AIBU to ask friend to look after 4mth old baby for a day/evening?

[BeautifulBlondePineapple]

DH & I have been invited to a wedding. Our kids haven't been invited & we've got a bit of a babysitting dilema as all my family are also going to the wedding & PIL have already arranged to look after BIL's kids that weekend.

PIL have offered to look after DCs 1 & 2 at BIL's house, but are understandably not keen to look after DC3 too as he will only be 4 months.

We would need someone to look after DC3 from 2pm - midnight. He is BF (he does take a bottle tho) & is in a good routine so would probably be asleep from 7pm.

Is this too much to ask a friend? I know she'd say yes just to help me out, but I don't want to put her in an awkard position. She already has 2 DCs of her own and has met my DC3 a handful of times.

AIBU to ask a friend to look after a 4mth old baby for 10 hours?

[knittedbreast]

will you be nearby in case it gets too much for her?

4 months they just sleep so probebly wouldnt be too hard, if your baby sleeps lots then id ask her, as long as you are not too far away in case you need to get back to baby

[BeautifulBlondePineapple]

Wedding is 20mins from friend's house and 2 hrs from BIL's house

[Mitmoo]

I'd love it!! Just make sure she's happy with it and you are contactable, I bet she'll enjoy it I would.

[Bloodymary]

Well I can only speak for myself, and I would lurve to look after a 4 month old baby.

[ChippingIn]

I'd love to have the baby too :) 4 month olds are gorgeous!! If she can't have him I will!!

[peterpan99]

personally i think looking after a baby is much easier than looking after a child or toddler.

[knittedbreast]

go! youl have fun, baby will sleep/suck. all will be well, and you can always get back if you need too

[BeautifulBlondePineapple]

Ooh - it never crossed my mind that she might actually ENJOY looking after him!

[Bloodymary]

Where are you OP, just get a few of us together and it sounds as tho it will be handbags at dawn

[exoticfruits]

I would love someone to ask me!

[HowlingBitch]

Ofcourse she will! They are amazingly cute at that age, All snuffles and grunts.

[ArmageddonOuttahere]

Oh yes, do. Make it as easy for her as possible (provide more than everything she could possibly need) and give her a big bunch of flowers and a slice of wedding cake to say thank you. Everybody's happy.

[belgo]

He might sleep through the night from 7pm in his own bed with his own parents, but will he sleep through in a stranger's house?

How well does he know your friend?

[PattySimcox]

4 month old are lovely - much less work than toddlers - I would love it if a friend asked me to look after their baby.

[nomoreheels]

My 4 month old DD is quite spirited & finds it hard to settle in her bedtime routine without me. Sometimes she's happy with a bottle of F but she does insist on boob sometimes as well, making it hard for DP to settle her alone. For this reason I either need to be back home by 6/7 pm at her bedtime, or go out for a few hours after she is settled for the night.

Only you know whether your baby will be ok. If you've not tried it yet then it's hard to say. I'm sure your friend will love babysitting but if you're not sure baby will settle, it would be good if you weren't too far in case of complete meltdown.

Also, take a pump as you will be bursting after 10 hours! :)

Hope you can find a way to make it work & have some fun.

[belgo]

Yes it does depend on the child. There is no way I could have inflicted any of my babies onto someone else for 10 hours at this age. I would take him with me, in a sling.

[brodanbell]

If she has offered in the past I think you would be silly not to take her up on it! I would!

[bringmesunshine2009]

I would! My baby is 4 months they are lovely and no trouble. My toddler on the other hand... yikes.

Have fun!

[chocoroo]

Assuming your baby is "easily" left with others I'd ask the friend and like others have said, make her day as comfortable as possible (lots of yummy food in fridge etc) if she agrees. Then go out and have some fun yourself!

belgo If you read the OP, the baby is not invited. I'd be mightily annoyed if you turned up with your baby in a sling after being asked not to, especially if others have gone out of their way to comply with the Bride and Groom's wishes.

[belgo]

The 'no children at wedding' rule is for another thread. I'm not going to argue it here

[nomoreheels]

Bringme, you are very lucky if your 4 month old is no trouble! Cries into her bottomless cup of coffee after 4 months of broken sleep & no daytime naps

[PublicHair]

i wouldn't, i'd maybe go to the day or the night but not the whole thing it's too big of an ask.

[LilRedWG]

Do it! It doesn't sound as though you often ask favours of this friend and I'd be honoured that someone trusted me with their LO.

[pinkdelight]

My friend did this recently, fearing the worst, and found the baby actually slept better without her! She normally BFs and co-sleeps but her mate (not me - got my own to deal with) gave a bottle of expressed BM and put the baby down in a cot and he slept for a solid five hour stretch - more than ever before. So I'd say go for it. You'll never know otherwise and you can always come back if there's a problem.