How do you handle a clingy baby?
Over the past week or so I’ve come to notice that T has evolved into a clingy baby.
I’m not sure how this happened, up until recently she’s always been pretty calm and content with other people. Now, it’s completely different. If I leave her for a period of time in the care of anyone else she screams the house down.
It became apparent I have a problem at Pilates class last week. I’d been so excited to be accepted onto the Pilates term at the new Barnsbury Community Centre after trying the class for the first time last month. The Kate Greenaway nursery provides a crèche for T and the Pilates instructor is brilliant. The class is free and the crèche is free, I feel so lucky to be included.
T seemed to enjoy crèche for the first two weeks. Each time when I came to collect her she was sound asleep. Last week it didn’t go down so well.
The crèche is located in the room adjacent to the pilates room and T’s full-pitched screams reverberated across the building. I had to abandon the class on three occasions to tend to her. In the end I gave up, as each time I left she was inconsolable.
This week I decided to get to the crèche half an hour early at 9am to feed her and settle her in before dashing off to join the start of the class. When I left her at 9.30 she was chilling on a caterpillar cushion and looked like she was about to doze off. No such luck. 10 minutes into the class I could hear her loud and clear, as could everyone else in the class.
I figured she would eventually settle. I left the class to check on her once at the midpoint and eventually her cries subsided after around 40 minutes. By the end of the session I found her fast asleep. I think she’d literally worn herself out.
It’s hard to know what to do, as I’m T’s sole carer during the week so she spends the bulk of her time with me. A lovely lady who runs a baby massage class immediately after the pilates crèche gave me some advice this morning. She said it’s probably a passing phase and that my husband and I should try massaging T for longer periods more frequently, in particular in advance of any spells without her mummy, as it will make her more relaxed.
I’m going to give it a go and see if it helps. Right now I give T a quick massage after her bath but it’s usually rushed, as she’s impatient for her bedtime feed.
If anyone else has other tips please let me know!
Ruth Marimo replied:
Well this is actually normal it means she is getting really recognise people and is now aware when mommy is not around. I would suggest that no matter how much she cries when you are in class that you do not dash to check on her as she’ll soon figure out that, that’s all it takes to get your attention. Eventually she will get used to this new environment but I do think getting there earlier and getting her comfortable also helps. I think around 18months this clingyness returns at full force again:-) good luck Tavia.
March 10, 2010 at 7:08 pm. Permalink.
notsoyummymummy replied:
Thanks Ruth. I think you are right, she has to get used to it. I just felt bad as the creche staff were short-staffed today and after a while I could see one of the carers hovering in the door looking for me with a screaming T in her arms. She then asked me how many more weeks we were signed up for…I’m going to persevere though and hopefully the clingyness will pass soon.
March 10, 2010 at 8:34 pm. Permalink.