Separation anxiety!!

aimee413

My dd will be 9 months this week. I am a sahm so I'm sure that is a huge factor. I have been there for everything..night feedings, morning time, all day and bedtime. My dh has a horrible schedule. So since around 6 months I went to work part time and she was home with my dh. She screams all the time and is miserable until I get home. It was only for 2 days a week.
So now I'm not working again so she has me all the time again. I now get anxiety if I need a sitter because I know she is going to be hard to handle. Ugh!!
Anyone else going thru this? Any tips on how to make it better?
I have a 7yr old son and he was never like this. When he was around 2yrs old he might have cried if I left but would calm down soon after. She is only 9 months so I'm afraid this is going to be a loooong phase!!

NebF

My son is 9 months and has been the same way. He will only be calm if being watched by my husband, and this is a new thing. When he was around 5 or 6 months my hubby would call me with the baby screaming (like a a banshee) in the background begging me to come back. But he still gets very upset when he is watched by anybody else, which is really rare so it's not an issue for us. I don't have any tips on how to make it better. I just don't leave him with anyone but my DH these days.

beccalee721

I work full-time and I STILL have separation anxiety issues with my LO. When I pick her up from daycare she gets so overwhelmed when she sees me that she just breaks down crying. Luckily, she's been in daycare since 8 weeks or I'm sure she'd be even worse. But, there's a 9 month old girl who just started day care for the first time and the first week she had to be constantly held. Every time she was put down she cried. The provider mentioned that it usually takes 2-3 weeks for babies to adjust to something that big.

agibby

I work FT outside the home and we have separation anxiety here too. It's just a phase, but it can be a long one!

pb_bride

I'm a SAHM and we're dealing with separation anxiety as well.  DS is a little better now than say, couple weeks ago, though I almost never leave him with anyone except DH.  I do try to leave him several times a day for a few minutes at a time as "practice" - I'll wave bye-bye and tell him I'll be right back.  Sometimes he's preoccupied with his toys and doesn't care that I"m gone; other times he'll cry and stand up by the gate until I return.  

He also gets stranger anxiety as well and takes a while to warm up to new people and new places.

I think if you're getting a sitter, perhaps have her come by your place the first time without you being away, so your LO can get used to the sitter?