5 month old separation/stranger anxiety

My DD is getting SO attached to me. I went back to work for 5 days, she did ok, each day a bit better. Then I was off for 2 weeks and now it is back to work again tomorrow. I am totally stressing. Yesterday we left her with my MIL for 2 hours and she SCREAMED for 1 hour and 45 min!!

I think my MIL may have not been able to get her down for a nap which caused her to get super overtired, but I swear when I showed up the instant I held her she calmed down.

Has anyone (I am sure most have) experienced this and if so how long does it last, is there anything I can do to help this??

I guess I should have left her with other people more often, but I have difficulty leaving her.




ETA: MIL will not be the one watching her. My parents and a babysitter will be.

Message edited 1/4/2009 2:27:19 PM.

Re: 5 month old separation/stranger anxiety

kaylie is 4months and i want to know the same things bc she screams bloody murder when someone new holds her and i have to end up taking her back to calm her down before trying again...im trying to go to family functions and ppls houses to get her used to other ppl but its not really working she is soooooooo attached to me and of course my dh its crazy....for some reason i didtn think it would start this early on

Re: 5 month old separation/stranger anxiety

Rylan started at 6 months and is still going strong at 9

Alot of the time he is ok with others as long as i'm right there. Can't wait for it to end!!!

Re: 5 month old separation/stranger anxiety

I posted the same thing when he was 5 months old. The problem I have is if I am in the room with him but someone else is holding him. He will scream for me and reach for me. If I am at work and out of sight, he is OK.
I think everyone goes through this. Hang in there and it will get easier over time.

Re: 5 month old separation/stranger anxiety

I go through this with Kristina.... If the mommy-itis is in Full Swing - I can leave the room with someone else holding her, and I will hear her screaming.... it's so not pretty.

Re: 5 month old separation/stranger anxiety

I went through this with ds when he was 3 1/2-4 months old. It finally ended around 5 1/2 months. Thank god. If someone else was holding him other than my husband, me or my MIL... he would scream the entire time. It was awful. There were times we had to leave him with my SIL and he screamed and screamed. But they're family... so they put up with it.

Unfortunately i don't have any advice for you because nothing made a difference, other than time. Although we usually had my SIL immediately take ds for a walk because he was always fine on walks and would usually fall asleep. But now that it's winter...

Does your dd fall asleep in the car? does your MIL have a carseat base?

Re: 5 month old separation/stranger anxiety

Posted by aliwnec10

I went through this with ds when he was 3 1/2-4 months old. It finally ended around 5 1/2 months. Thank god. If someone else was holding him other than my husband, me or my MIL... he would scream the entire time. It was awful. There were times we had to leave him with my SIL and he screamed and screamed. But they're family... so they put up with it.

Unfortunately i don't have any advice for you because nothing made a difference, other than time. Although we usually had my SIL immediately take ds for a walk because he was always fine on walks and would usually fall asleep. But now that it's winter...

Does your dd fall asleep in the car? does your MIL have a carseat base?

Message edited 1/4/2009 9:23:37 PM.