OUR (LACK OF) NAP-TIME ROUTINE

So in my last blog post, I gave you all a detailed brief of Maddison's bedtime routine and general sleep pattern! As stated in that previous post, Maddie is a very chilled and sleepy baby... but only really at night! Our daytime nap routine is.. well as you probably guessed from the title.. there's no routine at all!! I swear in my last post I made myself sound like I totally had my shit together and I have everything perfectly timed and planned out. But I think the bedtime routine is the ONLY thing that I have properly sussed out! Being a mummy is like being back at school and I am literally discovering and learning so much every day as my baby girl grows and develops!
 
Despite her only being nearly 12 weeks old, I think we've experienced every possible nap scenario there is in that time! We've had days when Maddison has had one massive 4 hour nap, little scattered 30 minute power naps, 2 perfect 2 hour naps mid-morning and mid-afternoon, there has even been a few days when she literally wouldn't nap AT ALL!! 

About 90% of the time, Maddison seems to get through the day with little power naps. She will only snooze for a maximum of 30 minutes at a time and there is ZERO pattern of when she may have these little naps at all! (Told you it's the complete opposite to nighttime haha!) Sometimes these naps will happen post-feed on the boob while she's in my arms, she may just dose off in the bouncer, or get bored on her playmat and drop off! But like I said, it doesn't last for long... by the time I've sat down or just started to get a job done around the house.. she's awake again! I feel like I'm living in a pigsty at the minute and can never fully catch up with everything! Please say you can relate mamas?!

 *Cue the "mum police" who will tell me it's my fault because she sleeps so much at night..*

Well you know what, I'd rather have a good nights sleep and then be busy during the day keeping my girl entertained in-between her power naps.. then be constantly feeling like a walking zombie surviving on 2-4 hours sleep at a time for the full 24 hours of a day! I am so grateful my baby girl is a sleeper and already has a similar sleep pattern to an adult! (Seriously, I take my hat off to those mums struggling with a little one that never sleeps! - sending love to you mamas!!) If sleeping lots at night and barely napping in the day is what Maddison is happiest doing, then that's what I will do! During the day I go with the flow, let her nap when she wants, as much as she wants, let her feed when she needs, as much as she needs. Of course I make sure she's sleeping/feeding enough for her age, but I'm not going to put pressure on my baby to feed perfectly every 3 hours on the dot and nap at an exact time everyday! Babies are human, right? We have days when we want to snooze more, or days we want to eat more, days we want to cry, days we have no appetite, or days we are super energetic.. the list goes on!! As long as on the whole she is getting everything she needs, is healthy and happy.. isn't that whats most important?!

Anyway.. rant over, back to the nap time details Beth! (Bloody hell I could ramble for England!)

What I've also found with her naps is that it really varies depending on what we are doing during the day. If I am out and about a lot, either running errands, dashing off to appointments or shopping, that will probably be when Maddison will happily sleep for a couple of hours in the pram - It's true what they say about motion, like being in the car, it completely settles her off to sleep no problem! But if I am at home during the day (or out but not actually waking around lots with the Pram) she will barely snooze more than her typical 30 minute power naps!

Unlike our bedtime routine, I'm not too fussed about having specific times for her day naps. It's really hard to plan anything during the day and go off to classes or meet friends for coffee etc. if I am restricting myself and having to stay home for a specific time everyday! Personally for my life, that just won't work!! But when I am home I have tried a couple of times to get her to nap in her big cot in her room. My idea behind this is, when the time comes, the transition from crib in our room to cot on her own room, won't as overwhelming or too much of a strange adjustment for her!

My only tip that I have discovered works for mums that are struggling to get their little ones at nap (at all!) is try going for a walk with baby in the pram? Or go for a drive, or stick baby in a bouncer (if you have one!) because the motion is the only guaranteed thing that gets Maddison to snooze, so it might help your little one too?! If nothing else, putting baby in the pram and getting out the house will make you feel so much better! It does for me - you can't beat fresh air!

NOTE: this is MY personal thoughts and feelings, you don't have to agree with me, and if you have a baby that has a perfect nap time routine.. good for you! Everyone's lifestyle is different and every baby is different! There are no set rules!

So there you have it! I think I've now covered all things sleep related! Nighttime.. great! Daytime.. allllll over the place! But that's life - haha!

I would love to hear your thoughts on nap time! Do you have a great routine sussed out already? Or are you all over the place going with the flow like me? Where does your little one sleep best? I'd love to hear your stories! Either comment below or contact me via the Social page! Love x