9mth old separation anxiety at the CMs

[bluebean]

My DD is 9.5 months and I'm going back to work in a couple of weeks. She'll be at the CM once a week. We've started short visits to get her used to the CM over the last two weeks. She hates it. I'm thinking this is separation anxiety as she plays happily, looks up, realises I'm not there and then howls until I return. I've only left her for a maximum of 30 minutes. What do I do?

If I leave her for longer will she eventually stop crying and realise the CM is lovely and it's ok to be there?

Do I reduce my working hours so she doesn't have to go to the CM at all? Even just until Christmas? Would she be any better trying again once she's a bit older? Say 12 months?

She's fine when I leave her with my DH or Mum but I can see she's starting to get more anxious generally.

All I want is for her to be a confident happy child, not shy and clingy like I was.

This is so hard - I feel like I'm selfish for going to work when I should be there with her. But I love my job and I don't want my own life to stop completely.

Any advice?

[AbbaFan]

I am a CM and IME the earlier the children come to us the better.

Most children go through a clingy stage, but once she settles, I am sure it will work out fine.

[compo]

I would go with the first option to begin with
Leave her, phone the cm maybe 30 minutes later to see if she's settled