8 month old refusing naps!! HELP!!!

[LeslieG]

My DD is going to be 8 months next week and she has turned on me in the last week.  Here is the background:

- she has been sleeping through the night from about 9 weeks on (most nights - 90% of time)
- she used to take 3 naps is now on 2 naps a day
- she wakes usually between 7am and 7:30 am
- I try to put her down for a nap when she shows signs of being tired. Usually by about 10am
- she got her first tooth on Monday and that has been very trying for her - I actually thought she might have an ear infection because she has been sooooo grumpy
- usually she is an angel baby but this week I don't know what she is!
- She goes to bed at 7pm


Is it just the teeth throwing her off?  Or do you think she is telling me she needs less day time sleep?  Today I fed her at 7:30am and again at 11:30am.  She nodded off while taking her 11:30 bottle.  She had no nap between bottles.  I guess I will give her solids when she wakes up.

Feeling like the routine is out the window and don't know what to do.  Should I just roll with it or should I try and "force" her to nap? I feel very frustrated. 

Leslie

[Aarismom]

Definately roll with it. 6-9 months seems to be a rough time for most lo's for some reason. Mine is having trouble too, but she's starting to get over it. Teething can really make things rough; just give tylonal/motrin around the clock, use the baby oragel or whatever you use on her gums.

As for naps, she's probably up to around 3 hours of "A" time, although she's probably a little flexable. I would keep her on a sleep schedule...naps will probably usually fall around 10 and maybe 3. You can't force your lo to sleep...you can only "force" her to wake. If she doesn't want to sleep, there's really nothing you can do to help. My lo occasionally rejects her second nap if she takes her first nap late and sleeps until noon or after. All she does is sit in her crib and coo...and I can't put her down after 3:30-4 pm or it REALLY messes up bedtime, so I just keep her up.

Yeah, best advice here is just roll with it the best you can.

Hope that helps!

*HUGS*
Sonya =P