separation anxiety?????

[MichelleW]

My 9 month old daughter has started to wake in the night and also screams when we put her to bed in the evening. She stops as soon as I pick her up and starts again when I put her down. She did not settle well in the evening for the first 5 months of her life, but until recently she has been trouble free. I hope this is just a phase.... Any suggestions would be gratefully received.

Most babies go through this as far as I have heard. My ds certainly did. From 9-11 months, he would wake up 3-5 times a night and not want to be put down, bit of a shock as he slept through perfectly before. It was hard, I was so tired and so was he.

It did pass, I did attribute it to separation anxiety. It gradually got better after he got attached to a blanket which he saw as a comforter and associated it with me. ( I actually used an old t-shirt I had been wearing and then cut it in half so I had 2 incase we lost one!). I gave it to him everytime I fed him, cuddled him, put him to bed, in the car, nap times, just to get him attached to it. It took time and just as I was about to give up we realised he got upset when we took the 'blanket' away and eventually he settled with nothing but the blanket to fiddle with as he fell asleep. Now if he wakes he just reaches for it and dozes straight off again. Lovely!!! I really reccommend it.

If not, it is just a phase, it will pass when she figures out that when she needs you, you are there for her.

Thank you so much for the advice, this is really reassuring. I will try introducing a comforter and make sure I have several of the same! .

Hope it passes soon! Remember it is normal and it will eventually go. She just needs extra reassurance that you are there and you haven't abandoned her. It's scary for them and try and remember that for her it is a real fear, although it is frustrating, remembering that often helped me not just ignore him or bounce him out the window