Sleeping Baby Advice Welcome

[shirlls]

I need some advice and opinions please.

I stay in a top floor flat with no lift (4 floors) so when I return home from shopping or wherever with LO in pushchair I have to lift him out pushchair and carry him upstairs while leaving pushchair in the close for OH to take up when he gets home from work. We also don't have a car so are only mobile with him by walking everywhere or taking bus or train. He has sleeps throughout the day when he needs one, there is no set pattern or routine where we put him down for a certain time for a nap, etc as it didn't work for us and my HV agreed that letting him sleep when he needs to works best for all of us.

Obviously this means that I don't work around a routine and there are times when LO is asleep and I absolutely HATE waking him but there is sometimes no other option as if I arrive home with him and need to get him upstairs it is the only thing for it. Sometimes if my parents visit they start on OH and I about this and ask why we didn't just take him to the park at the end of the road for walk to let him sleep longer as it is cruel to waken him up (this includes when it is raining!). Also, in my dads car if going to their house and he falls asleep my dad insists on someone sitting in the car reading a paper until LO wakes up no matter how long it is. Obviously I hate to waken him out a sleep and would only ever do it when I REALLY have to, I always let him sleep whenever I can, but am I wrong to think this is a little over the top as there are situations where it can't be prevented?

My parents can be quite overbearing and very full on with their opinions. I find it hard to talk to them about things, and once they get something in their head that is it and it is their way or the highway. They are like a dog with a bone about this and I don't know what to do about it.

As I said, I don't just wake LO when I feel like it, and always try to avoid waking him the best I can but how do I get round this! I can't time his naps and I am pretty stuck if I return home from somewhere and he is asleep and we live on the top floor.

Anyone?

 

[lanaross]

I will probably be in minority but naps and sleep in general is very important for their brain development, so I am in the same camp with your parents - I'd just let them finish naps whenever possible. Sitting in the car, catching up on my emails doesn't sound like the worst idea in the world Also when DD used to fall asleep in the car, I used to just pick her up, shush her/pat her/rock her to her bedroom as I imagine sleeping in the car for a long period of time might be rather uncomfortable. Sometimes she'd wake up but would go right back to sleep. Have you tried to carefully/quietly lift him from the car and kind of "rock/bounce" him upstairs?

 

[Mrs Bee]

4 floors up stairs with a baby....you are Wonder Woman!!! I'd be the same as you...if the baby wakes up so be it... You can't walk around all day in the rain.

I had a similar problem today... Alice fell asleep in the car and I'm not going to wait in the car for her to finish her sleep(we had temps of 34c today) so I had to get her back in the house while my dogs barked....she woke up and went to sleep half and hour later.

 

[shirlls]

I will probably be in minority but naps and sleep in general is very important for their brain development, so I am in the same camp with your parents - I'd just let them finish naps whenever possible. Sitting in the car, catching up on my emails doesn't sound like the worst idea in the world Also when DD used to fall asleep in the car, I used to just pick her up, shush her/pat her/rock her to her bedroom as I imagine sleeping in the car for a long period of time might be rather uncomfortable. Sometimes she'd wake up but would go right back to sleep. Have you tried to carefully/quietly lift him from the car and kind of "rock/bounce" him upstairs?

Thanks for your reply. But the thing is, I don't have a car, the car I was referring to is my parents car in the post, my problem is the fact I arrive home from being out with LO in the pushchair and I have to take him upstairs. I have tried to do it in such a way that I don't wake him but as soon as he is disturbed at all he wakens up no matter how gentle I am with him. My point is, I can't help this situation and would never wake him unless I had to but get constant grief for it. But what am I to do?

 

[fieryphoenix]

I let my lo finish naps in the stroller, whenever I can. I just park him in the yard and read a book or come on bnb. But if its raining or cold or I just don't feel it, then I'll wake him up. I don't think its really a big deal either way!

 

[lanaross]

don't tell them then! also can you take him out right after the nap instead?

 

[biglebowski]

Im a slave to lo's naps. My lo is hard to get to sleep, and is a grump if he doesnt sleep long enough. If he sleeps in the car Im the nutter who will drive around until his nap has finished, or I take my kindle to read a book in the car. Could you get a sling to transfer lo into when you get near home if lo is sleepy. That way no transfer is required. I do believe in helping lo's nap but I wouldnt walk around in the rain. I do think YOU and lo should be comfortable. Your parents seem to be in the minority in promoting good naps. My parents think I get too hung up on naps, and according to them my lo never looks tired. Hair pulling, eye rubbing and grumping / manic behaviour is all great behaviour.

 

[HKateH]

I don't live on the fourth floor but I can't get my pram through my porch without dismantling it, and my baby will not go back to sleep once disturbed, so I've often left him in the front garden, wrapped up in lots of blankets and sat on my front step with a book - yes, even in the rain and freezing cold! Me? I'd rather LO woke happy and I froze a bit than him wake cranky! After all, a happy and well rested baby will allow you a couple of minutes to dry off and change clothes!