7 month old not settling in nursery

[Jenjen18]

My dd went to nursery for the first time yesterday. I was with her for 2 hours in the same room but out of sight. Initially she was settling in and was ok. I left after that and came back to pick her up after 2.5 hours and she was crying so hard which was unusual for her as she hardly cries so much. It broke my heart and I felt horrible. Today she is a changed baby. She became really clingy and wouldn't allow me to leave her alone at all. She cried a lot today and refused naps. She will be going back on Monday and I am dreading it already. Please can someone reassure me that this is just a phase..

I was a nursery nurse for 8 years. This is completely normal. It will make you feel absolutely horrible for leaving her there but she will get used to it. It varies for all children as to how long it takes to settle in but she will adjust eventually. You will probably want to stay to make her feel better but the best thing for you to do is to hand her to her key worker and leave quickly. I also have dd myself and she started nursery at 13 months. She had days where she was very clingy as well. It will be an adjustment period for you both. As long as the staff at the nursery are comforting her and being supportive she will settle. Hope this helps

Thank u :)