Separation Anxiety in Babies

First things first, what is separation anxiety? 👶💧

Separation anxiety refers to a development milestone that occurs in most babies between 6️⃣ to 1️⃣8️⃣ months of age, when they gain sense of object permanence.

Yeah we know what you’re thinking … Object-who-what? 🤷🏼‍♀️

It’s a fancy term that basically means your baby knows that objects and people (like yourself) exist even if they are not in the room or close by. Baby fears that a parent will leave and not return. This fear may get stronger in the presence of a stranger. So this important new development can create separation anxiety.

Separation Anxiety is a milestone, but does this mean it’s a good thing❓

Yup! ☑️ Separation anxiety is a sign that baby is growing up. In other words: congratulations mama 🎉🎈, it’s such a big deal! It means that your baby understands you and feels connected to you and that’s a good thing.

It's most common during the first two years and usually peaks between 1️⃣0️⃣ & 1️⃣8️⃣ months

It will eventually ease once your baby gets the hang of a new milestone. Like for example, compare it when you start a new job 💼. It’s very exciting to have a new job, but it doesn’t feel very comfortable. Now that’s how milestones can be for children. It’s a great thing, however they don’t really know how to handle it which makes them uncomfortable. After a couple of weeks, your baby will get used to it and feel more relaxed.

Have you noticed separation anxiety with your baby before? 🙋‍♀️