Separation Anxiety in Infants: Why Is My Baby So Clingy All of a Sudden?

It’s true when they say that having a pet prepares you for being a parent. If you’re one of those people who gets grossed out when people compare the two, then you’re probably not a parent of either.

I can remember when all of a sudden Jax, our Silky Terrier, started doing things he used to do when he was a puppy; things like chewing at the rug, having accidents on the carpet, being extra clingy. When I looked it up, all of those things were his way of trying to cope with a new change. It turned out that we were having a baby.

Now, we’re going through the same thing with our son. But we’re not expecting this time around, or at least we hope we’re not. Instead, our son is going through a bout of separation anxiety, often seen in infants, because he’s about to be a year old.

Separation Anxiety in Infants

Separation anxiety in infants looks a little different than separation anxiety in adults, mainly because they can’t really communicate how they feel, but the two are conceptually the same. The only way they know how to let us know they’re unhappy is by crying and clinging for our attention.

My son has been really clingy the past few days; wanting to be held all day, he’s waking up in the middle of the night, rejecting some of his favorite solid foods, and wanting to be nursed all the time! I’d seen a few moms I follow on social media going through the same thing with their children once they were around 9-11 months old.

I did a little research and this type of behavior was associated with milestones such as rolling over, crawling, and walking. We’d hit two out of the three marks on that list so that left us with one more: walking.

Between one of his fits, I decided to stand him on the ground and sit on the floor in front of him. Of course, he immediately began crying. But because he was so focused on clinging towards me, he didn’t realize that he was taking a few steps on his own to get to me. That’s right! He walked! Well actually ran, but he did it! I grabbed him trying to hold back the tears of my own and went to show his dad. He did it again, again, and again!

And while he’s not outright walking just yet, this just means that we’re one step closer! So take it from me, if your little one is acting out all of a sudden or being extra clingy, they’re either about to hit a milestone or…you might have another one on the way!

Excuse me while I go dry my eyes. Someone must be cutting onions!