For those of you who nursed your baby/toddler down for naps, how did you break the cycle?
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AH! Perfect timing on this question--I have the same one
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Also wondering- currently nursing down for her first nap now!
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This is a good question. I'd like to know the secret.
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I had to have my husband do naps. I know this isn't helpful for sahm's but it was the only way to get her down without her wanting me.
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@mediagirl: I need to try this this weekend . . . yanno, in 13 months, my DH has only put her down for (literally) a handful of naps!
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@MsLipGloss: we have to go back to having him do bedtime again as soon as he gets over his 40th cold of the year. She's pushing to nurse before bed again. Grrr.
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we had to create a routine. first, i worked on switching it to after naps, but it definitely took a few weeks and ill admit to resorting to nursing before if i was desperate for her to just go down easily based on schedule or something.
we created a routine - I"d feed her (food) to fill her up, bring her upstairs and change her, we'd close her curtain, turn on her seahorse, i'd give her her pacifier and hug/hold her for a minute, then lay her down with her blanket. I'd quietly walk out and close the door.
she's always been pretty good at self-soothing so it was easier than i thought it would be. once i disconnected nursing from naps it was a lot easier to drop the MOTD feed.
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I nursed LO to sleep for naps for 9 months, and then one morning she was refusing to fall asleep nursing and I knew she was tired. So just to see what would happen, I put her in her crib awake and she cried for maybe 3 mins? then fell asleep. Ever since then, she has gone done for naps without needing to nurse, so I think she was just ready. Thank god though that I tried that because then she went on a nursing strike/weaning at 10.5 months so I am glad that she was able to fall alseep on her own without needing me to nurse. I give her a bottle now before her naps and it seems to just calm/relax her/makes her eyes droopy, but she still goes into her crib awake and falls asleep. My next step is going to be taking the bottle away before her naps or separating them more, but I think I will tackle that after our move
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We just switched the order into more of an EASY order - started feeding him upon waking from his nap rather than before putting him down. I added in some routine too, so now when it's time for his nap I change him, make the room dark and turn on his white noise, read him Goodnight Moon, and put him in his crib in his sleep sack. He'll usually fuss or lightly cry (not hysterical or anything) for a little bit (maybe 5 minutes, more like 10 on a bad day) but then he'll fall asleep.
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I waited until LO was over it, but nudged him gently along by offering to rub his back after we finished our pre-nap book. He liked that. Eventually he just started rolling over after our last book and informing me that he'd like his massage now.
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I'm jealous of everyone that had an easy transition...I tried doing this yesterday and the day before and LO was.hysterical. Like full on sobbing until I went in
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@MsLipGloss: Thanks for asking this! I'd love to know too. I can't even get my 11-month-old to nap in her crib, she needs nursing down AND me beside her. I need to break that habit soon!
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@hilsy85: I tried once, and LO cried for about 30 minutes, and then fell asleep for 45 minutes. I spent most of the time she was asleep crying.
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I wish I could still nurse him down for a nap. I think getting him to nap would be so much easier! Whenever I try, he will nurse, maybe cuddle a bit, but will eventually sit up, crawl off of me and go to the crib.
As is, I ask him if he wants to go lie down in his bed, he walks into the nursery and holds onto the crib. I put him in the crib, turn on the turtle, turn on the giraffe, give him a pacifier and turn off the lamp. He rarely goes right to sleep, but will roll around, sing, snuggle with his giraffe, etc. I usually go in several times to fish his paci out from under the bed and replace it.
EASY worked pretty well for us, even if I didn't start it until after I'd transitioned him to sleep in the crib at 6 months. I nurse when he wakes up now.
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@lovehoneybee: The only reason I really want to wean for naps is because she wants to be held for every nap. Don't get me wrong, I love holding her while she's sleeping, but it's been a long 13 months of no break on the weekends.
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@MsLipGloss: Totally understand. E had to be held for every single nap the first 6 month. I couldn't nurse and then move him to the crib. I could barely shift without waking him up. The only reason I would want to do it still is that we're in a really rough transition to one nap, and I'd like to be able to...flick an off switch, as it were.
Anyway, upon rereading my comment I realized that it really wasn't any help, sorry! EASY worked well for us in transitioning him to the crib, which was our big hurdle. Once he started sleeping in there on his own instead of in my bed naps came fairly easy (except for now, when he just sits and plays for hours).
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@lovehoneybee: I hear you on the switch flipping . . . sometimes just 10 minutes is all I need to put her down. On the tougher days, it is a sanity saver! Ironically, she sleeps on her own--on a mat no less!--at daycare. *sigh*
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@MsLipGloss: yup my LO will go down for a nap with others obviously without nursing!
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We nursed for naps until LO was about 11 months. I knew I wanted to fully wean by 13 months. LO was not one of those babies that could be put in the crib, fuss a few minutes and then pass out, so it was really hard. I started getting in the habit of reading him a few books before all naps and nighttime sleeping. We would read stories and I would put him in his bed without nursing. Then, I would sit in the rocker in his room and just wait until he fell asleep. He really did not like this at all and would cry in the beginning, and I would wait 30-40 minutes. Eventually it got to the point where he would lay quietly until he fell asleep. Finally, around 14-15 months I could put him in bed and leave the room. Believe me, it was a PITA to spend so much time putting him to sleep, but he did finally learn how to fall asleep alone and he has been a champion sleeper ever since.
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@lamariniere: I think this is what I am going to have to do . . . we had to do a little CIO for bedtime, and I was hoping to avoid that for naps, but I just don't think I will be that lucky! Ah well, it can always be worse!
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Ditto! I'm in the same boat and thinking of tackling this after our vacation.
@hilsy85: Don't feel bad. I have the same trouble - a hysterical baby at times when I try to put her down. Even with a routine set in place for weeks.
@Beehive: I've been basically trying this routine for weeks. No luck.
How long did it take you?@NovBaby1112: Praying and hoping this happens for us!
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@MsLipGloss: CIO never worked for us, which is why I did "wait it out" instead.
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