Separation Anxiety - Arvada,CO

Well, just hold him then. Seperation anxiety at 6 months is a crock, I think. Invest in a sling. What is wrong with a baby wanting to be held by his mother? I just got used to my koala bear in the mornings being needy (still is) and when he is ready, he asks to be put down, and now he is off and running on his own. My other family members could take him away from me with no crying from my baby... but the day care? NO WAY. So we got a nanny, and now that part is 100% better. He didn't like the day care. Turns out he didn't like chaotic environments, and it was too loud and too lonely there for him. He is not colicky and several professionals have observed him and there is NO clinical seperation anxiety. Simply a baby that wants to be held. I bought a Sakura Bloom sling and wore him all the time. The sling was beautiful and comfortable and he loves it, and I loved having him close to me. When he got happier... he slept a lot better too. In fact, he now sleeps better for the anny than he does for me!
The only way babies can communicate is to cry - so he is just trying to tell you he needs you. He's just a baby.

Hi, I have a 6 month old, he is going through the same thing. He wants to be carried all the time! When i lay him down he cries & cries, when I do pick him up again he still cries like he is so hurt :) So I now put him somewhere he can see me, and give him toys to keep him busy. He sits next to be when we are on the couch and not on my lap. He sits in his activity set and i play with him & his toys. I've learned to not put him alseep by rocking him, instead he has a bed time, once he had a bath, eat dinner, I lay him in bed with his pacifer and he puts himself to sleep. I was rocking him to sleep but he would wake up as soon as i laid him down, try to boppy it works, to them when you put them in it, it feels like arms are around them.. :) And Ryan only takes 20 minute naps now, he doesn't sleep long it must be the age!

Separation-Anxiety and "object permanence" are 2 things that tweaks a baby at this age.

Look up object permanence online, and you will see that this is what baby is going through as well.

Try playing peek-a-boo with him...

Also, is he 'happy' with his Babysitter? How long has he been with her? Often times, a new routine in a child's life can make them insecure or anxious.... how does SHE handle him or his crying???

just some thoughts,
Good luck,
Susan

Hi, J..
A few thoughts come to mind. First, when you are together, you might find he is happiest being carried in a baby sling carrier. The adjustable shoulder kind (over the shoulder baby holder or maya wrap) is good for babies up to 40 pounds, like a three year old. This way you will be comfortable and still get things done, and he will be happier through this phase.
Also, I wonder how his other care givers respond when he cries? It is important that everyone gives the same response as best they can. If one caregiver tends to let the baby sit and cry for longer periods than he can cope with, he will be more apt to cry, assuming other caregivers will do the same. Decide what you want then talk with your caregivers.
Which leads to the last point... research suggests one primary caregiver is optimal for child development, so when a mom needs to work, it is optimal to find one person to fill in, rather than multiple caregivers when possilble. Among other things, this allows for consistency. It's not possible in every situation, but good to know and consider.
Hang in there!

I had that baby, too! It got better when he was able to sit up, and better yet when he was mobile. He was never in day care, so I wouldn't put too much concern in that direction as being a cause. I always held him, thinking that he would probably grow up more secure. And he has, he is a pretty confident little 3 year old, now. Still not a great sleeper, but that is slowly improving, too.
If I had to do it all over again, I would still hold him pretty much all of my waking hours (a Moby helped a little). Best wishes, J..

My youngest was like that! He never wanted to be put down. I remember my MIL saying that I was going to spoil him if I held him all the time, and that he would never learn to walk like that. I have to admit, my arms did get tired sometimes, and there were some things that I just had to do without him in my arms, but I hated leaving him to cry!
He had colic, and that was part of the problem. Talking with a lactation specialist (also my pediatrician) helped us battle that, but he still like being held.

I agree with the post that said wear him. Baby sling or upright carrier, some babies will be great with that. My husband helped a lot, taking him off my hands -literally- when he was home (he's always been a very involved dad). And we just had to wait it out. He was a little more hesitant to go to nursury (for Sunday school), and a bit clingy his first week of preschool, but again we just worked through it. Now he's 6, in first grade, and SUPER confident (and independent, yikes!) I think that it is because I was always there and willing to hold him when he needed me as a baby. Now I kind of miss all the times I held him, though he is still a cuddle bug. :)

I call my son the Velcro baby, and he sound a lot little your little man. The only way for me to get stuff done was to break down and just "wear" him around. If he wanted up, I just stuffed in whatever sling I had lying around (we now have several) and would go on about my business. He is much better now at 9 months, as he wants to crawl and explore, but still is very much a snuggle kid. My older son was like that too, only not quite as intense, and at 4.5 he is very independent and confident and not at all spoiled.

Oh, and it seems to get worse when they are tired. If he is grumpy and wants to be held because he is only getting broken sleep, it might be worth trying to help him find a better sleep schedule.

Wear your baby! Get a soft sling and wear him! They feel calmer when they hear their parents' heartbeats. It will amaze you!!!! It is not spoiling him, but healthy bonding and making baby secure!

Glad to hear that your first stop was the dr. and that everything was okay.

Do you dress him in long sleeve outfits? Has he been checked for reflux? Could it be that the laying down is what is uncomfortable?

Just some thoughts.
M.