Your baby is a sensory being! His vision is able to focus at just 18cm from his face – that means he can see your expression when you cuddle or feed him. His hearing is tuned to pick up the sound of a human voice more than any other sound in his environment. He’s even sensitive to the smell of your breastmilk. All this adds up to him knowing just who his mummy is – and when you’re close by. It’s not surprising that he realises when you’re not there as much as when you are. And that he gets upset with whoever is still around. The fact that your baby misses you when he is temporarily separated from you is a normal phase of development that virtually all children go through. It’s a sign of his increasing maturity and growing understanding of the world around him. He is starting to be more aware of his surroundings, more aware of your presence, and so he is more likely to pine for you when he senses you aren’t there, whether by seeing you’ve disappeared from view, or realising he’s not been held by you or heard your voice for a while. Don’t panic – this is something that he will get more used to over time. You’ll find that his longing for you during temporary separations fluctuates during the first year. Sometimes he’ll be happy to spend a couple of hours with someone else, while at other times he’ll burst into tears the moment you’re out of sight. It’s up to you to keep calm so he begins to see it as a normal part of his daily life.
