How to get baby in cot?

SmlSave

I need an action plan to get dd to go for naps/bed in her cot and am really interested in how other people went about it.

Putting her down sleepy but awake is all very well but what should I do when she cries?

I have an active 3 year old running around being very noisy!

lazywife

If she goes to sleep but then wakes up and cries, I have to say I think that's probably nap time over. LO would sleep for an hour+ on me, but only 30 mins max in cot for a nap, but we've just worked with that. Could you dedicate your 3 yr old some quiet time at nap time (give them some telly time, some special mummy time, or a special box of toys they can use for quiet nap time play?).. I appreciate that may be overly optimistic?!!

DomRavioli

Hi OP,

If you mean your LO cries when you put them down, then that is just what babies do when you change their surroundings - let them cry it out for a little while, don't pick back up instantly, and be patient!

You also need to try and sync the nap times of the two; for the first few weeks, it will be difficult, but that is the joy of a baby and a toddler! Stick with it, even though you feel like you may be losing your marbles (we've all been there!) you will get there but it takes time and a pile of patience .

Hope all goes well!

fabforty

DomRavioli wrote: »

You also need to try and sync the nap times of the two; for the first few weeks, it will be difficult, but that is the joy of a baby and a toddler!

The three year old probably isn't napping anymore, not regularly anyway.

DigForVictory

We let the baby conk out wherever they were comfortable, then wrapped them in a cellular blanket & put them gently down in the cot. (The blanket stopped the change of temperature triggering a startled wakeup.) We found starting asleep & then leaving to own devices as gradually waking up in cot loads easier.

Whilst baby snoozes, invite three year old to listen to a story tape/disk wearing your big grownup headphones. Possibly cuddled up with you?

Where all else fails, mount cot on chassis, and take toddler for a halfhour stroll, pushing perambulator as baby either gawks at clouds or snoozes. Park cot under leaves/a mobile, within sight/earshot & retreat. Start training three year old in gentil art of Careful Use of Kettle. (Carrying a kettle with one mug of cold water therein across the kitchen without slip, trip or fall a good start.)

With the exception of the Today programme & anything on music, we found Radio 4 soothed the infant...

Northern78

We started by putting DS in a moses basket downstairs with us until he fell asleep. Once asleep, left him a while to drop off properly, we carried him upstairs and put him in his cot. He then got used to waking up there. After a few weeks of that we progressed to putting him in his moses basket until he was sleepy but not fully asleep then putting him in his cot. If he cried we'd go up, stroke his head but not talk to him and then leave him again. To be fair he got the hang of it faily quickly and we have been lucky to have such a good sleeper. However, i'm now pregnant with baby 2 so will have a new born and a 2 (nearly 3) year old to contend with so might not be such a walk in the park second time round!!

hawk30

How old is your LO?

SmlSave

A special pot of treats for DS is a good idea, it might just give me a few extra mins to settle dd.

Ds stopped napping literally a few weeks ago!

The walk is a good idea although anything involving DS and water not so much.

I like the way you did things northern, def worth a try when we move dd from our bed.

She's 10 weeks atm so I want to start a routine and good practices before she gets much bigger. I'm not willing to let her cry for longer than needed until at least 4 months (taking a shower etc)

Keep your experiences coming please.

Northern78

SML, I was the same about not wanting to leave them crying. I know some people believe in controlled crying and respect their decision to use that method but it wasn't for us. Some will say we pandered to his needs but basically if he cried we went straight him to see him, although at night we never talked to him and had as little eye contact as possible. We started a routine from a young age so the way I saw it he was too young to manipulate us so crying meant he needed something. If we'd left it till he was older, over 1 then maybe I would have a given controlled crying a go. DS is now an excellent sleeper, if he wakes in the night he settles quickly and even if not he will happily talk to himself in the dark until he drops back off. I'm sure parents who have used the controlled crying have achieved the same results it's just for me personally this was a better way.

It was about 10 weeks when we started with our DS too, when he out grew his moses basket we used to just lay him in his carry cot.

SmlSave

What was your routine northern could you go into more detail?

sooty&sweep

Hi
When mine were tiny I ALWAYS had the radio on.
I found they stayed settled better than if the house was quiet. I could hoover whilst they were asleep.
Jen