as soon as they know they are going to take a nap.

Have a great day and I look forward to hearing from you again soon!

[babybarr]

Did you read my post above?! Honestly I would try the moving the am nap much later so the pressure is off in the afternoons. My boys were awful nappers until one nap and if pushed would then nap like champs!

[Swissmrs]

Hi babybarr.  just read your post.  I don't usually wake them from naps at the same time.  Sometimes they do the work for me and wake each other up with their crying.  Otherwise, I let the other sleep.  The strange thing is that the one who sleeps more sometimes ends up being crankier!  No, they are not identical.
hmmm, you think I should try to push the morning nap instead without continuing the process I'm trying now for a bit longer?  I'm all for trying anything at this point as long as I'm not giving up on something too soon.  If I went with your suggestion, it would be best to put them down in their bed instead of doing the nap in the stroller, right?
Thank you for your help.  It is so nice to hear from another mother with twins!

[babybarr]

I mean it's completely up to you but I just found trying to Get that pm nap if they weren't settling was a nightmare and it was what worked for me. I would also wake the sleeping one if it wasn't at a stupid time to keep them in sync. Yes do a bed nap in am then the other could be on the go so less pressure yk?