? from 3-6: if your LO napped only in the swing

Re: ? from 3-6: if your LO napped only in the swing

• jessknell member

  September 2010

  I'm not sure my situation was quite like yours but...DS would always nap in his swing.  The longest nap I could get out of him was 45 minutes.  He finally got so heavy that the swing wouldn't even move when he was in it so I decided to transition to the crib.  I waited until he was giving me the signs that he was tired, sang him a little song, turned on his noise machine and set him in his crib.  It was a miracle, I didn't hear a peep from him for over an hour! I never had a problem with him freaking out because of the transition and now he naps better than he ever has!

  Good luck, I really hope your transition goes as smoothly as mine did!

  

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• mrsfirefly

  September 2010

  Wow!  Thanks!  I hope mine goes that smoothly, too. Did you use the sound machine when he was in the swing, too?  I was thinking of introducing a sound machine now to make the transition easier since she is probably used to the creaking sound of the swing and I can't easily replicate that. BTW, I love the photos of your LO -- so cute! 
  

  

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• MrsPhunk

  September 2010

  Right after we did Ferber we realized we had to break DD of her swing-napping habits.  So we just went cold turkey and put her in her crib when a) she was tired and b) right after food and let her figure it out.  For about a week, if she  slept at all it was only like 15 minutes.  Although we missed her marathon 2-hour sessions in the swing, we just kept going to the crib.  After the first week, DD got much better and slept more each time.  Now, about two months later, she does about a 2 hour nap in the crib in the a.m. and one shorter one (45-60 min) in the afternoon.  Just slog yoyrself through the transition...you'll be happy you did!

  
  My two angels
  
  
  
  

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• ANJ410

  September 2010

  My DS would only nap in the swing, infant carrier or moving car as an infant. At 6 months old I had to put the swing away because he started trying to roll and squirm out of it, at 10 months old he outgrew the carrier, and at that point I was left with driving him around just to get two decent naps in everyday. When he turned 1, I had enough and let him CIO in his crib.  I'm not going to lie, it was an ugly scene and in the beginning he cried a lot longer than I care to publicly post, but after about two weeks he would only cry for about 5 minutes then give up and go to sleep. While he was crying I would turn the TV volume up and fold laundtry to distract myself.

  Looking back, I wish I had done CIO sooner. It's not fun, but it does work. Good luck!

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• krisdave

  September 2010

  It was a gradual process for us.  Some nights the only time he would sleep was in his swing (in the living room) so I would camp out on the sofa with him, just so that the two of us would get any sleep.

  After playtime and a bottle, I'd rock him a little bit and then put him down in his crib/PNP for a nap/bed.  At first he'd wake up and want me - so I'd soothe him a little and put him back down for a nap.  We were able to transition him from swing to crib/PNP for naps and sleep - around the 4 month mark.

  We still let him have an occasional nap in the swing - but he now has no problem going to sleep in his crib and has really improved on his self-soothing too!  Watch for his cues when he is tired and just try to be consistent and reassuring.

  Good luck!

  

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