9 mo Old fights afternoon nap

[Rauchla]

I need help with how to respond when my 9 mo old fights his afternoon nap. This doesn't always happen and his morning nap and bedtime he goes down like a dream. We have the same routine before naps and bedtime. I've tried pu/pd but it gets to the point that when i pick him up he doesn't stop crying...the book didn't provide any guidance to that issue! I've tried walking in and out but I feel like I'm just teaching him to cry to get me to come back. Typically what happens is if he doesn't go down right away then it turns into an hour, hour and a half battle until it is time to feed him. Then he nurses and falls asleep at which time he sleeps for 2+ hours and all is fine. He isn't expecting to be fed because he doesn't always fight the afternoon nap, it's like 4 out of 7 afternoon naps a week?!

His routine is as follows:
7:40 awake and nurse
9 breakfast-solids
9:30 morning nap
11:40 - nurse
1 - lunch solids
2:30 afternoon nap - this is the problem, once asleep he wakes up sometime between 4 and 5  depending on when he falls asleep
*eats anytime from 3:30-5, again depending on the afternoon nap
6 dinner - solids
7:30 nurse
8 asleep for the night

I don't think the issue is that he isn't tired, because he is typically rubbing his eyes and yawning prior to being put down.

Please help!

[lauradj]

Just looking at your EASY, I wonder what would happen if you pushed that morning nap out a bit later?  Most babies are staying awake for 3-4hrs at his age but in the morning he's only awake for 2 hrs.  If you're worried about the day running too long, cap one of the naps at 1.5hr.

[Rauchla]

Thanks for responding! We have tried to push his morning nap, but he seems to get tired around 9. When we tried pushing it even to just 10 he ends up fighting the nap so I assume he is over tired.

Because of my work schedule I don't mind him going to bed around 8, it means I get a little bit of play time with him after picking him up from the sitter. I'm just not sure how to handle the afternoon nap when he fights it. Like I said he doesn't always fight it, and our sitter says he goes to sleep on his own when he is at her house for the afternoon nap, I'm just not sure the best method to respond when he does cry for an hour....

[lauradj]

If he's only fighting the nap when he's with you than maybe check with your sitter and see what she's doing during the day, or just before nap, that might be making nap time easier.  What is her wind down routine? What is yours?  Those things can make a big difference to a baby.

[Rauchla]

will do thanks!