4 weeks. Only naps on chest or in sling.

caitdave1

Our awesome little dude is really a pretty easy baby. This week, after a fairly heinous 3 week growth spurt last week, he is back to napping and way less fussy. New this week though. I can put him down in the crib for bed each night after nursing him to sleep and he will sleep for about 3 hours before I am up to feed him. This is awesome.

He eats quickly at night. I feed him for maybe 20 min. Turn on the white noise and let him sleep in my arms for 20 min before attempting the transition back to crib. He will literally be out cold until my head hits the pillow and then wakes up and will not go back down without more nursing. I can on,y get him to go back to sleep on me and at that point I just let him sleep on me, because every time he goes back to the crib he wakes anyway.

 Same for naps during the day...only sleeps on people or in the sling. I am not complaining...and generally believe that there is little harm in this at this point, but how long before we need to be trying harder to get him to sleep without a human mattress? 

Any ideas for making the transition when we do? 

blu-eyedwife

Funny, I just wrote a blog entry about our experience with this, because I know I'm not the only one.  I even used the term human mattress!

I didn't have the nighttime sleep issue until he got older - like more recently, and I personally think it's related to nightmares because he's not hungry, and one of my friend's son who is very verbally advanced is communicating nightmares with his night wakes.  That's obviously not the issue you're dealing with - I don't think 4 week olds have nightmares.

As for the napping, my son would only nap while being held for the first 3 months.  I started transitioning him at that point, because I didn't think it would go over well at daycare.  I transitioned from sleeping on me to falling asleep on me and rolling him onto a boppy beside me (and staying beside him), having him fall asleep on the boppy beside me (and staying beside him), having him fall asleep on me and transitioning to the crib, then finally falling asleep in the crib.  It took about 5-6 weeks.

caitdave1

Thanks guys! I am mostly concerned because I go back to work after 6 weeks not 12, so lo will be with others during the day and we will need at least a little more sleep at night. 

It breaks my heart because I love our little cat naps and I love to watch hi, sleep during his longer stretches during the day. My husband is super supportive and lo will be watched by my parents at first rather than day care...so hopefully we can work it out Tito take solitary naps at whatever time feels right.

 Thanks again for the tips ! 

ncbelle

I wore both of my kids for all naps until at least 9 months - by choice because that's what worked for us.  Hasn't hurt them a bit

Do what works and don't worry about the rest. Babies are meant to be held close, particularly as newborns.