'Only Mom' Phase?

It's a tough situation because at first you love how much they want to be with you only and then after a while it's hard because everything revolves around you alone when there's another loving parent who would love to pitch in.

I love the suggestion to let her do fun things outside the house with daddy. A trip to the playground or out to run errands with maybe a special treat for your daughter at the end would be great.

Another interesting thing to try would be to have hubby sit on the floor playing with something that's of interest to your daughter. At this age they are nosey and she'll probably go over to play with him.

My granddaughter is the same age and when she's around me I'm her person. Only gram can do anything. Of course I eat it up ..... and then go home to my house. lol

there is a great series of books called, 'your one year old' 'your 2 year old', etc. they are so informative - not very long - and really give you an idea of what is going on developmentally with your child. as for your situation - it is completely normal! you are pregnant and believe me - an 18 month old is very aware and probably picking up on some changes going on - as well as dealing with her own changes. she is probably getting to the point where she is having a harder time with you being out of sight. are you a sahm? are you her usual caregiver? i am for my son - and i can tell you that he always wanted me instead of daddy as i was always the one with him. when his daddy did get to spend more time with him (on weekends or when work wasn't as crazy) he was much more willing to be with daddy even if i was around. you have to understand that kids want to feel safe and secure - which is why they are most attached to those they spend the most time with. i am also a big believer as a teacher and mom that when children are this young - you do not just let them cry. she needs to be assured that you are coming back and that you love her unconditionally. perhaps you can tell her you are going to leave the room but you will be right back. then leave - and come right back to show her what your words mean. it will also instill trust in her that you will be coming back. every child goes through this - it's completely normal - and it is a great teaching point to help your child learn that you will always come back - so there is nothing to worry about. also - sometimes it helps to see if there is something they need to tell or show you before you leave. i had a friend whose child would throw a fit when her daddy used to leave and one day instead of just saying goodbye and scooting out the door for a quick getaway (which we have all done!) he asked her what she needed and she said she needed to give him some stickers to take with him. once she was able to do this - the crying and battling was over!!!
good luck - and check out those books by louis bates ames. they have them on amazon - or check out the library! they are older - but competely relevant and have always been right on!!
J.

I don't really have any answers for you but I can definitely sympathize. I have an almost 2 1/2 year old and I am 6 months pregnant. I am now getting to the point where I am having difficulty actually with the lifting and dressing stuff and she will scream if Daddy tries to help, I also have a very supportive husband, and it is hard for him too, and hard for me to watch.

It's called separation anxiety and it is a healthy, normal phase in child development. All children experience it at approx. 10 months and again at approx. 18 months.

If you want to have a healthy attachment in the future than you should probably do some research about it. many times parents go about it wrong and end up creating a very unhealthy bond that creates difficulty when the child needs to transition to school. Just google separation anxiety. You'll see that is is typical and every mom goes through what you are going through.

A.

It's a phase but a long one. My son is 27 months, and if I'm around is always "Mommy do". At first "Mommy did", but the more I did the more things I had to do. Now we ignore some of his demands. I'll give him the bath and get him ready for bed, while my husband will read books before bed. I'll walk out of the room and he'll cry, but he stops once I'm out. My point is the more you feed into it, the worse it gets. I gave into it a while and still do with many things, but when I can't I give him an explanation. he may not like it, but I think now he understands it. Congratulations on your pregnancy.

I think that you need to be more firm,

eg. if dad is with her then she is safe, so its ok to continue with whatever your doing without running to see if she is ok,
when she is being far too clingy say OK thats enough now,
sit down i need to use the potty,

what worked for me was, being firm and making them comfortable,

I would also break the rules by letting him watch TV while eating goldfish crakers and juice, on my sofa.

I tried introducing the potty, as a distraction and watching the potty video, ( becaue this was a way for him to get his independence from me)

encouraged bike riding because it was a soloo activity,

parks to play with friends, and i didn't run after him every second.

the more youo encourage independent play activities the better, and the longer they learn to be without you.

Also having daddy bring her some place rally fun and exciting is a good thing to help her reconnect with him,
eg the ZOO,have daddy ask her if she wants to go to the Zoo to see the animals, and invite her to the park,
after she realizes what fun they are, she will be tempted to go with him alone,

New PJ's , or barrettes, given to her by daddy, new tooth brush, new bath robe. all things that she will like , and that if introduced by daddy will make her bond with him again

M