Hoping for reassurance/change!

My little girl is now 7 months old, since she was around 3-4 months so has had quite profound stranger anxiety and bursts into tears immediately at anyone picking her up or being passed to anyone who isn't me or my fiancé. I thought/hoped it was just a phase a few months ago but it's still very much the same witg no improvement.

She is always around people, we don't stay in much and I see friends and family regularly so it's not that she is couped up just with me and her dad. She is happy, smiley and babbling around other people but the second she is passed to someone or picked up by anyone other than me and her dad she combusts immediately into floods of tears and ao distressed.

Is anyone else experiencing this or has experienced it and seen any improvement? She is going to nursery in January and I'm dreading it! We have no opportunity to have an hour away from her due to the distress it causes, just hoping it's something she eventually eases out of

Would love any advice/similar stories to help me think I'm not on my own! X

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Feeling relieved to see this post, we have exactly the same thing! She has a full on meltdown, hyperventilating etc if anyone picks her up, but will happily sit next to someone smiling holding hands etc.. no advice but following for myself! x

I know this sounds like a stupid question but have you left her for long enough to see if she calms down? Like handing her to someone she sees and usually has positive interactions with often but cries if you hand her over. Have you tried getting out of view and waiting a good amount of time? Maybe up to 10 mins? It's hard but sometimes babies and toddlers have a big reaction but actually calm down quite quickly. I'm saying you leave because if she can still see you she knows she could be with you, but if you're out of view the option goes away. The trusted person should also try to redirect her attention to something interesting/fun after soothing her for a few minutes. Also doing it in a familiar environment but not at home (where she'd expect you to be anyway) might help. Something like grandma's house or something like that.

Forgive me if you've tried this anyway. It could be a long bout of separation anxiety though, that's totally normal at this stage too.

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