Infant naps

[kindredspirit]

Ugh-my life! I had a bottle fed baby with overattentive parents that was awful to transition (so it's not only breastfed!). Didn't self soothe, didn't even hold her own bottle! It took 4 months of gradual transitions, and she now drinks milk from a cup at the table and sleeps on a mattress on the floor in the group room, 4h total (morning and afternoon naps, 15 months old). The next baby to start will be 12mo next month, never had a bottle, only naps 40 min, etc... but the Dad is home this month, and has committed to getting her to nap without nursing or bottle-so that's a huge plus if true, time will tell.

I think it's unfair to lump all breastfed babies or AP parents together. I breastfed my first (nursed to sleep too if I was home) until she was 2, and she did just fine in daycare. I never did CIO with either of my children and they napped well and sleep on their own beds, in their room, all night. I don't do CIO with daycare kids either (so I may attract more AP parents too, skewing my experiences). I follow Montessori philosophy for my daycare, which is foremost about respecting the child. Transition still sucks... but if I can figure out their 'why', I can stop the crying. Do they hate the play pen? What about a cot? Are they scared or feeling abandoned? Are they waking before reaching deep sleep? I like No Cry Nap Solution for troubleshooting sleep issues.