Moving Up from 6-9 Months Need some Advice

kregan2@hotmail.com

Hey all! So my DD just turned 9 months this past week and I thought I'd ask - I read a post that said they used a sleep sack for part of their naptime routine. I am hoping to try that - we have a great routine for bedtime and she goes down pretty easily most nights awake and puts herself to sleep. Problem is naps. We've been hit or miss with the naps in crib - it was always either in her swing when she was little or I held her - she just didn't nap well in her crib. Well, now we're thinking this might be a problem. So we did CIO/Ferber at night (we put it off for so long, didn't want to do it, but it ended up working well because we can now get nice long swaths of sleep from her and she needed it) but at naps it's just not working. So I went back to holding her (that, and an ear infection...I'm such a sucker)

I'm thinking a good naptime routine might work - usually, I do exactly what I'd do when I'd hold her for naps, but that's not working - either she'll fall asleep and then wake up and scream when I put her down or she'll go down in her crib awake and scream. I thought maybe if I put her in a sleep sack, did the routine, and stayed consistent, maybe it would work?

But I'm worried because she moves so much and wants to stand - will a sleep sack be dangerous for a mover baby who's loving the standing up?  Any tips on how to get her to sleep in her crib for naps?

Steph_whalen5@yahoo.com

We never used the sleep sack - we swaddled until about 4 months when she started rolling to sleep on her belly, so we weren't comfortable having her restricted anymore. She's been in footie jammies ever since with no issues. As far as napping goes, I could have written this post a few months ago. I did the exact same thing, basically walking around to get her to fall asleep and having to keep her in my arms (or sling) the entire time. By about 6 months I had had it - we weren't sleeping well at night or day time. We did Ferber for both at the same time. It was a rough few days, but within a week it was working really well. She still whines sometimes at nap time, but bed time has been so much better. Like I said, no experience with the sleep sack, so I can't say much on that, but as far as getting her to nap in her crib, I would use the same method you did at night and stay consistent! They are SO much smarter than we think, it's scary! GL!

brewcitybride

Both of my kids hated those sleep sacks. Both kids were swaddled when they were tiny infants, but then broke free and both kids like to sleep this way and that way and all over the place:) Doesn't really work if you are stuck in a sack!

The only thing you can do is try it and see what works, but I would guess just starting at 9 months might not be too successful, as kids of this age like to move around a lot in their sleep.

MrsT2008

DD has been in sleepsacks (for bedtime, not naps) since she was 2 months old.  She rolls, crawls, stands, and cruises in it with no issues.  For naps, I just give her a blanket, but that's because for us, sleepsack has always been a nighttime thing and I want to keep it that way.

kregan2@hotmail.com

Thanks all! Since we haven't used one at all, I am indeed hesitant to use it. As for the naps - I tried Ferber for a week for naps. It didn't work at all and she was a nightmare, plus it ruined her night time sleep. So I'm just at my wit's end. To be honest, part of the reason I'm worried about her sleeping in my arms is because I'm embarrassed by it. Which I guess is silly -you do what works, and not worry about what other people think. Since I stay at home, it's working for us and she is getting the naps she needs. But then I realize that it makes me completely indispensable - my husband can't do naps, no babysitter could, etc. and that means I'm housebound. But the Ferber just didn't work. What is so strange is that until oh, 7-8 months she WOULD take a nap in her crib, just not a long one - I'd lay her down asleep or drowsy but awake and pat her and hold her hand. But then she got her first cold and it all flew out the window and now I can't even do those things. Of course, I haven't tried consistently with those - mainly because the minute I stand up from rocking her to sleep she squirms awake and screams. I'd love it if it were more like at night when we can do our routine and lay her down and she just goes to sleep.

But my husband was really the one that pushed for the cio at naptimes - he's as worried as I am, plus thinks I need some alone time. I wasn't that worried - I figured I'd do what works, keep trying cribs until she got it, etc. and then he made me even more worried, if that makes sense.

I think I will just have to try something more consistently, even if it is Ferber. And maybe add a special nap time thing as part of the routine, like music or a mobile or projection or something.

lana22

my son was always great going down for bedtime but not with naps. around five months i used some methods in hshhc and lived with him taking shorter naps in the crib. i didn't want to rely on the swing (where he would take 2 hour+ naps) or holding him, and it's only now, at 10 months, that his naps have really lengthened. before "nap training" he would wail if he fell asleep and i tried to put him down in his crib, but afterward he would settle right in for his nap, rarely fussing, and never more than five minutes. i instituted a nap routine, and that helped tremendously. good luck!