To check my baby every half an hour when he sleeps?

[Bumpandkind]

My husband thinks so as do my friends and family. He is 7 months and is healthy. I always have been terrified that something will happen to him when he sleep, especially that he will stop breathing. I don't know how to relax or when this fixation will stop. Help!

Ok I don't think you can assume this will get better just because it has for other posters. If this is manifestation of OCD it may very easily escalate rather than improve. One of the factors of OCD is a need for reassurance and I think this is what you have come on here for. I have some experience of OCD and your behaviour is familiar. I don't want to be harsh, but waking up in panic and having to check your 7 month old every half hour is not normal. If you didn't check would your anxiety become unbearable?
I think you should try and stop doing it, maybe reduce to every couple hours. but if you are unable t do this then you should try to get some counselling.

I try to lengthen the times I check but it does become unbearable. If I ask my husband to check and he waits a minute or two before doing so I almost explode (in a non- anger sort of way).

Thanks for all the support seanbean. I think the monitor will help.

LAYMEDOWN. I never took the idea of me having an OCD seriously but I may well explore support for this if you think it would help.

No, that's not normal. I'm with your dh on this one.

I think you should. The thing with OCD is that without treatment it escalates. You already display characteristics with the returning home to check things. The fact you do this indicates to me you are experiencing high levels of anxiety and the need to reduce it overtakes you.
Birth of a child often causes MH issues to escalate particularly OCD as there is another source of anxiety.
Another flag to me though is the requesting reassurance, which you have been doing not just in this thread but with your friends, family and husband. It is obvious to me that you want to be told that this is normal behaviour by someone as you are terrified to stop doing it. So despite the fact most people you asked say you should stop I bet you are using the few answers that say its ok and it will pass to reassure yourself its fine to still do this.
It's by no means the worst case I've ever come across but if it OCD or some other anxiety disorder it won't get better by itself.

If your ds was 7 days old, or even 7 weeks, I'd say yes, normal. But not at 7 months. I think you need to speak to someone.

I check on my dc's through the night, every 20 mins while I'm awake, every 30-90 minutes once I go to sleep, depending when I wake up.

they're 3, 17 months, and 13 weeks.

dunno whether others think that's odd or not, seems perfectly normal to me.

you check him as much as you like. i still checked daughter occasionally after she was eighteen and had gone to uni. if she was sleeping at home, i nipped in to check she was breathing. really.

I had an angel care, thinking I was just neurotic. Until as someone explained it was something that saved you from being neurotic! I honestly think I'd have been you without it - get one and save yourself the anxiety.

I used to be the same.

Once dd was in bed, I would refuse to come downstairs. And sat on the bed whilst she slept in her cot

As much as I tried, I couldn't stop myself from doing it.

Dd is now 19 months, and I'm less ridiculous stressed

To be doing this at 7 months isn't normal, I don't think. Plus...and I realise this will sound harsh...what is the point? Unless your baby has only just coincidentally stopped breathing moments before you checked on him there would be nothing you could do to help....so what is the point of checking every half an hour? If something awful had happened 15 minutes ago your checking would make no difference. All you're doing is feeding your own anxiety.