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Hi Kostas,
It sounds like Helen has learnt to fall asleep for daytime naps with movement. So if the settling pyramid isn’t working for you both, you can take a gentler approach that incorporates movement. But instead of rocking her in a pram, you will rock her in your arms. So it would look a bit like this:
– When it’s nap time, do Helen’s nap routine. Make sure the last activity is a calming one which ends in her bedroom and the lights are turned off.
– After completing the nap routine, hold Helen in your arms and gently rock her, as you pat her bottom and ‘shush’.
– If she is calm, stop rocking her (so that you’re standing still) but continue patting her bottom and shushing.
– If she continues to remain calm, stop patting her but continue shushing.
– Then stop shushing, so that she falls asleep in your arms, while you’re standing still and quiet.
– Then, place her in the crib.
By stopping the rocking and patting before she falls asleep, you’re helping her become comfortable with falling asleep without movement (so she is not reliant on movement to fall asleep). This will make it easier to move to using the pyramid technique when you’re both ready.
Does this make sense?
Emma