Hello Ashely!
I am certainly not an expert. However, when our little girl was as young as yours, she was very fussy about sleep; in particular during her naps. Sometimes the only way we could get her to sleep was by taking her out in the stroller (good thing that it was summer) for very long walks. She would then sleep for up to 2-3 hours. At the time, she actually slept more soundly when there was a lot of noise around her. Go figure.
Since your baby is still perhaps a little young to expect an exact routine defined for her sleep schedule (where and for how long), you unfortunately should plan on a great deal of experimentation. We gradually had to work in trying naps on my lap while nursing, leaving her in her bassinet, laying her in a baby seat, and then finally her crib. I found that after giving in to holding her much of the time, so she would get her rest and I would get a bit of peace, it was still not ideal, considering she never slept more than 20 minutes or so at a time.
Quite honestly, my best advice to you would be to endure the crying (if that is an option). My partner and I had a difficult time with this at first, as it can be grueling and does make you feel like you might be tramatizing your child. I believe, after working through it for about a couple of good weeks, we were all better off because of it. I also do not feel that it had any ill effects on our baby. She is less cranky during the day and very happy upon waking.
I am not suggesting that ferberizing is the only option or best method, but it did work for us. By the time we were ready to move our daughter into her crib, from the bassinet, it worked like a charm. For months now we've been able to put her to bed, while partially awake, whether it's naptime or at night; she will maybe cry for 2-3 minutes and then she's off to sleep for hours.
When this was a real problem for us I read everything I could get my hands on. I thought up new ideas every day. We tried many approaches. Again, nothing worked like letting her "cry it out", as they say. If you decide that this is right for you, realize that it might take a week or two to see any progress. However, your baby should be crying less and less as time passes and eventually she may not cry whatsoever, or just for short periods of time.
I wish you luck and success!
A.
Stay at home mom and mother of a lovely 7 month old baby girl.