Super Clingy Baby

Have you ever tried making a tape of you talking or singing to him? I kept my granddaughter and would play a tape of her Daddy talking or of a song that she really liked and that seemed to work good. She was not a very good one to sleep for long so I would play the tapes and that made her happy.

E. H.

I don't think you are doing anything wrong!! I have two boys and both of them are/were extremely clingy. My 2yr old follows me to the bathroom. It is natural and normal!! His doctor told me that babies respond a lot like animals in the wild do. They follow their mother everywhere until they are sure enough about themselves to venture it alone. As he gets older you will start to see that you can get further and further away from him without him getting upset. Always console him or love him when he seeks you out it will only build his confidence. Goodluck!!

you know its best if you just breathe, relax and enjoy your baby while he does want your attention, b/c one day he wont want you to even kiss him. i have a 27 month old who i went through the same thing with and he is still a mamas boy but your are his "security blanket" hes new to the world and you are what makes him feel safe. i know its easier said than done.....but hes your little angel. it will be over before you know it. think of how fast things have gone up till now. so enjoy.....=)

My children did it to me. You are not doing anything wrong. I would put my kids in their highchair or swing so they could see whatever I was doing. That way they could still see me, but I was able to go about my normal business.

I am going through the exact same thing right now with my 8 month old son... I read some of the other responses and will try them as well. Let me know what works for you !!!!! :)

Hello T.,
You mention growing with him ~ you have now experienced crossing over the threshold of wondering if you did something wrong,... to listening to the little guy and giving him the proper reassurances he needs :) some moms don't crossover & you can now feel proud of yourself for realizing you both are growing together.
my son and i had experienced quite a bit of moving around his first two years, and i was able to raise a healthy, strong, stable, emotionally secure young boy now he age of 4. I used several methods and little things to ensure his sense of security. Here are some ideasL
* let him pick between two objects in your hand: peas or carrots? this toy /that toy? this color shirt / that color shirt? this encourages his right to choose.
* find a special drink, chamomile tea, water w/infused lemon, etc that he really enjoys. and make it a special treat at the same time in the morning or evening every day.
* bedtime routine is the catalyst: at 9 months, have your routine. bath, dress, books, nightlights, soft music, gentle bible reading, rocking, songs... the same order at the same time for month after month
* and as he is falling asleep (or even after he is asleep) say these magical words, in a soft monotone voice - emitting your love for him:

"My son, I love you so much. Daddy and I have waited for you all of our lives, and now you are here. Thank you for picking us. You are a Child of God. You are Nurtured. You are Loved. You are Respected. You are Adored. You are Supported. You are Secure. I am always here for you. And you know instinctely the difference between right and wrong. And you can see right through people because God has given you the Wisdom to see bad people from good people. And I Trust You. God fills you with His White Light and Love. And you radiate your Love and your Light in a 6 feet radius. And wherever you go, whatever you do, you emit His Love and Light. And you are Secure. I will Always Love You, my beautiful child. You are Funny, Cute, Smart, Handsome, Wise, Joyful, Creative, Loving, Compassionate, Sincere, and I thank you for being You. God sends his Angels and the Wrap their A. wings around you and hold you... so....... tight........ God bless you my Love. And Good night."

my 4 year old is still like that the only way i can get him to stop is just walk away when you know he needs nothing.its hard to ignore them but when you know they are all right they will stop!

I also have a 9 month old that used to care less if my husband or I was in the room or not, but now she cries as soon as we leave(not always, but she never used to at all). Our pediatrician told us that around 6-7 months of age babies begin to recognize strangers and also begin to develop separation anxiety. She isn't bad at all if it is a weekend, but during the work week it seems worse and I am sure it is because she doesn't see as all day long. I also agree with Scarlett about reassuring him and talking to him-even from the other room. Hearing my voice from the other room always seems to help my daughter. It seems like several of us are in the same boat and all have babies about the same age, so we can't be doing anything wrong!

T. just think of it this way. The baby has spent half of his life attached to you. Him being without you, even just a room away can feel scary to him. It is natural to want to be around his Mother all the time, you are his world. I remember people saying to me, "Your babying him" or "Do you every put that kid down?" and I just shrugged them off. Now at almost 2 years old I have the most secure, happy, little guy. I can leave and he hugs me and kisses me and then goes about his day. He knows I will always be there for him. Just like you are teaching your little man.
Have you thought of getting a baby carrier or sling? It lets them be next to you but also lets you cook or clean or whatever you need/want to do. Best of luck!

hi! i have 7 mo. old and she is the same way i can't get out of her sight. But as long as she is with her family she is ok with me leaving. It's most likely cause it is just you and him.. Have you tried letting him just cry and throw a fit?

T.,
My son went through the same thing around the time he was 11-12 months old. It mostly happened in the evenings and we determined that he was excessively tired (due to sleep apnea-that's another story) and it played out by wanting to be held all the time. Does it happen all the time or only certain times of the day? Any type of irritability can play out in wanting mommy's attention all the time so things like teething could also be a factor. Or it could just be plain old separation anxiety which in time should just fade and he'll realize you're coming back. Good luck!

My second baby is about 8 months right now and I'm feeling your pain! I could not get by without the baby sling. It's like having an extra set of hands. I can hold the baby and still do whatever I need to. Mine are from http://slinglings.com, but there are lots out there. You are totally not doing anything wrong. On the contrary, everything seems to be developing on time, like clockwork!
http://askdrsears.com/html/5/t051100.asp#top

Good Luck!

Maybe he is just worried you will go away and he wont be able to see you. Most babies at his age don't understand yet that just because he can't see you that doesn't mean your not there, so we play this little game with our daughter, we will go hide and call for her and she will come find us (hide and seek obviously)so now she has kinda learned that we are there even if she can't see us so she is calmer the only time she chases after us like you described him doing is when she is tired and wants a bottle and then she will do the winning crawl... good luck

My daughter does the same thing (I'm a single mom of a 9 month old) and will hold on to my legs and cry to be picked up. She just wants me to hold her constantly, but sometimes I can't. I can determine when she is just crying for attention and when something is really wrong. Sometimes I will put her in her exersaucer and let her play in there and cry it out. She'll usually cry a couple min and then start playing and forget why she was crying, but I inderstand how you feel. I want her to be somewhat independent, but it does make me feel good to be wanted. I just try to deal with it as it comes. If I am in the kitchen I'll put some pots on the floor and let her play next to me...

My first-born was like that. I started singing - anything - to let him know where I was and that I was not leaving him. Another thing I realized is that a minute or so of sitting on the kitchen floor and hugging earned (for me) 15 minutes of no whining (from him).

T.,
I think that he is going through the "seperationg anxiety" thing even though you are just in the other room. He is afraid that you will leave. This is a stage that they go through unfortunatly they go through it several times. Just reassure him mommy is only going to the kitchen. Ask him does he want to go with you? Hope this helps.