Leila is not a big napper. She prefers a 40 minute cat nap to the mythical 2 hour snoozathon I keep hearing she “should” be having (oh, that “should”. How easy a new mother’s life would be without that “should” ringing in her ears). Really, do some babies do this? And if so, what on earth do you do with all the sweet, sweet time? Dip it in chocolate and swallow it whole, I can only imagine.
My mission last week- and it was successful, thanks to the Baby Whisperer- was to get her to nap in her cot. First time took 40 minutes. Today it took 10 seconds. TEN SECONDS. Booyah! But I haven’t the heart to try to extend her naps at the moment. Before I realised she “should” be sleeping for longer it never bothered me anyway. And I am grateful for my 40 minute chunks of relaxing me time opportunities to wash myself and/or the house. But the babe, she is very easily woken whether snuggled up in her cot or out on the razzle in her pram. And for this reason I today found myself cursing:
The postman (for making the letterbox snap)
Local takeaways (for same reason)
Vehicles with diesel engines
Vehicles with two-stroke enginees
Vehicles starting, accelerating or otherwise making any noise
Manchester Airport
Children playing in the park (how VERY dare they?)
Children talking in a shop
Neighbours shouting at their children
Neighbours closing their front doors
Just, neighbours. Do they have to live so close?
Myself for coughing
Myself for walking up the stairs
(Mind you, the only one of these hazards which actually woke her up was the children playing in the park- specifically a teenage boy with an extremely unbroken voice, squealing “NO GOAL! NO GOAL!”)
In short, the solution is for the world and everything in it to cease making noise whenever my baby is napping. It’s only for 40 minutes at a time, after all. Not too much to ask, surely?
bokker 
Ah, the 40 minute capnap. All too familiar. Who are these babies who nap for 2 hours? Their mothers must be able to do phds with their time. As opposed to just about keeping household and personal chaos at bay. Just. I’ve toyed with trying to extend naps but haven’t the guts yet. I know it will involve lots of tears (mainly mine) and want to wait until the 4 month sleep regression is well and truly over. Fingers crossed.
I’ve not read your blog in a while due to severe sleep deprivation and the dreaded pnd, but glad to see you are both doing so well, and that motherhood has only honed your writing and observation skills further. Can’t wait to read your weaning posts. What mess and excitement to come!
Min, thanks for your kind comment. I have been meaning to blog more but, well, you know….
I know quite a few mums who, like us, only have 40 minutes at a time to themselves (just enough time to tidy the bedroom, clear the breakfast things, brush hair and put on make-up, I find!). It’s actually quite challenging at times isn’t it? I call them Crap Naps. I have had (VERY) limited success with extending Leila’s naps since I wrote this, and generally she has got better at self-settling. Perhaps, at six months, the dratted four month regression is finally passing, in time for the seven month one (cue hysterical laughter/tears)
So sorry to hear you have PND. Hope you have access to help and support. E-mail me at hellobokker@hotmail.co.uk if you need any more.
Thanks for stopping by xx
Thanks Bokker- very kind. Thankfully in this case, the drugs do work and I’m feeling quite a bit better. And the little one is a merry little poppet so he cheers me up. Well done on the nap extending. Did you use PUPD or did it just happen as if by magic? Confounding things these little babies, aren’t they!
A couple of times it happened as if by magic. The other couple of times (I am talking literally four long naps in total here- the Crap Nap still rules on the whole!) I did the old shush-pat and she went off again.
Fingers crossed more magic comes your way!