When is it okay to leave your newborn?

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Replies

  • AshleysAwesomeness
    AshleysAwesomeness Posts: 42
    I left my daughter overnight, well my parents took her 3 hours away to see my family, when she was 3.5 weeks old. I still don't feel guilty about it. But then again, I left her with my younger brother (who was 18 at the time) four 5 hours so I could go to college when she was 13 days old. And I left her with my dad so I could go grocery shopping when she was 3 days old.

    I don't know, I guess I never had that separation anxiety because I knew everyone was as capable as me in taking care of a baby.
  • maddymama
    maddymama Posts: 1,183 Member
    I left my daughter overnight, well my parents took her 3 hours away to see my family, when she was 3.5 weeks old. I still don't feel guilty about it. But then again, I left her with my younger brother (who was 18 at the time) four 5 hours so I could go to college when she was 13 days old. And I left her with my dad so I could go grocery shopping when she was 3 days old.

    I don't know, I guess I never had that separation anxiety because I knew everyone was as capable as me in taking care of a baby.

    Yeah, but I still think there is a huge difference between leaving your baby for *hours* versus *days.* Hours, I wouldn't worry about. Days, I would think twice about (an overnight wouldn't even bother me much, but being gone for day after day for no real reason to be away from your child makes no sense to me.
  • krim12
    krim12 Posts: 102
    My youngest is almost 10 weeks and i could seriously use a vacation. I have spent the night away from her 2x while i went out for some adult fun and she stayed with me very capable sister.
  • AshleysAwesomeness
    AshleysAwesomeness Posts: 42
    I left my daughter overnight, well my parents took her 3 hours away to see my family, when she was 3.5 weeks old. I still don't feel guilty about it. But then again, I left her with my younger brother (who was 18 at the time) four 5 hours so I could go to college when she was 13 days old. And I left her with my dad so I could go grocery shopping when she was 3 days old.

    I don't know, I guess I never had that separation anxiety because I knew everyone was as capable as me in taking care of a baby.

    Yeah, but I still think there is a huge difference between leaving your baby for *hours* versus *days.* Hours, I wouldn't worry about. Days, I would think twice about (an overnight wouldn't even bother me much, but being gone for day after day for no real reason to be away from your child makes no sense to me.

    True, days upon days didn't come until she was 12 weeks, when my parents took her to the beach for a week. But to me it was a welcome break. I was a single mom, working full-time and going to school full-time.... I needed sleep.
  • beccyleigh
    beccyleigh Posts: 846 Member
    i was a person for 32 years before I had a child & continue to be a person after. Having a child does not mean giving up your own needs, a child should fit in to, not take over your life.
  • MrsWilsoncroft
    MrsWilsoncroft Posts: 968 Member
    Lol I don't think there is a right or wrong answer.
    Each to their own, personally I wouldn't mind mine being with a close family member for a short time x
  • oregonzoo
    oregonzoo Posts: 4,251 Member
    My daughter stayed with her grandparents for a few nights when she was a couple months old.

    But an actual "vacation" that never happened.

    I can't really judge. She set up for care.
  • foxfirekenzie
    foxfirekenzie Posts: 244 Member
    When you go to the movies! Do NOT bring your baby to the theater! There were 2 infants at the show we were at last night. Boooo!
  • Contrarian
    Contrarian Posts: 8,138 Member
    Why is this "news"?

    This says a lot more about society than it does about the parents.
  • GeorgieLove708
    GeorgieLove708 Posts: 442 Member
    I didn't let my first go anywhere overnight until she was 15 months old and that was only because I was in labor with my second. I didn't let her spend the night again for almost a year after that (about 2 years old) and I didn't let my second spend the night until he was about 18 months, and that was because my husband works nights and I was severely ill. Again, didn't let him spend the night again until he was 2. Even now at 2 1/2 years and 4 years old they only spend the night away 2-3 times in a 2 month period and it wouldn't even be that much if it weren't for the fact that we'll be moving out of state in 10 months.
    That said, just because 2 years was my rule doesn't mean I think someone who leaves their LO at 10 weeks is selfish. What works for one does not work for all.
  • Reinventing_Me
    Reinventing_Me Posts: 1,053 Member
    Ten weeks? Geez...I guess women shouldn't go back to work by then either, huh? Good grief, it's not like she abandoned the baby. And any new parent knows how exhausting it is to have a new baby. A break is always welcome AND healthy.
  • urloved33
    urloved33 Posts: 3,323 Member
    It was not for me either. I had two kids in 13 months and never left my child to go on vacation...I took them and we all had a great time. Its probably the best memories of their childhood ...our family vacations!
    I see both sides of it. She chose what looks like responsible caregivers. Its her child and if he is stressed by her leaving then that's a burden she has to bear. But at 10 weeks postpartum I was practically a crazy person with no sleep and the stress of interviewing nanny's for my return to work.
    I personally could not have done it. Being away from my son for work is awful now and he is 2. But it would have been torture when he was a newborn. I even missed him when he was asleep and I was awake. And I do believe a 10 week old would miss her terribly so it makes me sad for him.
  • AlayshaJ
    AlayshaJ Posts: 703 Member
    As long as the baby was being fed and taken care of by a qualified person, good for that momma!


    However, I breastfed/breastfeed so my older daughter didn't stay over night anywhere until she was 3 months old... my younger daughter is a little over 1 year and has yet to be watched over night, but she is a clingy one so I can understand the hesitation.

    The child isn't being hurt, so its really no ones business.
  • GeorgieLove708
    GeorgieLove708 Posts: 442 Member
    Leave Mad Men out of this! *shakes fist*

    That show is awesome.

    Honestly, though, people criticized me for taking my daughter to the mall when she was 10 days old. Because of course she was going to catch ebola from all the ebola germs in the mall.

    Yeah, I had a few distant family memebers that had their jaw drop when they found out we took ours to Target when she was a little over a week. :noway:

    I guess we need to put these babies in disenfected bubble wrap and keep them at attached to our hips 24/7.:huh:

    I took my first to Walmart the day we got home from the hospital (2 days old) and I took my second to a family Christmas party the day we were sent home from the hospital (1 day old). And I apparently didn't finish my thought.... I took them out that early and had so many people saying rude things for it. I just laughed. They both survived just fine and neither got sick. If it were up to some people we'd have a whole generation of "bubble boy"s

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