Nap schedule

[JC76]

Shakti - your reply just cracked me up!!!

Re: establishing a napping schedule... I try to get Zoe to sleep twice during the day, but mostly I just follow her lead. Sometimes she takes two short naps, sometimes it's two 2 hour naps, other times she skips the morning nap all together and just goes down once during the afternoon. I'm not big on following a strict schedule. My hope is that she'll also become more adaptable that way. I just try to follow her lead and if she seems tired I'll try to help her fall asleep wherever we are. Sometimes that means she sleeps in the stroller, bjorn or carseat.

I say, give all of the mom activities a shot. If you're a happy mom, you'll ultimately have a happier baby. If you find that it's just not clicking for her and she's cranky, irritable, not sleeping well generally, etc., then at that point consider cutting back a little. Just my two cents!!

[Pollyanna]

It sounds counter intuitive, but you could try putting her to be earlier.

FWIW, Mattie wasn't a great napper early on, either. Fortunately I've got *really* low standards for housekeeping, so I'd often nurse her to sleep and then read/watch a movie/play Mario Kart while she slept in my arms. It was the only way I'd get a rested baby, and while it wasn't productive, it was also a break for me. Plus I got *really* good at Mario Kart, but now I can only play with my arms resting on the boppy, otherwise my position is all messed up .

I LOVE you Jenn!!!! We totally need to play Mario Kart together!

[HouseofWool]

It sounds counter intuitive, but you could try putting her to be earlier.

This is the truth. It sounds crazy, but it works.

[DCJenn]

True- my friend swore by the theory that "sleep begets sleep." It's worked for her for the last 6 years.

Jenn