Would you like to have me answer your baby sleep problem in my next video? If so, scroll down and submit your question in the comment section below. I will pick several questions a month to answer and post them here on the blog!

 
I’m Kim West, the Sleep Lady and in this video blog I’m gonna answer Natalia’s question. Here’s what she wrote in:

“At the moment, my 19-month old sleeps in her own room/crib but I take new naps with her. I’m three months pregnant with my second so I’m feeling really tired and love that we can take naps together in the same bed. It gives me bonding time especially since I’m currently sleep coaching her and don’t put her into our bed at all.”

“I used to do it at 4:00 or 5:00 a.m. because I felt like she had plenty of rest. Sleeping from 8pm to 5pm but now I know that’s not true. My question is, is it wrong that I’m napping with her? Also will this affect my soon to be new born? I plan to have all three of us nap together at the same time but sleeps separately at night. My 19-month old seems to understand bed with Mama is only at naps but crib is at night. What do you think?”
 

If It Works

 
You know what? I think if it is working, leave it alone. Meaning, she’s obviously progressing well and sleep coaching at night. She’s still able to take a good nap with you in the afternoon. I will leave it alone. The only thing is is that it might not all wind perfectly with the new born.

Sometimes when you have more than one child, getting them to nap at the same time feels like all the stars have to be aligned and then you to hope nobody rings the doorbell or calls you or disrupts it.

Follow Your Instincts

 
So just be open and know that that might not happen all perfectly and you also have quite a bit time left, still 6 months to see how things go with the naps. If you know she stops napping when you’re lying with her then it might be time to occasionally have a nap in the crib but other than that I think this is fine what you’re doing.

I know when my older one, when I was pregnant with my second one, I used to sometimes take a nap with my older one too and she did know the difference and she knew that it was like a special thing and I really enjoyed it too.
But again she knew the skill of putting herself to sleep so that when the baby came she could occasionally take a nap in her crib if it didn’t all work out for me to lie down with her and the new born sleeping too.

Okay, good luck.
Kim
The Sleep Lady

Video filmed by In Focus Studios

If you’ve had a similar experience in trying to decide about napping with your children share your experiences. Please feel free to click the “reply” link under this article and leave them a comment. Supporting each other makes parenting so much easier!