Is this a thing?!? I just looked it up and there are ton of anecdotal posts about it, even cultures believing it’s a sign labor is coming, but I haven’t found any science behind it.
My 28 month old DD has never been remotely a “Mommy’s girl”, she’s a noticeably independent child (so much so that strangers watching her often comment on it) and as she’s with me most, seems to prefer her more exciting dad or grandparents 99% of the time. The only time she ever got remotely clingy was for a few weeks after starting day care at 15 months.
For the past week and a half she’s wanted me to carry her everywhere (fun at 9 months pregnant), says “mommy come back” if I go more than five feet away, and wants my undivided attention even if she’s in the middle of something that normally entertains her. There hasn’t been a big to-do about the LO, being the second, and not much change otherwise (except her leaving day care and me being a SAHM again since 6 weeks ago). I still try to sit on the floor to play with her (not fun) and never refuse to carry her, although I did mention babies can’t walk so I’ll have to carry her sister a lot, that didn’t happen until after the clinging began.
She’s already driving me insane so I’m worried for when the nb comes! Also wondering if it’s hormonal, as it coincided with me starting to get very anxious if she’s away from me for more than a short time, which I chalked up to baby hormones.
I’ve also read this happens 1-2 weeks before labor, and since this started about 2.5 weeks before my due date, wonder if it’s a reliable indicator my baby will be on time? I was kind of expecting to go past my date.
I have no idea if it’s predictive as to when labor will start, but I’m sure that she is picking up on the changes in the household. Kids are very good at that, which makes sense bc it is their entire world. And leaving daycare and being home with you all day is a huge change as well. As you said, she was clingy when she started daycare as well. So it seems reasonable that she would react similarly to leaving daycare.
I would say coddle and cuddle her as much as possible, but go ahead and phase out actually carrying her around. [name_m]Just[/name_m] realistically, it is going to be harder to deal with her flipping out bc you can’t carry her when you are also coping with a newborn.
Eh, toddlers go through clingy stages at times, especially when their routines change. I don’t think there’s any science to back up their ability to forecast labor.
But I definitely agree w/ tarynkay. Sit with her a lot right now. When the baby comes home, also make it a point to prioritize sitting with DD1/holding her whenever possible, and occasionally you should say, “just a minute, [baby’s name], I’m sitting with [DD1’s name] right now.”
It’s hard and hectic for awhile, but you’ll get through it.
Aw that’s sweet! I can see how it would be a little annoying, for lack of a better word. But I hope you soak it all in. The PP’s have great advice. I don’t have any experience in this but can definitely say my son has been a “mama’s boy” ever since I got pregnant. [name_f]May[/name_f] be a stage, my [name_f]MIL[/name_f] swears it is because he can “sense” something.
That’s a phase [name_f]Olive[/name_f] (DD) went through after I gave birth to my son, [name_u]Flynn[/name_u]. It’ll usually pass. Like another poster said, they’re picking up the changes in the house. She’ll pass it soon, I hope.