Do you let LO nap on your chest?

[Deleted]

Letting DS nap on my chest is soooooo nice, but everyone (DH, pedi) is saying I shouldn't. DS is 3 months old, and really seems to like it. He sleeps for a long time (2-3 hours) and we both get a nice nap. DH is worried I'll roll over or startle awake and throw DS off me. DS weights 16 lbs, I don't see that happening. I also know babies aren't supposed to sleep on their tummies, but DS seems so comfy. Our pedi says "not to make a habit out of it" b/c DS may stop sleeping in his crib on his own. But DS is a great sleeper, he sleeps in his crib, rock n' play, my arms, whatever with no trouble.

Do you let LO nap on your chest?

[tardyfortheparty]

Soak up those little chest naps while you can...they get so big so quickly! Those chest naps were my favorite.

[karinothing]

I would tell your pedi to shut it

DS napped on my chest until 4 months old then he started to nap in bed with me (then the crib). Now at 7 months he rarely if ever falls asleep on me ( i can't even hold him and rock him for a few moments before bed without him getting antsy). I was just remarking how much I missed chest naps the other day.

[sawyerthedestroyer]

I loved it when DS did that. He's too big and active now and I miss the cuddling.

[OscarQ]

That was the best part of having a newborn!

[Deleted]

I love chest naps and I miss then. But I agree with your pedi. LO and I only chest napped about 4-5x and I credit that to him being a good sleeper. He is/was always easy to put down for a nap, STTN at 11.5 week, slept in his own crib all w/o any sort of sleep training.

[Ashley&Scott]

Sleeping on our chests is how we survived for the first few months. DS would not sleep any other way. Around 2.5-3mo he started sleeping on his back next to me in our bed.

At 4.5mo he's just now slowly starting to sleep in his crib. (he's had a few 1 hour stretches the last few nights)

[baconista]

I agree with everyone else. Enjoy the cuddles and snuggles while you can get them.
I was worried that DS would form a habit of only sleeping on my chest since he did so often when he was a newborn, but now that he is a bit older (7 months) he will only sleep in his crib.

[Deleted]

We coslept all night at that age. And he slept in the carrier all the time, which is the same thing. Sometimes I napped on the couch, sometimes I did stuff.

If you want to feel better, look up some of Dr. James McKenna's work. It's so normal to snuggle your baby and sleep.

[DarcyLongfellow]

If it works for you guys, do it!!

DD would only nap in my arms for at least the first 3 months. I think around 4 months I started trying to put her in her bed for naps, but she still ended up getting many naps in my arms for a while.

She'll still sleep in our arms if she's sick. DH and I both love it :-) (Not the fact that she's sick, of course. Just the fact that she gets snuggly!!)

[sewpinkgal]

They grow out of that stage So Fast so enjoy it while he still wants to nap on you. J was generally a crappy sleeper and I was so focused on helping him sleep that I don't think I fully enjoyed that time that he would sleep on me.

[galaxy8227]

I can still occasionally get a cuddle nap out of him

DS has always been a good sleeper so I didn't worry about him doing these naps. If I thought he was having an issue sleeping in the crib because of it then I would have stopped

[drloretta]

We did it every afternoon. DD slept for 2+ hours, I watched a movie. She slept in her crib just fine.

[statlerwaldorf]

I always did. I was sad when DD wouldn't nap on me anymore. I would enjoy it now. There was one time where I dozed off when she was a newborn. I had a mini freak out when I woke up because I was afraid I would've accidentally knocked her off me or something, but she was in the same spot. I never had a problem getting DD to sleep.

[Deleted]

yes

[vanillacourage]

Catnaps? Yes.

3 hours? No.

ETA - I take it back, we did longer stretches when he was brand new. But he's 2 months now and I'm trying to encourage him to love his crib to help me out at 3am.

[kittycatlove]

I did almost all the time while i was home on maternity leave. I so miss it. DS fell asleep on my chest on his 1st birthday, and I realized how much I missed it. He also has never had any problems napping in his crib.

Enjoy it while you can.

[ufcasey]

Rocco is 7 months old and he still will take naps on our chest - I love it! He will also nap in his crib and STTN in his crib. So enjoy it guilt free!

[Deleted]

Jun 7, 2012 11:47:49 GMT -5 OscarQ said:

That was the best part of having a newborn!

Totally agree. Enjoy it while it lasts. It goes by so fast.

[fortmyersbride]

Yes, DD napped on me all the time at that age. We did not sleep overnight that way as I don't sleep well on my back, but still coslept full time. She is now 8 mos and no longer like to nap on me, she prefers her own space, so no I don't think it ruins their sleep.

Also, I hate hearing about pedis who warn about spoiling an infant. You can't spoil an infant, and certainly not by snuggling them!

[hedgiecrazy]

Enjoy it while you can! Ivy is still a snuggly sleeper at five months and if I get frustrated that I can't get something done, my husband just reminds me that a few months from now I'll be complaining that she doesn't want to snuggle.

[csquared]

My DD slept like that with me for several months (at night too). But she was in a hip harness for hip dysplasia and really wasn't comfortable any other way. Our pedi and orthopedist were fine with it. I'm in the enjoy the snuggles while you can get them camp.