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14 month separation anxiety?

3 replies

Lozario · 03/08/2010 14:55

Hi, this is the first thread I've started so hope you can help!

My son is nearly 14 months old and just making the transition from 2 to 1 naps during the day, so we're having an early lunch at about 11.30ish and then he's in bed by midday. He doesn't seem over-tired and he goes down absolutely fine, but the last couple of days he's woken up dreadfully upset after less than an hour. I can tell he's still tired so today I cuddled him til he calmed down, put him back in the cot and after a minute he was yelling again. I cuddled him again and this time lay down with him and we both went to sleep for another hour - which was lovely, but I'm pregnant so don't want to start napping with him if I can't carry on when I've got the new baby.

He also uncharacteristically woke during the night a couple of nights ago, same thing, seemed very distressed and after I cuddled him he quietened down and slept the rest of the night back in the cot.

Has anyone else experienced this - is it an age-appropriate stage? What do you think the best approach is? He already has 15 teeth so I don't think it's that. I'm not anti-CC but not sure if it's necessary in this scenario as it's quite sudden and quite out of character. He's a bit clingier to me generally I think, I'm a stay-at-home mum and I do sometimes worry this adds to his mummy's boy tendencies!

TIA! Lozario

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
RuthChan · 03/08/2010 15:36

Yes, I think this is a pretty normal stage at that age. Many children become clingy and also many go through sleep disturbance for no apparent reason.
Hopefully it won't last too long.

The other thing you need to remember is that you are pregnant. Certainly my DD became very clingy while I was pregnant and seemed to be aware of the change even before there was any physical sign of a bump. It could be that your DS is partly reacting to that.
Have you started to read any pre-sibling books together yet?

Lozario · 03/08/2010 18:05

Interesting as my also-pregnant friend said that her ds is the same, although neither of us are visibly pregnant yet. Her dh reckons the babies can "smell it"!!

I didn't even know such books existed! Do you have any recommendations?

OP posts:
RuthChan · 03/08/2010 19:56

Yes, they must be able to smell it or something, because they certainly seem able to tell before there are any obvious external signs. Maybe they pick up on our changing hormones.

There are lots of sibling preparation books. I'm sure everyone has their favourites.
Personally, I had 'Waiting for Baby' and 'My New Baby' by Annie Kubler. The first about pregnancy and the second about after the birth.
They are beautifully illustrated board books that have no words or text. It leaves you free to describe the pictures and situations yourself and also for your toddler to pick out and talk about objects and situations they recognise. My DD loved them even after DS was born.
You can see them both on Amazon.

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