Separation anxiety at night, really need help

[Weezie85]

This is starting to kill me, my DD is just over 7 months and for the past few nights has been waking up and refusing to go back down. She has never STTN so its not the actual waking that bothers me, more the 2 hour battle to get her back down.
She will happily sleep in her crib for naps and goes down well at bedtime but she seems to be getting up and not wanting feeding, not needing her nappy done, just seems she wants us to be with her. As soon as you put her in the crib she freaks out big time.
No idea what to do. Please help.

When DD went through this phase we just cuddled her till she slept then put her down asleep. Kept trying every now and then to put her down dozy rather than asleep and she grew out of it. It only increases their anxiety if you try and force them to do without you when they really need the reassurance. Does she sleep if you're in the room just reading or something?

She will lay silent but with eyes open. Waited 30 minutes last night and she would not drift off even with me sitting beside crib.

Co sleep?

Not an option to co sleep due to me having surgery soon and needing to take pain killers which could make me drowsy at night.

Can you lay her down in your bed til she goes back off - next to DH if necessary - then move her?

Good luck with Op