Only Naps in the Swing...

Hi P.,

Doesn't it seem odd to you that she will sleep in her bed at night, but not during naptime? This is my opinion, but I feel that she can't nap in the swing forever, so you are going to have to deal with it sometime. I just think it is easier to deal with it while she is younger instead of when she can stand up to the side of the crib and scream. It will only take a few fussy days and then you will wonder why you ever started letting her sleep in the swing for long lengths of time in the first place. My thinking is that I never start something with children that I am going to have to put them through stress to change later. It's like some parents allow their children to sputter and scream...they think it is cute when they are only a few months old, but then when they are two or three it's not so cute anymore, and they get in trouble for it. Whose fault is that?...the child's...NO, so why should they pay for our bad choices?

C.

my daughter used to nap all then time in her swing and would sleep in her bed at night. it just seemed to change one day and she wouldnt sleep as well in swing so then had to go about getting her to sleep in her crib. it took a few days but it wasnt too bad good luck

My son did the same thing. During the day he was content to sleep on me or if we were out he would fall asleep in the carseat. At night though we could not get him to sleep in his crib. He was fine in his swing though. My mom had a fit and kept saying were going to hurt his back somehow. We talked to the pediatrician and she said it was perfectly fine to let him sleep in the swing...nothing was going to happen to his back. She did say that he could be having a bit of reflux since I was trying to put him down in the crib after a nursing session. He eventually started sleeping in his crib so I wouldn't worry too much about it.

I say whatever works for you...

My 9 month old is napping in the swing right now! It has worked for us for the last several months and only until lately are we ready to wean her off of it. I'd started putting her in her crib and let her whine it out a couple of weeks ago when she came down with a cold! So, we kept the swing out and it was a life safer for when she was congested! This is the big week to wean her off. I'm sure we'll have a couple of short fussy naps to deal with until she understands that the swing is gone.

Do whatever works and wean when you're ready!

I also say "Whatever works for you". I think she'll grow out of it at some point, but just my opinion. She probably likes the rocking motion. My son was the same way... we could vacuum under the swing and we wouldn't even wake him up! He loved being in his swing. My daughter on the other hand, wanted to be put down and not rocked or held. We rarely used it for her. Every child is different, and you need to do what works for you. I don't think you should be too worried about it.

I wish you well in your decision.
~SR

Our daughter did the same thing and eventually she grew out of it. I wouldn't worry like some of the other posters that this is a bad thing. Brain waves and sleep cycles during nap sleep are different than night sleep. I found that the swinging motion helps babies fall asleep faster and sleep longer. (Think of how instinctual it is for anyone to hold a baby and rock back and forth) I have a friend from South America who told me all the children sleep in hammocks for many years during their siesta. The slight swinging keeps them calm and helps them sleep.

Don't worry about it. If she sleeps in her crib at night and likes her naps in the swing, no biggie. The main thing is that she's getting her sleep. My daughter used to fall asleep in her swing too and I had to wait until just the right moment to move her into her crib. (It was a toddler swing we had hanging in our basement so I had to move her because it wasn't like those nice Graco style swings) I was risking it every time...and sometimes, even waking her up during the move. So, let her sleep. No biggie. :)