How do you go from 3 to 2?

[mattandcindy]

Abigail is 7.5 months old and still does 3 naps. From looking at the sample EASY schedules it seems she should be on 2 naps now and everyone I know who has a baby this age is down to 2 naps.  I don't know if I am doing something wrong or if she just isn't ready. I'll post a sample day for us, please let me know what I am doing wrong (if anything!)

715 Awake and medicine (She has reflux and  needs meds 30 minutes before feeds in am and pm)
745 Bottle (8oz) and solids
830 Awake time (Usually gets sleeping by 9am)
900 Nap (1.5 hrs)
1030 Awake time
1200 Bottle (8oz) and solids (I would try and feed her earlier but b/c of her reflux and DGE she isn't hungry until now)
1230 Awake time
130 Nap (usually 1hr sometimes 1.5 hrs)
230 Awake
330 Bottle only (6oz)
500 Nap (she always wants this 3rd nap usually about 45 minutes to 1 hr)
600 Awake and medicine again
630 Bottle (8oz) solids, bath
715 bedtime

If I try to extend her awake time she gets really grumpy, and takes terrible naps for the rest of the day.
Should I just go with it or try to transition her. Will she do it on her own eventually?
I am not worried, just curious? (And I would love if she slept a long stretch at some point so I could get some stuff done!)

[momofnewbaby]

Cindy,

My suggestion to you would be to not try and change things on her. In my opinion, she will let you know when she is ready to transition to two naps. I switched my lo to two naps, when she was a week shy of 9 months. And as far as getting things done, I'd say you're getting more done than I cna. My lo only gives me one good nap (1.5 hours) that too with intervention. I still have to go in at the 1/2 hour mark to resettle her. So, I'd say, go with the flow, and when she starts fighting the third nap is the time to change her to two naps.

Sorry, I couldn't be more herlp.

Sumita

[Gigismom]

my dd didn't make the switch to 2 naps until she was over 9 months.  you will know when your lo is ready.  she will start getting hard to put down for that last nap of the day.  when that happens, you have to do a little juggling and you may have a rough few days but their bodies adjust to the new nap schedule pretty quickly. 
it sounds to me like she is just not ready yet.  if you have anymore questions, feel free to pm me.  we recently made the switch so the fun of it all is fresh in my mind!!

[Tammy: Ethan & Kaden's Mom]

Hi Cindy!

I just recently transitioned Ethan over to 2 naps, and dropped his catnap.  But I knew he was ready, because most of the time, he wouldn't take the 5 pm nap.  I would try to put him down, and he would either cry, or he would just crawl and roll around in his crib until I came to get him.

So, that went by the wayside.  BUT - if your dd is still wanting that catnap, I would still go for it.  I think you'll see when she's ready to drop it, either she won't want to go down for it, or she'll fight going to bed at her regular time (cause she's not sleepy enough).  I'd stick with it for now, until you notice more signs.

Oh, and two things:  Ethan still has to have "quiet time" in his room sometimes (not every day) around 5:30 or 5:45.  That consists of me rocking him and him with his paci, and sometimes I'll play a cd.  He still will get cranky around that time of day sometimes, and this soothes him down, and helps us get through his dinner!

And the second thing - Ethan has not slept any longer at his 2 naps just because he dropped the catnap!  I wish he would!

Good luck!   

[Colesmom]

Hi There,

you might want to look at the typical sleep announcement at the top. it seems 6-9 month olds only need 1-1.5 hour naps so i think your lo is right on track.

HTH

Traci

[mattandcindy]

Thanks for the encouragement. I think it needed to just know it is okay that she is not down to 2 naps a day.
Every now and then she refuses her third catnap but doesn't do it regularly. I will look for that as a cue she is ready to transition!