DS usually has a big afternoon sleep from 12:30-2:30 (ish). The last few weeks, there has been about one day a week where he will just refuse to sleep. He just lies in his cot and sings nursery rhymes, recites his favourite books etc. He is happy enough, just not sleeping. But on the days he does sleep, it is still 2-2.5 hrs.

This week, he has not had a day sleep. He just powers through from 6am til 7:30pm without a nap. By 4pm, you can see he is exhausted, but he pushes through dinner, bath etc. I am trying to wear him out as much as I can during the day, and not let him go down too early or sleep in too much.

He just seems too little to be going without a nap. (and selfishly, I am pregnant, so I could really use one in the afternoon as well).

Do I just accept that naptimes are over? I will keep giving him quiet time anyway, but I think he needs to sleep. He self-settles at night (and was for his day sleeps). I have been considering trying patting etc to get him to sleep, but am worried this will undo our night routine. Hmmm... Any advice?

DS1 dropped his at 21 months. Never to have a day sleep again. I was shocked.
Like your DS he was very tired and cranky in the afternoons. I tried to get him to have sleeps again. It took a lot of effort each day but the annoying thing is he would then stay up until 10pm so we went back to no sleeps.
You can't really fight it - just secretly hope it might go back.

I'd let him drop the sleep (although be firm about the rest time routine) but let him go to bed about an hour earlier, like at 6:30.

I was not at all happy when my son dropped his day sleep before his little sister arrived. But I actually found it easier and less stressful than trying to coordinate two kids' sleeps.

And while I was pregnant, I would make 'rest time' his tv time; put on a 45 minute kids DVD and doze on the couch while he watched it.

DS is 22 months and he has been doing similar but I still put him in his cot and if he doesn't sleep he can have "quiet time". He also sings to himself and recites stories. Im not ready to give up day sleeps just yet

My DD is nearly 23 months and been doing this for a few months. We now count ourselves lucky if we get 2 day sleeps in a week. But, she generally still gets 'rest' time, and if she needs a sleep she has one.

I like the idea roses has - something quiet for both of you so that he's not too cranky.

Same here!
A few months ago DD started refusing the odd nap. But it was sporadic so I didn't worry. But then over the last month she just doesn't sleep in the day. At first it made for a very grumpy girl but now she's pretty right.

I too am pg. 34.5w. I'd dearly love a nap but as others have said if she sleeps then she's up til all hours and I'm in bed by 9 now.

So instead of up at 6am and down at night by 730 with a 1 hr nap - she sleeps in from anywhere from 630-800am (sometimes she's just reading in bed or on her chair) and down at night from 645.

In a way it's better. I get all evening off. And the odd sleep in.

I'm pretty tired. But I would be anyway and I'm bound to be after DD2 arrives!

Are you getting 2.5 hours of quiet time anyway? If so, I am incredibly jealous.
DS dropped his nap months ago. I was finding it so stressful and it pushed bedtime seriously out on the days he did nap, so I just lowered my expectations and put him in the cot with books and toys and an audio book and he stays there for up to an hour. It's more like 30-40 minutes as average.

I think you just have to go with it, sorry. If it helps, continuing the quiet time routine will mean he might pick it up again. That depends on your son, I know mine probably won't.

Audiobooks are a great idea, riotproof. I remember you from when we were having sleep issues when DS was 9-10months. I think we both just have low sleep needs babies.

I do get jealous when I hear my friend whose DS is two weeks older than DS still has a 3hr+ sleep.

Quiet time usually lasts for 30-40 minutes, when it becomes "squealing/barking like a dog/fake sneezing at the top of your lung" time.

Oh, our quiet time involves jumping in the cot, talking to the audiobook, "reading" books as in Koko! Traintastic!" or other general exclamations, yelling "Mummy, where are you? Come back!". I did manage a doze the other day though. It's anything but quiet.

I know a lot of people use TV as a quiet time, and while DS is currently watching more than I'd like, I prefer the idea of quiet time as being tucked away in the bedroom.

Your lucky you got that far my ds was 16 months when he dropped all his day sleeps.

He sleep ok at night but that a different story.

But yes quiet time is still important we read a couple of books and sing nursery rhymes.