Co-sleeping parent wondering about daycare and naps

JessieJH

Hi- I mostly post on my month board, so I'm new here.

We co-sleep with our baby- mostly with her in our bed since she is happiest there, but sometimes I can get her to sleep side-car in the co-sleeper next to me (it's a 50/50 situation). I'm working and DH is home with her right now. He is a champ at getting her to naps- mostly through rocking, bouncing and talking to her until she is asleep. Then she naps in her crib in a nursery.

My worry is that he has to go back to work in a few weeks and she will be off to daycare. I can't imagine how they will get her to nap. Do any of you have experience with a daycare situation and how they've gotten a baby to nap? I'd love to hear what worked for you.

Note: we have been brining a 'lovey' to bed with us and for her naps at home so that she'll have something for comfort. She's not big on a paci (prefers to be on a nipple!).

Thanks!

tarahnpaul

I haven't taken DD to daycare, but my inlaws and mom have watched her.  I worried a lot about how they would do things, but it was actually much easier for them than I anticipated.  She knows I am there to nurse her to sleep, so she will accept only that from me.  My mom just rocked her and sang and she fell right asleep.  My MIL used to rock her to sleep.  I think she will be fine.

Kristinmo

My experience is that kids do amazing things at daycare that they won't do for their parents.  We don't bed share but DS would never nap except when being held when he was an infant.  Our DCP had no issues getting him to sleep in his crib when he was at her house from the first day we took him there.  At first, she rocked him to sleep and then eventually she could put him down drowsy but awake and he would fall asleep.  He wouldn't do that for us until we sleep trained at 18 months old!

I would talk to your DCP about what their routine is like.  They've seen it all before and they will have suggestions and will reassure you.

00jennifer00

I ran an in-home daycare a long time ago.  I had a 1yo who was co-slept with, and I had to rock her for her nap.  It wasn't a big deal for me, I had my son that I'd nurse to sleep either before or after her (depended on who was most tired) and another one or two kids who would lay down.

eli_and_jeff

DS sleeps with us every night and by himself at daycare and at home for nap time. He's never been much of a napper, but he does just fine at daycare. The lovey is a great idea. I slept with his under my pillow for a few days and gave it to him for naps for the two weeks before he went to daycare. He still sleeps with it at daycare.

JessieJH

Thanks for the encouragement. It looks like I will hope for the 'daycare miracle'- maybe some of it will rub off at home. I love bedsharing, but I don't think we're getting quality sleep. We've tried some sleep training reluctanlty, but I just am not having an easy time with it and think I'll keep her in bed until she makes the move more easily. Argh.

Meg&Jesse

DS coslept with us fulltime when he was younger (and still does sometimes now).  Naps..sometimes alone and sometimes I would/will nap with him.  He does sleep at daycare on his own.  He does have a blanket that he always sleeps with and will rotate a stuffy.

pitterpatter129

JessieJH:

Thanks for the encouragement. It looks like I will hope for the 'daycare miracle'- maybe some of it will rub off at home. I love bedsharing, but I don't think we're getting quality sleep. We've tried some sleep training reluctanlty, but I just am not having an easy time with it and think I'll keep her in bed until she makes the move more easily. Argh.

The daycare magic definitely worked on my child at daycare.  He has always slept just fine there, first in a crib and then they transitioned him to a mat.  Sadly, not to be a bummer, but... it didn't rub off at home at all.

 

BlindysWife

I will just echo what PP said, and say that daycare is a magical fairy land where your baby will do things for other people that they will never do for you. He will do great, I promise!

bandwife

pitterpatter129:

JessieJH:

Thanks for the encouragement. It looks like I will hope for the 'daycare miracle'- maybe some of it will rub off at home. I love bedsharing, but I don't think we're getting quality sleep. We've tried some sleep training reluctanlty, but I just am not having an easy time with it and think I'll keep her in bed until she makes the move more easily. Argh.

The daycare magic definitely worked on my child at daycare.  He has always slept just fine there, first in a crib and then they transitioned him to a mat.  Sadly, not to be a bummer, but... it didn't rub off at home at all.

 

Had the same scenario My DS started PT daycare at 14 months and they usually had an easy time getting him to nap alone in a crib. At that time he bed shared with us at night and only napped in the stroller on a long walk.

Fingers crossed you get the same DC magic!

skyejo

pitterpatter129:

JessieJH:

Thanks for the encouragement. It looks like I will hope for the 'daycare miracle'- maybe some of it will rub off at home. I love bedsharing, but I don't think we're getting quality sleep. We've tried some sleep training reluctanlty, but I just am not having an easy time with it and think I'll keep her in bed until she makes the move more easily. Argh.

The daycare magic definitely worked on my child at daycare.  He has always slept just fine there, first in a crib and then they transitioned him to a mat.  Sadly, not to be a bummer, but... it didn't rub off at home at all.

Same here.

I worried myself to death about how DD would sleep at daycare since I would either nurse or wear her to sleep.  She wouldn't tolerate being laid down in a crib for us but at daycare she did just fine.  At first they rocked her or used the swing then eventually they were able to lay her down in the crib by herself.  I was utterly shocked by how different DD was at daycare versus at home.

StefandTodd

I think it's great that your H can get her to sleep for naps.  That alone would calm my fears.  They'll just do what he does really, to get her to sleep.

I nursed or wore my son to sleep his whole early life, and now I still nurse him to sleep (even despite a drying up milk suppy!).  But they rock him at daycare, with a paci (which your baby might like better there...I know my son won't take a paci from me to save his life, but he will use one to sleep at DC), and he takes 30-45 min naps there.  Oh, and my son has NEVER transitioned easily to the crib.  I just put him to bed, naps or nighttime, in our bed and keep a video monitor on me all the time.  They were having a very hard time putting him in the crib at DC, and I mentioned that I often let him nap in our bed, or on a floor bed (futon mattress) and have to lay down with him, and so they just got a foam pad out and now he naps on the floor at DC.  So they rock him to sleep, then lay down with him (like I do) on the floor and sort of pat him/hold him until he's sleeping.  They'll do what works to get him to sleep, just like you do at home.  Their goal will be to see him rested and happy, so I think they'll be happy to do what she needs them to to help her sleep.

Also, I will mention that I've heard it's very normal for babies to be like mine is - super short 30-45 min naps at dc...and at home, he will catch up on the weekends and take like 1-3 hour naps.  From what I understand, a lot of babies will get better at napping when they transition to an "older" room at DC where all the babies nap at the same time.  He seems happy and rested during the week though, so I don't stress about his short naps.  GL!