When did you first leave your baby with someone else?

[Tigger87]

I take my dog obedience training on a Thursday night. My husband already needs to "guarantee" an early finish on a Wednesday, so wouldn't be around until about 7ish most Thursday nights. My mum goes too, so that really leaves my dad as the only available person on a Thursday evening.

I was to exclusively breast feed, and not express if I can help it. I'd be gone for up to 2 hours if I did... When would you have felt comfortable to do this? I can take as long of a break as I want, and cost may make it too restrictive to continue, but I wanted to see opinions??

 

[Msclaireypants]

I left my son for 3 hours with my mum and dad in my flat when he was 3 weeks old. I really didn't want to but basically felt pressured in to it as it was my birthday and hubby booked a restaurant.

He stayed over night with my parents at 12 weeks I was a bit of a wreck. Both times he was fine and I think we both needed a break from each other!


Spencer David Wilcockson 28/2/2013 6lbs 3.5ozs

 

[CARNAT22]

We left James for the first time last week @ 6.5 months

But I think if I'd had commitments I'd have been OK to leave him for a few hours with either of my parents.

Babies can need the boob a lot in the early days. They like to cluster feed so you may not be able to 'guarentee' bub will go two hours without a feed? That would be my reservation not actually leaving baby although as I say I didn't leave mine for half a year (clingy mummy.com )

xxx

 

[kat1988]

we left lo with mil for a couple of hours at 2weeks old, and tbh I hated every second! I wasn't ready, I was pressured into it

whenever u feel ready is the best time, if you bf and u don't want to express obviously that will limit how long u can be gone for anyway, there's nothing wrong with trying expressing though, u don't have to do it again if its not for u xx

 

[Loula]

Ive left baby with my mum once a week from 2 weeks but with others at 12 weeks x

 

[Karate Kid]

We left C at 8 months old with my in laws as my parents were away (they would have been my first choice). I just didn't feel ready to leave him with anyone other than hubby.

I personally wouldn't leave C without a bottle of expressed milk just in case Xx

 

[Zazu]

I think it's whenever you feel comfortable, but if you are bf you won't be able to for a while without a bottle as they don't really have a routine early on. They also reccommend not giving a bottle until bf is established (about 4-6 weeks). Xxx

 

[Leah04x]

My MIL had Ethan overnight when he was 4 days old - NOT by choice though! I had an infection after c-section and was on very strong painkillers that were knocking me for six, so I was in no fit state to look after him. My OH didn't & still doesn't hear Ethan in the night, so MIL having him was the best thing at the time. I was a complete emotional wreck though! - Pregnancy/new baby hormones, out of it on painkillers & having to leave my tiny baby..

He started having sleepovers at nanny & grandads at 12 weeks old, and he goes once a week. The first couple of times were difficult, but it got easier.

Even though it's only 2 hours, I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving LO with no milk though. If you decide to bf, it may be better to establish bf for the first 6 weeks or so, then leave your dad with a bottle of expressed milk just in case LO gets hungry while you're out xx

 

[TaffyRose]

The first time we left Max with someone in the evening was when he was about 6 months old, when we went out for dinner. Before then I'd only ever left him with my OH. We left him for the day with my sister at about 8 months and he had a great time and I felt fine leaving him then. He's not yet stayed away from us over night and he's 1 on Sunday. I'm away on a course for 3 days next week, so it'll just be Max and my OH at home. Max is staying overnight with my in laws at the end of the month as we are at a wedding xxx

 

[diane]

I left my lo for the first time with my parents at 4 weeks. Same for the in laws. Then overnight with my parents at 8 weeks. Tbh I've always been fine leaving her, it's good to have a couple of hours of "me" or "us" time. Oh and I've left her with my hubby from basically as soon as we got home from hospital for a few hours too.

 

[Tigger87]

Thanks girls ill probably give up for maybe a couple of months, see how I'm getting on. Nothing's set in stone and I can decide last minute when I'm ready to go back, just don't want to try and run before I can walk.. Already feel a bit devastated when my in-laws talk about having the baby frequently for us to do things (straight away!!) so I'm still very undecided!!!

 

[Msclaireypants]

Don't let anyone rush you in to anything like I said I felt completely pressured to leave him at 3 weeks and I wish I'd just stood my ground x


Spencer David Wilcockson 28/2/2013 6lbs 3.5ozs

 

[CARNAT22]

We've had people offer to babysit from birth but I've only ever left James with Daddy (prior to last week). I left him with Daddy at 3 weeks to visit my new nephew but I was gone less than 90 minutes....

Do what feels right for you.

Some people relish the break but personally I am in no hurry to have him anywhere other than with me for long periods of time. OH took him out for the day a few weeks back - they were gone for 9 hours - and I felt like I'd lost a limb.

xxxxxxx

 

[russellmuscle]

Jackson stayed his first overnight about a month old with my mum but she's literally 2mins away. I really needed the sleep OH was at work and j was up till like 7am screaming with reflux so, it was for my own sanity tbh I started to feel very snappy and annoyed towards him because I was soooo exhausted and then felt bad because I knew he was in agony and couldn't do anything I was so stressed lol but my mum takes him fri&sat now I still see him eveyr day though..

Xxxx

 

[russellmuscle]

Do what's right for you. I only let my mum and dad look after Jackson loads of people asked to have him but mils only had him twice now, not by my choice she was always on as if she would have him all the time and they never take him soo your inlaws might ease off xxxxx

 

[Lulubelle]

My birthday is exactly a month after my boys, so he was exactly 1 month old the first time I left him, bbwe left his with his grown up half-sister. I then went to work for 2 whole days 3 weeks after that (I am a teacher and in those days to get paid over the summer hols, I had to be back working) but he was with OH. Then I don;t think I left him again until I led a school trip to Poland for 5 nights when he was about 4 months old and he went to stay with my mum to give OH a break. I;d stoppped breastfeeding by then as I was back at work full time as OH is a house husband.

 

[littlemonkey]

Do what feels right for you. I don't think you'll really know how you feel about it until LO is here. I thought I'd be fine leaving him before I had my LO, but now I hate the thought of it! I had a lot of pressure from OH's family about them having him quite early on, but I stood my ground. To be fair SIL had her kids quite young and she was on her own, so relied on the in laws quite a lot to help and even still they stay with them a couple of times a week. So I think MIL thought it would be the same with our lad.

 

[BevG]

i left my DD with my mum at 6 weeks old for the whole day while i went to college once a week, she had formula milk in bottles but if id been EBF id have left expressed there. i have carried that on the whole time shes been growing up so far as ive always had college 1 day a week and now she adores going to nannas and i know i can leave her with my mum and she will be happy there so i think its been really good for her too