I have had 5 ds's and 2 dd's ! Normally I am the one giving advice !!...however..I am dumbfounded as to what to do with my just turned 11 month old who cries excessively when I put her down. She refuses to sleep in her cot, sit in a chair etc. She screams for me to hold her all day and all night I have to be with her.
I know most infants get S.A between 10 months to 18m ..most of mine had the usual type..i.e cry at strangers, if we left the room or went to strange places & all could be calmed down & put to ease after a while of reassuring them ...but my dd will not be reassured even at home, with no strangers, usual routine every day. All the time I'm holding her shes happy as a button, watching the goings on around her & giggling at all the others & daddy, but as soon as i put her down she cries.
I struggle to get anything done at home & my other dc's are almost being neglected because of the demands of my dd. When she is tired, I sit beside her, holding her hand & stroking her whilst keep gently putting her back in a moses basket (on the lounge floor without the stand), also in her cot upstairs but she will not even stay in any cots/beds no matter how exhausted she is. I take her out & breast feed her a while until she is practically asleep & gently lay her down, but as soon as she realises, she back screaming & arms stretched trying to cling to me.
this has been ongoing for almost 3 months, during which time ive tried : leaving her to cry for a period of time, returning to her every 5 mins to show her im still there, leaving the length of time longer between intervals etc, picking her up & waiting until she sleeps before putting her down for a nap etc nothing works, i was doing this all night once, and still she wouldn't give up, she fell asleep sitting up after 3 hours, and woke 10 mins later & started again !
during the day I sit beside her & play with the other children, never leaving her side, & she still only sits for 5-10 mins before clambering up me again. she is a confident girl, she can crawl, cruise around & stand unaided & she gets much praise etc which she loves..but I always must be with her & never move a few feet from her during the day, and she will never sleep unless in my bed with me.
I am lost for what to do. :(
i know she will eventually grow out of it, but this behaviour is too much of a strain for the whole family. I don't think its fair for my other dc's if this continues for much longer, as they are young also, and are getting no time with mummy at all. first time I have ever had a situation I couldn't resolve, i feel terrible for her and my others.