The Nap Routine

Each week I tend to set a new goal for myself of something that I would like to accomplish with Katie. This week it is surrounding her napping schedule. Many books advise you not to start a nap routine until the baby turns 2 months, and now that she is 10 weeks old, it is definitely time. Until now, Katie has been taking these little cat naps either in her pack and play, the swing (if she happens to fall asleep in there), the car while out running errands and periodically on one of us. This week, all that changed when I decided it was time for her to start napping in the crib.

I'm still trying to figure out what her nap times will be, but for now we are starting to establish the routine of her going down for at least 2 naps in the crib - 1 in the morning and 1 in the afternoon.

Everything I read states that I will more than likely have to let her cry it out, but so far that has yet to happen! 2 days in a row, I have taken her into her nursery about the time she starts to get fussy (approximately 1 hour after she is finished eating) and I rock with her for 5 minutes, just enough to get her nice and calm. Then, I put her in the crib - AWAKE - leave the room and wait to see what happens. Sure enough, she soothes herself right to sleep!

She may be too young to get on an exact schedule (i.e., a 2:00 afternoon nap), but at least we are starting to establish some form of a routine, and given that "routines" have helped her to sleep through the night starting at 8 weeks, I have no doubt this will help too!