help! Clingy 18 month old!

[~~Sarah~~]

For the first time since birth I feel like I am at a loss for what to do with my child. She has always had an independent little spirit, but suddenly she has decided she needs to be permanently attached to me. All day. Everyday. I suddenly can't even have a meal without her in my lap (next to me isn't close enough for her), I can't go to the bathroom or walk to the fridge without her panicking and wanting to be held and to nurse. I am at a loss as to what has changed in our lives to suddenly make her feel unable to play independently.

I've been wearing her since birth, and she gets held for much of her waking (even sleeping) hours, she sleeps with us and rarely spends time with other caregivers.

I know it won't last forever but I am at a loss as to how to cope with it right now. I need to be able to have at least some time without a small creature attached to me.

Any words of wisdom are welcomed. Thx.

[beebalmmama]

No advice but just to share that it is pretty normal at that age. I remember when my first ds hit that age and I felt the same as you. I love how cute they are at that age and so fun......but yeah so clingy. Nothing to share other that "this too shall pass". Just make sure to take a little free time for yourself, even if it's to go to the store and leave her with dp if you can.

[Peony]

I have a 19m old leach right now. I just roll with it, stick him in a sling and go about my business. Eventually he will want to get down, for a few seconds anyway. 

[carrierwright]

Wow. That's really hard. How lucky for her that she has a mom who already practices attachment and can see that her clinginess is a reflection of some emotional need (even if you can't identify what sparked it!) Good luck, it's true it will pass, and all I can say is keep slinging that baby and hang on tight. It won't be forever~

[cyclamen]

Is there anyone else who can hold her?  In the evening when DP gets home, he takes over toddler duty (DD is the same age) and that helps tremendously.  Otherwise, I sling her on my back and we head out to the library or to playgroup where she usually encounters something too interesting to resist.  Third option is she loves playing in a tub of water, and the fourth is that I get her cleaning with me.  For some reason that is often enough to distract her.

Could she be getting her molars?  DD gets ultraclingy when she is in pain.

I have to sympathize though, now that DD is a toddler, I feel totally lost and at least 75% of the time I have no idea what I am doing or what is the right thing to do.

[nukuspot]

Same here.  She is somehow attached to me 24 hours a day.  She even started rolling on top of me at night to sleep.  However I do need a small brake so I go to the gym 3 nights a week and DH stays with her.  She's a wreck as I leave but he always says that once I've been gone for awhile she is totally fine.  Maybe it's just when we are there they are hip attachments but really would do OK when we are gone?  It seems to have gotten worse over the last month.  She's 20 months now.