u/Flashy_Turnover_9388

FTM to a 6 month old baby girl and going back to work soon. My baby is extremely attached to me right now and honestly I’m getting really anxious about transitioning her to a nanny/caregiver.

She wants me around constantly. Even if I leave her on the playmat for a few minutes, she starts crying and looking for me. I know attachment is normal at this age, but meeting potential nannies has made me feel even more worried.

We met a few nannies who have worked in our society before, but the interactions honestly didn’t feel right to me. Most of them immediately tried to pick her up, show toys, and expected her to smile right away without really trying to connect with her first. No gentle talking, sitting near her, making eye contact, or giving her time to warm up. My baby would instantly burst into tears.

One nanny even commented that my baby cries a lot and “doesn’t come to people” while other babies apparently play easily with everyone. That comment really got to me. It made me wonder if my baby is unusually attached or difficult, or if we just haven’t found the right caregiver yet.

At the same time, she’s only 6 months old meeting complete strangers, so I don’t know if I’m expecting too much or if her reaction is actually completely normal.

I also keep wondering if I’m being unreasonable with my expectations. I feel like babies can sense warmth and comfort, and I expect a nanny to try building trust with her slowly instead of expecting immediate smiles and comfort. But maybe I’m overthinking because of mom guilt and anxiety about going back to work.

For parents who went through this:

What qualities did you look for in a nanny?

How did you help your baby get comfortable with them?

How long did it take for your baby to adjust?

And did anyone else have a baby who cried with new people at this age?

Would really appreciate honest experiences because this transition is feeling a lot harder emotionally than I expected.

I can find flexible work arrangements where I can go to the office for a few hours and WFH for the rest of the day but I know i won't be able to work without additional help.

Can't expect MIL to watch her full time.

FTM to a 6 month old girl and I go back to work in 10 days. Honestly, I feel like my life is still nowhere near “together” and I’m starting to wonder if I’m just bad at handling motherhood.

Right now all my time revolves around my baby. I eat sitting next to her as fast as possible, showers are rushed, and I do everything in panic mode while she naps. I barely get time to cook, forget working out or doing anything for myself.

She constantly wants me around to play with her and starts crying if I leave her alone on the playmat for too long. I love her so much, but I genuinely cannot imagine how I’m supposed to handle a full time job on top of this when I already feel like I’m barely keeping up.

I think I expected that by 6 months I’d have some sort of routine or feel a little more like myself again, but I don’t. Did anyone else feel this way? When did you finally start feeling like you had some time or independence back? And how did you manage returning to work without completely falling apart?

My LO is turning 6 months in about two weeks and I’m really excited to start solids—but also a bit nervous.

I’ve read and heard from friends that starting solids can be surprisingly challenging, and some even say they miss how “easy” breastfeeding felt in comparison. That got me thinking, because my breastfeeding journey definitely wasn’t easy at all. We dealt with tongue tie and latching issues, and it took multiple IBCLC and oral physio consultations and solid 3–4 months before feeding finally felt smooth and efficient.

So now I’m wondering—has anyone actually found starting solids *easier* than breastfeeding? Or is it just a different kind of hard for everyone?

Also curious—do some babies naturally take to solids more than breast milk, or is that not really how it works?

Would love to hear your experiences!