Toddler suddenly can't do without us in her room

[snowbella]

DD has been an excellent sleeper since 5 mo, but at age 2.5 she will not sleep without mum or dad there. One of us has slept in with her for about 5 weeks now (she rages in the night otherwise). Any tips on how to firmly break this cycle would be really appreciated. We never left her to cry it out when she was tiny, and a recent attempt at doing so caused utter distress all night for all of us (and she even did a protest poo on her chair)so it's really too late to start that now. She is such a lovely poppet that I almost feel guilty moaning about her, it's just this one thing! Thanks

Has she become scared of the dark?
Our DD1 got scared around that age so we left the light on and the door open all night and hey presto....

Just a thought

It could also be separation anxiety... my daughter (2yr 8months) is quite clingy at times anyway and doesn't like me leaving her at bedtime.
I sit and read in her room until she falls asleep. I sit across the room for her, she'd like me to sit and hold her hand, but I don't because she takes longer to fall asleep if I do.
She will often wake once in the night and call for me. I still use the intercom because I hear her sooner, so can get to her quicker, which means I can settle her more easily. If I don't get to her quickly enough and she gets up, I put her back to bed and sit with her again. She mostly sleeps through now though.
It is worth persevering, you will be shattered for a while, but she needs to understand that you will come when needed, but you have your own bed.
Good luck

Thanks everyone.Had to send laptop to PC World shortly after posting my original message. DD has had a light in her room ever since she went in there, but thanks for the tip....her room has glass panels on the top half and I think maybe she might be reacting to the dark once she wakes up in the night. We do stay in with her till she falls asleep. Our bedroom interconnects with hers so it's easy for her to storm (that's the word!)in in the middle of the night. I am sill scratching my chin about it. I used Tracy Hogg (baby whisperer) advice when DD was small, and I'm sure she would call our current situation "accidental parenting"!