Transition From Swing Naps to Crib Naps

October 29, 2015

In one word…SUCCESS!

Those of you who have been following this blog know that Todd has always napped in his swing rather than his crib during the day.  You might know that I was slightly dreading the time when the swing couldn’t be used any more.  I was afraid that Todd would have a hard time transitioning.

You’ll recall that I did a trial using the crib for Todd’s naps waaaay back in January, when he was only 5 months old.  Needless to say, Todd wasn’t ready for crib naps when he was that young.  (See post, “Baby Todd’s Sixth Month” for details.)

Little did I know back then that Todd would still be napping in his “special swing chair” through his 14th month and into his 15th month!  And– we could have kept going with the swing for a little longer than we did (but clearly the days were being numbered)!

I won’t know how much Todd weighs until his 15 month doctor appointment, but I suspect he’s still got some time before he’s over 25 pounds (the swing’s maximum weight capacity).  It’s more about Todd’s ever-increasing size and wanting to give him room to stretch out more while he sleeps.  (Although he’s always slept very well and looked comfortable).

I had no idea that October 27, 2015 was going to be Todd’s last day using the swing for his naps.  It wasn’t planned.  If I’d planned it, I’m sure I would have taken pictures of him sleeping there for the last time!  (I feel a little emotional thinking about it…)

The last picture I took of him in his swing was taken on October 13, 2015…

A week short of 13 months old – September 13, 2015

Here are the details of how the transition to crib naps played out.  It took ME 6 days to solidify our new routine.  But it really didn’t take Todd any time at all to adapt!  What an easy baby I have 🙂 .  I was worried for no reason!

DAY 1 – WED, OCT 28 (2015)

I didn’t plan to start our transition on this day, until literally right at nap time.

Actually, it was a little past the normal nap time because Todd had a dentist appointment at 10 AM that morning.  By the time we got home and I got him ready for his nap, it was almost noon (he normally falls asleep for naps by ~11 AM).

Well…he really fought me when I started putting him in his swing (which never happens in the morning).  So, I decided, “Okay, Todd, let’s try the crib!!”

I put him in at 11:56 AM with blinds closed, lamp set on the dimmest setting and door halfway shut.  I set up the baby monitors so that the music that normally plays on his swing could be heard in his crib.  I think it’s a very important auditory sleep cue for him.

He cried literally for maybe 10 seconds and then quickly settled himself.  I could hear that he was quiet but awake for 1/2 hour before he fell asleep.  Then he slept for a solid 1.5 hours.  Awesome!

DAY 2 – THURS, OCT 29

Todd didn’t poop in the toilet in the morning, so I fed him his “before nap formula milk” out in the living room (instead of my glider chair).  Afterward, he indeed pooped in the toilet.  Then, I got him dressed for his nap.

I brought him into my room per usual to read books in my glider chair.  Maybe it was a mistake to not have a little more of his formula milk to offer him.  After a few minutes he wanted to get down (which isn’t good because the next thing he’d want to do is get up on my bed and play).

I picked him up and he was already resisting me (bad sign).  I put him in his crib with the lighting/music set up as described above.  He cried intensely for 5 minutes without settling down.

I then prepared a sippy cup with a couple more ounces of formula milk and I brought him back to my glider chair.  The “nap music” was still playing on the swing.  Fortunately, between the rocking, the sippy cup, the music, and a couple more books, Todd almost instantly relaxed.  Phew!

Within minutes, he was asleep in my arms.  He remained asleep while I moved him to his crib.  Then he slept 1.5 hours.

October 29, 2015

DAY 3 – FRI, OCT 30

This day I gave him his before-nap formula milk out in the living room again, because he hadn’t pooped yet.  Afterward, he pooped in the toilet.  Then, I dressed him for his nap.  I did the “nap set up” (lighting, music, etc) before I took him into my room for glider chair rocking and books.

I should have given him a clean sippy cup of plain water instead of letting him continue to suck on his mostly empty cup.

Since the music was playing as we rocked in my chair, I tried not to read the books so much as just quietly name things on the pages.  I wanted to see if Todd would fall asleep in my arms like the day before.

He was clearly very tired, and he might have been close to falling asleep, but I decided to try moving him into his crib before he was actually asleep.  He needs to be able to fall asleep on his own.

I looked at the clock when I stepped away, and he cried for less than 2 minutes, then quickly fell asleep.  He slept for 1 hour, then was awake but quiet in his crib for another 15 minutes before I got him out.

DAY 4 – SAT, OCT 31

I had the new nap routine established by now.  This includes offering him a separate sippy cup containing an ounce of water, after he drinks his sippy cup of “formula milk.”  Todd cried for about 8 minutes when I put him in his crib but he was gradually settling down during that time.  He slept for 2.25 hours!

DAY 5 – SUN, NOV 1

I worked all day, so Eric was home with Todd.  Eric said that Todd cried for a few minutes, but then he slept for 1.5 hours in his crib.

DAY 6 – MON, NOV 2

Today I tried using different nap music:  a lullaby music CD that my sister used for her kids.  I burned a second copy of it so that I could have both CDs playing at nap time.  (I turned one on in Todd’s room, then I played the other one in my room while I rocked him, fed him, and read books to him in my glider chair.)

I suspected that he wouldn’t mind the change of nap music, and I was right.  He cried for less than 30 seconds, got quiet, then fell asleep.  He slept longer than usual.  At 2.75 hours, I peeked in on him.  I could see that his eyes were open, and he was sucking on his sippy cup of water.  I took this picture…

November 2, 2015

I figured nap time was over, except…when I left his room for a few more minutes it soon became clear that he wasn’t ready to get up.  He was perfectly quiet in his crib.  I checked back a couple more times, and he remained lying down, relaxed.

Finally after another 40 minutes, I was the one who decided to get him up.  He was still perfectly relaxed, lounging around in bed…haha!  I figured it was getting plenty late since it was 2:40 PM!

So…THAT definitely completes our EASY transition!  I’m relieved! 🙂