Baby Won't Nap in Crib

Do you use a boppy? I found with my daughter, who was exactly the same way, that keeping the boppy under her when she fell asleep and then moving her to her crib with the boppy and all seemed to work. This is one of the only ways she would fall asleep. Now she has no problem. Hope this helps.

I had the same thing for me.. what I did was when I knew that it was nap time I would put my son's blanket in the dryer and then wrap him in it. Also they she may have gas pain and if you know that try not to drink any thing with dairy in it for a day and see how she sleeps. I just thought that he didn't like sleeping when it was gas pain that woke him up and then he new that I wasn't there. I hope that I helped a little.
K.

Have you tried using a shirt w/your scent, or maybe changing sheets or the mattress? You also might try an overhead mobile w/soothing music, or even a radio.

By the way, I'm an Army wife too, currently living in Bamberg, Germany.

Hi A.!

I'm not sure how much help I'll be but maybe encouragement is what you need to hear....I have 3 kids and the first wouldn't sleep anywhere but in MY BED. So, I would have been very grateful if he'd slept in a swing!! My 2nd and 3rd babies slept in bed with me til about 2 months and then I moved them to their cribs. I also put them on their bellies.....I know I KNOW, so not something a first time mom (and several 2nd, 3rd, etc.. time moms won't do either) but that is what got my other babies to sleep! I was terrified of doing that with my 1st, but I think if I had, we would have ended the sleep battles much sooner!

Anyway...regardless of that...it sounds like she does sleep in it at night? Is the room able to be dark in the daytime for naps? Maybe that would help? How does she fall asleep at night when she does sleep there? Are you doing anything different for naps? (for instance my kids got used to being rocked and nursed to sleep....or jiggled on my chest while I'm on the computer...LOL!)

Good luck and be grateful she will sleep somewhere other than on your chest (some babies will only sleep being held!), and know that she WILL outgrow it. Its hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel sometimes when its your first baby! :) Hang in there and she will start to ease up about where she sleeps for naps!!

A.,
She might feel "unsafe" in the crib. like its "too" big for her. Do you have a bassinet? That might help. My daughter was like that. but i have a hand made cradle that we used down stairs and a bassinett upstairs once i was able to go up/down the stairs. When she started getting to big for those i would gradually start putting her in the crib. Just a few min. at a time. even is she was awake, like while i was putting away her laundry or i would just sit in her room while she was in there, just to get her used to it. Also one thing that helped was using the baby contor pillows on each side of her. makes baby feel like someone is still close to them or still being held. I hope this helps. and congrats on the new baby.

J.

Have you read the book "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child"? If not, you need to get on Amazon and order it. I read at least 4 books on sleep when my daughter was born, and this one is now my bible. I give it to everyone as a shower gift because it works. But, until that arrives, have you tried swaddling her? She might like the swing because she feels secure and snuggly. You can buy a commercial swaddle, but I actually prefered using the light weight flannely receiving blankets. I could get it super tight and she slept like a champ. Also, I don't know if the room is dark, but you might try that. Hope this helps! Good luck! M.

Does she have acid reflux? Maybe if you put a pillow underneath her crib mattress to prop it up that may help her sleep. My daughter did the same thing. Another thing I did was play some classical baby lullabies on cd while she slept. It kind of gave her some background noise.

I have the same problem with my 21/2 month old. I just keep trying him there as often as I can for as long as he'll stay. When he wakes up crying, I try giving him his paci and patting his back to calm him down. Sometimes this gives me a little bit longer of a nap out of him. Sometimes I have to switch him to his swing and try again the next time. My older one had the same problem and I just kept working with him like that and eventually he got over it. But hopefully others will respond to this and give us both some great new advice!
I just read one of the other responses and she mentioned putting them on their tummies...yep...all for it! I know...it is supposed to be terrible but that is the only way I get him to sleep there for a couple of hours at night before joining me in bed. Some kids just prefer their bellies.

All but one of my kids were like that. I would just put a bunch of pillows around her on your bed or the sofa and let her sleep. Nursing babys like to feel close and snuggly when they are in a crib in the what feels to them as this big open space they do not feel sucure.
Hope this helps some

I had a problem with that with my third child. It took me forever to figure out how I could get him to sleep in his crib for an extended period of time. Two suggestions I have for you. The first suggestion is to roll up blankets into log shapes and put them down by her stomach and her back along side her so it's like she has someone holding her still, but it doesn't make her feel confined like wrapping her in blankets might. My kids wanted to feel like they were held but didn't like the tight blankets wrapped around their arms. Make sure the blankets are down low away from her face. If she still wakes up a little when laying her down you might try rubbing her back or patting her on her bottom. The vibrations help soothe a baby. The other option and I wish I knew about it before I moved to Japan, is buy a vibrating crib mattress. It's crazy but vibrations really soothe an infant and it could possibly keep her sleeping longer especially if she sleeps well in her swing. The only problem you might find with that is getting someone to ship it to you since you live in Germany. I have that problem living on a Marine Corps Base in Japan but who knows, you might find some site that would be willing to ship it. :-) I hope that one of those work for you. If not, you can always try the method I used with my first and second children and let her cry through the period when she first wakes up if you know she's waking up too soon and eventually she should go back to sleep. It was tough at first listening to them cry but as long as you don't leave her in there forever crying it won't hurt her to cry. If you don't get her used to sleeping in her crib regularly it will affect her sleep habits when she's older. Also, try some soothing lullaby music or what works wonderfully for my children is Enya. My kids are knocked out when listening to music and feel safe in their beds. Good luck and I hope she starts sleeping for you so you can get some probably much needed rest also.
E.