My DD has had the same sitter for 10-15 hours a week since she was 3.5 months old. The babysitter comes to the house at first I would nurse her and then we switched to bottles so I could get more work done. She comes Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday. At 5.5 months old my DD would scream and stop breathing when I left the room after the sitter got here. She would cry and scream until it was time for her next nap. This has continued for over a month now and I'm losing my mind. The only way I can get work done is to take the laptop into my DD's room with the babysitter so DD can see me and occasionally touch me. If she's hysterical with the babysitter and I pick her up she immediately turns smiley at me and the babysitter.

Things we've tried:
*Hanging out for 1 hour before I left the room - fail
*Having the babysitter and I hand out with her until her next nap and the babysitter retrieving her - 1/2 success and 1/2 fail
*Sneaking out of all of the rooms of the house - fail
*Having the sitter take her for a walk - we tried this once and it was a massive fail

I know separation anxiety is PERFECTLY normal at this age but there must be other mamas who have in-home help for non-majority of the time that have some suggestions or words of wisdom. I am at my wit's end and sad to be paying $ for help that isn't helping.

Help!

P.S. FWIW, I don't think it's an issue with the babysitter at all and getting a new one isn't a highly desirable option