Is this my baby really that hard to handle?

Harmony is 7 1/2 months old. I've been taking her to the babysitter now since about December. I don't work full time so she's only there a couple hours a day along with my 5 year old daughter. I had been noticing that whenever I drop her off she starts crying and when I go to pick her up I can hear her crying before I even knock on the door. So this has me concerned. The babysitter also has been telling me that her tummy was hurting her today. (She's fine at home). My 5 year old tells me that she screams all day. The sitter even has been saying that she can't put her down or she just scream cries constantly. Well the sitter told me today that she can'****ch her any more and that she doesn't think she's happy there. My husband is really the only other person besides myself  she will be happy with. My mom can't hold her for long, etc. Is this a phase or what.  I don't know what I'm supposed to do if she screams with everyone else. I don't feel like its ok to just let her scream and cry. I'm just frustrated and would love to stay at home co,pletely but I can't. I could take her with me but it's hard teaching my class like that. Any advice or thoughts, please!

Hopefully some of the newer mommies (ie newer mommy than me...my 'baby' is almost 16) will hop in here and tell you what their babies do/did at that age. 

I know my son - around the same age, 8/9 months old - was at a babysitter for a few hours a day for a month or two and he hated going to this woman's house.  Screamed bloody murder from the minute he saw her house until he was picked up a few hours later. This woman had a baby almost the same age and also babysat another baby a few months younger, so you'd have thought three babies would have enjoyed hanging out with each other...not so much.  It was so bad that we finally quit sending him there and found someone else for him to stay with.  The second person had three kids of her own, 2, 4, and 5 years old, and he LOVED going there.  I don't know why he didn't like the first person's house...but I was much more comfortable putting him elsewhere where it was obvious he was happy (ie he cried when we went home!).

I'd guess that for the most part, it's perfectly normal for her.  Babies do go through a clingy stage where if you even leave the room where she can't see you, she's gonna scream.  I would have thought, though, with your older daughter being there, that she'd be happy/comfortable at this babysitter, because she still has someone she knows there with her, so it might be like with my son and she just doesn't like this particular person or her house or something.

This lady does have a lot of kids that she's taking care of. Besides my kids, she has a 1 year old, a 2 year old, two 3 year olds, and a 4 year old. I'm hoping you're right and that it's just for some reason she doesn't like this lady and that she'll be fine with someone else. I also do think that she's in the clingy stage. My mom keeps trying to give me advice to just ignore her when she cries for me so she gets used to that, but I just can't do that, it doesn't seem right. If my baby is crying I feel like she needs to be tended to, even if it's just emotional support. I feel horrible now, realizing that Harmony has been screaming now almost everyday for a couple weeks at the sitters. I hate thinking that she's been so upset and I just leave her there. I think I'm just going to take her with me until I can find someone else she doesn't scream for, to watch her.

Crying when you leave is normal...but crying the entire time your gone, in my opinion, is saying that she's not happy or not comfortable there.  It doesn't mean that your babysitter is a bad person or a bad sitter...just that there's something your daughter's not comfortable with.  The few months we put my son in day care (not babysitter), my husband dropped him off most days, and I picked him up.  When DH took him, life was good and he was happy as a clam, walked off and left DH standing there.  When I took him, he screamed the roof down and I could hear him wailing as I walked up the block towards the subway...and I'd practically be in tears too, knowing he was crying like that....but when I picked him up later in the day, 99% of the time he was playing and having fun with the other kids.  If you have the opportunity that you can take her with you to wor****il you can find alternative care, do it.  You'll be more comfortable knowing your baby's not crying and unhappy.  Hopefully with a new sitter - and time (maybe another month or two) - she'll start getting past the clingy stage and willing to be held by other people for longer periods of time. 

Is she crawling yet?  Maybe once she's crawling - at least at home, she'll be able to follow you around a bit and feel less separation anxiety because she'll have some control on being where you're at because she'll be able to follow you. 

I too have to agree with Holly (she does give great advice). Tristan went through a clingy stage... and now despite being an avid cuddler, I have to beg for kisses. :) 

That's a lot of kids and maybe it's just too hectic for Harmony to handle. Plus, babies feel our emotions... not to blame the sitter but maybe she's a little over extended and Harmony is picking up on it.

It's nice that your other daughter is there to help her transition. I would recommend trying others and explaining it to the new people and maybe doing a trial run for a couple of days... and see if maybe there's a better fit.

sounds like she doesnt like anyone but you and hubby...i think holly has a great idea ( like always)

Yep. At family gatherings, she won't let anyone hold her for more than 2 minutes before she's reaching for mommy and crying. I went to a new gym yesterday where they have childcare and left her in the childcare room. She didn't cry, I peeked through the window at her a couple times. As soon as I got into the room though, she cried for me to pick her up. So I think some of this is definately seperation anxiety.

I had another thought as I read your post.  Have you talked to your pediatrician about Harmony's behavior.  That it manifests as tummy aches sometimes seems important.  Maybe the doctor can also give you some ideas for helping ease the transitions.  Both my kids were a little clingy at that same age, and it only lasted a few months.  Could you take Harmony with you to the class just for a few weeks to get her past the worst phase?  I was lucky to had a fantastic nanny who only watched her own one other child at the same time as she was babysitting mine.  She engaged the kids directly most all of the day. Perhaps you could find a "mommy's helper" type student or teenager who could watch her off in a corner while you teach the class so Harmony could still see you, but play with the other person until you're done.  Good luck!  It will pass, I promise.