[michelleb]

Hi there
We have a darling little (almost) 11 month old boy who has stolen our hearts!
He has been showing signs of an attachment issue and has recently become very difficult to get to sleep.
He used to just fall asleep with a bottle and I would hold him for a while and then put him in his crib.

Now he is finishing the bottle before he gets fully asleep OR pushing the bottle away before he is fully asleep. He can be exxhausted...barely opening his eyes but he screams and pushes to get away. If I just lay him gently in the crib he FLIPS over wide-eyed and FREAKS if I head for the door.

He has been taking to the sling OK and usually falls asleep in that (which surprises the heck out of me since that makes him really snuggled in close) but even that at times he will scream!

I don't want to force anything on him and it breaks my heart that it is ME who is making him cry!! After all he has been through in his short little life I just ache when he is crying...

He was abandoned in April so puttng him in the crib and letting him cry it out (my mother-in-law's advice..UGH!) is NOT an option as far as I am concerned.

Right now he is fast asleep hanging off the front of me in the sling...I had to face him out withhis legs hanging out over the front to get him to accept it - but he went right to sleep once I found the right position.

Can anyone offer any advice? I HHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTEEEEEE
making him cry!!!!!

[karen1234]

I don't know that I can help much but I did want to let you know our fs (11 months) acts the same way- and I don't have any concerns for him about attachment or bonding. He used to go to sleep very easily but now he will snuggle up with me and his bottle and be almost asleep and then will push the bottle away and want to get down and play. He does the same thing in the crib. We have the crib in our room so when I put him down in there now I lay down in my bed and watch tv for a little bit and he either plays for awhile and then gets tired and wants to snuggle with me and fall asleep or on rare occasions he will just lay down in the crib and fall asleep- but if I leave the room he screams. I know I spoil him but honestly I don't care.

[teachtofost]

My 11 month old does the same thing. No attachment problem here either. He started at the same time that he started needing to know exactly where I was at all times and be within sight of me. Before he'd be fine if I walked out of the room and then back again. Now he throws a fit most of the time.

I've been putting him in his crib and leaving the door a little way open. It seems that if I shut the door completely he gets freaked. He has a special lovey so I make sure he has it. He started waking in the night, but not needing a bottle. I looked in some child development books and they say it is normal separation anxiety.

For awhile I did sit in his room until he was almost asleep and then leave. It seemed to help, but he still has to cry a little to get to sleep. Good luck!